Important safety information: ambien is indicated for the short-term treatment of insomnia. There is a low occurrence of side effects associated with the short-term use of AMBIAN. The most commonly observed side effects in controlled clinical trials were drowsiness (2%), dizziness (1%), and diarrhea (1%). When you first start taking ambien, use caution in the morning when engaging in activities requiring complete alertness until you know how you will react to this medication. In most instances, memory problems can be avoided if you take ambien only when you are able to get a full night's sleep (7 to 8 hours) before you need to be active again. As with any sleep medication, do not use alcohol while you are taking AMBIAN.
Prescription sleep aids are often taken for 7 to 10 days — or longer as advised by your doctor. All people taking sleep medicines have some risk of becoming dependent on the medicine.