"i&#039;ve had periods of insomnia for most of my life, they worsen when i am anxious/depressed. i started to take this about four months ago and i have been very happy with the results. i take it at night, about 1.5 hours before i want to sleep, sometimes two hours depending on how much coffee i have had during the day or how anxious i am feeling. this medication does not &#039;zonk&#039; me out like most sleeping pills (it is not a sleeping pill), but my doctor thought it would work well for me without the side effects. i really never have any side effects unless i take the med too late, and then i find it a bit hard to get out of bed). i think it helps with my anxiety too, maybe that is because i am sleeping better. i take cipralex during too."