Table 1.

Clinical interventions for promoting the quality use of sedative hypnotics in clinical practice

Strategy	Purpose
PRN prescribing	Promote intermittent use of medication to limit patient exposure to sedative hypnotics to only times of need
Avoid concomitant alcohol use	Prevent additive sedation when both sedative hypnotics and alcohol are consumed concurrently. Important safety implications for engaging in tasks requiring psychomotor vigilance the next morning (e.g. driving)
Medication‐tapering programmes	Limit exposure of these medications and curtail potential consequences (e.g. dependence, abuse, cognitive decline) associated with long‐term use
Low‐dose sublingual ‘middle of the night’ zolpidem formulation	Rapid onset of action and prevents residual sedation associated with taking standard doses of zolpidem (i.e. conventional tablet: 5–10 mg; controlled release: 6.25–12.5 mg) when experiencing sleep maintenance insomnia. Important safety implications for engaging in tasks requiring psychomotor vigilance the next morning (e.g. driving)