Ambien and Sleepwalking: What Users Say

• Liz...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 20, 2013

For Insomnia "After a car accident where I suffered a head injury, I had horrible insomnia worsened by pre-existing fibromyalgia. Nothing over the counter was working at all to help me sleep. My doctor put me on this. When it works, it's awesome. I cannot have any food on my stomach if I want this to work, though. I don't take it until I've washed my face, brushed my teeth, and am actually in bed for the night. That's the trick! I hate that the FDA cut the dosage by half for women - the lower dose doesn't work for me because I'm big and tall. Weight makes a difference in this medication's case. Not everyone sleep-drives or sleepwalks on this."

• Lia...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 18, 2018

For Insomnia "Been taking these for a few weeks, and so far, they are effective for making me fall asleep. I have never had any weird side effects like sleepwalking, shopping, driving, etc. I think if you take the recommended dose and steer clear of alcohol when taking them, you should be fine. It seems when people don't heed that advice is when they run into problems. And like other people say, you should starve for at least 4 hours before taking this medication, as food (especially fatty foods) competes with Ambien."

• J-1...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 13, 2023

For Insomnia "Having terrible insomnia, I was given a script for Ambien. I took it two different nights-never again. The first night, while asleep, I tried climbing up our window frames. I took it one other time when my mother was dying. Again sleepwalking, I’m concerned that I might have even driven my car without being aware of this. As it was, I determined I had been sleepwalking due to waking in the morning with three broken front teeth as well as a bloody shin. It also leaves a drugged feeling. I had been prescribed the lowest dose. Having fallen and breaking teeth and not even waking up is extremely concerning to me. I wonder how much information the Ambien’s manufacturer actually has heard in regard to the negative effects of this medication. I’ve been in nursing (and knew better though desperate) and feel this is an extremely dangerous drug on the market."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 17, 2013

For Insomnia "I have taken this in addition to Benadryl for the last five years and noticed that it seems to work within 20 or 30 minutes, as opposed to Benadryl, which takes about an hour. The problem is, if you take it too early before going to bed, you may miss the window period and lie awake in bed, restless. I've never had any of the adverse side effects, like weird dreams or sleepwalking, but it also seems to wake me up eight hours after taking it, regardless of the time. It's probably the best as-needed medicine for insomnia, but would not recommend it on an everyday basis."

• Don...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 9, 2016

For Insomnia "I have severe insomnia. My therapist prescribed me 10 mg Ambien as a short-term solution. I was so amazed and excited to SLEEP! Within 20 minutes, I just fell asleep, and it was so wonderful. She had warned me of sleepwalking. But I told her 'that was impossible because I had never done that in my 65 years of life!' In my 5th week of taking Ambien, I woke up with the taste of blood in my mouth, a loose tooth, a skinned knee, and a bruised shoulder. Yes, I had walked in my sleep, sat in a chair, and fell out of it face-first. Luckily, one of my granddaughters was spending the night and witnessed the incident. So, if you are naive like me and think it cannot happen to you, please think about it. Good luck."

• Anonymous
• December 3, 2009

For Insomnia "I was prescribed Ambien for insomnia because I am going through a particularly stressful time in my life. It does put me to sleep quickly, but I've had several bouts of sleepwalking. The last one was two nights ago, and this one might actually cause me to stop taking it. My roommate said I got up and started to cut up some chicken, then mixed it with some dry dog food. This wouldn't be bad if I then fed it to my dog, but instead, I started feeding it to myself! Thankfully, after I took one bite, she said I spit it out, so I guess I wasn't completely out of it. I discovered other things like food taken out of the fridge and sugar spilled on the counter. Other than these things, the drug works great!"

• Anonymous
• January 21, 2012

For Insomnia "I cannot take Ambien anymore. Last night, I apparently tried to feed the pet python, left the cage open, burned myself on the bed warmer, argued with my girlfriend as she was trying to get me to go back to bed, and then argued with her again this morning when she told me what I had done. I have no recollection of any of this. I don't even feel very rested this morning, and it's no wonder-I was up all night sleepwalking and doing who knows what. The lights were on, but no one was home."

