I recognize that there are some medical conditions that make it physically difficult to sleep, but I feel sleep medication is being grossly over-prescribed to people who really just need to cultivate a little mental discipline. I was having trouble sleeping in my teens when a lot of bad things were happening in my home life. I read a magazine article about sleep self-hypnosis and started giving it a try. It didn't work all at once, but with a little effort you really can train your mind to sleep when you want it to. At the start, the most important thing is simply not allowing yourself to get back up. There is no TV, no computer, no books, no light switch, nothing. It's just you and the bed and the dark, and you're going to lie there until it's time to get up. Even if you only sleep half the night at first, at least you've spent the other half resting.

Dispatch from the Sturdy Wings camping trip?

Sybarite: I recognize that there are some medical conditions that make it physically difficult to sleep, but I feel sleep medication is being grossly over-prescribed to people who really just need to cultivate a little mental discipline. I was having trouble sleeping in my teens when a lot of bad things were happening in my home life. I read a magazine article about sleep self-hypnosis and started giving it a try. It didn't work all at once, but with a little effort you really can train your mind to sleep when you want it to. At the start, the most important thing is simply not allowing yourself to get back up. There is no TV, no computer, no books, no light switch, nothing. It's just you and the bed and the dark, and you're going to lie there until it's time to get up. Even if you only sleep half the night at first, at least you've spent the other half resting.

My cat, who I had put down on Wednesday, was getting me up all hours of the night for a few months.  I thought she was going senile (turned out to be more serious hence that terrible decision).  But that aside, I did teach myself many tricks like that to get back to sleep quickly.  Or something resembling sleep.

I imagine doctors, people on emergency call, new parents, etc. develop sleep coping skills like that.  Granted, this doesn't address more serious underlying problems.  But if that's the case, people with underlying issues (medical, mental, whatever) would be better-served addressing those root causes than by regularly taking shiat like Ambien.

I took Ambien for four or five years, until may.

I took one too late one night, after a few glasses of wine, not really thinking. Depression makes you do stupid things to fall/stay asleep. I woke up very confused, and went to take my morning meds... And grabbed the wrong bottle. I accidentally took an Ambien, then attempted to drive to work. I then had an incredibly bad dream about not being able to drive, and getting arrested by the Ambien walrus. Except, it wasn't a dream, and the walrus was a cop.

And that's how I started writing congressmen about changing drug schedules. Because there is no way that drug should be a schedule IV.

Kingly Weevil: I took Ambien for four or five years, until may.

I took one too late one night, after a few glasses of wine, not really thinking. Depression makes you do stupid things to fall/stay asleep. I woke up very confused, and went to take my morning meds... And grabbed the wrong bottle. I accidentally took an Ambien, then attempted to drive to work. I then had an incredibly bad dream about not being able to drive, and getting arrested by the Ambien walrus. Except, it wasn't a dream, and the walrus was a cop.

And that's how I started writing congressmen about changing drug schedules. Because there is no way that drug should be a schedule IV.

I wonder how common that is.  I have a friend who was taking it and did something similar.  "Woke up" in the middle of the night in Ambien zombie mode, believed he didn't take his pill, then went to take another.  Good thing his wife was paying attention.  He won't touch the stuff now.

Diogenes: Kingly Weevil: I took Ambien for four or five years, until may.

I took one too late one night, after a few glasses of wine, not really thinking. Depression makes you do stupid things to fall/stay asleep. I woke up very confused, and went to take my morning meds... And grabbed the wrong bottle. I accidentally took an Ambien, then attempted to drive to work. I then had an incredibly bad dream about not being able to drive, and getting arrested by the Ambien walrus. Except, it wasn't a dream, and the walrus was a cop.

And that's how I started writing congressmen about changing drug schedules. Because there is no way that drug should be a schedule IV.

I wonder how common that is.  I have a friend who was taking it and did something similar.  "Woke up" in the middle of the night in Ambien zombie mode, believed he didn't take his pill, then went to take another.  Good thing his wife was paying attention.  He won't touch the stuff now.

Extremely. In don't live in a huge city... 80,000 people, approximately. My lawyer told me he was handling six cases almost identical to mine. Last year. And dozens, over the last few.

One of the takeaways from this thread is that mixing alcohol and Ambien is the best way to summon the Ambien Walrus.

