"i began taking ambien 15 years ago i stopped it while i was pregnant with my first child and then ended up going back on it from lack of sleep for so long. i took it again first time 6 1/2 years before becoming pregnant again and then had to stop it. when my youngest son was a year and a half old i started taking it again because i could not sleep longer than an hour.  when i first started taking ambien i think the chemical compound was a different because back then i would eat in my sleep, cook meals in my sleep, but then after going off of it and going back on it i believe the formulation changed. i have not had any of those issues for over 13 years. taking it on empty stomach makes a huge difference."