# Any Ambien users here? Share your experiences **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 17, 2009, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ambien-users-here-share-your-experiences/514102 "2009-10-17T00:13:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2009, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ambien-users-here-share-your-experiences/514102/1 "2009-10-17T00:13:34Z")
My anti-depressants are keeping me up at night, so I now have Ambien to put me to sleep. my experience with this is: Get ready, take it, lay down. It hits me that quickly and I’m out for at least 4 hours. If only they could give one that lasted 8. oh well, is better than it was. What is your experiences with it ? ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2009, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ambien-users-here-share-your-experiences/514102/2 "2009-10-17T00:21:02Z")
Didn’t work all that great for me. My husband, on the other hand, loves it. Every now and then, if he stays up too late under the influence, he hallucinates a bit. This causes him to think that still photography is animated, or leads him to Google long strings of nonsense. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2009, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ambien-users-here-share-your-experiences/514102/3 "2009-10-17T00:21:14Z")
Sleep of the damned. Better than no sleep, but barely. But yeah, knocks you on your ass. ---
**Author:** ![OleOneEye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f14d63/32.png) [@OleOneEye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OleOneEye)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2009, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ambien-users-here-share-your-experiences/514102/4 "2009-10-17T00:23:04Z")
> [@Khadaji](#): > > My anti-depressants are keeping me up at night, so I now have Ambien to put me to sleep. my experience with this is: Get ready, take it, lay down. It hits me that quickly and I’m out for at least 4 hours. If only they could give one that lasted 8. oh well, is better than it was. > > What is your experiences with it ? Couldn’t stay asleep with Ambien CR either - had better luck with Lunesta. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2009, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ambien-users-here-share-your-experiences/514102/5 "2009-10-17T00:23:09Z")
I took it for a couple weeks back in 2007. For me it was take it, lay down, out like a light. I would sleep for _exactly_ 7.5 hours then wake up. Should I mention it was the only medication I was taking at the time? Taking others at the same time might well modify the effects. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2009, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ambien-users-here-share-your-experiences/514102/6 "2009-10-17T00:34:12Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > I took it for a couple weeks back in 2007. For me it was take it, lay down, out like a light. I would sleep for _exactly_ 7.5 hours then wake up. > > Should I mention it was the only medication I was taking at the time? Taking others at the same time might well modify the effects. Do you wake up all groggy and fucked up? ---
**Author:** ![capybara](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/capybara/32/202_2.png) [@capybara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capybara)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2009, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ambien-users-here-share-your-experiences/514102/7 "2009-10-17T00:41:14Z")
It works well for me, and the CR even better. Groggy, yeah, briefly, but in a functional way, and happier than if I’d been awake all night. It works a bit more solidly narcotically for me than Lunesta, so it’s good for particularly nasty nights. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2009, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ambien-users-here-share-your-experiences/514102/8 "2009-10-17T00:52:44Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#): > > Do you wake up all groggy and fucked up? No, not at all. It was _BAM_ I’m awake and ready to go. Not supercharged or anything, but I woke up just as abruptly as I fell asleep. I was cautious the first few days I was on it, but really, it didn’t seem to affect my wakefulness the next day at all. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2009, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ambien-users-here-share-your-experiences/514102/9 "2009-10-17T00:53:09Z")
For me it works just like a sleeping pill should. I take it, it knocks me out in a reasonable time (like 20-30 minutes) and I sleep all night. In fact, I only take a half. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2009, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ambien-users-here-share-your-experiences/514102/10 "2009-10-17T01:19:34Z")
I’ve taken Ambien CR a few times, and as with most drugs, it works harder on me than on most people. Knocks me out for a good 10+ hours. Well, the alarm will wake me up, but a couple of times I was still so dizzy and groggy even after 9 hours that I was literally crashing into things and had to call in sick to work. ---
**Author:** ![Surly\_Chick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Surly\_Chick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surly_Chick)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2009, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ambien-users-here-share-your-experiences/514102/11 "2009-10-17T01:19:37Z")
I sleep walk when I take it so I stopped. I’ve never been prone to sleepwalking so I was extremely concerned when I woke up the next morning and every light was on in the house and the tv on downstairs. It also left me groggy the next day but that might have been from all the wandering around I was doing… ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2009, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ambien-users-here-share-your-experiences/514102/12 "2009-10-17T01:39:34Z")
