Doxefazepam (marketed under brand name Doxans) is a benzodiazepine derivative with putative hypnotic, anxiolytic, anticonvulsant, sedative and skeletal muscle relaxant properties. The potency of action was estimated to be equivalent to diazepam in animal models, and in man, the compound proved to be CNS active in a placebo-controlled study, in which systematic modifications of the background EEG signal were detected after acute administration to awake volunteers. Doxefazepam (10 mg) reduced the number of intermediate awakenings and the shifts between distinct sleep phases; single 20- or 40-mg doses or a 2-week administration of 10 mg doxefazepam increased significantly the total sleep duration and the percent duration of phase 2 and the synchronized sleep and decreased the percent duration of phase 1 and of the intermediate awakenings.