Zolpidem
1 SA brand Schedule 8 ℹNon-benzodiazepine hypnotic — morning sedation and complex sleep behaviours are risks.
Brands: Stilnox (zolpidem)
SA strengths: 10 mg tablet
Typical SA dosing: 10 mg nocte immediately before bed; 5 mg in elderly.
Insomnia
Clinical description
Difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep, with daytime fatigue or impairment despite adequate opportunity to sleep.
ICD-10 classification1
Work & claim impact
Hover highlighted terms for claim context · ? for more info
Morning alertness, safety-critical reaction time, error risk after night dosing of sedatives.
Claim note: Insurers test occupational incapacity — document how it blocks material duties , not the diagnosis label↗ alone.
Examples
- For Insomnia: cannot perform [your core duty] because insomnia and broken sleep.
- Duty link: cannot start work before 10:00 because broken sleep leaves unrefreshed cognition for decisions.
Category context
Disorders of sleep quality, timing, or breathing — often linked to fatigue and cognitive work limits.
Common symptoms (story builder)
Hover for a plain-language explanation · + adds to your health story.
Insomnia
Broken sleep
Fatigue
Daytime sleepiness
Relevant specialists & assessors
Treating and assessing roles commonly involved with this condition on SA income-protection claims — click a role to see what they do.†
General Practitioner (GP)
Primary care doctor — first point for sick notes, referrals, and ongoing treatment.
What they do →
Psychiatrist
Medical doctor specialising in mental illness — can diagnose, prescribe, and admit.
What they do →
Clinical Psychologist
HPCSA-registered psychologist — assessment, therapy, and reports (cannot prescribe scheduled medicine).
What they do →
Sleep Laboratory
Sleep study centre — insomnia, sleep apnoea evidence.
What they do →
Independent Medical Examiner (IME)
Assessor
Insurer- or employer-appointed assessor — not treating doctor.
What they do →
Linked medications (SA)
Generic active ingredients, registered brand formulations, SA strengths, and typical dosing — cross-linked to medication pages.†
Zopiclone
1 SA brand Schedule 8 ℹCyclopyrrolone hypnotic — metallic taste common; short-term insomnia treatment.
Brands: Imovane (zopiclone)
SA strengths: 7.5 mg tablet
Typical SA dosing: 7.5 mg nocte; 3.75 mg in elderly or hepatic impairment.
Amitriptyline
4 SA brands Schedule 5 ℹTricyclic antidepressant — low doses often used for nerve pain, migraine prevention, or sleep.
Brands: Amitriptyline, Trepiline (amitriptyline), Trepiline (low-dose amitriptyline), Elavil (amitriptyline)
SA strengths: 10 mg tablet · 25 mg tablet · 50 mg tablet
Typical SA dosing: Pain/sleep: 10–25 mg nocte; depression: higher divided doses under supervision.
Melatonin
1 SA brand Schedule 5 ℹHormone supplement for circadian sleep disorders — OTC and scripted forms in SA.
Brands: Melatonin
SA strengths: 3 mg tablet · 5 mg tablet · 10 mg tablet
Typical SA dosing: Commonly 3–5 mg nocte; timing matters more than high dose.
Linked therapy
Session-based referrals — not medicines. Separate from linked medications above; still evidence for functional capacity and recovery. Therapy directory → · Not scheduled →†
Psychotherapy / CBT
Psychotherapy & counselling Not scheduled ℹStructured talking therapy (e.g. CBT) for mental health and adjustment.
Session formats: 50 min session · 60 min session
Typical plan: Typically 50–60 min weekly or fortnightly sessions.
Common causes or triggers
Typical precipitants seen in SA income-protection claims — hover labels for context; use ? for claim tips. †
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Circadian disruption
Circadian factors
Claim tip
Sedative-hypnotic use raises morning sedation questions — document dosing time and duty impact.
Shift work Shift work + monitoring Claim context
Source: ClaimBuddy curatedEmployer BP checks and insurer disability tests use different standards. Capture dates when monitoring requirements conflicted with attendance or safety duties.
, jet lag, or irregular sleep hygiene — affects safety-critical and cognitive roles. -
Comorbid mental health
Sleep + mood
Claim tip
Separate insomnia onset from depression onset on your date ladder.
Anxiety and depression commonly co-occur — treat sleep as part of a wider functional picture.
Source: ClaimBuddy curated -
Multifactorial contributors
Multifactorial onset
Claim tip
Insurers still require proof that post-inception change meets the policy disability test.
Genetic, environmental, and work factors often combine — build a chronology rather than a single cause label.
Source: ClaimBuddy curated
Comorbidities or complicating factors
Conditions that often overlap and amplify functional limits — pair with specialist reports and your functional matrix. †
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Depression or anxiety
Primary vs secondary insomnia
Claim tip
Sleep logs and actigraphy-style diaries strengthen objective pattern evidence.
Insomnia is often secondary — treating underlying mood may be insurer argument; document independent sleep pathology where present.
Source: ClaimBuddy curated -
Overlapping conditions
Comorbidity check
Claim tip
Clinical Atlas linked conditions and medication pages help map the full picture.
Check for mood, sleep, pain, or metabolic comorbidity that amplifies functional limits.
Source: ClaimBuddy curated
References for therapy
Guideline themes and evidence sources to pair with your treating plan — for claims context, not prescribing advice.†
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CBT for insomnia (CBT-I)
First-line for chronic insomnia before long-term hypnotics; document sleep diary and work start-time impact.
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CBT for depression and anxiety
Structured talking therapy — first-line alongside medication for many mood and anxiety disorders; document session frequency and functional goals.
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Independent medical examination (IME) context
Assessor is not your treating doctor — prepare material duties, chronology, and treating specialist reports separately.
References & footnotes
- ICD-10 code and condition label follow WHO ICD-10 classification. WHO ICD-10
- Work-impact notes describe functional themes insurers probe — pair with material-duty mapping in your claim file. ClaimBuddy curated
- Condition–medication links are therapeutic associations common in SA income-protection claims, not mandatory treatment pathways. MIMS / SA package inserts; ClaimBuddy curated
- Specialist and assessor roles are typical for this condition in SA income-protection claims — not an exhaustive list of who may treat you. ClaimBuddy curated
- Linked therapies are common non-drug interventions — cross-referenced to atlas therapy pages; insurer funding may differ from clinical appropriateness. ClaimBuddy curated
- Therapy references summarise guideline themes for claims context — not prescribing advice; pair with your treating clinician's plan. MIMS / SA package inserts; ClaimBuddy curated
- Causes, triggers, and comorbidity notes are claims-context summaries — not diagnostic criteria; pair with treating records and specialist opinion. WHO ICD-10; ClaimBuddy curated
Where this data comes from
ClaimBuddy collates SA-market brand names and strengths for intake — always verify against your script and clinician.
- WHO ICD-10 — Condition names and ICD-10-CM codes in the condition index.
- SAHPRA — South African medicine registration context; brand products must be SAHPRA-registered to be dispensed.
- MIMS / SA package inserts — Registered strengths, formulations, and typical dosing ranges for SA market products.
- SA Essential Medicines List (EML) — Public-sector formulary context for commonly available strengths.
- ClaimBuddy curated — SA brand name collation from intake presets, claim-frequency mapping, and work-impact notes — not a substitute for prescribing information.