About Our Unbiased Ambien Research

Sleep Like The Dead gathered reviews and comments about Ambien from 355 users of the sleep aid.

The sources of this data are over 25 online message boards in which Ambien users share with others their experiences regarding their use of the medication.

Our research finding are organized into four sections: Effectiveness, Side Effects, Addiction and Tolerance.

Remember

Sleeping pills / supplements may be appropriate to take if a person temporarily needs help sleeping during a time of stress or illness.

People who are not stressed or ill and still can't sleep well, either occasionally or regularly, should practice proper sleep hygiene before resorting to sleeping pills.

Stubborn cases of long-term sleeplessness or chronic insomnia is often best treated through the use of cognitive-behavioral therapy or CBT. (Read a CBT success story .)

Sleeping Pill Reviews > Ambien Reviews

Ambien Sleeping Pill Reviews & Ratings → Based on Data From Over 350 Users

Page last updated June 7, 2010           Bookmark and Share    

What You Need To Know

Ambien (Zolpidem) is a prescription pill that is used for the treatment of insomnia. The good news is that Ambien is at least moderately effective for the vast majority of people who take it.

The bad news is that side effects are common, including but not limited to strange behavior and little or no memory of engaging in it. Addiction is also experienced by a significant number of users.

Our research has found that both user experiences with Ambien and Ambien CR are virtually the same. As a result, user data for both pills is grouped together in the findings below.

All collected data was spontaneously volunteered by users and was not the result of any organized, scientific data gathering effort.

Ambien Effectiveness

Does Ambien work? Out of the 355 users included in the data, 311 commented on whether or not the sleeping pill is effective for them. Out of these 311 users, 201 indicated that the Ambien pill is effective; 78 said that it worked OK; and 32 said it was not effective. In other words, 65% of the 311 users said it was effective; 25% said it was OK; and 10% said it was not effective.

Effective 
 65 percent
Works OK 
  25 percent
Not effective 
 10 percent

Effective

Taking Ambien results in a full night's sleep, or at least enough sleep so that the user can function reasonably well the following day.

Works OK

Taking Ambien provides some relief from insomnia, but not enough to allow for an adequate night's rest.

Not effective

The medication provides little or no relief from insomnia.

Ambien Side Effects

Virtually all of the 355 users included in our research commented on whether the sleeping pill causes side effects for them personally or not.

51% indicated that they do, at least in their opinion, experience one or more side effects.

Top Side Effects

The top 19 side effects reported by Ambien users, according to our research, are listed and described below.

80 Users
64 Users
41 Users
41 Users
36 Users
32 Users
22 Users
20 Users
13 Users
12 Users
11 Users
11 Users
10 Users
  8 Users
  8 Users
  7 Users
  7 Users
  5 Users
  5 Users



Sleepwalking

Sleep walking includes activities that are typically associated with wakefulness but occur while the person is asleep or in a sleep-like state. Ambien users report engaging in virtually all kinds of activities while asleep, especially cleaning and cooking. Also common is calling or emailing people while sleepwalking, which at least sometimes results in an embarrassing and / or rambling conversation or message.

Memory loss / amnesia

Memory loss in this context refers to an inability of the Ambien user to remember what has occurred after taking the drug, including what one did and / or said. Other people, such as family members, often inform Ambien users of their actions and / or words while they were under the drug's influence. In addition, diminished memory can also extend and apply to what one does and / or says during daytime or non-sleep hours. For example, Ambien users may be more likely to forget where they placed their keys or the details of a conversation they had with someone during the day.

Sleep eating

Eating binges occur while under the drug's influence, often with no memory of it. Weight gain as a result of this activity is fairly common.

Hallucinations

Hallucination of all kinds are reported, including both seeing and hearing people or things that are not really there.

Hangover

On a day following taking the medication, users report feeling groggy, tired, drowsy or on edge.

Sleep talking

Under Ambien's influence, users talk in their sleep or while sleep walking. The talk can be nonsensical and profanity laced. The talk can also be painfully truthful when directed toward someone, resulting in some users to view the drug as a sort of truth serum.

Anxiety / panic attacks

A racing heart / palpitations, sweating, paranoia, chest pain, shortness of breath, trembling, shaking, tingling, numbness and other anxiety related symptoms occur at least occasionally and often regularly.

Drugged feeling

Grogginess, feeling "out of it", and / or experiencing a high are common as well as diminished mental and physical capability.

Sleep driving

A vehicle is driven by the Ambien user while in a sleep-like state, and later the user has little or no memory of doing so.

Strange dreams

Vivid and bizarre dreams are experienced and are sometimes long remembered.

Nightmares

Disturbing and sometimes violent nightmares or night terrors are experienced, often with great distress to the person.

Sleep sex

Sex takes place under the influence of Gambian, often without inhibition or memory of it the next day.

Sleep injury

Injury occurs from sleep walking while on the sleeping pill, such as from falling down.

Sleep DUI

Being arrested because of being under the influence of Ambien while driving occurred, often with no memory of the event on the part of the user.

Personality changes

The user behaves noticeably different in many important ways than he or she did before taking the drug.

Headaches

Headaches or migraines occur during the day and / or night.

Can't be woken

When under Ambien's influence and asleep, the user cannot be awaken even when someone makes a strong attempt to do so.

Nausea

The user can experience queasiness or unease in the abdomen with an urge to vomit.

Violent

Acts of harm to oneself or others are committed by the user when under the medication's influence, even when the user does not normally behave in such a way.



Ambien Addiction

39% of the users in our research reported having at least some level of addiction to the sleeping pill.

Addiction in this case can mean that no longer taking the pill results in withdrawal, including any or all of the following symptoms: headaches, muscle aches, body pains, irritability, inability to concentrate, depression, grogginess, ringing ears, twitches, sweats, rashes, and anxiety / panic attacks. (This is not necessarily an exhaustive list of symptoms.)

Addiction can also mean dependence in that one sleeps worse for sometime upon ending the use of the pill than he or she did before starting use. Finally, a strong desire to take the pill for the "high" or feeling it provides can also possibly be considered addiction.

Ambien Tolerance

19% of users in our research reported that they developed a tolerance to the sleeping pill.

This means that the pill would lose at least some of its effectiveness and that increasing the dosage would be needed to maintain its ability to help one sleep.

The vast majority of those who reported developing a tolerance were those who took the sleeping pill regularly for at least one month. However, a significant number of long-term users of Ambien reported developing no tolerance to the drug.