SPECIAL CONCERNS There are some special problems that may occur while taking sleep medicines. Memory problems Sleep medicines may cause a special type of memory loss or ?amnesia.? When this occurs, a person may not remember what has happened for several hours after taking the medicine. This is usually not a problem since most people fall asleep after taking the medicine. Memory loss can be a problem, however, when sleep medicines are taken while traveling, such as during an airplane flight and the person wakes up before the effect of the medicine is gone. This has been called ?traveler?s amnesia.? Memory problems are not common while taking Ambien. In most instances memory problems can be avoided if you take Ambien only when you are able to get a full night?s sleep (7 to 8 hours) before you need to be active again. Be sure to talk to your doctor if you think you are having memory problems. Tolerance When sleep medicines are used every night for more than a few weeks, they may lose their effectiveness to help you sleep. This is known as ?tolerance.?? Sleep medicines should, in most cases, be used only for short periods of time, such as 1 or 2 days and generally no longer than 1 or 2 weeks. If your sleep problems continue, consult your doctor, who will determine whether other measures are needed to overcome your sleep problems. Dependence Sleep medicines can cause dependence, especially when these medicines are used regularly for longer than a few weeks or at high doses. Some people develop a need to continue taking their medicines. This is known as dependence or ?addiction.? | ||||
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