Q. Last month I rear-ended another car because I was drowsy. There wasn’t much damage, but it scared the heck out of me.
After the accident, I asked my doctor for help with my sleeping problem and he prescribed Ambien. It works, but I’m worried that I am relying on it too much. I’ve been taking either Ambien or Tylenol PM every night.
I’d much prefer a more natural way to get the sleep I need. Are there any herbs I could try instead of Ambien?
A. Like many Americans you could be chronically sleep deprived. Millions are not getting the recommended eight hours nightly, either because of work pressures or activities such as late night television.
Someone who has a hard time getting up when the alarm goes off may suffer from a weakened immune system, forgetfulness, impaired attention or slow reflexes. Infections or accidents could result.
Sleeping pills may not solve the problem. Some people may experience slower reflexes the next day and not even realize their driving is impaired. There are also reports of people sleep driving under the influence of zolpidem (Ambien).
There are herbs, such as hops, St. John’s wort and valerian, which have traditionally been used to treat sleeplessness. You may also benefit from other non-drug approaches, such as relaxation tapes or a high-carbohydrate bedtime snack such as milk and graham crackers.
We are sending you our guide to Getting a Good Night’s Sleep which will help you determine if you are sleep deprived and overcome your insomnia. Anyone who would like a copy, please click here.
There is a brand new formulation of zolpidem designed to be taken upon awakening in the middle of the night. It is only appropriate if a person can get at least 4 more hours of sleep. The drug is in a lower dose than that found in Ambien. Intermezzo is 1.75 mg or 3.5 mg (for men) and is dissolved under the tongue. It is the only FDA approved sleeping pill for people who wake up in the middle of the night and cannot get back to sleep.
Zolpidem (Ambien, Edluar, Intermezzo, Zolpimist) Side Effects
- Headache
- Dizziness, lightheadedness
- Morning hangover, lethargy, fatigue
- Sinusitis
- Sore throat
- Dry mouth
- Depression
- Constipation
- Rash
- Hallucinations
- Amnesia
- Aggressive behavior
- Sleep walking, sleep eating, sleep sex, sleep driving
