The medicines below are listed by active substance. Brand names differ from country to country. The lists follow what is available in the Netherlands, where PsychosisNet comes from (November 2026). Ask your doctor or pharmacist what is available where you live.
Short-acting benzodiazepines
For problems with falling asleep, short-acting benzodiazepines are prescribed. They usually start to work within half an hour and keep working for about 2 to 6 hours.
The most common short-acting medicines are:
- Brotizolam
- Lormetazepam
- Midazolam
- Temazepam
- Zolpidem
- Zopiclone
Loprazolam is not in the current Dutch formulary.
Note: zolpidem and zopiclone are sleep medicines, but they are not benzodiazepines. They are also called Z-drugs.
Long-acting benzodiazepines
Long-acting benzodiazepines keep working for longer. For sleeplessness the Dutch national formulary prefers short-acting medicines, because they cause less drowsiness during the day. Long-acting medicines are mainly prescribed for anxiety and restlessness. They usually work after an hour and the effect lasts about 8 to 12 hours.
The most common long-acting benzodiazepines are:
- Diazepam
- Flurazepam
- Lorazepam
- Nitrazepam
- Oxazepam
Read more about sleep, sleeplessness and sleeping pills and about tapering off benzodiazepines.
Prof. dr. Jim van Os, Chair Division Neuroscience, Utrecht University Medical Centre. Jim works at the interface of ‘hard’ brain science, health services research, art and subjective experiences of people with ‘lived experience’ in mental healthcare.
Jim has been appearing on the Thomson-Reuter Web of Science list of ‘most influential scientific minds of our time’ since 2014. In 2014 he published his book ‘Beyond DSM-5‘, and in 2016 the book ‘Good Mental Health Care’. In 2026 he published 'Wat psychisch lijden is'.
Want to read more?
Blogs by Jim van Os can be read here
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