You need to always take your Ambien dosage as directed by your doctor.  You should never take more of it or more often than it has been prescribed.  If too much of this sleep medication is taken it may become habit-forming, possibly causing mental and physical dependencies. 

You should take your Ambien dosage just before going to bed.  These medications work very quickly in putting you to sleep.  You should never take it unless your schedule allows you to get a full 7 to 8 hours of undisturbed sleep.  If you wake up before this period of time, you may continue to feel drowsy and may also experience some problems with your memory as the sleep medication has not had a chance to wear off. 

Your dosage of Ambien may be taken with or without food or on a full or empty stomach.  It may work faster if taken on empty stomach. You need to follow your doctor's instructions however, if he tells you to take it a certain way. 

Ambien dosage:  

Your Ambien dosage will be different for each individual patient.  Once again, you always need to follow the directions by your physician or on the label.  The following instructions only include the average dosages of Ambien.  If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor has told you to do so.  Also, the number of tablets taken will also be dependent upon the strength of the medication. 

Oral Ambien dosage form (tablets): 

For the treatment of insomnia (sleep problems): 

• Adults-10 mg at bedtime

• Older adults-5 mg at bedtime

• Children up to 18 years of age, use must be determined by your doctor. 

If you miss your Ambien dosage, you should skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule.  You should never double up on doses of this or any other sleep medication.