How bad is it to take Ambien every night to sleep?

[Anonymous]

Years ago my doctor gave me Ambien. Only 10 tablets per month. One refill for month 2. I didn't refill after the first one because my husband caught me sleepwalking at 5 am one morning. I was in the kitchen icing cupcakes I don't remember baking. I wasn't actually icing them. I was holding one eating frosting out of the can. I also baked cinnamon rolls at 3 in the morning. Stopped taking it.

This was long before the public became aware of the scary side effects.

The doctor then gave me Lunesta. Took one, didn't feel drowsy so an hour later I took another. I started hallucinating. I thought my computer speakers were dancing, the forum I was reading I thought I could hear the person's voice of the post they wrote, I started laughing hysterically about nothing. When I got up my legs felt like jello. Never did sleep. Paranoid as hell. NEVER took that again.

After seeing Xanax withdrawal, no thank you.

No advice because you're grown but for me a drug free life beats a pill that may eventually kill me. JMOO.

[Anonymous]

I've been taking ambien every night for years. The dose is 10 mg. I take it with benadryl and xanax. I have bipolar disorder and can't sleep at all without these medications. I feel blessed to have found a psychiatrist who prescribes it. I have never had side effects. I am 68 years old and plan to take it the rest of my life. I sleep 8 or more hours a night.

[Anonymous]

My take is that eventually you'll need higher doses to sleep, that you'll become resistant to normal doses, and that it will lose effectiveness.

Then on nights you try to skip, you'll have worse insomnia. It's called rebound insomnia.

In reality, if you stop taking it, you'll go through several weeks of hell. But eventually, you will fall asleep.

I would try what experts call sleep hygiene. Several things you can do to make your body produce its own sleep hormones is to walk more and be more active (increases adenosine); regulate darkness, either by eliminating all ambient light (LEDs, blinking chargers, clocks, etc) or by wearing a an eye mask (increases melatonin). Also watch temperature, coffee intake, all the common sense things.

Then if you take ambien once in a while, you'll feel a lot better. You really can fall asleep without it. and it's okay for occasional use. Studies show it only adds about a half hour to total sleep.

[Anonymous]

Ambien turned my mom into a zombie. AVOID.

[Anonymous]

can ambein cause dizziness and numbness to head

[Anonymous]

can ambein cause dizziness and numbness to head

[Anonymous]

I had horrible post partum insomnia, so I know insomnia is no joke. That being said, if you have to take something every night, why not try something less physically addictive? I used trazadone and it was very effective (though mentally addictive - I find that when you start taking anything every night for sleep, you mentally start thinking you can't sleep on your own). It's a hard habit to break - best of luck to you.

[Anonymous]

no idea. It works once and then stops working...can take maybe twice a year. Same with Lunesta

[Anonymous]

I've been taking ambien nightly for 11yrs. Same dosage.
I hate that it is a must but before that, I was a mess. Insomnia is terrible.

[Anonymous]

Try listening to NPR on their app with earbud headphones - set the app timer (built in) for 30 min. Works every time.

[Anonymous]

Have u tried cpap machine to help u sleep? Have u had a sleep study done?

[Anonymous]

I have noticed I big change since I am using the cpap. I get deep R.E.M. Sleep more than ever and I wake up fresh and ready to go

[Anonymous]

Been taking ambien for 5 years...hate when docs grill me like i am a druggie. If 5 mg does the trick, consequences be damned.,i need sleep

[Anonymous]

I've been taking it every night for a decade and I don't sleep at all without it. I'd like to find another way.

[Anonymous]

I've been taking it nightly for 9yrs-same dose.