Ambien – Psychadelic for Yuppies

One of the side effects of Adderall and having four pets is that my sleep patterns haven’t been the greatest. We’ve done what we can to minimize the ‘disturbances’ that 2 dogs and 2 cats can make: removing collars and tags, ‘relaxation’ treats, tiring them out before bed. But I was still being woken up nightly 2-3x by doggie emergencies, frolicking or fighting felines or the odd sound in the night. I was getting exhausted, so the doctor prescribed Lunesta, which had worked well when I really needed to get some sleep. All was well and good until I switched insurances with the new job, and the new insurance company denied my refill, saying that I hadn’t used cheaper alternatives first. So last night, I had to try Ambien instead. I’d tried it in the past but hadn’t liked it because I found it hard to wake up from, but I figured I would give it another shot.

Man, did it mess me up. Not quite “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas”-style tripping, but definitely on the “Cheech and Chong” level. I was completely unbalanced and I swear that I was hallucinating on the stuff. I’m in the bedroom getting ready to slip into bed, and the sheets were moving. Now, I have to admit that I’m not sure whether I was more freaked out or enjoying it, but I’m fairly sure that I’m not looking forward to that effect every time I take the stuff, either. It’s like Sleepytime Crack™.