Anonymous
Post 01/25/2011 19:28     Subject: How bad is it to take Ambien every night to sleep?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP, have you ever tried melatonin? It's a more natural solution that is non-addictive.


I use this on my son on nights that he is "keyed up" and it works beautifully. Usually within 1/2 hour of taking the drops, he is asleep.


Please tell me this is a joke.


Why would it be a joke? The better option isn't always what you see advertised on TV. And it's a lot safer than drugging your children with antihistamines.....and yeah, I've seen people on this board admit to it.
Anonymous
Post 01/25/2011 18:47     Subject: Re:How bad is it to take Ambien every night to sleep?
Anonymous wrote:I agree with the PP who said if you have to ask, you know it's bad. You didn't even ask whether it's bad, just how bad it is. As for a doctor saying it's "ok", I suppose there are worse things. On an issue like sleep, it's far easier for doctors to write a prescription than to educate you about how to develop proper sleep habits, encourage you to do the right things people aren't going to do anyway (reduce caffeine, no caffeine within 8 hours of bed, exercise, etc. etc.).

I agree no sleep is worse than Ambien, though. After my first DC I developed terrible insomnia and my doctor gave me a one week's presription for a sleep aid and told me she didn't want me to take more than that. She recommended a few books on insomnia and told me to google "sleep hygiene" (doesn't have anything to do with cleanliness, check it out). What really clicked for me was reading Weissbluth about my kids' sleep and it dawned on me I had a lifetime of poor sleep habits starting from infancy (when my mother held me while I slept, brought me into her bed whenever I wanted, all the things attachment folks say to do but can sabotage good sleep habits). I followed Weissbluth for my kids (and have amazing sleepers) and tried to do the same for myself--build sleep associations and a sleep routine. The results are amazing.

You need to figure out why you aren't falling asleep. If you have anxiety, go to a shrink. Work on it. If you just have poor sleep habits, change them. If you're drinking too much caffeine for your body or too close to your bedtime, stop it! Have you determined what your issue is?


#1 just asking if something is bad doesn't make it bad. That's not logical or very understanding to say.

#2, your experience may not generalize to OP's. I'm happy for you for your success with sleep hygiene. However, as an insomniac with great sleep hygiene and who has done CB therapy to try to get better sleep myself, I know sometimes those things just don't work for everyone. And sometimes ambien or a sleep aid is the only recourse to leading a healthy, normal life.

OP, I do recommend good sleep hygiene, but some people do not respond to good sleep hygiene or anything else. You are lucky ambien works for you (it doesn't for everyone!).

Here are some helpful resources I think you may find comforting:

Does Insomnia Always Have an Underlying ‘Cause’?
http://consults.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/23/does-insomnia-always-have-a-cause/?scp=3&sq=insomnia&st=cse

Overcoming Insomnia Without Drugs
http://consults.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/08/getting-a-good-nights-sleep-without-drugs/?scp=5&sq=insomnia&st=cse

Ask an Expert: Overcoming Insomnia
http://consults.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/22/ask-an-expert-overcoming-insomnia/?scp=7&sq=insomnia&st=cse

A ‘Night Owl’ With Insomnia
http://consults.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/20/a-night-owl-with-insomnia/?scp=9&sq=insomnia&st=cse

And because they are sort of brilliant:

Insomniac City
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/11/insomniac-city/?scp=10&sq=insomnia&st=cse

Night Moves, 2:19 A.M.
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/11/night-moves/?scp=8&sq=insomnia&st=cse

Good luck with your insomnia, OP. Relax and take it one day at a time. Someday, maybe you won't need ambien anymore.




Anonymous
Post 01/25/2011 18:47     Subject: Re:How bad is it to take Ambien every night to sleep?
You need to figure out why you aren't falling asleep. If you have anxiety, go to a shrink. Work on it. If you just have poor sleep habits, change them. If you're drinking too much caffeine for your body or too close to your bedtime, stop it! Have you determined what your issue is?


I don't know about the OP but my insomnia stems from my inner body clock not set for normal business hours. It never has been and I was able to live my life around my internal clock until I had school aged children. I take Ambien quite frequently and am worried about addiction but the pros certainly out number the cons for now. Not only am I going to bed at a decent hour, I am able to sleep through the night. Before I took it I was waking nearly every hour. I have stopped grinding my teeth and I am no longer suffering from depression.
Anonymous
Post 01/25/2011 18:31     Subject: Re:How bad is it to take Ambien every night to sleep?
I agree with the PP who said if you have to ask, you know it's bad. You didn't even ask whether it's bad, just how bad it is. As for a doctor saying it's "ok", I suppose there are worse things. On an issue like sleep, it's far easier for doctors to write a prescription than to educate you about how to develop proper sleep habits, encourage you to do the right things people aren't going to do anyway (reduce caffeine, no caffeine within 8 hours of bed, exercise, etc. etc.).

I agree no sleep is worse than Ambien, though. After my first DC I developed terrible insomnia and my doctor gave me a one week's presription for a sleep aid and told me she didn't want me to take more than that. She recommended a few books on insomnia and told me to google "sleep hygiene" (doesn't have anything to do with cleanliness, check it out). What really clicked for me was reading Weissbluth about my kids' sleep and it dawned on me I had a lifetime of poor sleep habits starting from infancy (when my mother held me while I slept, brought me into her bed whenever I wanted, all the things attachment folks say to do but can sabotage good sleep habits). I followed Weissbluth for my kids (and have amazing sleepers) and tried to do the same for myself--build sleep associations and a sleep routine. The results are amazing.

