I had to go to the doc for a BP check today and was talking to him about my infrequent sleep problems. He prescribed a sleeping pill to be taken only a couple times a week. Here are some of the more bizarre side effects, one of which hubby would love!!

"Rarely, after taking this drug, people have gotten out of bed and driven vehicles while not fully away (sleep driving). People have also sleepwalked, prepared/eaten food, made phone calls, or had sex while not fully awake.."

Oh yeah there are a million stories about this happening on Ambien. Patrick Kennedy blamed it for his midnight ride around DC a few years back and there is an online support group for people who have gained much weight from the nighttime eating thing.

My dad had beaucoup problems with ambien.

I didn't let him have them because he was delusional when he took them. One night he must have found one in his pajama pocket because I woke up to a lot of noise downstairs. Mother was screaming because Dad was sitting in his bed and rowing a boat. He thought she was a little girl and when I came downstairs to see what was happening he said, "Oh, no. The mother is here."

Later when he went to the hospital, I told them that he would beg for sleeping pills, but don't give him any because he becomes delusional.

The message didn't get through because his cardiologist gave him a sleeping build and the next morning the doc thought he had a stroke.

Insomnia can cause similar "side effects".

I'm not taking Ambien. I will be trying this medication Friday night. 1/2 the prescribed dose. If all goes well, I'll use the 1/2 dosage when I do take it on an infrequent basis. If it doesn't work or if I have any bad side effects, I will explore other options. My doctor knows me well enough to know that I am very careful with new drugs.

As I type this, I have been awake since 1:30am. Went to bed at 9:30pm. I can't keep doing this. I have a job, I have to move and I need my sleep!

Thanks Chaos, me too.

Ooooh, sleep posting! sleep tweeting! I could get by with a lot of things....

roseanne, I tend to be sensitive to meds, maybe because I take so little ~ but my friend Jonnae introduced me to ZZZZZquil when I was having trouble sleeping this past summer ~ it's by the maker of Nyquil/Dayquil, and is sold OTC ~ it is non-habit-forming ~ the full dose is 2 liquid gel caps, but 1 works great for me ~ 2 best things about it: you can take it during the night if you can't get to sleep [the only caveat is to allow at least 4 hours for sleep after taking it] and you don't wake up the next morning feeling drugged ~

Sooz

Thanks sooz, but I can't take any OTC sleep meds because of my blood pressure.

I just taught the insomnia chapter in Psych Class. I personally just take Advil PM on the rare occasion I have difficulty sleeping.

Here's some suggestions from the online world.

http://www.helpguide.org/life/insomnia_treatment.htm

Did you have sleep problems before you knew you were moving? If not, you know the source of the problem. Not that that helps much.

I have problems on occassion, but never talked to the doc about it, because I could deal with it. This is every night lately and yes, since we learned we had to move. Not only that, but I've had this sense of impending doom.

Today yet another owner in our rental pool says he wants to sell his units. That will be about a dozen in the last few months. The rental pool pays half our salary, so it will be up to the board whether they want to pay the difference, drop our salary, or boot us. We'll see. We've already told the property manager that we will forego a raise this year, not that it will make that much of a difference. It does show good will on our part and we love it here. So, there is the other shoe dropping that I've sensed for a couple of weeks now.

Because I'm stressed, I came home this afternoon and packed some more stuff. Work always makes me feel better no matter how tired I am. At least I'm controlling what I can.

I got 7 boxes packed! Yea! Slept much better last night. Nothing like a 20 hour day and some physical labor to lull you to sleep. Who needs drugs?

Yea, there's some truth to that.

When I lived in the dorms in college I had a horrible time sleeping because it was noisy 24 hours a day. I took to running up and down the stairwells in the building (lived on the 8th floor) when I was coming and going to make me more tired. I think it worked.

This medication is awesome! I take 1/2 dose. Fall asleep fast and, while I still awaken to go to the bathroom once, I go right back to sleep. I feel so rested and no after effects. Wish I could take it every night.

I thought this is gonna be a thread about JoeBanker.

lmao, I call him "JoeBlow" to myself. Double (or triple?) entendre intended.