Zopiclone and Alcohol

Quick:

Do not drink alcohol while taking zopiclone. Both substances reduce central nervous system activity, so using them together can produce much deeper sedation than expected. The combination can impair breathing, balance, memory, judgement and the ability to wake. It can also increase the risk of falls, accidents, complex sleep behaviours and next-day driving impairment.

If someone is unconscious, cannot be woken, has slow or irregular breathing, has blue or grey lips, collapses or has a seizure, call 999 immediately. Do not make them vomit and do not drive them to hospital yourself. If alcohol and zopiclone were taken together but there are no emergency signs, contact NHS 111 or a pharmacist for individual advice; do not take more zopiclone or any other sedative.

Zopiclone and alcohol at a glance

Why this happens

Zopiclone is a hypnotic medicine that strengthens calming signalling in the brain. Alcohol is also a central nervous system depressant. When they overlap, the effects can be additive: alertness falls, reaction time slows and the normal protective responses that help a person wake or respond to breathing difficulty may become weaker.

This is not simply a matter of feeling sleepier. A person may be less able to judge how impaired they are, may lose balance when getting out of bed, may forget what happened, or may take another tablet because they do not remember the first dose. Alcohol can also fragment sleep later in the night, so using it as a sleep aid can worsen sleep quality even if it initially makes someone drowsy.

The NHS zopiclone guide states that alcohol can increase the medicine’s effects, cause breathing problems and make a person very difficult to wake. The UK product information likewise says the sedative effect may be enhanced and that combined use is not recommended.

What you should do

If you have not taken zopiclone yet

Do not deliberately combine the medicine with alcohol. If you have been drinking and a dose is due, obtain individual advice from a pharmacist, prescriber or NHS 111 rather than guessing about timing or changing the dose yourself. Never take a double dose later to replace a dose that was not taken.

If you have already mixed them

1. Do not take any more zopiclone, alcohol, opioids, benzodiazepines, sedating antihistamines or other sleeping medicines.
2. Do not drive, cycle, cook, bathe alone, use machinery or walk around unnecessarily.
3. Stay with a responsible adult if possible. Keep the medicine packet and note what was taken and when.
4. Call NHS 111 for urgent advice when the person is awake and breathing normally but the combination has occurred or symptoms are developing.
5. Call 999 immediately for slow, shallow or irregular breathing, inability to wake, collapse, seizure, blue or grey lips, severe confusion or loss of consciousness.

A person who is deeply drowsy should not be given food, drink or more medicine because of choking risk. Emergency services can give situation-specific instructions.

Important precautions

Risk is not identical for everyone. It may be higher in older or frail adults, people with breathing disease, sleep apnoea, liver impairment, a history of falls, current or previous alcohol or substance misuse, mental health conditions, or anyone using other central nervous system depressants. A lower body weight or a dose taken late at night may also make next-morning impairment more important.

• Use only the prescribed dose and only for the planned short period.
• Allow a full night of uninterrupted sleep after taking it.
• Do not share tablets or use medicine obtained from another person.
• Tell the prescriber about alcohol use honestly; this is a safety issue, not a reason for judgement.
• Keep zopiclone in its original packaging and away from children or anyone for whom it was not prescribed.
• Never add another sedative because zopiclone seems not to be working.

Complex sleep behaviours

Complex sleep behaviours are activities carried out while a person is not fully awake. Reported examples include sleepwalking, preparing or eating food, making phone calls, having sex and sleep-driving, often with little or no memory the next morning. They can occur after the first or a later dose.

Alcohol and other central nervous system depressants appear to increase the risk. The UK SmPC advises immediate discontinuation if a complex sleep behaviour occurs because the person or others may be harmed. Contact the prescriber promptly and do not restart the medicine unless a qualified clinician has reviewed the event.

See the official zopiclone Summary of Product Characteristics for the full professional warning.

Next-day alertness and driving

Zopiclone can reduce coordination, attention and reaction time after waking. Alcohol makes this risk greater. Feeling awake is not proof that psychomotor performance has fully recovered.

UK product information warns against driving, operating machinery or performing hazardous work during the 12 hours after zopiclone. The wait should be longer if there is any sleepiness, dizziness, confusion, blurred thinking or poor coordination. A prescription does not make it lawful or safe to drive while impaired.

For a separate timing explanation, read How Long Does Zopiclone Take to Work?.

Myasthenia gravis or respiratory failure

UK product information lists myasthenia gravis, respiratory failure and severe sleep apnoea syndrome as contraindications. Zopiclone may weaken respiratory drive, while alcohol can add further depression. Someone with chronic breathing impairment may require a different dose or treatment plan, and severe conditions can mean zopiclone should not be used at all.

People who snore heavily, stop breathing during sleep, wake gasping, have severe daytime sleepiness, use home oxygen or have significant lung disease should make sure the prescriber knows. They should not try to judge safety from how they felt on a previous night.

Dependence, tolerance and withdrawal

Zopiclone is intended for short-term treatment. Tolerance means the same dose seems less effective. Physical dependence means the body adapts and withdrawal symptoms can appear after a sudden stop or dose reduction. Addiction and dependence are related but not identical, and both should be discussed without blame.

The January 2026 MHRA update strengthened warnings for Z-drugs. It notes that dependence and addiction can occur even with recommended doses and short-term use, although risk rises with prolonged use and is higher in people with a history of alcohol or substance misuse or some mental health conditions. Possible withdrawal features include rebound insomnia, anxiety, agitation, sweating, tremor, palpitations, confusion and, in severe circumstances, seizures.

