Abstract

Benzodiazepine hypnotics and analogs promote the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA in the brain. The individual substances of this class differ mainly with respect to their elimination half-life. They are all effective hypnotics, but exhibit a number of undesired effects. Hypnotics should be administered generally for the short-term treatment of insomnia, and they should be prescribed for a prolonged time period only exceptionally.