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6074055 tn?1378958419

Why do i never get tired or sleepy after quitting Ambien?

I don't feel tired anymore after taking Ambien for 3 years. I just got off of Ambien 2 months ago. I tapered my dose the right way. I feel like there is something wrong with my brain because i never feel tired or sleepy. I don't have any withdrawal symptoms other than not feeling tired. I feel very alert and awake. I cant sleep at all at night. I only get maybe an hour or 2 of very light sleep. It doesn't matter if i sleep a little bit or none i still wont feel tired or exhausted. I've been like this since i got off the Ambien. This makes me very worried because most insomniacs who don't get that much sleep should at least feel really tired.  I cant find any information about this on any websites or Ambien forums. I really don't want to go back on Ambien but if this problem doesn't go away i might have to just to get some sleep. My doctor  thinks that there might be a problem with the electric signals in my brain. I have an appointment to get a sleep study on October 2nd. Please help and give me some advice.
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Avatar universal
Possibly you needed to taper the ambien much more slowly than what your doctor recommended.  In my personal experience, doctors tend to underestimate how dependent the brain gets on psychoactive medications.  The other thing you might be experiencing, besides prolonged withdrawal from ambien, is whatever sleep problem you had in the first place that caused you to get on the ambien.  That part, the sleep study might be able to identify.  Good luck.
Helpful - 0
612551 tn?1450022175
If you figure out how one can get by on 2 hours sleep, patent it and sell it, you'll be rich.  The world is full of people who want more time each day and think sleeping is a waste of time, but they keep falling asleep... and need it.

You condition seems a contradiction.  Not sure how a sleep study will help. My experience there is the study measures how much REM sleep you get and if you are getting sufficient oxygen and have a reasonable heart rate.. maybe a few other things...but nothing that would explain why you are never tired.. unless it shows you are really sleeping 7 or 8 hours and just don't believe it.

Good luck.
Helpful - 0
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