• Dor...
• May 4, 2019

For Insomnia "I tried Ambien for sleep when it first came out. Initially, it seemed great. Then I fell down the stairs and broke many ribs. I was lucky. I discovered I was sleepwalking, but the drug was too new and people hadn’t started to report that yet. I was fortunate that I only broke ribs. I realized quickly that Ambien wasn’t the medication for me, but I NEVER BLAMED or held liable the medication. I took it knowing it was fairly new. It was my responsibility, not the drug companies. We are responsible for what medication we take."

• Glo...
• January 19, 2012

For Insomnia "I started sleepwalking on this medicine. My wife found me sitting on the kitchen floor with a bottle of her red wine, and I'm told that I asked her if we were in San Francisco or San Jose. This stopped my 28 years plus of continued sobriety. I was rushed to the hospital by ambulance, they thought I might have had a stroke. I didn't. It was an Ambien blackout. I have a very close friend here in San Jose who owns a recovery home. He told me that his place is filling up with people being pulled over driving around town in their pajamas while thinking they are home in bed. Ambien might be great for some people, but for folks like me, it has evil effects. Please be careful, people."

• Anonymous
• April 26, 2009

For Insomnia "Ambien is a great sleep aid. I used to take the 10 mg dose and did great. I was able to fall asleep fast and stay asleep through the night. There are some side effects to this medication, though. For example, the first time I took Ambien, I had no side effects. I slept soundly through the night, no problems at all. After a few nights of taking it, though, I started to wake up in the morning and see that my furniture had been moved around or that my fridge door was open. I could not figure out what had happened until I asked my doctor. Supposedly when taking any hypnotic, it can cause you to sleepwalk or do things in your sleep that when you wake up you have no memory of ever doing. Overall, though, it does what it's supposed to do."

• sli...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 11, 2018

For Insomnia "Only medication that allows me to get about 7 hours of deep sleep. No sleepwalking, sleep eating, or dreams. Just solid sleep. After a while, it doesn't keep me asleep the entire time, so I cut back for a while. I've taken every benzo, and besides Xanax, this works the best."

• Anonymous
• October 11, 2010

For Insomnia "When I was in the service, I had a few bouts with sleep problems, only 3 times in 8 years. I was put on Ambien for 2 weeks at a time. Eventually, it would wear off, I'd go back to 'dealing with it.' Then, for a few years, I self-medicated with whiskey. No big dramatic story, but that had to stop. When I got out, I didn't even try to claim compensation for it with the VA, but they gave me an insomnia comp. Since then, I receive my pills in the mail. I have never had a negative side effect. No sleepwalking, talking, or driving. It works better on an empty stomach, though. I've woken up at night on it before, but I normally fall right back to sleep. I wake up feeling like I got that perfect amount of sleep and so refreshed. It has given me my life back."

• Ali...
• January 13, 2016

For Insomnia "Ambien definitely puts me to sleep quickly and keeps me asleep. However, it has made me do crazy things without remembering the next morning. I have taken more than the recommended dose while sleepwalking, cut 3 inches off my hair, drove my car, many different things. I would love this medicine if I just didn't act crazy because it really does work."

• Jes...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 6, 2021

For Insomnia "Worst drug ever. I've had insomnia my whole life, and this drug did not help me sleep, it made me sleepwalk and do weird things. I've known people (who've taken this pill), and they'll go out and drive their car and not remember! It had so many side effects-I can't believe this drug still exists."

• Nmg...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 9, 2015

For Insomnia "I was dealing with severe insomnia for a few months. Dr. prescribed 10 mg. It helped me fall asleep noticeably quicker. No sleepwalking or anything, but then one night my work woke me after an hour or so, and I was slightly impaired; stumbling through the bedroom and slurring words. Felt like being drunk, except that my mind was still fine, just body delayed. Otherwise, it has been free of side effects and gets the job done - except for heartburn. Experience it nightly after taking Ambien and take antacids."

• rob...
• November 20, 2010

For Insomnia "I rated it a 3 overall for me. It's a 10 and worked great for falling asleep, but I had the sleepwalking issues too. I read many comments about the sleepwalking, cooking, etc. I also did this along with other crazy things. I'm fortunate I didn't hurt myself or someone else. I live alone, and my point is do not take this without someone else in your home."

