Zaleplon is a short-acting nonbenzodiazepine sedative-hypnotic (“Z-drug”) used for the treatment of insomnia, particularly to help with difficulty falling asleep, by enhancing the activity of GABA receptors in the brain to promote sleep. It was developed in the 1990s by the pharmaceutical company King Pharmaceuticals as part of efforts to create fast-acting sleep aids with minimal next-day sedation compared to traditional benzodiazepines, and it received approval for clinical use in the late 1990s, becoming known for its very short half-life and suitability for sleep-onset insomnia.
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