Lormetazepam - a benzodiazepine derivative without hangover effect? A double-blind study with chronic insomniacs in a...

Lormetazepam, a new short-acting benzodiazepine, was tested multicentrally in 15 general practices. The subjects were 62 chronically sleep-disturbed patients. The first 7 days served as a placebo baseline week, the next 14 days were either lormetazepam or placebo in a randomized double-blind design, and during the last week placebo was given again to measure rebound effects. Lormetazepam was found to be an effective hypnotic that causes virtually no hangover the next morning. In this study no rebound effects could be measured. Visual analogue scales, among others, were used for the assessment of sleep characteristics.