• jen...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 31, 2012

For Insomnia "I take a very low dose-5 mg of Ambien at bedtime when I know I need a great night's sleep! I had one experience of taking this after drinking, and it wasn't an experience I'd ever like to relive! Crazy-to say the least! I have not done any sleepwalking or strange night activities!"

• Anonymous
• July 25, 2010

For Insomnia "Really effective and helped me sleep, but also found myself confused and sometimes sleepwalking. In one case, I was pretty badly injured jumping back into 'bed,' but it was the home office desk I dove into, not the bed. It was a strange experience because I never walked in my sleep and thought I could clearly see and knew where I was, it equaled 'bedroom' at 2 AM. Take with caution."

• oki...
• September 30, 2010

For Insomnia "I have taken this medicine for 4 months now due to not being able to sleep with the depression medicines I'm on. Ambien works wonders. I had a few odd moments where my child found me sleepwalking, just in the fridge, hungry, I guess. I saw things the first time I took a whole 10 mg. I'm glad others wrote reviews because my husband thought I was mental. Other than that, it's been a blessing. I wake up at 6:30 every morning refreshed and brand new. I would tell anyone if you take it laying down. Don't go walk around, it's meant for bedtime for a reason. It's worth a try for anyone not being able to sleep. Oh, also, I sleep from 9 to 6 every night. I may wake up once, and I take nothing else for sleep."

• Anonymous
• November 17, 2010

For Insomnia "I have been taking first Ambien and then Ambien CR for many years. I have had major difficulty in falling asleep and staying asleep. Although both medications work, I cannot function typically the day after. Furthermore, both need to be taken right before bedtime and no sooner. Amnesia and sleepwalking were major issues to the point where my doctor told me to stop taking both. My physician offered Silenor as an alternative. He told me I could take this every day and although I didn't really need to, no addiction potential for Silenor. Also, none of those nasty side effects like amnesia and sleepwalking. I can remember going to sleep, staying asleep, and waking up without feeling sluggish. Silenor has been good to me."

• Con...
• October 7, 2011

For Insomnia "I've tried several options, over the counter, homeopathic, and prescription in a quest to deal with transient insomnia, which typically triggers a worsened depressive mood (kind of a negative feedback loop). Ambien was one of the first I tried. It works very quickly, has very little hangover, but did not always keep me asleep. I usually wake around 4. The bad: tolerance, 'sleepwalking,' waking up in my roommate's bed with no memory of how I got there. Be cautious, if you live with other people, let them know you're suffering from insomnia and that you are taking this medicine. My roommates reported me seeming completely coherent while sleepwalking-it can be more problematic than mere 'sleepwalking.'"

• Anonymous
• April 14, 2010

For Insomnia "I have been taking Ambien for more years than I can count due to insomnia and nightmares. I have experienced the 'sleepwalking' activities, mostly repetitive conversations and eating, which have been benign and harmless. Fortunately, I have family that is up later than me, so they keep me from doing anything too outrageous. Sometimes I have a vague memory of my activities if my husband brings it to my attention, but if I am particularly stressed or anxious, the side effects are amplified and my memory is gone. As for morning grogginess, a shower usually perks me up."

• Los...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 17, 2021

For Insomnia "I've been taking Ambien on and off for years for extreme insomnia, 10 mg. I've tried everything under the sun, from natural remedies, a long list of RX sleep aids, OTC sleep aids, and it's usually to no avail. Ambien helped me sleep, however, all the horror stories you hear about taking it and then doing stuff are true, which is scary. It's caused me to sleepwalk before, though that never really bothered me. The last time I took it, I ended up driving somewhere without my kiddo, and when I came to and he wasn't there, I panicked and called the cops. (I'm a single mom.) They thought I was having some sort of mental breakdown because I was 'clearly out of it.' In addition to sleepwalking/driving, it's also caused severe memory issues. This medication is dangerous. Be cautious."

• Ins...
• October 20, 2010

For Insomnia "I have been taking Ambien for 2 years now for insomnia and trouble sleeping. It does make you tired, but you also feel really good and happy. I would take it and an hour later, not remember anything. Also, I would still wake up every hour. It helped me fall asleep, but not stay asleep. Recently, I overdosed on Ambien. That is what really woke me up. This is not for me. I have been prescribed Seroquel for my sleeping problems, and this is wonderful. I have no more sleepwalking, and I remember everything."