Sonata – 10mg is probably the mildest sleep med. Since it totally wears off in 5 hours, there is no a.m. grogginess. If there is ever an emergency during the night you should be able to function normally and have full recall (memory) in the a.m.
Ambien – 10mg is 2 1/2 times stronger than Sonata 10mg and lasts 7-8 hours. The main advantages are duration, depth of sleep, and lower cost. Disadvantages (mainly at full dose of 10mg) include possible a.m. hangover, and if an emergency occurs during the night, there may be some lack of awareness and memory for the events in the a.m.
LUNESTA-This comes in 2mg and 3mg sizes and usually provides 7-8 hours of sleep. Studies show it is well tolerated, however, some individuals cannot take it because it causes an unpleasant taste.
Provigil – This is a mild stimulant used to treat daytime sleepiness associated with narcolepsy, shift work sleep disorder, and obstructive sleep apnea/hyponea syndrome.
Neurontin and Xyrem – both of these medications also allow normal sleep to occur with normal dream sleep and increased Stage 4 sleep.
