Not Medical Advice: Ambien (Generic Name: zolpidem tartrate) is a sedative, also called a hypnotic.
Although opiates exhibit sedative effects and barbiturates drugs belong to the sedative-hypnotic class, Ambien is neither an opiate nor barbiturate. It is classed as imidazopyridine.
There are two main classes of sedative hypnotics. The most commonly used are the benzodiazepines and the newly introduced imidazopyridine. The barbiturates are the classic drugs of this class.
Ambien affects chemicals in the brain that may be unbalanced in people with sleep problems (insomnia).
Zolpidem, the active moiety of zolpidem tartrate, is a hypnotic agent with a chemical structure unrelated to benzodiazepines, barbiturates, pyrrolopyrazines, pyrazolopyrimidines, or other drugs with known hypnotic properties.
Zolpidem is not known to interfere with commonly employed clinical laboratory tests. In addition, clinical data indicate that zolpidem does not cross-react with benzodiazepines, opiates, barbiturates, c0caine, cannabinoids, or amphetamines in two standard urine drug screens.
Learn more about this drug here: dailymed.nlm.nih.gov.
Preventing Sleep Problems: MedicineNet.com shares tips on how to get a good night's sleep and avoid sleep disorders.