"ambien is definitely effective for sleep, i think most will agree with that.  it did put me to sleep.  i am a very social person, and enjoy talking to people and being around people.  i started taking the generic ambien in nov of 2008 and was on it for a year.  it worked great for 2 months, then the side effects began.  i started to get heart palpatations which is unusual for me a 30 year old male, not overweight and overall healthy with sleep issues.  then, i began getting dizzy, which turned into dizziness with horrible anxiety.  i have never had a panic attack until i took ambien.  i would get bad anxiety at the grocery store, at lunch with customers, and at work.  been off this for 2 months and the anxiety is finally gone, no sleep."