Sonata - an overview
Sonata contains the active ingredient zaleplon. It is a medication that your doctor may prescribe to you to treat acute insomnia. It belongs to the group of medicines called hypnotics or sedatives. Sonata is most effective at helping people that struggle to get to sleep as opposed to those that want to stay asleep longer.
The maker
King Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is the maker of Sonata.
What it does
Sonata belongs to the group of medicines known as hypnotics or sedatives. These are most often called sleep medications. Like all sleep medicines, Sonata is classified as a controlled substance and has the potential for abuse.
Dosage to treat Insomnia
The dosage that your doctor prescribes for you will depend on factors such as your age, as well as:
- Young and middle-age adults - When prescribed to treat adults that are young to middle age, the usual beginning dose is 10 mg taken just before bed. For those that have a very low weight, it is recommended that the starting dosage be 5 mg. If necessary, the dosage of this medication can be as high as 20 mg before bed.
- Elderly adults - For the elderly, the usual dosage that your doctor may prescribe to you is 5 mg before bed, but the maximum recommended dosage for the elderly is 10 mg just before bed.
- Those with liver problems - If you have mild to moderate liver issues, it is recommended that you only take 5 mg of this medication just before bed. If you have severe liver issues that include failure or cirrhosis, you should not take Sonata.
- Those taking cimetidine - If you are taking cimetidine, you should be started on 5 mg of Sonata, because combining these two medicines can increase Sonata levels in your blood.
Benefits
This medicine has been studied for the treatment of insomnia. Studies of Sonata to treat chronic insomnia show that those who took this medication were able to fall asleep much more quickly than those that did not take Sonata. These results were also found in a study that was done on those that have periodic, or transient insomnia, however, these studies also found that people who took this medication saw no benefit at staying asleep or waking less often throughout the night.
Secondary Effects
All medications have the potential for secondary effects and Sonata is the same. Not all people that take this medicine will have side effects and most people do well taking it. If you do notice secondary effects, it is likely that they will be very mild and not need to be treated.
Most of the commonly reported secondary effects include:
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Nausea
- Sleepiness