Follow-Up:
After waking up yet another morning and finding things in my home different than when I "went to sleep," I decided to do some research on Ambien. I came to this message board. My stories are endless and very bizzare. Most times when I've had a blackout from ambien is when I've combined it with alcohol. After endless nights of ending up in the hot tub, wandering around my house, making numerous phone calls, having conversations with people who are not there, etc. etc., I realized that there is a problem with this drug. However, I so enjoyed the way it put me to sleep that I didn't want to give it up and tried to be more careful about taking it. I would only take a pill while sitting in bed, thinking that I wouldn't leave once asleep. WRONG! I awoke this morning to find I had successfully opened a bottle of wine, drank a full glass, tried to give my husband a neck massage, make phone calls to my friends, recorked the bottle of wine, and then went back to bed. I remember nothing. I am grateful that I was in a pleasant mood before "retiring" for the evening. In times past, I have been very angry, took an ambien, and then did crazy, bizzare things....most very dangerous. When I think about it, I am lucky to be alive. Broken glass, going under water in hot tubs, endless drinking, lighting candles, fighting with my husband, etc. I have now learned that taking an ambien while in bed still does not ensure that I will not get up and behave strangely. I can't do this anymore. Peacefull sleep isn't worth taking chances with my life.