Posted by LostBoyinNCBecksDark on November 18, 2008, at 15:47:44
In reply to Re: Sleep apnea strongly linked to depression » LostBoyinNCBecksDark, posted by gardenergirl on November 18, 2008, at 12:45:19
> I think that's really interesting. I snore occasionally, though it's usually position-dependent, i.e. when I'm on my back vs. my preferred side-sleeping position. Recently, I realized that if I take 5 mg Ambien at night, whether I'm having trouble with sleep or not, I feel much, much more upbeat and less depressed the next day. I assumed that Ambien might exacerbate any sleep apnea type behavior I had, though I don't know if that holds up empirically. I also assumed it could make me feel more sluggish in the a.m., not more alert upon awakening.
>
> What do you think about how Ambien improves my mood? I suppose at the basic level, if I'm sleeping more soundly overall, that's got to help. Any more enlightened ideas?
> Thanks,
>
> gg5 mg Ambien is a low dose of Ambien. Plus, the FDA approved insomnia meds like Ambien were designed not to mess with sleep architecture like the traditional benzos do. So, maybe your sleep is actually deeper and better quality on Ambien, I dont know Im just guessing.
Maybe your sleep quality off Ambien is poor. Only a sleep study could tell you definitely, such as if your sleep is fragmented, how much slow wave (deep sleep) sleep you are getting, etc. etc. These all factor into what we feel like while awake BIGTIME!
It amazes me how most psychiatrists pay little to sleep beyond prescribing some benzos or Ambien type meds at bedtime. I cant believe I went TEN YEARS on the medication merry go round before "gettin serious" about seeing a sleep doctor! My psychiatrist should have pointed me harder in the direction of a board certified sleep medicine doctor...he didnt do that.
LostBoyinNC
poster:LostBoyinNCBecksDark
thread:863732
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20081114/msgs/863816.html