Don't you need a prescription for that? Maybe that should give people a head's up. The nanny state has it's hands full with this nation of children.

NeoBad: As a doctor I've enjoyed this thread so much. I knew there were LOTS of idiots in this world, but farkers take the cake on being willing to admit it

Intentionally, that is. Any YouTube or Yahoo comments thread will have plenty of unintentional admissions of idiocy.

BronyMedic: Ambien scares me.

One of our flight RTs takes it to sleep. He tells stories of waking up with jars of jalapinos and pickles in bed, and horrific fire-hole later in the day.

My cousin drove from Cincinnati to Knoxville after taking his ambien and going to bed one night. He woke up in a Kroger parking lot.. out of gas.

I just "cleaned" my house ... By clean I mean I put my clean laundry in the fridge.. the dirty laundry in the dishwasher, and the stuff that was in the fridge in my dresser. Then I apparently tried to cut my hair off because I had a meeting with Obama in the morning.

No more ambien for me...

Shadow Blasko: I just "cleaned" my house ... By clean I mean I put my clean laundry in the fridge.. the dirty laundry in the dishwasher, and the stuff that was in the fridge in my dresser. Then I apparently tried to cut my hair off because I had a meeting with Obama in the morning.

Hahaha! I've wanted to try it just to see what nutty things happen.... alas, I live alone. I'd be scared to wake up and find my dogs shaved with a straight razor or something. When I decide it's time for another BF, it's GAME ON!

pseudoscience: Who needs Ambien? I just watch TV for five minutes and I'm out cold.

Oh, well then. Since that works for you I'm certain it'll work for everyone, amiright?

LazarusLong42: Sybarite: I recognize that there are some medical conditions that make it physically difficult to sleep, but I feel sleep medication is being grossly over-prescribed to people who really just need to cultivate a little mental discipline.

Let me guess, you also think people with mental health disorders just need to shake off their depression and think happier thoughts.

At the start, the most important thing is simply not allowing yourself to get back up. There is no TV, no computer, no books, no light switch, nothing. It's just you and the bed and the dark, and you're going to lie there until it's time to get up. Even if you only sleep half the night at first, at least you've spent the other half resting.

This is actually a horrible idea; if you're not falling asleep within half an hour, something is going wrong--not necessarily chemically, but your brain isn't ready for sleep. You're better off getting out of bed, doing a few stretches or relaxation exercises, having a glass of warm milk, and reading in low light for 20 minutes.

Kingly Weevil: And that's how I started writing congressmen about changing drug schedules. Because there is no way that drug should be a schedule IV.

Except that the difference between Sch III and Sch IV has more to do with addictiveness than anything else, and zolpidem isn't addictive.

Experts say it isn't if taken as prescribed, but a fairly large number of addicts seems to indicate otherwise. You know, those same experts that said Oxycodone isn't addictive if taken "as prescribed"

They should put out a memo in regards to SSRIs, warning people that it may cause you to shoot up a school.

hitlersbrain: Kingly Weevil: I took Ambien for four or five years, until may.

I took one too late one night, after a few glasses of wine, not really thinking. Depression makes you do stupid things to fall/stay asleep. I woke up very confused, and went to take my morning meds... And grabbed the wrong bottle. I accidentally took an Ambien, then attempted to drive to work. I then had an incredibly bad dream about not being able to drive, and getting arrested by the Ambien walrus. Except, it wasn't a dream, and the walrus was a cop.

And that's how I started writing congressmen about changing drug schedules. Because there is no way that drug should be a schedule IV.

I think you should be on the 'placebo only' schedule if you can't take drugs as prescribed.

Yep. I made a mistake, so I shouldn't ever take prescription drugs again.

Giltric: They should put out a memo in regards to SSRIs, warning people that it may cause you to shoot up a school.

1/10 given for effort.

I remember working the pickup at my store once. Older later, in her 80's was trying to get her insurance to cover Ambian because nothing else was working. At all. Here is this little old lady just trying to sleep and without meds, her body is only letting her sleep for one hour a night. God I felt bad for her.

CapeFearCadaver: Shadow Blasko: I just "cleaned" my house ... By clean I mean I put my clean laundry in the fridge.. the dirty laundry in the dishwasher, and the stuff that was in the fridge in my dresser. Then I apparently tried to cut my hair off because I had a meeting with Obama in the morning.

