If you take zopiclone and stay awake, the medicine keeps acting on your brain whether you sleep or not. You end up conscious but partly sedated. In that state, thinking, balance, judgement and memory can all be impaired. Some people feel only heavy-eyed and clumsy. Others become confused, see or hear things that are not there, or do things they have no memory of the next day.
Staying awake does not “burn off” the tablet. It simply means you are awake during the period when the sedative is at its strongest.
This article is general information. It does not replace advice from your GP, pharmacist or the leaflet in your medicine packet.
Awake but sedated: why this state is different
Zopiclone is a sedative-hypnotic Z-drug that slows activity in the central nervous system by boosting GABA-A receptor activity. The intention is that the slowing carries you into sleep. When you remain awake, the brain is in an in-between state. The parts that produce drowsiness and relaxation are switched on, while the parts that handle judgement, self-monitoring and memory storage are not working at full strength.
That mismatch is what makes this situation riskier than ordinary tiredness. You may feel quite capable while your reaction time, decision-making and recall are measurably worse. People in this state often misjudge how affected they are.
What can happen while you are awake
Not everyone experiences all of these, and some people notice very little. These are the effects worth knowing about.
Memory gaps (anterograde amnesia). The brain may stop recording new memories for a period. You can hold a conversation, reply to messages or move around the house and later recall none of it. This is short-term memory impairment, not lasting brain damage, but it means you cannot reliably say what you did.
Confusion and disorientation. Feeling unsure of the time, your surroundings or what you were doing a moment ago.
Hallucinations. Seeing, hearing or sensing things that are not there, sometimes vivid enough to be frightening.
Unusual behaviour. Being more talkative, emotional, impulsive or less inhibited than usual, or acting out of character.
Complex sleep behaviours. These include sleepwalking, preparing and eating food, making phone calls, and in rare cases sleep-driving. The person looks awake but is not fully conscious and usually remembers nothing afterwards.
Poor coordination and falls. Dizziness and unsteadiness combined with the urge to get up and do something is a common route to injury, especially on stairs or in the kitchen or bathroom.
Why people end up staying awake
Understanding the usual reasons helps you avoid them.
- Taking the tablet too early and carrying on with the evening, such as watching television, scrolling or finishing chores.
- Trying to “enjoy” or test the effect, or resisting sleep out of curiosity or anxiety.
- The tablet being slow to work, which leads to getting up or taking more.
- Having to stay alert for something such as a child, a shift, or noise in the house.
- Taking it very late, leaving too few hours before you need to be up.
- Using alcohol, caffeine or other substances to stay awake or to feel the effect more.
Can you fight the effects of zopiclone?
You can delay sleep, but you cannot cancel the medicine. Resisting it tends to prolong the period when you are awake and impaired, which is when memory gaps, confusion and unusual behaviour are most likely. Caffeine may make you feel more alert, but it does not reverse the impairment, so you may feel less affected than you really are. That false sense of capability is the main danger.
If you are awake and the tablet has been taken
Take these steps calmly.
- Do not take another tablet to speed things up or to “top up”. Extra doses raise the risk of harm without a reliable improvement in sleep.
- Move to a safe place such as bed or a comfortable chair in a quiet, dimly lit room. Keep the route to the bathroom clear.
- Avoid anything needing alertness: cooking, using the hob, driving, stairs where you can avoid them, and anything involving tools or heat.
- Put the phone away. Messages, calls, emails and online purchases made in this state are often regretted and forgotten.
- Don’t drink alcohol to settle down. It strongly adds to the sedation and breathing risks.
- Let someone know, if another adult is in the home, so they can look in on you.
- Keep a note of what happened for your prescriber, such as when you took the tablet, how long you were awake and anything unusual.
If you are worried about someone else
Signs that a person is awake but affected can include slurred speech, repeating themselves, unsteadiness, blank or confused responses, or acting out of character. Stay calm, avoid arguing or confronting them, and gently guide them to bed or a safe seat. Remove car keys and move hazards out of the way.
Call 999 if the person is very hard to wake, is breathing slowly or shallowly, cannot respond properly, or may have taken more than prescribed. For non-urgent advice, NHS 111 can help.
What if you have woken in the night and want a second tablet?
Don’t take one without medical advice. Zopiclone is meant to be taken only when you can stay in bed for a full night, so a later dose can leave you drugged when you need to be up, and the next-day impairment can be significant. Read the leaflet and speak to your pharmacist or prescriber if night waking is the problem.
The next day after a night of not sleeping
A night of broken or very short sleep after zopiclone can leave you foggy, slow and sleepy. Do not drive or use machinery if you feel any of this. It is an offence in the UK to drive while impaired by a medicine, even a prescribed one. If in doubt, wait, arrange another way to travel, or ask your pharmacist.
When to speak to your GP or pharmacist
Make contact soon if you notice any of the following:
- Memory gaps or finding out you did things you can’t recall
- Sleepwalking, sleep-eating or sleep-driving
- Hallucinations or marked confusion
- Regularly lying awake after taking the tablet
- Needing to use more than prescribed to get the same effect
Repeatedly staying awake after a dose is a sign that the treatment plan needs reviewing. Non-drug approaches such as CBT for insomnia (CBT-I) are recommended for long-term sleep problems and avoid these risks. See our zopiclone guide for general information on how the medicine is prescribed.
Frequently asked questions
It can happen, particularly if the tablet is slow to work or you are anxious, stimulated or have taken it too early. It is not harmless, because the medicine is still active.
Not necessarily. Anterograde amnesia can leave gaps even when you appeared fully awake to others.
That is the awake-but-sedated state: the sedative effect is present but sleep has not taken over. Go to bed and avoid activity.
It is best not to. Caffeine may make you feel more alert without reversing the impairment, and it can make sleep harder later.
It can be, because the person can fall, cook, leave the house or drive without being aware. Anyone who has had an episode should speak to their prescriber promptly.
