Zaleplon (Sonata)

How Medicare covers it

Part D (forms used at home). Part A during a covered inpatient stay. No Part B clinician-administered form in the CMS Part B spending file.

What it treats

Short-term treatment of insomnia (trouble falling asleep). It helps you fall asleep faster.

What it is for, in depth

Sonata is meant only for short-term treatment of insomnia. In controlled studies it shortened the time it took to fall asleep for up to 30 days. It has not been shown to increase total sleep time or to cut down the number of times people wake up during the night. The studies behind it lasted from a single night to 5 weeks. It comes as capsules in two strengths: 5 mg and 10 mg. Doses are set for each person: 10 mg for most nonelderly adults, 5 mg for elderly, weakened, or low-weight patients and for people with mild to moderate liver problems, and 20 mg only in some cases for a patient who did not benefit from a lower dose. Doses above 20 mg are not recommended.

How it works

Zaleplon is a sleep medicine in the nonbenzodiazepine hypnotic group. It works on the GABA-benzodiazepine receptor system in the brain, mainly a part called the omega-1 receptor, which helps bring on sleep.

How it is taken

Take the capsule by mouth right before bedtime, or after you have gone to bed and are having trouble falling asleep. Most nonelderly adults take 10 mg. Elderly or weakened patients usually take 5 mg, and 5 mg may be enough for some low-weight people. Do not take it with or right after a heavy, high-fat meal, because that slows how fast it is absorbed and can make it work less well for falling asleep.

Common side effects

In the label's trial tables, side effects reported in 1% or more of people on Sonata 20 mg and more often than with placebo included headache, abdominal (stomach-area) pain, nausea, dizziness, sleepiness, weakness, tingling, memory problems, and eye pain. Headache was the most common one listed.

Serious warnings

The label sections provided do not include a separate warnings section. Side effects reported during testing that should get prompt medical attention include hallucinations, confusion, memory loss (amnesia), and feeling detached from yourself (depersonalization). Do not take this drug if you are allergic to zaleplon or any ingredient in the capsule.

Who should be careful

Older adults and weakened (debilitated) patients are more sensitive to sleep medicines and should use the 5 mg dose, with doses over 10 mg not recommended for them. People with mild to moderate liver problems should take 5 mg because the drug clears more slowly, and the drug is not recommended for people with severe liver problems. It has not been studied well enough in people with severe kidney problems, and no dose change is needed for mild to moderate kidney problems.

Major interactions

Cimetidine slows how fast the body clears zaleplon, so people taking cimetidine should start at 5 mg. A heavy, high-fat meal can also slow absorption and reduce the effect on falling asleep. The label notes zaleplon is broken down mainly by an enzyme called aldehyde oxidase and, to a lesser extent, by CYP3A4.

Cost and saving notes

Medicare Part D plans place drugs on tiers, and a higher tier usually means a higher copay or coinsurance. If your doctor says you need this drug and your plan's tier makes it costly, you or your doctor can ask the plan for a tier exception. If you have limited income, the Extra Help program (the Part D Low Income Subsidy) may lower your Part D premium, deductible, and drug costs if you qualify.

Why it is in its tier

Zaleplon (Sonata) sits on Tier 3 in 62.26% of the plans that list it (2417 of 3882 listing plans). Tier 3 is the preferred brand tier — mid-level copays or coinsurance. The data-visible drivers: It is a generic product, and the CMS dashboard puts its average Part D spending at about $73.20 per beneficiary for 2024 — a relatively low-cost drug, which matches where plans place it. It is listed by 70.65% of Part D plans. The tier shown is the most common one; individual plans vary.

Sources

• SONATA (ZALEPLON) CAPSULE [PHYSICIANS TOTAL CARE, INC.] — DailyMed
• MedlinePlus — National Library of Medicine
• MedlinePlus — Zaleplon

What official patient guides say

Zaleplon comes as a capsule to take by mouth, usually taken as needed at bedtime or after trying unsuccessfully to fall asleep, and it should not be taken with or shortly after a heavy, high-fat meal because it may not work well if taken with high-fat foods. Take it exactly as directed: you will probably become very sleepy soon after taking it and remain sleepy for some time, so plan to go to bed right after you take it and to stay in bed for 7 to 8 hours, and do not take it if you will be unable to go to bed right away and remain asleep for 7 to 8 hours afterward. You should be sleeping well within 7 to 10 days after you start taking zaleplon, so call your doctor if your sleep problems do not improve during this time, get worse, or you notice changes in your thoughts or behavior. Zaleplon can be habit-forming, so do not take a larger dose, take it more often, or take it for a longer time than prescribed, and do not stop taking it without talking to your doctor — if you suddenly stop you may have withdrawal symptoms, so your doctor will probably decrease your dose gradually. Zaleplon should only be taken at bedtime: if you did not take it before you went to bed and you are unable to fall asleep, you may take it if you will be able to stay in bed for at least 8 hours afterward, and do not take a double dose to make up for a missed dose. Store it in the container it came in, tightly closed and out of reach of children, at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture (not in the bathroom), and keep it in a safe place so no one else can take it accidentally or on purpose, keeping track of how many capsules are left so you will know if any are missing.

Source: MedlinePlus — Zaleplon

Part D formulary coverage

Source: CMS Prescription Drug Plan Formulary, Pharmacy Network, and Pricing Information Files — Monthly file 2026-10-15 (plan year 2027), file 2027_20261008.zip (data.cms.gov dataset ed1496ea-23e7-41f1-9292-172fa842ccfb): basic drugs formulary file + plan information file, both dated 20261031 inside the zip; downloaded and aggregated 2026-10-30. Medication RxCUI sets resolved through the NLM RxNav (RxNorm) API.

What you pay

Without insurance, the cash benchmark is 0.1491 per unit (ZALEPLON 10 MG CAPSULE) — about nan for 30 units. NADAC benchmark — the average price pharmacies pay (CMS, as of 2026-11-04). Pharmacy shelf prices vary.

A tier is not a price; what you pay depends on your plan, pharmacy, and benefit stage; Extra Help or Medicaid can lower it further.

Sources: CMS Plan Benefit Package + formulary data; CMS NADAC · Checked 2026-11-08

Coverage by plan and tier

Of the 5,495 Medicare drug plans we track for 2027, 3,882 list Zaleplon (Sonata) — 70.7% of plans. Most of those plans put it on Tier 3: 2,417 plans, 62.3% of the plans that list it. Other plans place it on Tier 2 (735 plans), Tier 4 (504 plans) or Tier 1 (226 plans). For example: Aetna Medicare Dual Extra (HMO D-SNP) puts it on Tier 3; Aetna Medicare Dual Extra Care (PPO D-SNP) puts it on Tier 3; Aetna Medicare Value Plus (PPO) puts it on Tier 3. You can compare these plans side by side on our Medicare Advantage hub. A tier is not a price. What you pay also depends on whether you have met your plan';s deductible, whether the drug costs a flat copay or a share of the price, and whether you get Extra Help or Medicaid.

Read next

• Part D in 2027: The $700 Deductible, the $2,400 Cap, and the $35 Insulin Rule
• Extra Help in 2027: Lower Drug Copays and Who Qualifies
• Checking Medicare Savings Programs and Extra Help

Part D spending averages (2024)

Source: CMS Medicare Part D Spending by Drug (Drug Spending Dashboard), release RY26 P04 V10, data through 2024 (DSD_PTD_RY26_P04_V10_DY24_BGM.csv), downloaded 2026-10-30

Companies covering this drug

Part D and Medicare Advantage plan sponsors that list this drug on a formulary, 50 at a time.