What is Insomnia?

Insomnia is a sleep disorder found annually in more than 40 million people in the USA. Individuals suffering from insomnia often find it difficult to fall or stay asleep, wake up frequently during the night and have a problem going back to sleep, wake up too early in the morning, and feel tired upon waking.

Types of Insomnia -

There are majorly two types of Insomnia:

  1. Primary Insomnia: Primary insomnia is the one in which a person has sleep problems that are primarily due to insomnia and not directly associated with any other medical conditions.
  2. Secondary Insomnia: Secondary insomnia is the one in which a person has a sleep disorder due to some other medical conditions such as pain, depression, asthma, arthritis, cancer, or any other health issue, or medications or drugs they are taking.

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Causes of Insomnia -

There can be three types of reasons that can give rise to insomnia:

Medical Causes:

  • Nasal and sinus allergies
  • Gastrointestinal problems
  • Endocrine problems
  • Arthritis or asthma
  • Neurological conditions
  • Chronic pain
  • Sleep apnea
  • Prescription drugs

Psychological Causes:

  • Stress
  • Anxiety
  • Depression

Lifestyle Changes:

  • Sedentary lifestyle
  • Lack of exercise
  • Time zone or shift changes
  • Substance abuse
  • Poor sleeping or eating habits

Treatment of Insomnia -

Lifestyle Changes And Exercise

Employ a proper sleep routine. Change sleep habits and exercise properly for 30 minutes a day. Take a balanced diet and do not overeat before sleeping. Moderate aerobics, brisk walk, swimming, and yoga can help sleep better. Avoid drinking too much caffeine or overheating the bedroom before going to sleep.

Medical Treatment

Doctors may prescribe certain medications for the treatment of insomnia based upon the medical status and other health conditions of a patient. Ambien is a prescription medication helpful in treating insomnia.

The most commonly used medicine for insomnia is Ambien, with more than 10 million prescriptions a year in the USA.

About Ambien -

Overview

  • Ambien is a prescription medication to treat insomnia.
  • It is the brand-name version for generic zolpidem drugs.
  • Ambien belongs to a class of sedative-hypnotics drugs, which acts on the brain to slow down its activities and thus help sleep peacefully.
  • Ambien is the most prescribed sleep medication in the USA.
  • It comes in both immediate-release and extended-release oral tablet formulations.
  • Ambien is a Schedule IV controlled substance under the Controlled Substance Act 1970.

Uses -

Ambien is a non-benzodiazepine sedative and hypnotic useful for the short-term treatment of insomnia or sleep-related conditions. It is an agonist of type A GABA receptor of the imidazopyridine class. It works by boosting GABA (Gamma Amino Butyric Acid) effects in the central nervous system by binding to type A GABA receptors as benzodiazepines.

Ambien's immediate-release tablet has an average half-life of two to three hours. The half-life increases in patients with liver problems.

Ambien makes a person fall asleep as soon as they go to bed and helps in restful night sleep. It decreases sleep latency for up to 35 days. Efficacy of Ambien is up to four to five weeks in controlled clinical studies.

Dosage -

Adult Dosage:

It is advisable to use the lowest effective dosages of Ambien. Initiate the dose with 5 milligrams for women and 5 or 10 milligrams for men, given before going to bed. Take the dose at least seven to eight hours before you need to wake up. Give 10 milligrams dose only if the 5 milligrams dose is not adequate to provide desired results. A 10mg dose increases the risk of high blood levels in the morning and leads to next-day impairment of alertness. Do not exceed a dose of 10mg once every night in any case.

The recommended dose for women is lesser because they have slower clearance of zolpidem.

Special Population:

Debilitating or elderly patients and patients with mild hepatic impairment are especially sensitive to the side effects of Ambien. Doctors recommend a dose of 5mg for these patients given once at bedtime.

Avoid Ambien for patients with severe hepatic impairment as it can cause encephalopathy.

Do not take Ambien with a meal as it slows the effects of the medication.

Side Effects -

Common side effects of Ambien include:

  • Drowsiness
  • Headache
  • Dizziness
  • Lightheadedness
  • Tiredness
  • Feeling drugged
  • Unsteady walking
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Constipation
  • Diarrhea

Severe adverse effects of Ambien include:

  • Complex sleep behaviors
  • Abnormal thinking and behavior changes
  • Central Nervous System Depressant Effects
  • Next day impairment of alertness
  • Severe Anaphylactic and Anaphylactoid Reactions
  • Withdrawal symptoms

Precautions -

Follow some special precautions before taking Ambien:

  • Inform your doctor if you have hypersensitivity to any active or inactive ingredients of the medication. Check the list of ingredients before taking Ambien.
  • Tell your doctor about all the concurrent medications, prescription or non-prescription, nutritional supplements, vitamins, and herbal products you are taking.
  • Never take more than one pill in a single night. Do not take Ambien and any other sleeping medication concurrently.
  • If you are taking any herbal products for a sleep disorder or any other medical condition, inform your doctor about that before taking Ambien.
  • Consult your doctor about your history of substance or alcohol abuse or addiction. Also, consult the doctor if you have or ever had depression, mental illness, suicidal thoughts, sleep apnea, breathing problems, and liver or kidney diseases.
  • If you are in the last trimester of your pregnancy or a breastfeeding mother, consult your doctor about it.
  • Elderly patients are generally more vulnerable to the side effects of sleep medications. Doctors may recommend other treatment plans for older adults.
  • Do not forget to tell your dentist that you are taking Ambien before having dental surgery.
  • Ambien causes drowsiness, decreased mental alertness, and lightheadedness. Be extra careful while going out of bed, standing up from a lying or sitting position, driving, operating machinery, or doing any work that needs alertness.
  • Mixing Ambien with alcohol or any other CNS depressant can elevate the risk of side effects.
  • Ambien also causes sleep-walking and other activities while sleeping like making phone calls, cooking, eating, and having sex. Immediately consult a doctor if you are doing any of these sleeping activities.

Where To Buy?

People can buy Ambien online through online pharmacies. You can also buy the medication in drug stores and pharmaceutical shops. However, order Ambien online to get handsome discounts and genuine medication through our pharmacy.