Why should you see a doctor?

Insomnia is not necessarily a simple illness to be treated. You may think that all you need to do to restore your quality of life is to buy Ambien or Ambien CR. But insomnia can be evidence that you have serious health problems. Research now positively links sleep disruption with stomach and intestinal, lung and heart diseases. One recent clinical study found that, when you lose sleep over a significant period of time, your body is increasingly unable to metabolise glucose. This can trigger the onset of Type 2 Diabetes. These sleep problems and the risk of Diabetes are also more common if you carry excessive weight. If you have this combination of excessive weight and difficulty sleeping, you should see your doctor as soon as possible.

Insomnia can also be a symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder — there may have been a single traumatic event such as an accident or some longer-running problem in your life — or other psychological conditions. Leaving all these underlying problems untreated is bad enough on its own. But the results of sleep disruption mean that your performance at work falls away, and you are also likely to run into relationship problems. In short, your whole life may be in free fall but you just have not noticed it.

The first step is to admit the problem can be serious. You should be sufficiently honest with yourself and recognise that sleeping properly is a key step in maintaining good health. If for any reason, you are not getting enough sleep or getting only poor quality sleep on a regular basis, you need to ensure that your blood pressure remains low, that you are not risking Diabetes or heart disease, and that no serious psychological problems are threatening. Talking to a doctor should be your first reaction to more persistent loss of sleep.

Obviously, this site is useful but it is not a doctor. What we write cannot be a substitute for the diagnostic skills of a medical professional. Although Ambien and Ambien CR are the best sleeping pills around, you need advice on how to fit Ambien into a comprehensive medical plan to treat both the insomnia and any other conditions you may have. There is, however, one significant and recent development. Normally, doctors do not discuss the cost of any medication with you. They prescribe the drugs they think the best. Ambien is now out of its patent protection and is therefore not only the best drug in its class, but also the best value-for-money drug to help you solve your problems.

But, you say, does that not mean Ambien is an old drug? Are there not newer and therefore better drugs around? To be honest, there are one or two new drugs that have entered the market, but Ambien remains as good, if not better, than these newcomers. Ambien is a known quantity. It has a safety track record over time and, now that its price has fallen, it is the best drug to consider.

So, when you go to see your doctor, make sure that you hand over a list of any other medications, health products and herbal supplements that you take. There are times when Ambien interacts adversely with other chemicals. It is particularly important that you tell your doctor if you are taking antidepressants or any medications for mental illness or anxiety states. Caution is also indicated if you are taking products for colds or allergies because they may make you sleepy in any event. Similarly, you should disclose drugs for:

• pain relief;
• the control of seizures; and
• sedatives including other sleeping pills and tranquillisers.

It may be necessary for your doctor to adjust the dosages to reduce the risk of adverse reactions. You will also need to monitor yourself carefully for side-effects. There are two final issues to mention. You must tell your doctor if:

• you drink a lot of alcohol. You are warned that Ambien does not react well if mixed with alcohol; and
• if you are pregnant. You are warned that all sleep medications may sedate your unborn baby if you take them during the last weeks of pregnancy. Worse, your child may be born dependent on these drugs. Further, you should not breast-feed if you have been taking Ambien.

If this is your first time taking Ambien, make sure that you monitor the effects carefully. Every drug has side-effects and it is important that you tell your doctor if you experience any difficulties — particularly if you prove to be one of the very rare cases of an allergic reaction. Finally, always make sure that you understand exactly what dosage to take and how often to take it. If your doctor also suggests changes to your diet or other non-prescription treatment, it is in your interests to comply. Mostly these lifestyle changes are without a money cost but they represent the best value if, together with Ambien, you start to sleep well again.

How does cognitive behavioural therapy help? One of the best alternatives to simple reliance on a drug like Ambien is cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). CBT teaches you a new set of behaviours around the "activity" of sleep. You have to "relearn" the association between going to bed and falling sleep.

The habit of sleep Before you start taking Ambien or alongside a course of Ambien, you should change your habit patterns and practise relaxation techniques to help you get to sleep.