Hahaha! I've wanted to try it just to see what nutty things happen.... alas, I live alone. I'd be scared to wake up and find my dogs shaved with a straight razor or something. When I decide it's time for another BF, it's GAME ON!

I don't understand why people wanna meet the walrus
You don't remember anything you do.

I didn't realize anything was amiss until I found bacon in my sock drawer the next morning. I was finding crap in odd places for weeks when I was on it. One day I found a gallon of milk strapped into the back seat of the car. It had been there a day or two. It wasn't my brand, and I have no clue where I obtained it.

That isn't amusing. It scared the hell out of me
What else did I do? I'll never know.

Shadow Blasko: CapeFearCadaver: Shadow Blasko:  One day I found a gallon of milk strapped into the back seat of the car. It had been there a day or two. It wasn't my brand, and I have no clue where I obtained it.

I wonder whose fridge you left your toddler in ...

Kingly Weevil: Giltric: They should put out a memo in regards to SSRIs, warning people that it may cause you to shoot up a school.

1/10 given for effort.

Where there is smoke, there is fire......

The problem isn't that it causes you to fall asleep, it's that you act like you're still awake, but in a strange new world.

Happened to me once, first time I took Ambien.   I took too much, thinking it was like old-school sleep meds, which never worked at their prescribed level.  It was a weird night, but my roommate was their to keep an eye on me.

Since then I've had on and off a few times, and take half the prescribed amount.  That usually does it, but if not, I take the other half.

Haven't had a bad experience, or even been drowsy the next day since then.

I take ambien. It was a life changer for me. I had fought insomnia since high school. I'm 48 now. I started taking ambien a few years ago. Instead of walking around like a zombie with a few hours sleep or no sleep I just have a cup of coffee and get on with the day. I lost a great deal of weight as I am not staggering around exhausted all the time.

As for the argument all you need is exercise proper sleep technique that is a load of crap for some of us. At one point I was swimming in the morning and biking after work and that had no affect. Same thing with diet. I went through a sleep study years ago and something with brain activity they said I had to reduce my stress levels......um yeah....I'll just hide in my house all day.

One doctor gave me anti-anxiety meds but they didn't do anything. I got lorazepam once and that sort of worked. Tried pot and that almost had the opposite affect i.e. made me more wired. There is always alcohol to get you to sleep but it is not a good sleep.

The only injury I've had due to ambien is the cover of my nook scratching my chest after I drop it as I fall asleep. SO you can take my ambien when you pry it out of my deep sleeping hands.

Ambien sex is awesome.

Shadow Blasko: You don't remember anything you do.

Which is why I'd wait until someone was around to tell me stories of my escapades, and to keep me from leaving the house. I'm old now. I can't do Peyote/LSD anymore. I live a boring, depressing life. And because I think your story is farking hilarious.

And don't mix it with alcohol or pot..........It is a drug that is meant to stand alone.

Omnivorous: Ambien was involved the only time I've ever blacked out in my entire life.

There are two problems with Ambien in particular:
1. it takes far beyond 12 hours to clear from your system
2. the amnesia effects are profound. My wife once missed her customary freeway exit by 15 miles -- 18 hours after taking the drug the night before.

Maybe your wife is a moran.

my ex-wife was in love with the ambien walrus. and vodka. i had to keep an eye on her at night. she always would try to piss in random places around the house like the trash cans, clothes dryer etc. the night i caught her with her coochie stuck in our dryer was pretty funny. i even asked her what she thought she was doing. she just stared at me with those glassy eyes and said, "i'm pissing, what do you think?" just as the dryer door gave way and she slammed to the floor. on a lighter note, i got laid almost every night to the zombie wife, she couldn't say no.

munko: my ex-wife was in love with the ambien walrus. and vodka. i had to keep an eye on her at night. she always would try to piss in random places around the house like the trash cans, clothes dryer etc. the night i caught her with her coochie stuck in our dryer was pretty funny. i even asked her what she thought she was doing. she just stared at me with those glassy eyes and said, "i'm pissing, what do you think?" just as the dryer door gave way and she slammed to the floor. on a lighter note, i got laid almost every night to the zombie wife, she couldn't say no.

I have a coworker in love with Vodka. I don't think it was the Ambian that got you laid.