Insomnia is linked with poor health outcomes, psychiatric disorders and an impaired quality of life. It is imperative that insomnia cases are correctly identified and managed properly. The treatment strategies for dealing with insomnia include lifestyle modifications, cognitive behavioural therapy, and the use of sleeping pills. The aim of this study is to identify how closely the available agents resemble an ideal sleeping pill, by performing a systematic review of the available literature concerning the different sleeping agents. For each agent, the pharmacokinetics, the mechanism of action, indications and adverse effects are reviewed.