Try cutting back gradually. The slower you go, the easier it is. It’s still hard at the end, but really not too bad. I’d suggest you schedule the week where you actually quit altogether so that you won’t be working, maybe when you’re on vacation or have a long weekend. What happens is, when you take sleep aids, your body slowly quits producing the needed sleep chemicals. If you give your body time to catch up by going slow with tapering off, you’ll have much greater success than trying cold turkey.
Here is what I’d do.
Take 5 mg for 3 weeks.
Then take 5 mg 1 night, and the next night take 2.5 mg. Do this for 2 weeks, alternating between 5 and 2.5 mg. Then drop the 5 mg and only take 2.5 mg for another 3 weeks.
Then take 2.5 mg 1 night and 1.25 the next night for 2 weeks, alternating between the 2.5 and 1.25 mg.
Then drop the 2.5 and take the 1.25 for 3 weeks.
This will be 13 weeks total.
Get yourself some of that Tylenol Simply Sleep. Start taking that on the night you finally quit the Ambien. It will be a little rough the first week or so but rest assured (
) that you will get tired enough to fall asleep after a couple days. It's really not that bad. You may have a bit of trouble the first month or so. Try to do things during that time that assist sleep like no naps, getting up a little early, no caffine, fresh air, read a book in bed, etc.
You can do it. It's a "mental thing" too, and since you want to quit, that will be half the battle.
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