How bad is it to take Ambien every night to sleep?
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Anonymous
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I see this thread is pretty old but I'll throw my two cents in since it might help someone other than OP.
Have you tried Zaleplon (Sonata) instead? It has the same method of action as Zolpidem (Ambien). They are both "nonbenzodiazepines" which means they have a different chemical structure to benzodiazepines but still work on benzodiazepine receptors (albeit a bit more selectively than actual benzodiazepines). Examples of actual benzodiazepines would be Diazepam (Valium) and Clonazepam (Klonopin/Rivotril). Further reading for those interested: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zolpidem#Mechanism_of_action You're probably wondering if they're so similar why am I recommending you try Zaleplon (Sonata) over Zolpidem (Ambien). The reason lies in the half-life of the drugs. Zalepon (Sonata) has a half life of one hour. Zolpidem (Ambien) has a half life of two to three hours. Since Zalepon (Sonata) has considerably shorter half-life than Zolpidem (Ambien) it will be metabolised much faster (processed by the body and reduced to inactive metabolites which are then usually excreted in urine within 48 hours and considered harmless in small amounts). What this translates to is different pros and cons even though they basically do the same job. The pros: You are unlikely to experience any residual hangover or "next day grogginess" as is common with (non)benzodiazepines. It takes roughly up to four hours for your body to "readjust" after Zaleplon (Sonata), which is usually done in your sleep so you wake up feeling normal. It can take considerably longer on (non)benzodiazepines with larger half-lifes to "readjust", with residual effects lasting into the next morning or afternoon. The cons: The shorter half-life means a shorter duration of action. While Zaleplon (Sonata) is as effective as Zolpidem (Ambien) at initiating sleep, you may wake up later in the night after the Zaleplon (Sonata) has worn off. A common complaint is that some people wake up after 4 hours. If this occurs, the dose can be repeated. This is usually due to hyperarousal and after a few good due nights of sleep, repeat dosing is often not needed. Of course, as with all pharmaceuticals, your mileage may vary. Personally, I have tried every (non)benzodiazepine on the market and have found Zaleplon (Sonata) to be the most ideal for my situation (a hard time initiating sleep). I am recommending this in a thread regarding the chronic dosing of nonbenzodiazepines because for a period of four months I was taking Zaleplon (Sonata) every night and experienced no decrease in efficacy or additional side effects over time. Now, I'm not a biochemist and so I don't know exactly how hard taking a nonbenzodiazepine every night is on your body. All I can say is if you are medicating chronic insomnia then you may find Zaleplon (Sonata) to be a good deal milder in side-effects and more tolerable in this situation. |
Anonymous
| Sounds like a drug rep. |
Anonymous
Haha, I guess I sorta do. Maybe they should hire me.  The truth is you can't even get Zaleplon in this country (UK), I get mine from China. They give you Zopiclone over here for insomnia, which is another nonbenzo but with a half-life over twice as long as Zolpidem. I don't think it's available in other countries. The Zopiclone made me feel like a zombie the next day so I did a fair bit of shopping/research looking for something else. If you feel fine in the morning after taking Ambien or any other sleeping pill then there is zero reason to switch to anything else. Just putting my experience with chronic use of sleeping pills out there. I included the brand names I'm aware of only so people knew what I was talking about as most people aren't familiar with generic names. I don't find brand name pharmaceuticals to be worth the extra cost over generics most of the time anyway.
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Anonymous
My boyfriend is also very happy about this side effect 
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Anonymous
I don't think you sound like a drug rep, but an informed consumer. Thanks for the helpful post. Much appreciated. |
Anonymous
I did this too, sort of accidentally and it freaked out my DH. I liked the other-worldlyness of it. |
Anonymous
I totally agree. i am an ambien user and could not even think of living w/out. I'm a normal person who does not like prescription drug usage unless absolutely necessary and have been very hard on myself in thinking it was wrong to take. I am comfortable taking it now because I realize I need it. I am not a druggy because of it. However, do be careful. I have written weird e-mails not realizing it until the next day. I have even made phone calls and texts....so, be very aware of odd behaviors you may have during usage. |
Anonymous
| They are very addictive my sister takes 5 every night and still only sleeps four hours |
Anonymous
Try valerian, a non addictive herb, instead. |
Anonymous
| I take Benadryl every night and have had great luck with it. |
Anonymous
| ambien ironicly dosent give half the hangover benedryl does. i take a bennie and im in a funk all he next day |
Anonymous
| ambien ironicly dosent give half the hangover benedryl does. i take a bennie and im in a funk all he next day |
Anonymous
| I've never taken Ambien but I did take Tylenol P.M. once and it made me feel really weird. Like my heart was racing and I couldn't catch my breath. I refuse to take any type of sleeping pill anymore. If I can't sleep, then I'll just be tired the next day. |
Anonymous
| My sleep doc at mayo clinic said take ambien no more than three times in a row, and no more than eight nights a month. If u need it every night, u should be on a different drug |
Anonymous
| Also note that the FDA lowered the Ambien dosage for women last month to 5 mg. That's what my doctor had prescribed for me anyhow, and it works for me (I take it maybe 10 times a month and love it, but don't want to get addicted, so I limit myself). The previous dose of 10 mg was leading to more daytime sleepiness, sleep driving, etc. |