Zaleplon belongs to a new group of medicines that are used to help individuals who have difficulty falling asleep. It selectively binds to a particular part of a receptor in the brain called GABA receptors. This causes the release of a chemical called GABA (gamma amino butyric acid).

GABA is a major inhibitory chemical in the brain which is responsible for causing sleepiness and controlling anxiety and fits. By increasing GABA release, zaleplon therefore helps individuals to fall asleep, as well as decreasing anxiety and relaxing the muscles. SONATA®, the prescription sleep medication for patients with transient insomnia, may be the right choice when sleep and safety are essential.

Help your insomnia patients sleep...
. With SONATA®, clinical trial patients have been shown to get to sleep generally within 30 minutes
...and avoid the next-day knockout
. With a half-life of approximately 1 hour, SONATA® helps you avoid the knockout of hangover effects
. SONATA® has been shown to provide more total sleep time than psychomotor impairment time
. This explains why SONATA® is a Rx sleep therapy that can be taken at bedtime or later, after patients have tried to fall asleep on their own

Warning! Do not drink alcohol whilst taking this medicine.
This medicine is generally only suitable for short-term use. If it is used for long periods or in high doses, tolerance to and dependence upon the medicine may develop, and withdrawal symptoms may occur if treatment is stopped suddenly. For this reason, treatment with this medicine should usually be stopped gradually, following the instructions given by your doctor, in order to avoid withdrawal symptoms such as rebound insomnia or anxiety, confusion, sweating, tremor, loss of appetite, irritability or convulsions.

This medicine should not be used for more than two weeks. Use with caution in Alcoholism Anxiety Depression Individuals with problems of drug abuse Psychotic illness Not to be used in: Abnormal muscle weakness (myasthenia gravis) Children or adolescents under 18 years of age Severely decreased liver function
Severely decreased lung function
Syndrome involving short spells when breathing stops during sleep (sleep apnoea syndrome)
This medicine should not be used if you are allergic to one or any of its ingredients. Please inform your doctor or pharmacist if you have previously experienced such an allergy.
If you feel you have experienced an allergic reaction, stop using this medicine and inform your doctor or pharmacist immediately.

Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
Certain medicines should not be used during pregnancy or breastfeeding. However, other medicines may be safely used in pregnancy or breastfeeding providing the benefits to the mother outweigh the risks to the unborn baby. Always inform your doctor if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, before using any medicine. The safety of this medicine during pregnancy has not been established. The manufacturer therefore advises that it should be avoided during pregnancy. Seek medical advice from your doctor. This medicine passes into breast milk. It is recommended that mothers should avoid using this medicine while breastfeeding. Seek medical advice from your doctor.
Label warnings: This medication may cause drowsiness. If affected do not drive or operate machinery. Avoid alcoholic drink.

Sonata Main Use Active Ingredient Manufacturer Insomnia Zaleplon. Lundbeck How does it work? Zaleplon belongs to a new group of medicines that are used to help individuals who have difficulty falling asleep. It selectively binds to a particular part of a receptor in the brain called GABA receptors. This causes the release of a chemical called GABA (gamma amino butyric acid). GABA is a major inhibitory chemical in the brain which is responsible for causing sleepiness and controlling anxiety and fits. By increasing GABA release, zaleplon therefore helps individuals to fall asleep, as well as decreasing anxiety and relaxing the muscles. What is it used for? Severe difficulties with falling asleep (insomnia) Warning! Do not drink alcohol whilst taking this medicine. This medicine is generally only suitable for short-term use. If it is used for long periods or in high doses, tolerance to and dependence upon the medicine may develop, and withdrawal symptoms may occur if treatment is stopped suddenly. For this reason, treatment with this medicine should usually be stopped gradually, following the instructions given by your doctor, in order to avoid withdrawal symptoms such as rebound insomnia or anxiety, confusion, sweating, tremor, loss of appetite, irritability or convulsions. This medicine should not be used for more than two weeks. Use with caution in Alcoholism Anxiety Depression Individuals with problems of drug abuse Psychotic illness Not to be used in Abnormal muscle weakness (myasthenia gravis) Children or adolescents under 18 years of age Severely decreased liver function Severely decreased lung function Syndrome involving short spells when breathing stops during sleep (sleep apnoea syndrome) This medicine should not be used if you are allergic to one or any of its ingredients. Please inform your doctor or pharmacist if you have previously experienced such an allergy. If you feel you have experienced an allergic reaction, stop using this medicine and inform your doctor or pharmacist immediately. Pregnancy and Breastfeeding Certain medicines should not be used during pregnancy or breastfeeding. However, other medicines may be safely used in pregnancy or breastfeeding providing the benefits to the mother outweigh the risks to the unborn baby. Always inform your doctor if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, before using any medicine. The safety of this medicine during pregnancy has not been established. The manufacturer therefore advises that it should be avoided during pregnancy. Seek medical advice from your doctor. This medicine passes into breast milk. It is recommended that mothers should avoid using this medicine while breastfeeding. Seek medical advice from your doctor. Label warnings This medication may cause drowsiness. If affected do not drive or operate machinery. Avoid alcoholic drink. Side effects Medicines and their possible side effects can affect individual people in different ways. The following are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with this medicine. Because a side effect is stated here, it does not mean that all people using this medicine will experience that or any side effect. Headache Depression Addiction to the medicine (dependence) Agitation Aggression False perceptions of things that are not really there (hallucinations) Dizziness Sleepiness (somnolence) Weakness or loss of strength (asthenia) A loss of memory of events occuring after taking the medicine (anterograde amnesia) The side effects listed above may not include all of the side effects reported by the drug's manufacturer. For more information about any other possible risks associated with this medicine, please read the information provided with the medicine or consult your doctor or pharmacist. How can this medicine affect other medicines? Taking this medicine with alcohol is not recommended as the sedative effects of zaleplon may be enhanced. The following medicines may increase the sedative effects of zaleplon: -Antipsychotics such as chlorpromazine -Hypnotics such as diazepam -Anxiolytics and sedatives -Antidepressant medicines such as amitriptyline -Narcotic analgesics such as morphine -Anti-epileptic medicines -Anaesthetics -Sedative antihistamines such as promethazine Narcotic analgesics when taken with zaleplon may also cause euphoria. The following medicines may increase the effects of zaleplon: -Cimetidine -Ketoconazole -Erythromycin The following medicines may decrease the effects of zaleplon: -Rifampicin -Carbamazepine -Phenobarbitone