Regulators will next month consider making Stilnox (zolpidem) a controlled substance.
At its February meeting, the National Drugs and Poisons Schedule Committee (NDPSC) will consider a proposal to reschedule the drug to schedule 8, a listing designed for controlled substances.
Two months ago the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) announced that extra warnings would be stamped on the product information and Consumer Medicine Information (CMI) documents after hundreds of adverse reactions to the medication, including driving, having sex, fighting and binge eating from the fridge while apparently asleep.
The updated information contains less common side-effects such as "rage reactions, worsened insomnia, confusion, agitation, hallucinations and other forms of unwanted behaviour".
It also warns of "sleep walking, driving motor vehicles, preparing and eating food, making phone calls or having sexual intercourse" while asleep and on the drug.
Pack sizes were also reduced to packs of no more than 14.