Effects of flurazepam on sleep, arousal threshold, and the perception of being asleep

This study examined the effects of flurazepam on arousal threshold and on quality of sleep during nights in which arousal threshold studies were performed. Ten patients with subjective insomnia received 30 mg flurazepam or placebo on nights in which arousal thresholds in response to electronic tones or a recording of the subjects' names were determined. Arousal thresholds differed across waking and sleep stages, but there was less difference in response to the subjects' names than to electronic tones. Flurazepam raised arousal thresholds to both stimuli, but did not selectively influence response in any individual sleep stage. Flurazepam did not alter subjects' estimates of elapsed time or duration of sleep between tests.