Midazolam and sleep in insomniac patients.

The effects of midazolam (15 and 30 mg p.o.) on the sleep of insomniac patients were assessed by means of polysomnographic recordings. As compared with placebo, 15 mg midazolam significantly increased non-REM sleep while other objective measures of insomnia were only slightly modified. At the 30 mg dose, midazolam significantly decreased total wake time and wake time after sleep onset. On the other hand, total sleep and non-REM sleep time were increased. No development of tolerance was observed following 2 weeks of drug use.