What should I tell my care team before I take this medication?
They need to know if you have any of these conditions:
-Depression
-Liver disease
-Lung or breathing disease
-Substance use disorder
-Suicidal thoughts, plans, or attempt by you or a family member
-Unusual sleep behaviors or activities you do not remember
-An unusual or allergic reaction to zaleplon, other medications, foods, dyes, or preservatives
-Pregnant or trying to get pregnant
-Breastfeeding
What may interact with this medication?
-Barbiturate medications for inducing sleep or treating seizures
-Carbamazepine
-Certain medications for allergies, such as azatadine, clemastine, diphenhydramine
-Certain medications for mental health conditions
-Certain medications for pain
-Cimetidine
-Erythromycin
-Medications for fungal infections, such as ketoconazole, fluconazole, or itraconazole
-Other medications given for sleep
-Phenytoin
-Rifampin
This list may not describe all possible interactions. Give your health care provider a list of all the medicines, herbs, non-prescription drugs, or dietary supplements you use. Also tell them if you smoke, drink alcohol, or use illegal drugs. Some items may interact with your medicine.
What should I watch for while using this medication?
Visit your care team for regular checks on your progress. Keep a regular sleep schedule by going to bed at about the same time each night. Avoid caffeine-containing drinks in the evening hours. When sleep medications are used every night for more than a few weeks, they may stop working. Talk to your care team if you still have trouble sleeping.
You may do unusual sleep behaviors or activities you do not remember the day after taking this medication. Activities include driving, making or eating food, talking on the phone, sexual activity, or sleep walking. Stop taking this medication and call your care team right away if you find out you have done activities like this.
Plan to go to bed and stay in bed for a full night (7 to 8 hours) after you take this medication. You may still be drowsy the morning after taking this medication. This medication may affect your coordination, reaction time, or judgment. Do not drive or operate machinery until you know how this medication affects you. Sit up or stand slowly to reduce the risk of dizzy or fainting spells.
If you or your family notice any changes in your behavior, such as new or worsening depression, thoughts of harming yourself, anxiety, other unusual or disturbing thoughts, or memory loss, call your care team right away.
After you stop taking this medication, you may have trouble falling asleep. This is called rebound insomnia. This problem usually goes away on its own after 1 or 2 nights.
What are the most serious risks of this medication?
This medicine may cause you to do activities while you are not fully awake. You may not remember doing these activities the next morning. Activities such as driving a car, eating, talking on the phone, sexual activity, or sleep-walking can happen. Rarely, serious injuries or death have occurred. Stop taking the medicine and call your healthcare professional right away if you have any of these effects.