"My friend tells me that one patient of hers has to be sure to be in bed and not take it in the bathroom since it knocks her out so fast she hasn't made it to bed sometimes. I found it hard to believe, but I've heard it from many people that it acts fast! The thing that gets me is the warning that if you take it without having a full night's sleep afterwards, it can cause amnesia."
I was once given a small scrip for Ambien years ago by my doctor. I use to take it a few hours before bed, so I would sit and watch TV or a movie or something for a while while it kicked in. I found it's effect relaxing, and quite pleasant.
The first time I took Ambien, I took 2 pills instead of one because they were small and I really needed sleep.
I started up the stairs to the bedroom and made about three steps before I totally went unconscious and fell backward on my head. I bled like a stuck hog and scared my wife to death.
At least I was relaxed in the ER and did not feel the staples.
When I went to the prescribed dose, I have had no further problems, although they seem to affect short term memory.