Do not use alcohol to manage zopiclone withdrawal and do not use extra zopiclone to manage alcohol withdrawal. Both situations can require supervised care. After regular or high-dose use, a prescriber may recommend a gradual, individual taper rather than abrupt cessation.

Read the dedicated Zopiclone Addiction and Dependence guide for the broader dependence topic.

Analysis of the required PMC case report

Morinan and Keaney’s 2010 paper describes one 31-year-old British woman with alcohol dependence, anorexia nervosa and long-term zopiclone misuse. At admission for alcohol detoxification, the report recorded alcohol intake of 180 units per week on four days out of seven and a current zopiclone intake of 30 mg per day. She reported about 13 years of use, at times reaching 90 mg per day, including tablets obtained beyond her prescription.

The case is clinically important because it challenges the early belief that Z-drugs carried little misuse or dependence potential. It supports careful screening and monitoring when alcohol misuse, psychiatric illness and escalating doses coexist. It also shows why a patient may continue to crave zopiclone after detoxification.

However, it does not estimate how often dependence occurs, prove that the same outcome will happen at prescribed doses, establish the risk from one alcoholic drink, or isolate zopiclone from the effects of extremely heavy alcohol use, anorexia nervosa and other individual factors. It is a single case report from 2010 with an unusually high exposure, so it should illustrate risk—not supply a population-wide risk percentage.

Full paper: Long-term misuse of zopiclone in an alcohol dependent woman with a history of anorexia nervosa.

Food and drink warnings

Do not use alcohol as a substitute for prescribed sleep treatment. Although it can shorten the time to drowsiness, alcohol often produces lighter, more fragmented sleep later in the night and can worsen snoring or sleep-related breathing problems.

Using other medicines

Tell the prescriber and pharmacist about every prescription medicine, over-the-counter product, herbal remedy and recreational substance. The effect of zopiclone may be increased by opioids such as codeine, morphine, oxycodone, methadone or tramadol; benzodiazepines; other hypnotics; sedating antihistamines; antipsychotics; some antidepressants; anti-epileptic medicines; anaesthetics and other muscle-relaxing or sedating drugs.

Combining zopiclone with opioids is especially important because sedation, respiratory depression, coma and death may occur. Some medicines can also increase zopiclone blood levels, while others can reduce its effect. Never start, stop or change another medicine simply from an online interaction list; ask a pharmacist or prescriber to check the whole combination.

The official zopiclone patient leaflet contains the product-specific interaction list.

Myths and facts

Frequently asked questions

Can I drink alcohol while taking zopiclone?

No. NHS and UK product information advise avoiding alcohol because it can intensify sedation, breathing problems and difficulty waking.

What should I do if I accidentally mixed them?

Do not take more sedatives or drive. Call NHS 111 for individual advice; call 999 for breathing difficulty, collapse, seizure, blue or grey lips, loss of consciousness or inability to wake.

How long after alcohol can I take zopiclone?

There is no universal online waiting time because alcohol clearance varies. Ask a pharmacist, prescriber or NHS 111 about your circumstances.

Can one glass of wine cause a problem?

Even a small amount may increase impairment in some people, so it cannot be guaranteed safe.

Does alcohol make zopiclone work better?

It may increase sedation, but that is not safer or better sleep. It increases adverse-effect risk and may worsen sleep quality later.

Can the combination cause sleepwalking?

Complex sleep behaviours can occur with zopiclone, and alcohol appears to increase the risk.

Can I drive the next morning?

Avoid driving for at least 12 hours after zopiclone and for longer if affected. Alcohol increases impairment.

Should I stop zopiclone suddenly?

Not after regular or prolonged use without professional advice. A gradual taper may be needed.

Who is at higher risk?

Older or frail adults, people with breathing problems, sleep apnoea, liver impairment, substance-use history and those taking other sedatives need particular caution.

Can caffeine reverse the sedation?

No. Caffeine does not make the combination safe or restore normal coordination and breathing.

Conclusion

Zopiclone and alcohol should not be combined. Their overlapping depressant effects can lead to extreme sleepiness, poor coordination, impaired memory and judgement, complex sleep behaviours, breathing difficulty and inability to wake. Alcohol also increases next-day impairment and can complicate dependence or withdrawal.

Use zopiclone only as prescribed, disclose alcohol and all other medicines to the prescriber, and seek prompt help after an accidental combination. Long-term insomnia or reliance on alcohol for sleep needs a wider clinical assessment rather than stronger sedation.

References

• NHS: Zopiclone
• eMC: Zopiclone 7.5 mg Summary of Product Characteristics
• eMC: Zopiclone 7.5 mg Patient Information Leaflet
• MHRA: strengthened addiction, dependence, withdrawal and tolerance warnings (8 January 2026)
• NICE NG215: Medicines associated with dependence or withdrawal symptoms
• Morinan & Keaney (2010): PMC3014964 case report
• info: Zopiclone and alcohol interaction

• Zopiclone is a prescription-only medicine intended for short-term use.
  • Do not drink alcohol, take extra doses or combine it with other sedatives without clinical advice.
  • Do not drive or perform hazardous work for at least 12 hours after a dose and longer if impaired.
  • Do not stop regular or prolonged use suddenly without advice from a prescriber.
  • This educational draft requires qualified UK medical and POM-compliance review before publication.