Sleep

Do I really need Ambien to treat my insomnia?

Part 1 of a series on how to use supplement and behavior-based plans to treat common maladies. To read the detailed plan, order supplements, or download the patient resource sheets, go here to create a free patient account at Fullscript by entering your name and email address: Dr. Mark McDonald’s Fullscript dispensary.

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I tell my patients that sleep, diet, and exercise represent the foundation of good health, both physical and mental. Like a three-legged stool, even if one component is wobbly or missing, the whole structure collapses.

Good sleep starts with good sleep hygiene, which means practicing the proper behaviors that lead to improved sleep quality. This includes waking up at the same time every day, getting morning exposure to sunlight, avoiding stimulants in the evening, and shutting off electronic screens at least one hour before bedtime.

Many people rely on Ambien and other benzodiazepines to fall asleep. I advise against this. These drugs are little more than powdered alcohol and affect the brain in a way very similar to liquor. While they may put you to sleep, they impair sleep quality, increase the likelihood of midnight awakenings, and generate dependency with chronic use.

There are much safer alternatives. Sleep research data is voluminous and robust, and it has produced solid evidence-based practices that include specific supplements that can measurably improve sleep quality and reduce sleep latency (the amount of time it takes to fall asleep). Examples include lavender, chamomile, magnesium, GABA, and melatonin. How and when to use them, in what amount, and in what form, however, can be difficult and confusing. Below is the sleep—or insomnia—plan I provide my patients. I am now sharing it with my Substack subscribers. To access the plan, you must first create a free patient account at Fullscript by entering your name and email address: Dr. Mark McDonald’s Fullscript dispensary.