Side effects? It's long lasting, that's what appealing. Can it be used for sleep.

The side effects are pretty much the same as all the benzos: sleepiness, lethargy, cloudy thinking (of course those don't happen to everyone and they don't always stick around). Valium is longer acting than Xanax or Ativan, but shorter acting than Klonopin. I took Valium for a few years when I was having more free floating anxiety than panic attacks, and it worked pretty well for me. I prefer Xanax for panic. As far as sleeping goes, Valium is longer acting, but it also takes a little longer to kick in than, say, common sleep medications. If you're on a regular Valium regimen or you take a dose at night I doubt you'd have trouble sleeping, though, it should help you just fine, of course you will have to find a dose that is right for you. That said, I assume you're anxious because Valium isn't really the best choice if you merely have insomnia. Take care.

It helps you sleep alright but forget about driving or fuctioning during the day.
All the Dr.'s I have talked to including even my Vet said it metabolizes way too fast and doesn't last long.
I have a dog that has storm issues and they don't even say it works long for that.
I bet it helps in a bad pinch. I have taken it during a really extream anxiety attack and it got me over the real bad hump then I sleep it off.

If a person takes Valium on a regular basis, he or she can usually drive. I took Valium for years and while I initially could not drive for about a week, after my body was accustomed to the medication I drove just fine----accident free. I find that true with many meds. If you only take it once in a while, it may be the case that you never reach that point, though. Or if you're taking a seriously large dose it may be a problem.