PlainMeds provides educational information only. This is not medical advice. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist.

Medication class

Sleep

Prescription and OTC sleep aids for insomnia, including benzodiazepine receptor agonists and melatonin receptor agonists.

Data updated 2026-05-15

10
Medications
7
With a generic
90%
Avg generic savings
0
In active shortage

Drug class assignments follow the FDA openFDA therapeutic classification, and clinical details are drawn from FDA Structured Product Labeling (DailyMed). See the full sources below.

PlainMeds tracks 10 sleep medications compiled from official FDA drug labels, including zolpidem, melatonin, temazepam.

Sleep medications are grouped here by the openFDA therapeutic classification and drawn from FDA Structured Product Labeling. PlainMeds lists 10 in this class, 7 with a lower-cost generic available (averaging about 90% versus brand). Each drug page covers labeled uses, FAERS-reported side effects, interactions, recalls and NADAC pricing. This is educational information from public data, not medical advice.

What sleep drugs cost

Highest NADAC acquisition cost per unit in this class, brand and generic

per unit

What this shows tasimelteon is the costliest in this class at $609.00/unit; generics in the same class run a fraction of that.

Source CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC)

Generic availability vs other classes

70% of sleep medications have a generic available, ranking #13 of 22 therapeutic classes (the typical class sits near 74%).

47% (lowest class) 100% (highest class)

Source: CMS NADAC generic-availability flags across all PlainMeds therapeutic classes. The dot is this class; the line is the cross-class median.

Compare eszopiclone vs lemborexant side-by-side →

Understanding the Sleep Category

The Sleep category currently lists 10 medications in this database, each drawn from FDA drug labels and grouped by therapeutic classification. Prescription and OTC sleep aids for insomnia, including benzodiazepine receptor agonists and melatonin receptor agonists. Clinical guidelines usually treat these medications as a reference set when weighing treatment options, switching strategies, or comparing safety profiles.

Within this category you'll find examples such as zolpidem, melatonin, temazepam, alongside 7 other entries. Each drug page links to the same underlying FDA data, labeled uses, adverse events reported to FAERS, documented interactions, warnings, and, where available, NADAC acquisition pricing from CMS. Over-the-counter and prescription options can sit in the same category but follow different regulatory pathways: OTC products have simplified labeling aimed at self-care, while prescription drugs include detailed monographs meant for clinicians. That distinction matters when comparing dosing, monitoring requirements, and contraindications.

Browsing a category is a research starting point, not a treatment recommendation. Effectiveness, tolerability, and cost for any individual patient depend on the specific condition, comorbidities, other medications, genetics, and insurance coverage, none of which can be inferred from a category list alone. FAERS report counts, recall history, and shortage status all evolve as new data is reported to the FDA, so the relative standing of drugs in this class can shift month to month. This page is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice, a licensed clinician is the right source for personalized guidance.

Sources: FDA Drug Labels (SPL); openFDA therapeutic classification.

Explore other categories

Data currency: FDA FAERS adverse-event reports through 2025, CMS NADAC acquisition-cost pricing effective December 2024, compiled and last refreshed May 2026. See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a correction.