You need to figure out why you aren't falling asleep. If you have anxiety, go to a shrink. Work on it. If you just have poor sleep habits, change them. If you're drinking too much caffeine for your body or too close to your bedtime, stop it! Have you determined what your issue is?
Anonymous
Post 01/25/2011 17:48     Subject: Re:How bad is it to take Ambien every night to sleep?
OP, bottom line is -- if you are noticing that your life is better from using the ambien (not worse) and if your doctor confirms it is safe, then you should continue to use it.

If I were you, I would only question using it if you begin to notice that the negatives outweigh the positives. Sounds like, for you, the positives outweigh the negatives.
Anonymous
Post 01/25/2011 17:46     Subject: How bad is it to take Ambien every night to sleep?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP, have you ever tried melatonin? It's a more natural solution that is non-addictive.


I use this on my son on nights that he is "keyed up" and it works beautifully. Usually within 1/2 hour of taking the drops, he is asleep.


Please tell me this is a joke.


Huh? Not the PP, but melatonin is pretty safe, isn't it? It's just a natural compound made by the body. Never read much about whether it's ok for kids, but I would guess it is.
Anonymous
Post 01/25/2011 17:26     Subject: How bad is it to take Ambien every night to sleep?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP, have you ever tried melatonin? It's a more natural solution that is non-addictive.


I use this on my son on nights that he is "keyed up" and it works beautifully. Usually within 1/2 hour of taking the drops, he is asleep.


Please tell me this is a joke.
Anonymous
Post 01/25/2011 16:49     Subject: How bad is it to take Ambien every night to sleep?
Anonymous wrote:What part of this don't you get: OP asks if Ambien is addictive. Posters say yes. Now you start fussing that we called OP an addict. Actually, that NEVER HAPPENED. Too bad there is no pill for idiocy.


There's a pill out there for every idiot who wants one. As long as big pharma has demand, it will keep developing more. Did you hear?...they're want to try to tap into the autism industry to produce a shot that prevents autism....LMAO!!! And there will be people stupid enough to bite.
Anonymous
Post 01/25/2011 16:45     Subject: How bad is it to take Ambien every night to sleep?
What part of this don't you get: OP asks if Ambien is addictive. Posters say yes. Now you start fussing that we called OP an addict. Actually, that NEVER HAPPENED. Too bad there is no pill for idiocy.
Anonymous
Post 01/25/2011 15:41     Subject: Re:How bad is it to take Ambien every night to sleep?
Jenny McCarthy was the actress who went on Oprah saying that vaccines caused autism - and in part helped give credence to that anti-vaccine movement. She relied on lots of google pages too.

Now of course there are some bad doctors out there, but assuming you have basic confidence in your doctor, and he/she is prescribing the ambien based on regular visits, then I'd assume it to be ok too. Do I trust doctors blindly? No. I research a bit on the medications from trusted sources (published medical journals), but tend to defer to the doctor when unsure.
Anonymous
Post 01/25/2011 15:40     Subject: How bad is it to take Ambien every night to sleep?
Anonymous wrote:I was the poster who told OP if she had to ask... You people giving advice saying it's not addictive are IRRESPONSIBLE. There are entire websites dedicated to Ambien addiction. Just because you took it for 3 years, doesn't make it okay!

If you don't believe me (an RN), just google "Ambien Addiction"... There are 766,000 pages to prove you wrong.


There are entire websites devoted to Computer Duster addiction. Does that mean that anyone who uses computer duster is addicted to it? There are people who are addicted to Robitussin. Does that mean if I want to give it to my kid for a cough he's an addict? What does it prove that there are pages devoted to Ambien addiction? That doesn't mean that OP is an addict. People take morphine for years...
Anonymous
Post 01/25/2011 15:11     Subject: How bad is it to take Ambien every night to sleep?
Another RN chiming in... It takes 4 years to become a nurse, troll. Go back to watching porn and buying Rogaine online, and get off our site.
Anonymous
Post 01/25/2011 15:11     Subject: How bad is it to take Ambien every night to sleep?
Have any of the alarmist posters ever had real insomnia issues? Percocet and morphine can be terrible if abused, but they come in real handy if you've just had major surgery.

Not everyone gets addicted. I'm sure the doc that's prescribing them has a grasp of the situation. Hopefully, he picked up a thing or two in medical school.
Anonymous
Post 01/25/2011 15:09     Subject: How bad is it to take Ambien every night to sleep?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I was the poster who told OP if she had to ask... You people giving advice saying it's not addictive are IRRESPONSIBLE. There are entire websites dedicated to Ambien addiction. Just because you took it for 3 years, doesn't make it okay!

If you don't believe me (an RN), just google "Ambien Addiction"... There are 766,000 pages to prove you wrong.


I make it a personal policy not to trust anonymous internet bitches, especially if they claim to be RNs. RNs have less education than car mechanics, for god's sake. What's it take, 2 years to be an RN? HA!

OP, trust your doctor!


RN's obviously have more education that you, IDIOT... 2 years? Go back under your bridge, TROLL. It's so obvious you are one of the loser bored men Jeff told us would be trolling the site.
Anonymous
Post 01/25/2011 15:03     Subject: How bad is it to take Ambien every night to sleep?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I was the poster who told OP if she had to ask... You people giving advice saying it's not addictive are IRRESPONSIBLE. There are entire websites dedicated to Ambien addiction. Just because you took it for 3 years, doesn't make it okay!

If you don't believe me (an RN), just google "Ambien Addiction"... There are 766,000 pages to prove you wrong.


I make it a personal policy not to trust anonymous internet bitches, especially if they claim to be RNs. RNs have less education than car mechanics, for god's sake. What's it take, 2 years to be an RN? HA!

OP, trust your doctor!


Ignore the big pharma schill.