Treatment options
Daridorexant (Quviviq): a newer treatment for chronic insomnia
Tried the apps, the teas, and the over-the-counter medicines, and 3am still finds you awake? There's a different kind of sleep medicine worth knowing about.
For adults with chronic insomnia · Free · Takes 2 minutes
The basics
What is Daridorexant?
Daridorexant (brand name Quviviq) is a prescription-only medicine licensed in the UK to treat chronic insomnia in adults. It belongs to a newer class, the dual orexin receptor antagonists, and works in a different way from traditional sleeping pills.
Daridorexant is one of several options for chronic insomnia, because no single option is right for everyone.
- For many people the starting point is sleep hygiene and lifestyle changes.
- NICE recommends cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) as the first-line treatment, before medication.
- There are over-the-counter sleep aids too, though they aren't tailored to you or meant for long-term use.
- Where these haven't worked or aren't suitable, a prescriber may recommend a prescription medicine. The one Seona's prescribers use is Daridorexant.
How it works
A different kind of sleep medicine.
One tablet, once a night.
What it's designed to do, from lights out to morning.
- Before bed (10:30 pm): Take it about half an hour before bed. That's the whole routine. One tablet, once a night.
- Falling asleep (11:00 pm): Wakefulness turned down, not knocked out. Daridorexant blocks orexin, a natural signal that keeps you awake, instead of sedating you. It's designed to help you fall asleep faster.
- Through the night (3:00 am): Designed to help you stay asleep longer. Rather than sedating you into sleep, it keeps the brain's wakefulness signal turned down through the night.
- The next morning (7:00 am): Feel more like yourself the next day. Mornings stop being something to brace for. You think clearly, you're steadier with the people you love, and work feels manageable instead of mountainous. Getting your sleep back is really about getting your days back.
Treatment is kept to what you need and reviewed regularly with your prescriber.
A common worry
A modern answer to an old worry.
Worried about getting hooked on sleeping pills? It's a fair worry. In clinical trials of up to 12 months, people who stopped taking it showed:
- No signs of physical dependence.
- No withdrawal.
- No rebound insomnia.
Like any prescription sleep medicine it still carries some potential for misuse, which is why it's prescription-only. We check in during your treatment and help you come off it when you're ready.
Suitability
Is Daridorexant right for you?
Complete a Seona assessment and a UK prescriber reviews:
- Your health history.
- Your sleep.
- Any medicines you take.
Daridorexant is only prescribed where it's a safe and suitable choice for you. Like all medicines it can cause side effects; most are mild, and the full list is in the patient information leaflet.
Everything on this page is grounded in published clinical standards. See the evidence and governance
Questions
Questions about Daridorexant.
Is Daridorexant addictive?
In clinical trials of up to 12 months, people who stopped taking it showed no signs of physical dependence, no withdrawal symptoms, and no rebound insomnia.
How is it different from sleeping pills?
Traditional sleeping pills, such as benzodiazepines and Z-drugs, sedate the brain. Daridorexant belongs to a newer class, the dual orexin receptor antagonists, which block orexin, the signal that keeps you awake, rather than sedating you.
How quickly does it work?
It's taken once a night, about 30 minutes before bed, and is designed to help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. It may take longer to work if taken after a large meal.
Does it have side effects?
Like all medicines it can cause side effects. The more common ones are mild, such as headache, next-day sleepiness, tiredness, dizziness and nausea. The full list is in the patient information leaflet.
Do I need a prescription?
Yes, it's a prescription-only medicine. It's prescribed online by UK prescribers following a short assessment, where it's clinically appropriate.
How much does it cost?
A 30-day supply costs £65.79 through Seona. That includes your prescriber assessment, your prescription, and tracked delivery. You'll see the full cost before you pay.
Medically reviewed by Vaibhav Shah, Pharmacist Independent Prescriber (GPhC 2082703). Last reviewed: 29 June 2026.
Seona is a trading name of Icon Pharmacy Ltd, a pharmacy registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council, registration number 1031045 (verify on the GPhC register).
Always read the patient information leaflet (PIL): Quviviq 50mg, Quviviq 25mg, and the Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC): 50mg, 25mg. To report a side effect, use the MHRA Yellow Card scheme.
This page is general information about Daridorexant and is not medical advice or a promise of treatment. Whether Daridorexant is right for you is a decision made by a UK-registered prescriber after assessment.