I was dependent on Ambien for three years. What finally got me off of it was being prescribed another medication (I think a pain pill) that made me drowsy, so after a week of taking that medication, I lost my dependence on the Ambien.
Now I'm off any medication, I no longer have full-blown insomnia, but do have trouble getting to sleep. My problem is that I'll be busy all day, and once I lay down to go to sleep, my mind becomes active thinking of housework that need to be done, family issues, you name it. Sometimes my husband is kind enough to give me a foot rub, which will almost always do the trick. Otherwise, I have to be careful about what I do before bed. I can watch TV, but no scary movies, crime shows, and the like. Just dumb stuff, like DWTS. Reading helps, but magazine articles, not novels. If I read a good novel before bed, I tend to take the story to bed with me.
Hot cocoa or tea really seems to help, but only during winter months. Someone else mentioned earplugs, which also helps. My husband snores, and the earplugs tune that right out. I use the squishy foam ones so they're very comfortable to wear.
Insomnia is a lousy thing to have, for sure. Ambien and other sleep aids ARE an option. I never had any problems with the drug, just decided that after three years, I had been taking it too long. But it did work well for me.
