Benefits and Side Effects of Temazepam (Restoril) - And More!
Approved by the FDA back in 1981, temazepam has been a long-standing prescription medicine for people dealing with sleep problems.
It is especially useful for sleep maintenance insomnia, the type where you fall asleep just fine but keep waking up throughout the night. In 2021, over 2.1 million prescriptions were written for it in the US alone.1
On this page, you’ll learn how temazepam works, how it’s used, what the side effects are, and what precautions you should know before taking it.
What Is Temazepam (Restoril) Used For?
Temazepam is one of the go-to prescription sleep aids given when someone is dealing with short-term, clinically significant insomnia. We’re talking about the kind of sleep trouble that goes beyond just a bad night or two.
It belongs to the benzodiazepines class of medications, known for their calming, sedative effects.
Temazepam is used for people who struggle with:
- Difficulties falling asleep (sleep onset insomnia).
- Problems staying asleep (frequent waking during the night).
- Early morning awakenings (waking up way earlier than intended and not being able to fall back asleep).
What’s important about temazepam is that it is not meant for long-term use. It is prescribed to treat short-term insomnia for a few days to a few weeks at most.
How Does Temazepam Work?
Temazepam for sleep works by boosting the effects of a brain chemical called gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). GABA is your body’s natural “calm down” brain chemical. GABA attaches to specific spots on brain cells (known as receptors) and sends a message to the brain to slow down. This lets tiny calming particles (called chloride ions) flow into the brain cells, making them less active.
Temazepam makes this calming effect even stronger by attaching to a specific part of the receptor called the “benzodiazepine binding site.” This helps GABA work better, so your brain slows down and you feel more relaxed and sleep.2
As GABA’s effects are boosted, the result is:
- Decreased brain activity (helping your brain to slow down).
- Muscle relaxation.
- Lowered anxiety levels.
- A smoother transition into sleep.
How Fast Does Temazepam Work?
How Long Does Temazepam Last?
Temazepam isn’t a quick in-and-out medication. Its half-life (how long it takes for half of the drug to be cleared from your system) is 5-11 hours. It stays longer in the body in some people, including the elderly.4
After you take temazepam:
- You’ll stay asleep through the bulk of the night.
- It’s less likely (compared to shorter-acting options) that you’ll wake up at 2 AM and be stuck staring at the ceiling.
- You may feel a bit groggy in the morning if you didn’t get a full 7-8 hours of sleep or took it too late into the night.
Clinical Effectiveness and Benefits of Temazepam for Sleep
Temazepam has been shown to reduce sleep latency (how long it takes you to fall asleep) by approximately 25% to 50% on average at 15–30 mg doses.5 That means if it usually takes you an hour to fall asleep, temazepam can cut that down to 30-45 minutes.
Research also reports a reduction in nighttime awakenings and improvement in sleep continuity after temazepam use. Additionally, it increases total sleep time, contributing to a more restorative sleep experience.
Furthermore, temazepam is minimally disruptive to the natural structure of sleep. It can reduce deeper sleep stages (stage 3 and 4 non-REM sleep) in some people, but this effect is dose-sensitive and not consistently seen in all patients.6 In most cases, REM sleep remains unaffected, which makes temazepam a better alternative to older hypnotics that heavily change sleep architecture. REM sleep is deep, restorative sleep that allows your brain to recover.
The Standard Temazepam Dosage for Insomnia
- 7.5 mg
- 10 mg
- 15 mg
- 20 mg
- 30 mg
For most healthy adults dealing with short-term or recurring insomnia, the starting dose is 15 mg, taken once at bedtime. If a 15 mg temazepam dosage for insomnia doesn’t help, your doctor may increase it to 30 mg. 30 mg is considered the upper end of the dosage range.
Those struggling with occasional, stress-related, “I can’t sleep because of this one thing” kind of insomnia take a lower dose, such as 7.5 mg.
In older adults or those who are physically frail, the starting dose is also 7.5 mg. This is because seniors tend to process medications slowly. As a result, they’re more likely to feel side effects like next-day grogginess or confusion at higher doses.7
Temazepam (Restoril) Side Effects You Should Know
No medication comes without trade-offs, and temazepam is no exception. The most common Restoril side effects include:8
- Grogginess the next morning (also known as the “hangover effect”) if you didn’t get a full night’s sleep.
- Drowsiness (which sounds slightly obvious for a sleep medicine!). However, some people feel it spills over into the next day, affecting their focus and driving performance.
- Dizziness or lightheadedness when standing up quickly.
- Nausea or upset stomach.
Temazepam may also cause some serious side effects that require immediate medical attention. You must watch out for:
- Allergic reactions, including rash, hives, or swelling of the face, tongue, throat, lips, or eyes.
- Difficulty breathing or swallowing.
- Unusual hoarseness or throat tightness.
- Extreme sleepiness, slowed breathing, or trouble staying awake, if taken with another sedating medication.
