My GF and I have been taking sleeping pills (like Ambien) for the last year or so and we're comitted to getting off of them now.  We realize there will be a little struggle in that we have been able to control better how and when we would go to sleep.  The reasons we started taking them were mostly the same for both of us.  We're late night owl that have to be up early, so the solution was take sleeping pills and fall asleep early instead of late.  Well, now we don't know how to sleep without these pills.  Obviously, we'll need to run ourselved down to the point where our body REQUIRES sleep and then give in.  It sounds so simple, but I've never ever had good sleeping habits in my entire life and the truth is that Ambien helped a lot.  But now it's time to get off of it and any suggestions would be appreciated.   Lifestyle suggestions, whatever you got.

My first suggestion is to replace the Ambien with a healthy multi-vitamin.  Maybe take some other supplements that will help maintain energy levels during the day, so that you can exhaust yourself at night.  I know, I know... Don't go from one addiction to another.  I'm jsut brainstorming here.  Help me out.  Thanks.

TAG

Quoted: TAG

+1  I don't take sleeping pills just a little scotch.

Alcohol can make things worse, small amounts can stimulate the body.  I'd try to do some exercise in the late afternoon or early evening.  Take a warm shower or bath.  Watch brain-dead TV (like old episodes of Cheers or Wings).  Some people like to read boring books to help the sandman along.  I would get off the damn pills ASAP.  

GunLvr

fuck like rabbits for about an hour. Start at 8:30 at night.

Quoted: I'd try to do some exercise in the late afternoon or early evening.

That works good.

87.


Stop taking them!


Just flush em, go about your normal life, and you'll eventually pass out.
Otherwise, avoid carbohydrates, caffeine, and sugar, entirely
Get a weight bench, treadmill, bike, etc... and start excersizing, after dinner and before bed.
Keep the house temps at least 10* colder than usual, makes you want to be in a warm bed.
Read in bed.

When trying to sleep, put on AM talk radio, look up a local schedule for www.coasttocoastam.com
Puts me to sleep pretty damn quick. Alternatively, get a white noise generator, wal-mart has "sleep machines" in alarm clock area.

Sleep is a combination of physical & mental tiredness. You need to have both.
Then, you need to build the habit/routine of normal hours.

The exercise and bath will Definely help.  I don't know much about the ambien but you may have built up a tolerance to it where as it would easily put you out at first now it may have a minimal effect, so it may not be that hard to stop unless your doses increased. Since you are both going through this together try giving each other a massage before sleep especially after a shower it will help you relax.

working out will help. If you just stop taking them your body will balance out. It will suck at first because you will only get a few hours of sleep everynight, but a month down the road you should naturally fall asleep earlier

Morphine

Depending upon how long you and gf have been using them and the dosage, it might be wise to entrust a *small* supply (maybe a dozen pills left unflushed) to a trusty buddy nearby;  so that if you go into tremors, etc, (*bad* withdrawal symptoms, not just two or three sleepless nights) your buddy could dole you out first 1/4 then up to 1/2 of what you had been taking.  

Fill your buddy in on what you are doing and why you need distance from access to the drug, and exactly what and why you are doing this:  responsibility and accountability.  *Might* save you from an embarrassing emergency room visit if you have bad withdrawals, and knowledge that a friend does have enough to "get you through" if you reeeeeaaally need it short-term will help to ease the anxiety.

I survived the days when any woman going through a stressful situation was automatically put on antidepressants... and I got myself OFF of them cold turkey... but IMHO going the above path would be a lot more reasonable, self-respecting and responsible for one's (and SO's) health.