What's Insomnia?
Identifying insomnia is a little like the old joke about art: you know it when you're having it. For people with insomnia, though, it's no laughing matter. Having reduced or interrupted sleep is as bad for your physical and mental health as getting the wrong, or not enough, food.
People suffering insomnia may experience difficulties falling asleep, waking too early, or sleeping in small bursts throughout the night. Worse yet, someone with sleep difficulties wakes up and doesn't feel rested, may have trouble focusing, and worry about their sleep problem to the point where they can't sleep for worrying.
What Can I Do?
Like any other health problem, a combination of medication and new behavior can make a big difference. Behavior changes sleep specialists recommend including exercising regularly early in the day, reducing caffeine consumption, and making sure there's no TV in the bedroom.
A medication can help reinforce these changes by allowing you to get unbroken, healthy sleep. One medication many physicians recommend is Ambien.
I Don't Want To Take Sleeping Pills!
Over the years, "sleeping pills" have gotten some pretty bad publicity. Many 50's movie thrillers involved villains sneaking sleeping pills into the unsuspecting hero's drink. Famous people (like the poet Sylvia Plath) attempted suicide with sleeping pills. It's no wonder that you might feel reluctant to take a pill to help you sleep!
But modern drugs that help with sleep are much safer and gentler than the drugs of the past. Ambien works with a chemical in your brain called GABA. GABA helps calm the activity of certain brain cells, allowing you to sleep. Because the drug has a gentle effect on GABA, you won't wake up in the morning feeling like a zombie - you'll be refreshed and ready for a new day.
The Doctor's Office
You don't need to visit a sleep specialist to get a prescription for Ambien, though you will need to speak with a physician. Talk with your doctor about your current sleep pattern (keeping a sleep diary before your appointment can be useful) as well as the medications you are currently taking.
If Ambien seems like a good match for you, your doctor will probably prescribe it for 7 to 10 days. In rare cases, she may extend the time you use it.
A week of Ambien can help break the cycle of sleeplessness, letting you recover your natural, healthy sleep pattern. Very, very few people (1-2% of people taking Ambien) experience very mild side effects (diarrhea, drowsiness, or dizziness). You should work with your doctor to prescribe you the lowest effective dose for you, since you don't need the nighttime drowsiness to linger when you've got a big meeting with your boss the next day!
Why Can't I Just Stay On Ambien Since It's The Best Sleep I've Gotten In Years?
One of the few problems with Ambien is that it can become habit-forming (addictive) if used for several weeks. In fact, if your doctor prescribes it for two weeks or more, do not go "cold turkey" and stop the medication all at once; instead talk with her about creating a plan to taper off your dosage gently until you're ready to stop.
Copyright (C) Shoppe.MD 2004-2005
Compare reputable, top-rated pharmacies to buy Ambien online. Join the free Ambien message board and find valuable Ambien information at Shoppe.MD.
![]() |
|
![]() |
|
![]() |
|
![]() |
The market for painkillers is huge. People don't like pain... Read More
Lamictal, or lamotrigine, is an anti-seizure medication that has been... Read More
According to Jennifer Lyons' chart, she's just a bad slip... Read More
Pharmaceutical giant Bristol Myers Squibb has announced that they will... Read More
With more medical advantages, an adjustable bed finds more functions... Read More
1. Seeing a doctor who's not board-certified or a doctor... Read More
Orthotics are devices which fit into the shoe to aid... Read More
One of the most prevalent and difficult health conditions to... Read More
Satins are pharmacuetical drugs that work by restricting the enzyme... Read More
What is the role of steroid injection in carpal tunnel... Read More
We all know that there's no such thing as cheap... Read More
RA is a condition that forces half of patients to... Read More
Do you suffer from ulcers?If yes, what kind is it... Read More
Are you currently on one or more pharmaceutical drugs? Perhaps... Read More
What is nail fungus?Nail fungus, also known as Onychomycosis, is... Read More
Generic DrugsGeneric Online Pharmacies started making a big impact on... Read More
Now, imagine what it would be like if you were... Read More
As many as 8 out of 10 adults will experience... Read More
A generic drug can be defined as an identical, or... Read More
Results of a new study comparing the effectiveness of Pfizer... Read More
In 1997, the Food and Drug Administration relaxed the rules... Read More
Medical Care:Treatment options depend on the stage of ingrown toenails,... Read More
For years, it's been known that regular daily exercise is... Read More
I couldn't resist the title's corny riff on the name... Read More
This is a true story.Yesterday, I picked up a new... Read More
A great place to begin taking charge of you arthritis... Read More
The answer is simple: there is no such thing as... Read More
You probably know the drug isotretinoin by its trade name,... Read More
With the hum of the election campaign and the debate... Read More
In the case of Cerebral Palsy there is no one... Read More
Modern civilization has produced an unusually stressful environment to humans... Read More
Things are moving forward and new and advanced procedures are... Read More
Peptic ulcers, which are in the stomach and the duodenum... Read More
Throughout time there have always been two opposing points of... Read More
Pain and Stress. They seem almost to go hand in... Read More
When Dorothy followed the yellow brick road, she was told... Read More
Xanax is a Prescription Drug which is habit forming. You... Read More
There's a whole group of drugs out there called benzodiazepines.They... Read More
Everything can be found on the Internet. At various sites... Read More
Rezulin, a prescription type 2 diabetes drug has been withdrawn... Read More
The Seven Steps to Successful Notification is an easy-to-use system... Read More
Are you frustrated with the high prices of prescription drugs?... Read More
Ever given a piece of thought to how actually one... Read More
The FDA issued a warning in July of 2005 on... Read More
Each year hospitals end up killing twice as many people... Read More
We live in an age that demands an instant cure... Read More
Q. Why is there so may uninsured people in America?A.... Read More
If you take a simple stroll down the foot product... Read More
With the hum of the election campaign and the debate... Read More
There are a lot of fabulous stories about Cetyl Myristoleate... Read More
If you are like many Americans, you are without health... Read More
A thick, yellowish nail with splotchy white areas is a... Read More
When compared with the other prescription diet pills, Phentermine is... Read More
Even in clinical trials, Lotronex displayed a tendency towards causing... Read More
Save Up to 93% by Asking for a Generic -... Read More
Equine Cushings disease is caused by a tumor in the... Read More
You probably know the drug isotretinoin by its trade name,... Read More
Peptic ulcers, which are in the stomach and the duodenum... Read More
You are going to find this incredible and I assure... Read More
If you are wondering why the chemist has charged much... Read More
What an oxymoron the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine has... Read More
Generic DrugsGeneric Online Pharmacies started making a big impact on... Read More
Every year about this time doctors around the world are... Read More
Michael Richardson, MD has some suggestions on maximizing your next... Read More
We all know that there's no such thing as cheap... Read More
Hernia repair is one of the most commonly performed surgical... Read More
Medicine |