ambient attitudes

Ambien makes you binge eat. Ambien impairs your driving. Ambien effects subspace and can trigger a tear in space-time. Ambien may cause memory loss. All of these things are true. All of these things are side-effects of Ambien, well except for the space thing. Here's the question... Why are they news? The reason that side effects of ambien become newsworthy is because of the prevalence of ambien. Ambien is a massive seller, millions of people take it. Millions of people take it and benefit from it. And like 2 dozen people have had some wierd side-effect.

What do we learn from this? Ambien is the godfather of sleeping pills. When Ambien came out with their extended release tablet it was also big news. It seemed like everyone I spoke to was chatting up the new ambien. The reason for this Ambien obsessed culture is the widespread pandemic of insomnia. Insomnia is a major problem. Many people have turned to Ambien for relief and with great success. Ambien is so successful because it fills a major need. Ambien is not perfect and I don't mean to heap praise to heavy handedly. Nevertheless, sleep is as necessary as food and Ambien can help you get some. But stand by. The next wave is coming.

GABA, Ions & Sleepy

OK so you're interested in learning about how sleeping pills work. Maybe you've visited a couple of websites, perhaps talked to your doctor. One thing is for shore: when you start learning how sleeping pills work you start to hear about GABA. What is GABA and why is it so important for sleep?

GABA stands for gamma amino butyric acid. GABA is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain. An inhibitory neurotransmitter is one that decreases brain activity. All sedatives including Valium, Klonipin, Xanax, Halcion, Ativan, Ambien and Lunesta work by increasing GABA neurotransmission. They do this by binding to the GABA receptor and changing the way it functions.

The GABA receptor is a type of protein known as a ligand gated ion channel. When GABA binds to its receptor, it triggers a change in the receptor's shape which allows chloride ions to rush into the cell. Chloride ions are negatively charged and their presence in a neuron slows things way down. By increasing GABAerigic neurotransmission the above mentioned sedatives bring on a wave of peaceful sleepy.

You might be wondering how these sedatives effect GABA neurotransmission so effectively. It's an interesting story for another day...

A Taste of the Next Wave

Howdy sleepers. Because of my scientific credentials and position in the sleep research field, I am often asked to evaluate new sleeping pills for insomnia. I've been given Ambien, Lunesta, Sonata, Valium and all manner of benzodiazepines. What have I learned in all my years of examination? One thing I've learned time and time again is the importance of a good night's rest. There are many ways to achieve this. The sleeping pills mentioned above are one way. Other ways include increasing your activity level and getting some sunshine on your face. The truth is there is no substitute for natural sleep. Taking Ambien, Lunesta, Sonata, Valium or other sedative-hypnotics may be a short term fix but they cannot restore natural sleep. For a return to natural sleep turn to Somnera. The active ingredients in Somnera are proven to both induce sleep with acute use and to return natural sleep cycles with continued use. So to all you troubled sleepers out there... stand by for the next wave.

Diazepam, DEA & Diversions

I was cruising the internets the other night looking for information about Valium, also known as diazepam, when I came across a most interesting site. The DEA diversion web site (www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/). I like what the feds are doing here. They present a high profile website that supplies information on the illegality of importing prescription medications. They also discuss some of the dangers people face when they take these foreign made drugs. Now I know there are some of you out there that love the ability to get whatever drugs you want on the internet. And that's cool. But cheers to the DEA for presenting accurate information on the web.

Ambien ambivalence

So guess what... Ambien is feeling the heat. With recent reports about Ambien's effects on driving and night-time somnambulant binge eating, the insomniac is once again facing tough choices. What about Lunesta, Valium, Klonopin or the old stand-by Halcion? The truth is all of these drugs are associated with unwanted side-effects. I can remember my uncle Howie telling me that there's no such thing as a free lunch as he pilfered the lego set that came with my happy meal. Well, I learned that lesson then and it's still true. If you are going to trick your body into sleeping with powerful sedative-hypnotic drugs you can expect to pay the price. In order to truly return to natural sleep you need to be willing to make some changes. While pharmacological sleep aids can play an important role in treating insomnia, one should also consider running around outside for an hour or so per day. Both exposure to sunlight as well as exercise are excellent ways to help your body normalize its sleep schedule. So until the perfect sleep aid is released (Somnera now available!,) consider some exercise, or lock up your fridge...

The Next Wave...

I remember it like it was yesterday. The day the next wave of medicine was born. The surf upon the shore pounded as I was lulled to sleep enjoying the sounds of nature. I was startled to be awoken by the thunderous hum of a low flying helicopter. When I lay my head to hammock pillow rest was only a dream. I new then that sleep was something I could not take for granted. Somnera was born.