Flunitrazepam is an intermediate-acting benzodiazepine with general properties similar to those of diazepam. It is generally intended to be for short-term treatment for chronic or severe insomniacs who are unresponsive to other hypnotics. The main pharmacological effects of Flunitrazepam are the enhancement of GABA at the GABAA receptor. The physical effects of Flunitrazepam include sedation, muscle relaxation, decreased anxiety, and prevention of convulsions. It causes partial amnesia; individuals are unable to remember certain events that they experience while under the influence of the drug. Chronic use of Flunitrazepam can result in physical dependence and the appearance of a withdrawal syndrome when the drug is discontinued. Flunitrazepam impairs cognitive and psychomotor functions affecting reaction time and driving skill. The use of this drug in combination with alcohol is a particular concern as both central nervous system depressants potentiate each other's toxicity.

Nimetazepam (Erimin) is an intermediate-acting hypnotic drug which is a benzodiazepine derivative. It was first synthesized in 1962 in Japan. It does possess hypnotic, anxiolytic, sedative, and skeletal muscle relaxant properties. Nimetazepam is also an anticonvulsant. It is sold in 5 mg tablets known as Erimin. It is generally prescribed for the treatment of short-term severe insomnia in patients who have difficulty falling asleep or maintaining sleep. Nimetazepam is currently a Schedule IV drug under the international Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971. In Singapore, nimetazepam is a class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act. In Hong Kong, nimetazepam is regulated under Schedule 1 of Hong Kong's Chapter 134 Dangerous Drugs Ordinance. Nimetazepam can only be used legally by health professionals and for university research purposes.

Butoctamide (Butoctamide hydrogen succinate, BAHS), which is related to an organic compound naturally occurring in CSF, has been demonstrated to increase REM sleep in cats and young adults. BAHS was confirmed also to increase REM sleep in healthy aged subjects. The drug is marketed under the brand named Listomin S in Japan. It is effective against insomnia and other sleep disorders.

Pivagabine [4-(2,2-dimethyl-1-oxopropylamino) butanoic acid] is a hydrophobic 4-aminobutyric acid derivative with neuromodulatory activity. Pharmacokinetic and toxicological evaluations showed that pivagabine penetrates the blood-brain barrier in rats, does not undergo metabolic transformation and exhibits a low toxicity after either single or repeated administration. Moreover, behavioral studies demonstrated that this compound prevented pentylenetetrazol- and bicuculline-induced convulsions in rats. Pivagabine was shown to improve performance on stress-related tests by reducing the anxiety-producing reactions to the various experimental settings. The marked antistress action of Pivagabine is mediated by antagonizing the effects of stress on GABA(A) receptor function and corticotropin-releasing factor concentrations in the brain, but not by altering the stress-induced increase in neurosteroid concentrations. Pivagabine treatment reduced the physical and mental fatigability of neurasthenia patients and increased their sense of well-being.

Coenzyme A (CoA) is a ubiquitous essential cofactor that plays a central role in the metabolism of carboxylic acids, including short- and long-chain fatty acids, as well as carbohydrate and protein. In the metabolic pathway of lipid, CoA participates in fatty acid β-oxidation, promoting triglyceride (TG) catabolism. Coenzyme A functions as an acyl group carrier and assists in transferring fatty acids from the cytoplasm to mitochondria. All genomes sequenced to date encode enzymes that use coenzyme A as a substrate, and around 4% of cellular enzymes use it (or a thioester, such as acetyl-CoA) as a substrate. Coenzyme A is the most active metabolic enzyme in the human body. It is used as a supplement for the hypothetical treatment of acne.

Lormetazepam (or methyl-lorazepam), possesses hypnotic, anxiolytic, sedative and skeletal muscle relaxant properties. Lormetazepam is not approved for sale in the United States or Canada, though it is licensed in the Netherlands as 1 and 2 mg tablets, under the brand names Loramet and Noctamid and as generic, available from several different manufacturers. Lormetazepam is a short-acting benzodiazepine and is sometimes used in patients who have difficulty in maintaining sleep or falling asleep. Lormetazepam binds to the benzodiazepine receptor which in turn enhances the effect of the GABAA receptor producing its therapeutic effects as well as adverse effects. Lormetazepam appears to be more selective in the type of benzodiazepine receptor it binds to showing a higher affinity for the omega 1 receptor which is responsible for sedation. Changes in electroencephalography can therefore be used to measure the sedative sleep promoting properties of lormetazepam.

