Eszopiclone

Eszopiclone is a sleep medicine that is prescribed to treat insomnia in adults. The medication, which comes in a tablet form that is taken immediately before bedtime, has proven to be effective in helping people fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. The most common side effects seen in people taking eszopiclone include drowsiness and headache. Since eszopiclone is part of a class of drugs called sedatives/hypnotics, it is considered a controlled substance and should be used with caution.

 

What Is Eszopiclone?

Eszopiclone (Lunesta®) is a prescription sleep medication used for insomnia treatment. It is part of a class of medications called sedatives or hypnotics.
 
(Click What Is Eszopiclone Used For? for more information on eszopiclone uses, including possible off-label uses.)
 

Who Makes Eszopiclone?

Eszopiclone is manufactured by Sepracor Inc.
 

How Does Eszopiclone Work?

Eszopiclone is part of a class of medications called sedative/hypnotics, which are known more commonly as sleep medicines. Like many other sleep medications, it is a controlled substance and may be abused.
 

Eszopiclone Effects

Eszopiclone has been evaluated in several clinical studies for insomnia. In studies for chronic insomnia, people who took eszopiclone fell asleep faster and stayed asleep longer than people who did not take eszopiclone. Similar results were seen in a study of eszopiclone in people with transient insomnia (insomnia that comes and goes).
 
Also, studies have shown that eszopiclone can cause mild rebound insomnia (worsening of insomnia after stopping a medication). Rebound insomnia symptoms usually occurred for only one night after eszopiclone was stopped, after which people returned to their normal sleeping patterns.
 
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;