Using Ambien in the day time

Apr 15, 2017, 12:35 PM

Is it bad for your brain to use it while awake?

It doesn't help me sleep much anymore. I took one today, a few hours after i woke up because it felt like I never slept but though I could go back to sleep if i took one.

Hours later-still here. Same as before-too tired to do anything but can't sleep. Now walking around on Ambien. Well not doing much as feel like crap.

I just wonder if it's somehow bad for your brain?

obviously i know it wouldn't be good to drive, use tools, etc

benzenering · Apr 15, 2017, 03:25 PM

Why would you do this if it isn't helping? I don't get it.

Nammu · Apr 15, 2017, 03:31 PM

Seems like it would increase your tolerance and make it even harder for it to work at night?

Travelinglady · Apr 15, 2017, 04:10 PM

Hi, Skies. I don't think there would be any benefit to taking it during the day, especially since taking it at bedtime isn't working.

*Laurie* · Apr 15, 2017, 07:53 PM

I understand why you took it; I've done the same thing with sleep meds, thinking I'd sleep for a while during the day. Strangely, sleep meds don't seem to work during the day, at least not for me...they just make me feel like a zombie.

-jimi- · Apr 15, 2017, 09:53 PM

I used to do that with a similar med. I took the med, then I couldn't sleep anyway and I took more and I was sure I was going to go to sleep. But didn't. So had to start my day without having slept on the med, just taken it anyway.

Benzenering, it is nothing one plans for, to be awake on a sleep med. One hopes to actually fall asleep but I couldn't see into the future and know if I would sleep or not. So it happened sometimes that I slept and sometimes that I did not.

I managed to function BUT I did feel drugged for quite a bit. The weird thing is if I took the med at 3 am and slept unto 6 that was fine. But if I took it at 3 and did not sleep but had to get going anyway, I felt drugged. It was like sleeping in itself consumed the med. Weird!

I noticed I was more careless while on it and also had worse balance. No one else could tell though.

But it does not harm your brain to not have slept on your med. It is broken down by the body just the same as it would be if you had slept. The only danger is what you mention, that you might make mistakes.

Apr 16, 2017, 12:09 PM

Yes, that did sound silly-why do i take it if it doesn't work. Because they work a little bit. It takes me 2-3 hours to fall asleep and i now get 4-5-6 hours of sleep vs staying up all night or just 2 hours of sleep. Ambien used to work better. Now that i looked it up, i'm taking the CR. I used to take the SR but was waking up after 3-4 hours. He gave me this thinking it would allow me to sleep longer. I'm reallly at a loss. Trazadone was a tremendous help for 2 months then it totally wore off. Bigger doses didn't help, they just made me feel like crap.

I ended up trying a 2nd dose of Ambien. I slept 9 hours. Feel like crap though. The does i took is double what you are supposed to take. I don't want to increase my dose, and I'm not sure it's even ok to describe the dose i took, so I'm not sure what to do. this was just an experiment to see how it would work.

It could be that i've built an intolerance. I think i have brain damage to the part of my brain that regulates sleep. I think the damage came from not getting enough sleep for years or chronic depression or both.

Travelinglady · Apr 16, 2017, 11:06 PM

Sounds like you need a new sleep med....

leomama · Apr 17, 2017, 07:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skies

Is it bad for your brain to use it while awake?

It doesn't help me sleep much anymore. I took one today, a few hours after i woke up because it felt like I never slept but though I could go back to sleep if i took one.

Hours later-still here. Same as before-too tired to do anything but can't sleep. Now walking around on Ambien. Well not doing much as feel like crap.

I just wonder if it's somehow bad for your brain?

obviously i know it wouldn't be good to drive, use tools, etc

Talk to your dr