title: Usefulness of temazepam and zaleplon to induce afternoon sleep.
abstract: Insufficient daytime sleep may result in reduction of effectiveness and safety during overnight military missions. The usefulness of temazepam and zaleplon to optimize afternoon sleep and their effects on performance and alertness during a subsequent night shift were studied.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a randomized double-blind within-subjects design, 11 subjects took 20 mg of temazepam, 10 mg of zaleplon, or placebo before a 5:30-10:00 p.m. sleep period. Sleep length and quality were measured. Subjects were kept awake throughout the night while alertness, cognitive performance, and muscle power were repeatedly measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Temazepam provided significantly longer and qualitatively better sleep than zaleplon or placebo. During the night, sleepiness increased and muscle power was impaired in all conditions. Better sleep was correlated with less sleepiness during the night.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Temazepam is useful to optimize a 4.5-hour afternoon sleep before overnight missions. Irrespective of hypnotic treatment, sleepiness and fatigue increased during the night shift.
authors.affiliation: TNO Human Factors, Aerospace Medicine Group, P.O. Box 23, 3769 ZG Soesterberg, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ries
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Simons
authors.forename: Claudy L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Koerhuis
authors.forename: Pierre J L
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Valk
authors.forename: Marieke H A H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Van den Oord
mesh_terms: D000081:Acetamides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003071:Cognition; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012449:Safety; D012890:Sleep / Q000187:drug effects*; D012892:Sleep Deprivation / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013693:Temazepam / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014851:Wakefulness / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000081:Acetamides; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D011743:Pyrimidines; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D013693:Temazepam; C085665:zaleplon