Effects - zolpidem(Ambien) 10mg vs triazolam(Halcion) 0.25mg?

[Stimulants]

They're both hypnotics with a short, two hour half life. The regular dosage of either of these is equivalent to 5mg diazepam.

10mg zolpidem (sold as Ambien in the US) = 5mg diazepam equiv.
0.25mg triazolam (sold as Halcion in many countries) = 5mg diazepam equiv.

Triazolam is a benzodiazepine
Zolpidem is a benzodiazepine receptor antagonist a.k.a. "Z drug"

So given the aforementioned dosage, could someone compare and contrast the effect of these two?
SWIM is particularly interested in effects that is applicable when used for treatment of sleep disorders, not recreational value.

[tyranny4u]

TT thinks, that Triazolam is the more potent substance. But to someone
with no tolerance both should work well for falling asleep. Triazolam
seems to be the drug with more bad side effects, but always worked
good for TT.
When havin a low tolerance, Zolpidem worked well for TT, but he had
to take 15 - 20 mg (while 10 mg actually should not be exceeded)

Zolpidem, taken in moderate dosage, doesn't have remarkable effects
on the stages of sleep, while Triazolam has, even in the 0.25 mg dosage.
The info sheets we get with Halcion (Triazolam) here, say that one
should take a half tablet ( so 0.125 mg), and use a whole tab if
a half one is not enough.

Until now the Z-Drugs seem to be the safer substances compared to
benzos, but there is a discussion about zopiclone being not that harmless
as it was supposed to be.

This posting is absolutely no medical advice!

[missparkles]

Triazolam (Halcion) is nothing like Zopiclone. Comparing the two is like comparing OTC codeine pain meds, to morphine.
While it acts on the same benzodiazepine receptors as the benzodiazepine family of drugs, it isn't classed as a benzodiazepine (with which it shares a number of characteristics and effects) due to its differing molecular structure.
Both are classed as hypnotics, but the similarity ends there.
Zopiclone has a very mild hypnotic effect, W/D after three months regular use (at therapeutic doses) would require possibly a short taper, you can reduce in seven days.
Not so with Triazolam.
Within a week, possibly due to it's very short half life, and the need for frequent re-dosing, it becomes physically addictive.

Sparkles began taking this benzo in 1979, she was on it for three days and found the effects wore off after three-four hours, and the rebound anxiety meant she needed more of this meds, earlier, to maintain the same effect.
The higher the dose, the worse the anxiety when it wore off, eventually she was re-dosing every two hours. The anxiety she experienced was worse than the anxiety she began with, worse than any she'd ever suffered from before.
She'd swapped from 40mgs of diazepam 4X daily to 0.5mg of triazolam 4x daily.
This increased to two tabs of triazolam 4x daily (in 8 divided doses), and just increased from there. Within a month she'd suffered with intermittent amnesia, became confused, and eventually had a complete psychotic break.
She was in hospital for nearly a month.
Her prescribing doc, said whilst she was in hospital he'd used them for two nights, on the third night he had awful symptoms of anxiety, and stopped the meds. After a week he was ok.
Her prescribing doc was a Harley Street psychiatrist who also ran a clinic at an NHS hospital, which meant he was extremely busy. Even he believed the spin they'd given about this drug, about how marvelous it was, because of it's short half life.
What they didn't mention, was that it had to be continually increased to maintain the same effect, increasing the addictive potential.
Also the euphoria was more intense than diazepam, so the abuse potential was also extremely high. Anyone taking triazolam for it's therapeutic purpose will be in trouble really early in their use with this drug, as it actually causes anxiety.
Sparkles is surprised, considering the side effects of this drug, that anyone prescribes it any more.
But these are just her thoughts, if this drug works for others, she's pleased. Perhaps her addictive nature is to blame? She has to hammer any and all drugs. But she's heard of these awful side effects from others too.

She's reminded of chlormethiazole (Heminevrin), when she thinks of triazolam, as they both share similar, horrific side effects if discontinued abruptly. Chlormethiazole also killed Keith Moon.
Sparkles tolerance to benzos' (all drugs actually) was so high she obtained 120 capsules of chlormethiazole one Friday morning, and by Tuesday morning she'd used them. Drug induced psychosis is guaranteed at that dose, even when reducing in hospital. But again, the euphoria was so intense. She's never been able to take chlormethiazole without ending up with drug induced psychosis.
Apologies for the anecdotes at the end, it was off topic.
Sparkles.