A comparative study of zopiclone and triazolam in patients with insomnia

Zopiclone, a cyclopyrrolone derivative, was compared with triazolam in a double-blind, randomized, parallel group study in general practice patients suffering from insomnia. Both drugs were found to be effective compared to baseline assessment in that they increased the number of hours of sleep, reduced the number of nocturnal wakenings and reduced the latency of falling asleep. In addition, both drugs improved patients' condition following awakening, with zopiclone showing slight superiority. In both treatment groups, there was a transient period of poor sleep after withdrawal of the drug, and one patient in each group withdrew from the study for this reason. There were no serious adverse reactions during the trial.