Bromisoval (INN; aka bromvalerylurea) is a hypnotic and sedative compound of the bromoureide group discovered by Knoll in 1907 and patented in 1909. It is marketed over the counter in Asia under various trade names (such as Brovarin) usually in combination with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Chronic use of bromisoval has been associated with bromine poisoning. Bromovisal can be prepared by bromination of isovaleric acid by the Hell-Volhard-Zelinsky reaction followed by reaction with urea. Bromvalerylurea (BU) can suppress expression of many kinds of pro- and anti-inflammatory mediators in LPS- or interferon-γ activated alveolar and peritoneal macrophages. Bromisoval was found to ameliorate sepsis in rats. It also prevents elevated serum-IL-6 level as well as IL-6 mRNA expression in septic rats. Bromisoval was also found useful for inflammatory skin disorders. The compound is able to suppress the TLR ligands-induced proinflammatory response similar to the steroid DEX without the side effects often associated with the steroid usage.

Brotizolam (marketed under brand name Lendormin) is a sedative-hypnotic thienotriazolodiazepine drug which is a benzodiazepine analog. It possesses anxiolytic, anticonvulsant, hypnotic, sedative and skeletal muscle relaxant properties, and is considered to be similar in effect to short-acting benzodiazepines such as triazolam. It is used in the short-term treatment of severe or debilitating insomnia and in a dose of 0.25 mg can be used as a premedication prior to surgery, this dose was found to be comparable in efficacy to 2 mg flunitrazepam as a premedicant prior to surgery. The drug was developed by a team led by T Nishiyama while working for Takeda Chemical Industries in 1976 in Japan. Brotizolam is not approved for sale in the UK, United States or Canada. It is approved for sale in the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Belgium, Luxembourg, Austria, Portugal, Israel, Italy, Taiwan and Japan. Insomnia. Brotizolam is prescribed for the short-term treatment, 2–4 weeks only of severe or debilitating insomnia. Insomnia can be described as a difficulty falling asleep, frequent awakening, early awakenings or a combination of each. Brotizolam inhibits the hypothalamus and cerebral limbic system controlling emotion through GABA, a typical inhibitory transmitter of central nervous system. As a result, unnecessary stimulation from the autonomic nervous system and other sites is blocked, demonstrating central nervous action including hypnosis, sedation and anti-anxiety

Chlormethiazole has sedative, hypnotic, anticonvulsant and neuroprotective properties. This drug is approved in different counties under the different brand name (e.g., Heminevrin) and is used for the management of restlessness and agitation in the elderly, short-term treatment of severe insomnia in the elderly and treatment of alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Clomethiazole interacts with the picrotoxin/barbiturate site of the GABAA-receptor-chloride channel complex. Clomethiazole is pharmacologically distinct from both the benzodiazepines and the barbiturates. Given alone its effects on respiration are slight and the therapeutic index high.

Daridorexant (Quviviq™; Idorsia Pharmaceuticals Ltd.) is an orally administered dual orexin type 1 and type 2 (OX1 and OX2) receptor antagonist (DORA) being developed for the treatment of insomnia. It was selected from a pool of drug candidates on the basis of an expected effect duration of ≈ 8 h at a dose of 25 mg, with a half-life intended to minimize residual effects that might impair daytime functioning. Based on the results of two pivotal phase III trials, daridorexant was recently approved in the USA for the treatment of adult patients with insomnia characterized by difficulties with sleep onset and/or sleep maintenance. The mechanism of action of daridorexant in the treatment of insomnia is presumed to be through antagonism of orexin receptors. The orexin neuropeptide signaling system plays a role in wakefulness. Blocking the binding of wake-promoting neuropeptides orexin A and orexin B to receptors OX1R and OX2R is thought to suppress wake drive.