The Hypnotic Efficacy of Triazolam

In a double-blind cross-over study, triazolam, a substituted benzodiazepine, was compared to flurazepam and to placebo for their hypnotic activities and side-effects. Twenty adult male patients with histories of insomnia requiring nightly hypnotic medication received placebo, 0.5 mg triazolam, 1.0 mg triazolam, 15 mg flurazepam, or 30 mg flurazepam on five consecutive nights, according to a randomized schedule. As a hypnotic medication, triazolam was found to be thirty to sixty times as potent as flurazepam, on a weight basis. In the therapeutic dosages given, triazolam demonstrated significant activity in prolonging the duration and increasing the depth of sleep, and in reducing the number of times of waking. Patient satisfaction with triazolam was good. The side-effects reported by some subjects were mild and did not interfere with the course of administration. A slightly higher incidence of side-effects was reported following 0.5 mg of triazolam than after 1.0 mg of the drug.