Supplements and Zaleplon.
Zaleplon, sold under the brand name Sonata, is a benzodiazepine: it potentiates GABA at the GABA-A receptor.
Zaleplon is a benzodiazepine. The class potentiates GABA at the GABA-A receptor, producing sedation, anxiolysis, muscle relaxation, and anticonvulsant effects. UK general practice now prescribes mostly short courses for acute anxiety or sleep. Longer prescriptions are managed via specialist psychiatry, given the tolerance and dependence profile that emerges within four to six weeks of regular use. The supplement interactions that matter are additive sedation. Kava (where available, MHRA suspended 2003), valerian, magnesium glycinate at high doses (the glycine half rather than the magnesium drives the sedation), and CBD all stack on benzodiazepine effect. Alcohol is the combination most flagged in BNF and MHRA materials, given the additive respiratory depression. Lorazepam and temazepam are metabolised by glucuronidation rather than CYP, so most CYP-active supplements do not change their plasma levels. Diazepam runs through CYP3A4, so the standard 3A4 supplement interactions apply.
Below are the 3 documented pairs we have explicitly assessed against Zaleplon in the Distil database: 3 amber. The pairs cluster around 1 mechanism: Additive CNS depression. Every call is cited to either a clinical reference (PMID) or the British National Formulary. Anything not on this list is either still to be assessed or beyond our database scope. The checker beneath surfaces assessments by supplement, and the missing-item form at the bottom of the page routes any uncatalogued supplement into our next curation pass.
Documented interactions
Last reviewed 14 June 2026. Each interaction below is assessed against PubMed-indexed evidence.
Additive CNS depression
Amber Does Lemon Balm interact with ?
Lemon balm has a mild calming, sleep-promoting effect, so taking it with zaleplon can add to the sedation and leave you groggier than intended. Use with care, particularly around driving the next morning.
Evidence: Limited human data, based on case reports and a known mechanism.
Amber Does Passionflower interact with ?
Passionflower and zaleplon both have a calming, sleep-promoting effect, so taking them together can add up to deeper-than-intended sedation and a heavier next-morning grogginess. Use with care, particularly around driving the next morning.
Evidence: Limited human data, based on case reports and a known mechanism.
Amber Does Valerian Root interact with ?
Valerian and zaleplon both promote sleep through overlapping pathways. Both are taken for sleep, so combining them can mean deeper-than-intended sedation, slower reactions, and a heavier morning hangover than either gives on its own. Use with care, particularly around driving the next morning.
Evidence: Limited human data, based on case reports and a known mechanism.
What this list does not say. Pairs not flagged here are not implicitly safe. They are either not yet in our database, or fall outside our inclusion scope (food-supplement interactions only; for drug-drug interactions, the BNF is authoritative). Use the checker below to surface any supplement, and submit a missing item if you take something we have not catalogued.
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How we grade severity, choose what's in scope, and what we exclude.
Every call on this page is reasoned. We publish the full rubric for severity tiers, the medication inclusion logic, the evidence grades we accept, and what we deliberately leave out. About three thousand words. Worth reading once if you use this tool more than occasionally.
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