Has anyone had ambien just -not work-

[Kathie Emmanuelite]

I've been taking Ambien 10 mg.s for about three weeks. While it makes me sleepy and allows me to fall asleep, I still wake up 3-4 hours later. I've taken it with melatonin (5 mg) and I STILL wake up 3-4 hours later. I had the same result with the CR version. If you've had it fail, what HAS worked? BTW I have textbook perfect "sleep hygiene" so there is nothing else to do there.

[kantanshi]

Ambien does simply not work for some people. I didn't like it. My mom hated the original. Liked the CR version better. Doesn't take her through the night though.

She's recently using a sleep recording cd & it's working. Not much works for her so that was different.

Melatonin puts me to sleep but I wake up feeling like I never went to sleep. Some of the other drugs to that too. Some are great stimulents for me, like Valerian root.

I have learned how to sleep more, better with sheer persistence. I also readjusted my schedule so I wake up, do things, then go back to sleep when that happens. This will sound odd but rolling my eyes when trying to fall asleep seems to send the right signals. I roll round the outside, then back & forth & up & down (for a couple seconds). A doctor I know has had some success with patients, CFS in particular, using provigil in tiny doses 10mg taken before bed or when waking up middle of the night.

There's a couple antidepressents when taken in mini doses can put you to sleep. Tricyclide family I think. Can't think of the name of the one that used to work that way for me, atripotphine?. That's not it but something like that. I stopped because of other effects & it did have some hangover for me. I was smashing it & taking a smidge.

[bone]

Mirtazipine, it is a sadative anti depressant and if I do not drink alchohol it works through the night, I was on Zolpidem and one was not enough and two made me pass out, just fall to the ground in seconds it was very dangerous.

I think you should go for a sadative anti depressant.

[ajmill1978]

I usually take the 5mg and I get up 3-4 hours later as well (I have the CR) version.
Have you tried taking Benedryl instead? That puts me out as well. Also, check to see if you have some outside influences waking you up - your body may be responding to something you hear or light; perhaps ear plugs and/or a mask might be in order.

Good luck!

[ev500cburke]

Have you considered heroin?