Science spends millions of dollars a year researching how the human body works. But despite all its efforts over the years, it is still unable to explain why you sleep and what happens while you are asleep.

Given that, on average, you spend about one third of your life sleeping, this is a strange outcome. All that can be said is that, if you do not get enough sleep, it is bad for you. Indeed, interrogators deprive suspects of their sleep to persuade them to confess their crimes. In everyday life, you all know the feeling after a disturbed night. You walk around like one of the living dead the next day.

Ambien is a sedative, i.e. it calms and soothes any worries and anxieties you might have (including worries about whether you will fall asleep). More importantly, it slows the way in which the central nervous system works, reducing the rate at which you breathe and helping you fall asleep. It mimics the way in which tranquilizers reduce any mental agitation that might distract you and keep your mind too active to fall asleep easily.

Because it is so effective, you should only take it when you can sleep through for seven or eight hours. If you are disturbed and awake while ambien is still active in your body, your memory may be affected and you may not have complete control over all your actions. Finally, you should only take ambien for short periods of time. Be guided by your doctor, but a good rule of thumb is not to use it for more than four or five consecutive weeks.

In general, the answer is no. The vast majority of people take ambien without experiencing any adverse side effects. But there are a number of issues to address. Obviously, it is intended to help people sleep so it makes you drowsy. Some people are not fully alert immediately after waking. They should not drive a car or do anything that requires concentration to avoid dangerous consequences. This tendency to drowsiness increases if you drink any alcohol. So the best practice is never to drink alcohol while taking this drug.

If you increase the dose or take this drug for too long a time, there is a risk that you may become addicted to it. Always follow the advice of your doctor and reduce the risk of dependence.

Some people have an allergic reaction to ambien so tell your doctor if you have any allergies. Because it slows your breathing, you should also discuss the use of alternatives if you have asthma or any other condition that affects your lungs. Because ambien can interact with other drugs, you must tell the doctor what else you are taking to avoid unwanted side effects. Finally, you should tell the doctor if you are pregnant or planning to have children.