Ughh yea, that sucks, what if you tell the doctor you'll have your husband hold onto the sleep meds? I'm really careful with my ambien, try to make a bottle last 3 months, because I know pdoc is always watching me for signs of abusing it. But managing sleep is such a huge part of managing bipolar. I wish you would get a med for that if you wanted one.
About your son, you may already do this, but try to talk to him often about the meds. Talk privately of course and ask about side effects, how he's feeling, how he feels about having to take the meds. Constant communication and caring, I know you know this. I just think about my past with my kids and things I would go back and do more of if I could. I did talk a lot with them, but even more talking would have helped more.