Besides these side effects, temazepam has a dangerous synergy with opioids, which are often prescribed for pain or coughs. This means if someone takes temazepam with a cough suppressant or anti-pain medicine, their breathing might slow down to dangerous levels.
It’s incredibly important to tell your doctor before starting temazepam if you’re taking any of these medications:
- Hydrocodone (Norco, Vicodin)
- Oxycodone (Percocet, Roxicet)
- Tramadol (Ultram, Ultracet)
- Codeine-based medicines
- Fentanyl
- Methadone
- Morphine
If you are taking any of these medications, it’s okay. Your doctor will guide you on the best course of action – whether this is trading one opioid medication for another, or swapping temazepam for a different medication.
How Is Restoril Different From Ambien?
Restoril and Ambien (Zolpidem) are two of the most commonly prescribed sleep medications. Temazepam is a benzodiazepine, while Ambien belongs to a newer class of medications called non-benzodiazepine hypnotics.
Both drugs act on GABA receptors in the brain to promote sedation. But temazepam has broader effects that include muscle relaxation and anxiety reduction due to its full benzodiazepine profile. Ambien, on the other hand, targets a specific subunit of the GABA-A receptor (alpha-1). It, therefore, has a focused action on sleep initiation without muscle relaxation or anti-anxiety effects.
Other differences lie in how fast each drug works and how long it lasts. Ambien kicks in within 15 to 30 minutes and has a shorter half-life of about 2.5 hours.9 Temazepam takes slightly longer to work (30 to 60 minutes) and has a half-life of around 16 hours. Both drugs are meant for short-term use.
Temazepam vs. Other Benzodiazepines for Insomnia
The benzodiazepine drug class includes temazepam, flurazepam, triazolam, estazolam, and quazepam, to name a few. Theoretically, all these drugs work against insomnia in one way or another. However, temazepam tends to be the drug of choice for sleep issues among the benzodiazepines because it is neither too fast nor too slow in its action.
Temazepam also has a cleaner profile in terms of active metabolites, unlike other benzodiazepines, which build up in your system with repeated dosing and cause prolonged sedation.
The long-acting benzodiazepines like flurazepam, lorazepam (Ativan), and diazepam (Valium) do help with staying asleep, but they stick around in the body for days. This results in next-day drowsiness and increased fall risk in the elderly.
Triazolam, on the opposite end, has a very short half-life. It works quite well for those struggling with falling asleep, but its rapid action causes it to wear off too soon in the night. And after prolonged use, it can result in rebound insomnia or memory problems.
Estazolam and quazepam sit somewhere in the middle. They still tend to linger longer than temazepam, which increases the chances of next-day sedation.
What to Do if Restoril Doesn’t Work for You
Temazepam remains a widely prescribed option for managing short-term insomnia. It must be used cautiously for no longer than 7 to 10 days and under close medical supervision.
However, temazepam is not a long-term solution for chronic insomnia, especially when your sleep issues are tied to deeper mental health concerns.
In such cases, non-pharmacologic treatments like cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) remain the first-line alternative.
At Mission Connection, we combine proven CBT techniques like cognitive restructuring, behavioral activation, and mindfulness-based practices to create sustainable change. Our team supports those in need with evidence-based tools that lead to real, lasting results.
If you want medication-free sleep improvement, or support with medication management, reach out to Mission Connection via phone call or get started online.
References
- Statista. (2021). Temazepam prescriptions in the U.S. 2021. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1374005/total-prescriptions-of-temazepam-in-the-united-states/
- Fluyau, D., Ponnarasu, S., & Patel, P. (2024, January 11). Temazepam. StatPearls – NCBI Bookshelf. StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537035/
- Griffin, C. E., Kaye, A. M., Bueno, F. R., & Kaye, A. D. (2013). Benzodiazepine pharmacology and central nervous system-mediated effects. The Ochsner Journal, 13(2), 214–223. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3684331/
- Heel, R. C., Brogden, R. N., Speight, T. M., & Avery, G. S. (1981). Temazepam. Drugs, 21(5), 321–340. https://doi.org/10.2165/00003495-198121050-00001
- Bixler, E. O., Kales, A., Soldatos, C. R., Scharf, M. B., & Kales, J. D. (1978). Effectiveness of temazepam with short-, intermediate-, and long-term use: Sleep laboratory evaluation. The Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 18(2–3), 110–118. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1552-4604.1978.tb02430.x
- Mitler, M. M., Carskadon, M. A., Phillips, R. L., et al. (1979). Hypnotic efficacy of temazepam: A long-term sleep laboratory evaluation. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 8(Suppl s1), 63S–68S. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2125.1979.tb00459.x
- Drugs.com. (2019). Temazepam. https://www.drugs.com/temazepam.html
- MedlinePlus. (2021, May 15). Temazepam: MedlinePlus drug information. https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a684003.html
- Bouchette, D., & Quick, J. (2024, February 29). Zolpidem. StatPearls – NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK442008/
