Zopiclone?

[INeedFreshAirAndGreen]

My doctor has just given me some Zopiclone 7.5g to help me sleep as I have had horrible insomnia for the past week.

However, I read some reviews and they scared me.

People saying things like they sent people texts that they didn't know about, and sleepwalking.

It has put me off taking them. Any feedback on these tablets?

I took one on Monday night, it broke the cycle, and I’ve slept like a log ever since. I’ve been drinking Pukka Night Time tea every night since and had a comatose sleep.

Some people think a sleeping tablet will knock them out and that they will find it very difficult to wake up . That’s not true , they help you to get off to sleep and to aid sleep but you will still wake up when you need to . Zopiclone are safe and used by thousands of people . I Would suggest that you take just one to see how they work for you. They should ensure you have a good sleep and you won’t find out how you react to them unless you try them . Just because other people have side effects it doesn’t mean that you will.
If you try one and don’t like the effects then don’t take any more. Good luck , I hope you sleep well x x

Huh?

I've had them prescribed 3 times over the last 4 years. Usually a weeks worth, last time 2 weeks worth.

Last time was in May. I'm not hankering after them and if I was my GP wouldn't prescribe them.

We're not scoring jellies off the streets.

Same here, it is to break the insomnia cycle.

Or in my case, having to get up every 2 hours to change sanitary products due to menopausal bleeding for 5 months.
Even when that was sorted, I'd wake up 2 hours on the dot. Every 2 hours.

To break that and even get 4 hours was luxury.

I can get 6 hours now naturally (before needing a wee) and still get straight back in to bed for another couple of hours.

I have had them for two periods of stress years apart. I had no issue.

I refused to take the 14 day strip of these sleeping tablets just before summer 2025.

I had paid to take Sertraline recently which worked in 2019 snd still helped in 2025 even private and when went though a DWP assessment they said to make the dumb GP aware but I could refuse sleeping tablets to take care of a mental state.

I've had them prescribed a couple of times - after the death of my mother, and around the anniversary of her death. Id not slept for days and needed to function to go back to work. A couple of nights of zopiclone induced sleep and I was able to function, and the cycle of no sleep was broken. Just knowing I had a few in the cupboard meant I could ride out a short period of bad sleep, as I knew if it got really bad I could take a tablet for a reset. Mum has been dead nearly 13 years, and I have only had those 2 prescriptions of I think 5 tablets each time - I definitely haven't taken all of them so I definitely didn't find them addictive or habit forming, but a blessed relief.

I think it's very important to know these have the potential for severe addiction, and then deliberately take them in limited, non-addicting ways, like only in a crisis, only for a few days. Knowledge is power in this situation.

How old are you OP? I had awful insomnia for years - sleeping pills didn’t help as they made me feel groggy and awful. Turns out it was all hormonal/peri menopause related and when I started HRT I slept so much better. Finally.

I am 56.

Since taking this 10 days ago, I slept really well every night until Wed night. I woke at 0400, which is ok, but then last night I got no sleep and feel terrible today as I didn’t sleep off a Pukka nighttime tea, and a Kalm's one a night.

I feel dreadful and I need to work the next 4 days so will have to take a Zopiclone tonight.

I hope to dear God I get as good a sleep as I did a week ago.

I took them a few years ago for insomnia. They just made me drowsy and easier to fall asleep. I had no side effects or sleep walking / memory loss - that sounds extreme! Just take one and see. You're not meant to take them for very long anyway, so it won't matter if you have one, don't like it then stop taking it. I'm sure it will be fine though.
I read up all sorts of awful stuff about a medication I was about to start and I was terrified and fully prepared to be off work with the side effects. When I took them, I was fine. I was stupid to believe everything I read!

I had a course of these recently and they had absolutely zero effect on me whatsoever - I averaged 3 hours sleep each night I took them and didn’t do anything odd (that im aware of!)

I was on it short term and it did make me sleep but in my case it wasn't restful sleep. However everyone metabolises medication slightly differently.

The most sensible response here. Over the counter remedies don’t work for me and many many others. They are very easy to get and consequently for me they are a lot of nothing

I took one last night at 0930, and again I got off to a great sleep I reckon around 10pm. Unfortunately my DH has taken to getting up for a wee in the middle of the night and clanging around and he did so at 2.30am and woke me up and I couldn't get back to sleep after this. I think I would have slept through.

I am going to have to sleep in a different room when I take one. Feeling a bit groggy now and I have to go to work. I'm a bit disappointed I didn't get the opportunity for it to help me a bit longer, but I hope a 4-4.5 hour sleep is better than nothing. I won't take a tablet 2 nights in a row, but I might have to take one on Sunday night if I don't get any sleep tonight.

I take them - half a pill at 2am - otherwise I don't get back to sleep.
There is a website called drugs.com and there are reviews posted by users (usually link at the bottom of the page) - they are called eszopiclone in the US - some people have taken them for years, some people have horrible dreams but most find they are a good sleeping pill for occasional use.
I am much better and happier the next day than if I have had only 3 hours sleep.

I have taken zopiclone occasionally over the years . Absolutely bloody marvellous to reset my sleep. GP fine about it because one box lasts about a year! Many people ingest addictive substances every day ie wine,chocolate,smoke tobacco,weed etc .
It doesn’t mean that all these people are addicts!
It’s just a case of being sensible.

If I can't sleep, I use herbals and then I sleep easy. The doc gave me pills once but didn't feel right and they were a, devil to get rid of

Since I can’t take one every night, I had Night Time tea, then a kalms one a night a bit later when I wasn’t nodding off.

Well I didn’t get 1 minutes sleep and I feel terrible and have had to call in sick to work today as I cannot drive.

I’m really worried that my m just staying awake the whole time. I feel like death.

Am I ok to take the Zopiclone every other night for a while? I’m worried I’m so awake that it won’t work.

Feeling really desperate here.

Just take one tonight. Tell other half that he must be quiet or sleep in another room if you can. Those over the counter tablets are a load of tosh imho.

Try and plan for 8 hours.

My husband is away on business. My teen son is here. I don’t like taking them when my husband isn’t here but I’ll have to, I’m the walking dead.

@INeedFreshAirAndGreen how did you get on ?

Thanks very much for asking.

I took one on Sunday night and slept like a brick.

I’ve thrown away the Kalms 1 a Night as I’ve realised these things off the shelf don’t touch the sides and I don’t want them available to me. My DH said throwing all these things down my throat in desperation isn’t working (a drawer full of Nytol, Kalms, Sleapeaze, some other drowsy thing I’ve got) and I should just take the big guns, the Zopiclone, when desperate.

The plan was/ is to take them every other night to get me back into my usual sleep like a baby routine. However, last night (alternate night, can’t take the Zopiclone) I had Pukka Night time tea, and had a fitful sleep, and then slept through my alarm. I’m happy with that.

My insomnia is usually triggered by something. In the past it has been alcohol waking me up at 0230/ 0300 and this is what happened a few weeks ago. I had a lot to drink and then a bit of an argument with DH and 0230 wakey wakey. I’ve since not touched a drop. It’s just not worth it. However the insomnia it reared its ugly gear again last week.

I’ve got a lot of stress in my life at the moment (work, sick elderly relative) and feeling really overwhelmed.