"i&#039;ve been taking ambien/zolpidem for about 15 years now.  i am 55 years old and have had sleep issues as long as i can remember.  my brain just doesn&#039;t turn off at night without it.  i use the 10mg dosage but i cut the tip off so that i actually only take about 8mg nightly.  with 10mg i get 6-7 hours of wonderful sleep, but it leaves me with fog-brain for a couple of hours the next day.  with 8mg, i get 5-6 hours of sleep and wake up refreshed and clear headed.  the last few times i had the bright idea to get off the zolpidem, i lay awake most of the night wondering why i would want to get off such a great medicine.  i have had no side effects that i know of."