[GiveLove]

Bizarre.....you've told your doctor you want to get off the sleep drugs and sleep normally, and he wants to prescribe a more POWERFUL sleep drug? Is he listening to you? Seems as though he would be suggesting some sort of tapering program for you instead.

I had to taper off ambien verrrrrry slowwwlllyyy. Even then, when I finally got to zero I couldn't sleep for a few nights, and I'd only been on them for a month, compared to your years. They are far more powerful than I'd ever dreamed, and messed with my head so much.

You might consider another doctor, or being OVERLY specific with your own. Tell a new one what dosage you've taken and for how long, and ask for a specific tapering plan over 90 days. Exercise, relaxation tapes on the iPod, and no drugs/alcohol was the only thing that ever got me to sleep after years of staring at the ceiling.