Zolpidem is a great medication for short-term treatment of insomnia.. which is definitely your situation. It is of a class of atypical hypnotics, and is poorly understood.
I am assuming your pain issues are resolved or much better, thus you are ready to cessate the sleep medication?
If so,.. then yes - It would be prudent to titrate the Ambien down over a course of days. If you are taking instant release this can be done. If CR, it cannot.
I assume you take a usual dosage of 10mg, QPM (Bedtime). If so, and you have been taking it every night. Reduce it by breaking the tablet in half. To take it 5mg, QPM -- Bedtime.
Do this for a night or three.. depending on how your sleep is, and then you can choose to break it once more to 2.5mg, (one quarter) - or just stop completely if you so choose.
You see, ambien can be stopped completely cold turkey without any dangerous side effects. This is how it is usually done, and recommended. I always like to allow the body to adjust if the patient has the diligence to do so.
You may find your issues are unresolved, and you still need a sleep agent of some sort to continue the insomnia free nights. It would be perfectly ok to continue taking the Ambien on a longer term basis, and work on the issues keeping you up at night.
Though, again, if those issues have been reduced or eliminated then you have the right idea and you can be off it, gently, within a few days!
Sweet dreams,
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