Was prescribed ambien for sleep. i am able to fall asleep at night but cannot stay asleep. once i wake during the night its nearly impossible to fall back to sleep without benedryl. nervous to take ambien, is there something safer?

I would invest in 1 months subscription to uptodate.com and read all about sleep problems and how to improve your sleep without meds first. If that does not work then keep sleep diary and discuss with your Dr. Ask about sleep study if indicated.

Well balanced activities during the day with at least some physical activity, ideally outdoors, no tv or computer before bed time, light dinner hours before bed time, avoiding or reducing coffee and alcohol are only few suggested changes. Nights mirror our days and they are not all meant to be the same.

Sleep hygiene: Visit this site for info on this topic https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/sleep_hygiene.html Wish you good health!