Tell me about your Ambien (and other sleep aids) experiences...

The directions said to take it RIGHT before bed, so I did the first night. I was out like a light and woke up refreshed about 8 or so hours later.

The next night I took it, went to bed and had to pee shortly after. I got up, in the dark, and looked toward my entertainment system (TV, speakers, playstation etc). I saw a mound of elves or trolls that comprised the profile of my entertainment system.

They weren’t threatening or scary, so I just went and peed. On my way back I looked to see if they were still there, and they weren’t, but I could see the shapes I misinterpreted.

Months later I was taking 3 Ambien a night and had to come in for the day shift. I hit a curb and had a hell of a time changing a wheel in the cold. That was a very bad day.

My need for sleep aids are when I am taking a long ( > 6 hours ) flight. I have tried pretty much everything but the only sure thing for me is a swig of NyQuil. This gives me 8-10 hours of deep sleep and I wake up refreshed and alert. It tastes awful but it works great.