Anxiolytics and hypnotics are one of the most commonly prescribed groups of drugs. Anxiety and insomnia, the diseases for which these drugs are indicated, are significant problems in modern medicine. Both conditions have a significant impact on patients' daily lives, so inadequate treatment primarily leads to reduced well-being and quality of life for patients, and at the societal level, it leads to increased healthcare expenditures and decreased productivity. Benzodiazepines, which have replaced barbiturates in the indicated conditions, have shown a number of advantages that make them a safer therapy. However, the development of tolerance and dependence to benzodiazepine therapy is one of the main problems with their use. Selectivity towards the subtype of GABAA receptors and shorter duration of action were supposed to solve or at least reduce this problem with Z-drugs. Although Z-drugs have some advantages over benzodiazepines, their pharmacological characteristics are very similar. Therefore, agonists of melatonin receptors and antagonists of orexin receptors have been developed, bypassing the GABAergic system. Although they have greatly reduced the problem of tolerance and dependence, they are not as effective as benzodiazepines and Z-drugs in inducing sleep. Anxiolytics and hypnotics are considered very safe drugs in short-term therapy. However, irrational prescribing and long-term use significantly reduce the safety of their use, and serious health consequences to the patient can occur. Understanding parameters such as absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination of the drug plays a crucial role in choosing the correct drug for each patient with the aim of maximizing effectiveness and minimizing risk.