I think it would be wise to discuss this issue with your doctor.

Before I tried Ambien, I tried Benadryl alone and Benadryl in sleep meds from Advil and Tylenol. Not great success. I also tried Melatonin at various strengths and found no success. I tried an on-line relaxation program and other body-relaxation-meditations. Limited success. One method that I continue to use is to count slowly back from 100. I may have to do it several times but sometimes it does send me off to sleep.

That said, I do take a small amount of Ambien every night. I can usually get 4 doses from a 10 mg tablet. It seems that this amount, sometimes also using the backward counting will get me to sleep. I try to get to sleep without the Ambien which is sometimes successful but then I wake up a couple of hours later and struggle to get back to sleep so that is when I take the 1/4 tablet.

I do wonder if this is a problem that mostly affects women. My lady friends all seem to struggle with sleep but none of our husbands seem to have any problem whatsoever getting to sleep and staying asleep.

Donna