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Comment by anonuser123456 | Hacker News Reader

>Also you may want to ask your doctor about a sleep aid such as ambien.

Exactly the wrong advice. Ambien decreases NREM 3 duration and amplitude. Do not ask for Ambien.

Also worth mentioning prolonged use (>2 weeks) changes the brain, making it more difficult to fall asleep again (without using more Ambien...)

The doctor who wrote Why We Sleep do not recommend those sleeping pills IIRC.

To put it mildly:

Sleeping pills do not provide natural sleep, can damage health, and increase the risk of life-threatening diseases. (p. 282)

On Ambien specifically:

If you compare natural, deep-sleep brainwave activity to that induced by modern-day sleeping pills, such as zolpidem (brand name Ambien) or eszopiclone (brand name Lunesta), the electrical signature, or quality, is deficient.

Matthew Walker wrote that book [1]. He also has a few talks on YouTube worth checking out. From memory [2] was an informative one for me.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_We_Sleep [2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXflBZXAucQ

Great book, need to finish it (always too tired...).

He's not a medical doctor, but a sleep researcher.

In general I would ask a relevant researcher if a drug is any good at all for the desired effect, and a doctor if it's the right one from me. A negative response from a researcher is pretty disqualifying (unless it's a fringe opinion)

It would be helpful if you provided a citation that justifies your claim.

Asking a doctor is hardly a wrong advice, might produce a more informed opinion than that from an Internet forum.

You are much more likely to get good results if you go to a doctor's appointment armed with knowledge and good questions to ask. Yes, don't trust everything you read on an Internet forum, but don't dismiss it either.

Ambien is bad shit. I can't understand how it is not made illegal.

It destroy sleep, by creating an addiction making it impossible to fall asleep without it.

And it is bad sleep as the brain does not go into deep sleep

I wish there was safe pills in the US. I use benadryl.

Melatonin works for me, say once every month or two when I need it.

I pour about 1/5th of a capsule into a glass of water.

The default dosage is far too high.

If you have an uncommon issue most doctors won't be able to help you beyond a superficial level. Asking a wide range of people is helpful as long as you weigh there input accordingly.

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