Sleeping is my drug
My bed is my dealer
And my alarm clock is the police

That’s a fun topic! The history of sleeping drugs is a story of trying to find something that helps, but often running into big problems.

Ancient Times: For centuries, people basically relied on alcohol and opium (from the poppy plant). They worked to make you sleepy, but they were super addictive and caused a lot of other health issues, so they were “false friends” to sleep.

Early Modern Drugs (1800s – Early 1900s): Scientists started developing chemical compounds. Chloral hydrate (famously known as “knock-out drops”) and then barbiturates came along. Barbiturates were a huge deal in the early 20th century—they were the first major class of sleeping pills. The big downside? They were dangerous. It was easy to overdose, and they were highly addictive.

The Benzodiazepine Era (1960s): This was a major turning point. Drugs like Valium and Librium, and eventually specific sleep meds like flurazepam, were introduced. These benzodiazepines (or “benzos”) were much safer than barbiturates, especially in overdose. They quickly became the top choice, but people still had issues with long-term use, like dependence and the ‘hangover’ feeling the next day.

The “Z-Drugs” (1990s – 2000s): Next came the so-called “Z-drugs” (like zolpidem/Ambien). These were meant to work like benzos but be even better—less risk of dependence and fewer side effects. They became extremely popular, but it turned out they had some of the same issues, plus they became famous for weird side effects like sleepwalking or even sleep-driving!

Newer Approaches (Today): Now, there’s a push for even newer, smarter drugs. Some target a different brain chemical called orexin (which promotes wakefulness) to turn off the brain’s “wake” signal, rather than just forcing it to sleep.

So, the history is basically a steady march of trying to find a pill that works, is safe, and isn’t addictive—and it’s a search that’s still going on!