A drug widely used in sleeping medications such as Ambien, Ambien CR, Edluar and Zolpimist for the treatment of insomnia and some brain disorders. It is a sedative-hypnotic medicine used for the short-term treatment of sleep disorder. The drug is a fast-acting nonbenzodiazepine hypnotic of the imidazopyridine class that potentiates gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), an inhibitory neurotransmitter, by binding to GABAA receptors at the same location as benzodiazepines. It works quickly (usually within 15 minutes) and has a short half-life of two to three hours.

Women eliminate zolpidem from their bodies more slowly than men, which is the reason the FDA recommended lowered dose of the drug for women.