Can I take zolpidem while pregnant or breastfeeding?
A plain-words look at what the NHS, the US drug label and LactMed say about zolpidem.
In short
Pregnancy: Doctors do not usually recommend zolpidem in pregnancy, as little is known about how it affects the baby.
Breastfeeding: If you're struggling to sleep, it's best to start by trying practical steps to help you sleep. You can also talk to your doctor or pharmacist, since there may be other ways to improve your sleep that don't involve taking zolpidem.
Your doctor, midwife or pharmacist can help you decide.
What this means for you
Pregnancy
- If you become pregnant while taking zolpidem, talk to your doctor.
- Together you can decide what to do, and they may move you to a medicine that is more suitable in pregnancy.
- In newborn babies, zolpidem may cause drowsiness or withdrawal symptoms, for example agitation.
- These problems are more likely if you take zolpidem at the end of pregnancy.
- Your baby may need to stay in hospital for a few days after birth for extra monitoring.
Breastfeeding
- If you're struggling to sleep, it's best to start by trying practical steps to help you sleep.
- You can also talk to your doctor or pharmacist, since there may be other ways to improve your sleep that don't involve taking zolpidem.
- But you can take zolpidem while breastfeeding if your doctor or health visitor tells you your baby is healthy.
- It's better to take it only occasionally and for a short time only.
- Its side effects could leave you too tired to breastfeed and care for your baby.
- Information about zolpidem and breastfeeding is limited, but it shows that very small amounts get into breast milk.
- There's a very small chance it might make your baby sleepy as well.
- Do not sleep in the same bed as your baby while you're taking zolpidem.
- As soon as you can, get in touch with a health visitor, midwife, pharmacist or doctor if your baby is feeding less well than normal, seems unusually sleepy, or if anything else about your baby worries you.
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist
This page is educational, not advice for your own situation. Talk to your doctor, midwife or pharmacist before you start, stop or change any medicine in pregnancy or while breastfeeding.
The details: what each source says
Zolpidem in pregnancy
The NHS says
Doctors do not usually recommend zolpidem in pregnancy, as little is known about how it affects the baby.
If you become pregnant while taking zolpidem, talk to your doctor. Together you can decide what to do, and they may move you to a medicine that is more suitable in pregnancy.
In newborn babies, zolpidem may cause drowsiness or withdrawal symptoms, for example agitation. These problems are more likely if you take zolpidem at the end of pregnancy. Your baby may need to stay in hospital for a few days after birth for extra monitoring.
In our words, from the NHS page Zolpidem (nhs.uk). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (OGL v3.0). The NHS does not endorse this site.
The US drug label says
8.1 Pregnancy Risk Summary Neonates born to mothers using zolpidem late in the third trimester of pregnancy have been reported to experience symptoms of respiratory depression and sedation [see Clinical Considerations and Data ] . Published data on the use of zolpidem during pregnancy have not reported a clear association with zolpidem and major birth defects [see Data ]. Oral administration of zolpidem to pregnant rats and rabbits did not indicate a risk for adverse effects on fetal development at clinically relevant doses [see Data ]. The estimated background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage for the indicated populations are unknown. All pregnancies have a background risk of birth defect, loss, or other adverse outcomes. In the U.S. general population, the estimated background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage in clinically recognized pregnancies is 2% to 4% and 15% to 20%, respectively. Clinical Considerations Fetal/neonatal adverse reactions Zolpidem crosses the placenta and may produce respiratory depression and sedation in neonates.
Prescribing label, section “8.1 Pregnancy” (opening excerpt): ZOLPIDEM TARTRATE (oral), Torrent Pharmaceuticals Limited. Read the full section on DailyMed. Quoted verbatim; US labels are written for US prescribers and patients.
Zolpidem while breastfeeding
The NHS says
If you're struggling to sleep, it's best to start by trying practical steps to help you sleep. You can also talk to your doctor or pharmacist, since there may be other ways to improve your sleep that don't involve taking zolpidem.
But you can take zolpidem while breastfeeding if your doctor or health visitor tells you your baby is healthy. It's better to take it only occasionally and for a short time only. Its side effects could leave you too tired to breastfeed and care for your baby.
Information about zolpidem and breastfeeding is limited, but it shows that very small amounts get into breast milk. There's a very small chance it might make your baby sleepy as well.
Do not sleep in the same bed as your baby while you're taking zolpidem.
As soon as you can, get in touch with a health visitor, midwife, pharmacist or doctor if your baby is feeding less well than normal, seems unusually sleepy, or if anything else about your baby worries you.
In our words, from the NHS page Zolpidem (nhs.uk). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (OGL v3.0). The NHS does not endorse this site.
LactMed says
The levels of zolpidem in breastmilk are low and is rapidly eliminated from milk, so it would not be expected to cause any adverse effects in older breastfed infants who does not breastfeed during the night after the mother’s dose. The manufacturer states that excess sedation in infants exposed to zolpidem through breastmilk has been reported, although details are lacking. Some expert opinion recommends against zolpidem use during breastfeeding, primarily because of the lack of robust documentation.[1] Monitor the infant for sedation, poor feeding and poor weight gain.
“Summary of Use during Lactation”, LactMed record “Zolpidem” (LM396), quoted verbatim. Everything LactMed reports about Zolpidem while breastfeeding.
The US prescribing label says
8.2 Lactation Risk Summary Limited data from published literature report the presence of zolpidem in human milk.
Prescribing label, section “8.2 Lactation” (opening excerpt): ZOLPIDEM TARTRATE (oral), Torrent Pharmaceuticals Limited. Read the full section on DailyMed. Quoted verbatim; US labels are written for US prescribers and patients.
Sources
- NHS, Zolpidem (nhs.uk), page last reviewed 10 January 2023. Paraphrased. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- US drug label: ZOLPIDEM TARTRATE (oral), Torrent Pharmaceuticals Limited, human prescription drug, label effective 1 September 2026, set ID 1584bad1-7bf4-4805-bdd9-7eb0fac92721. DailyMed (National Library of Medicine). Public domain; quoted verbatim.
- Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), via NCBI Bookshelf, record “Zolpidem” (LM396), bulk release of 22 September 2026. LactMed on NCBI Bookshelf. Public domain; quoted verbatim. LactMed is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Sources checked 26 September 2026. How we source and check every page.
Educational summary of named sources, not medical advice.