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Zolpidem has been shown to lack residual effects on driving the next day in young and middle-aged recipients. However, information is sparse on its effects on driving in older individuals, even though use of hypnotics increases with age. In a double-blind, crossover study, researchers examined how a single nighttime dose of zolpidem, another hypnotic, or benzodiazepine affected driving the next morning in 16 healthy subjects (8 women) aged 55 to 65 years.
Subjects lacked sleep disorders, histories of substance abuse, or impaired vision. On separate occasions at least 2 weeks apart, the subjects took zolpidem 10 mg, the hypnotic zopiclone 7.5 mg, the benzodiazepine flunitrazepam 1 mg, or placebo at night. The next day, they were tested in a d…