Lunesta Versus Ambien

If you are a serious insomniac you have no doubt at one time or another taken a prescription sleeping pill, be it Ambien, Lunesta or another sleep aid. Where the decision to take a prescription sleeping pill is a difficult one, the benefits of getting sleep, versus not sleeping sometimes outweigh the side effects. It’s an individual decision a person has to make based on his or her health and lifestyle.

Loss of sleep is hard on ones life and health. The time will come when after enough sleepless nights, loss of motor skills, short attention span, and an overall haggard look, that the consideration to take a sleep aid will arise. Having taken both Lunesta and Ambien, there are noticeably several remarkable differences.

Ambien which was taken for over a long period of time, definitely provides an excellent nights sleep. The instructions state that the patient takes the prescription immediately prior to going to bed. Should you take the prescription and try to stay awake, not only will you hallucinate, you will binge eat. The morning following Ambien use, one is normally rested, however there is a hangover feeling. The drug is also extremely addictive. If you take it the same time every night, when that time rolls around you will feel your body craving the drug. Long-term use of Ambien definitely causes memory problems. It is advised that a user of Ambien not immediately stop taking the drug, but the user should instead taper the dosage. It is extremely difficult to stop taking Ambien, and the withdrawal period once stopped is very aggravating. If use is stopped with tapering, a user could expect to stay awake for up to several days at a time. The longest personally known is 14 days.

Lunesta is designed to help the user fall asleep faster, sleep better during the night, and to stay asleep longer. This particular drug is known as a hypnotic has several side effects including memory problems, possible headaches, dry mouth, drowsiness, and dizziness. In addition you may feel sleepy the following day after having taken Lunesta, but there is not a hangover feeling as is with Ambien. There is not however a craving feeling. Lunesta doesn’t appear to be addictive and the ability to stop taking the drug without experiencing withdrawal was not a problem. It seems to be a milder drug than Ambien with less side effects. The memory loss comparison is hard to determine as Lunesta was taken for three months, and Ambien for over a seven year period. The rebound insomnia rate for Ambien is greater than Lunesta. After discontinuing use of Ambien, the rebound rate can be anywhere from a couple of days up to weeks. The rebound insomnia rate for Lunesta is averaged at 1 to 2 days. This was not experienced however when the drug was discontinued.

The following statements are included with sleeping medications and are provided by your pharmacist: When taking sleeping pills it is advisable not to discontinue use without consulting your physician. To do so could cause seizures.