Strategies for deep sleep when you have insomnia

I control insomnia with Ambien-CR and Zolpidem

I’ve had insomnia for several years, at first it wasn’t every night, but it kept getting worse. I used to just give up trying to go to sleep and find things to do around the house, pay bills, go online, watch television or read. Most of the time I would eventually get tired enough to go to sleep.

My problem was trying to shut off my mind; I couldn’t stop thinking about my day or what I needed to do the next day. Then when I did fall asleep I would often wake up after just a few short hours and not be able to go back to sleep. In addition to all that I also have nightmares, I have had them since I was a little kid and everyone said I would grow out of it. I never did.

Like everyone else I had an especially hard time sleeping when stress levels were high. Finally, I had enough and went to see a doctor. He prescribed Ambien-CR, to help me stay asleep.

First, I used the lower dose (6.25mg), but I would still wake up, so I switched to the higher dose (12.5mg) that worked great for me. I took Ambien at that dose for over a year, I am definitely dependant on them to get a good night sleep.

Now, due to new insurance changes, I have switched to the generic Zolpidem (10mg) and it seems to be working pretty well. I do wake up most days around four or five a.m., but I can deal with that. For me, I feel that medication was the right decision.