[Trish27]

I have been on sleep medication, specifically Ambien 10mg for about a year, which was prescribed by my PCP. I visited a sleep doctor and he told me to cut my pill in half, to 5mg and begin a sleep hygiene and behavior program. I had read that you shouldn’t reduce these medications by more than a quarter at first but I did it anyway. The first week was hell and I could not fall asleep so I ended up getting out of and back into bed up to four or five times each  night. It was exhausting and demoralizing. However, after about a week, I am finally able to fall asleep quickly on half the medication. I attribute this success to having followed all the sleep rules as best I could regardless of how painful. My goal is to be able to quit Ambien entirely and I feel that if I stick with this program it will happen. One thing I have learned is that poor habits and medication dependence are not easily undone. It takes one day at a time and a strong desire to improve your life.

[Martin Reed]

It sounds as though you are doing great, Trish! Thank you so much for sharing your experience — coming off sleeping pills (especially if you’ve been taking them for a long time) is hard.

No doubt about it.

However, it is possible to get off the sleeping pills and to experience natural, restorative sleep — as you have discovered.

The thing with sleeping pills is they don’t generate sleep. The only thing that generates sleep is our own sleep drive. Sleeping pills can help us relax, or maybe take away some of the sleep-related worry or anxiety we might have — and this can certainly be an obstacle to sleep. However, even when we take a sleeping pill, sleep is still being generated by our own body. No pill can generate sleep.

I am sure many people will be inspired by your post. Thanks again for sharing.

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The content of this post is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, disorder, or medical condition. It should never replace any advice given to you by your physician or any other licensed healthcare provider. Insomnia Coach LLC offers coaching services only and does not provide therapy, counseling, medical advice, or medical treatment. All content is provided “as is” and without warranties, either express or implied.

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