▼Zolpidem - a hypnotic with a difference ?

Zolpidem (Stilnoct-Lorex Synthélabo) is a new hypnotic drug licensed for the short-term treatment of insomnia. The manufacturer claims that zolpidem "offers patients a good night's sleep, without impairment to their day" and that it "is as easy to stop as it is to start". Similar claims have been made for other hypnotics in the past.