> [@Eva\_Luna](#): > > I’ve taken Ambien CR a few times, and as with most drugs, it works harder on me than on most people. Knocks me out for a good 10+ hours. Well, the alarm will wake me up, but a couple of times I was still so dizzy and groggy even after 9 hours that I was literally crashing into things and had to call in sick to work. Yikes. I’m like that with most drugs, too. I’d prolly have to cut the dose in half. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2009, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ambien-users-here-share-your-experiences/514102/13 "2009-10-17T03:21:04Z")
I only take it once in a while, but when I do I sleep between 7 and 8 hours. I was a little groggy the first couple of times, but no more. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2009, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ambien-users-here-share-your-experiences/514102/14 "2009-10-17T03:32:34Z")
I take 1/2 an Ambien and melatonin every night. It usually takes about 45 minutes before I start feeling sleepy. And on those rare occasions when I accidentally take a whole ambien in the morning instead of my thyroid med, I can function throughout the day with little more than a bit of yawning. StG ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2009, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ambien-users-here-share-your-experiences/514102/15 "2009-10-17T03:55:17Z")
It works pretty good for me, although I don’t sleep a full 8 hours. I have pretty bad insomnia and don’t sleep for a full 8 hours in general. My doctor tells me that it is fairly addictive, so I try to take it only when absolutely necessary. He also says that reports of sleepwalking and sleep eating are exaggerated, and are typically occur in people who are prone to sleepwalking anyhow. ---
**Author:** ![Amara\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7993a0/32.png) [@Amara\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amara_1)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2009, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ambien-users-here-share-your-experiences/514102/16 "2009-10-17T04:01:22Z")
I’ve been prescribed it twice or three times. It makes me sleepy but I’ve never experienced the total blackout that others have. On some occasions (maybe two or three times per 30 day period), even the Ambien can’t help me sleep. While on Ambien, I still wake up if there is any sudden noise (baby crying etc). However, I do feel a little drugged (physically off balance and feel like I’m in a dream) if I try to get out bed then. But I can do it if I need to and I remember everything the next day. I wake up slightly groggy with it and that lasts for an hour or so. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2009, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ambien-users-here-share-your-experiences/514102/17 "2009-10-17T04:49:40Z")
On another board — under the influence of Ambien but before it took me completely out — I made a post that is as famous on that board as Hal Briston’s “sheep” post is over here. ---
**Author:** ![Abby\_Emma\_Sasha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e68b1a/32.png) [@Abby\_Emma\_Sasha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abby_Emma_Sasha)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2009, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ambien-users-here-share-your-experiences/514102/18 "2009-10-17T05:31:22Z")
Last year when I had trouble sleeping I took Ambien. It put me out pretty fast and I slept through the night. I didn’t wake up groggy like I did with OTC pills. I give it 9 out of 10 sheep. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2009, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ambien-users-here-share-your-experiences/514102/19 "2009-10-17T05:44:20Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#): > > Do you wake up all groggy and fucked up? I mostly don’t. But as I mentioned earlier, I don’t stay down all night. (as you can tell). Just like **Abby\_Emma\_Sasha** , I tried the OTC stuff. I woke up groggy the next morning - and this lasted most of the morning. Ambien is not like that. I just wish I could sleep _longer_. I have a long drive in the morning. I do want to be up early to start it, but not \*this early. \*Note about taking it though - I do not recall starting this thread… ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Cymbeline](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_cymbeline/32/9244_2.png) [@Green\_Cymbeline](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Cymbeline)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2009, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ambien-users-here-share-your-experiences/514102/20 "2009-10-17T05:50:22Z")
> [@StGermain](#): > > And on those rare occasions when I accidentally take a whole ambien in the morning instead of my thyroid med, I can function throughout the day with little more than a bit of yawning. I also sometimes get my thyroxine and my zolpidem (ambien) confused, they look almost identical!! I have never taken the zolpidem in the morning, but I think I have accidentally taken the thyroid pill at night thinking it was ambien, and wondering why I wasn’t getting sleepy. If I did take in the morning, there is no way I would be able to function - I would have to cancel all plans for the day. I am very careful not to let that happen. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-ambien-users-here-share-your-experiences/514102.md?page=2)