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