I don't know what Sonata *does* but it's supposed to keep you asleep only for four hours or so. I prefer Sonata to Ambien, because I have no trouble staying asleep.

I've mentioned it before, but I'll mention it again: I used to stop drinking caffeine about six hours before going to bed; still couldn't fall asleep. I tried everything suggested for insomnia and nothing worked. But once I stopped drinking caffeine 12 hours before going to bed, my insomnia improved greatly.

I had to go look on Ambien's website, but apparently it maintains all the stages of sleep. Huh. I thought it dropped you right into REM sleep, too.

heh. I bet I learned that wrong from you.

Steph, as long as you're looking things up (and translating into English), what does Sonata do?

Sonata's mechanism of action is the same as Ambien's -- it enhances the actions of the neurotransmitter GABA, which inhibits the transmission of nerve signals, thereby reducing nervous excitation in the brain.

[NOTE: by enhancing GABA and reducing nervous excitation in the brain, Ambien and Sonata ARE, in fact, Chill Pills. No, seriously.]

The difference between Ambien and Sonata is in the drugs' half-lives.

Ambien's half-life is 2 1/2 hours or so, which is why they tell you to take it only if you have 7-8 hours to "devote to sleep." (I love that phrase. I am DEVOTED to sleep, baby!) It takes about 7-8 hours for Ambien to clear out of your system.

Sonata's half-life is only 1 hour, so it stays in your system for only about 4 hours. Which is why it's prescribed for people who have trouble *falling* asleep but not *staying* asleep, and for people who wake up at 2 or 3 a.m. and can't fall back to sleep -- you can take a Sonata and still wake up at 6 or 7 a.m. without being all groggy, b/c the drug clears out of your system so fast.

I had to go look on Ambien's website, but apparently it maintains all the stages of sleep. Huh. I thought it dropped you right into REM sleep, too.

heh. I bet I learned that wrong from you.

My goal in life: spreading pharmacological misinformation, one person at a time!

Also, bon -- your tagline just made me snort loudly enough that I had to explain my sudden inexplicable amusement to my co-workers.

Hi. South Florida Buffista Almare, here checking in and telling you, I have no power. The public libraries just opened so no worries. Anyone hear from any of the other SFBuffistas?

Is Lisiprin ever prescribed as a sleep aid? The intent is blood pressure regulation, but I didn't have a night of insomnia for the first year I was on the stuff. And for the first six months or so I would fall asleep within moments of sitting down on a couch and relaxing in the evening.

Hi, Almare! Laura has checked in, has a generator.

But once I stopped drinking caffeine 12 hours before going to bed, my insomnia improved greatly.

Yeah, now that my caffeine intake is one cup of coffee at 8 am, I really don't have the chronic problems getting to sleep that I used to. Amazing that it took me so long to figure out. I used to drink Dr. Pepper and Coke ALL DAY LONG in college. And I wondered why I slept so poorly. Wasn't until I started working, and was being excessively cheap (and thus cut out my soda habit) that I made the connection.

Occasionally will miss the ice tea and things like thai iced coffee, but.... Now if I indulge, I start bouncing off the walls and jumping at every little noise.

Also, bon -- your tagline just made me snort loudly enough that I had to explain my sudden inexplicable amusement to my co-workers.

Ha!

Laura has checked in, has a generator.

Woah. Totally one with the green eyed monster, over here. On the other non-scaly hand, yay Laura!