Ambien (zolpidem) affects chemicals in the brain that may be unbalanced in people with sleep problems (insomnia). Ambien is used to treat insomnia. The immediate-release tablet is used to help you fall asleep when you first go to bed. Ambien CR uses a two-layer tablet: one layer dissolves fast for sleep onset, and a second layer releases slowly to maintain blood levels for over 6 hours. In clinical trials, Ambien CR reduced nighttime awakenings for up to 5 hours after dosing, compared to 3 hours for the standard tablet. Ambien (Zolpidem) is a sedative-hypnotic (sleep) medicine. AMBIEN is used in adults for the short-term treatment of a sleep problem called insomnia. Learn about side effects, dosage, interactions, and warning. As of September 2018, zolpidem is marketed under many brands, examples include: Ambien 5 mg & 10 mg (IR oral tablets), Ambien CR 6.25 mg & 12.5 mg (controlled release tablets), Edluar 5 mg & 10 mg (sublingual tablets), Intermezzo 1.75 mg & 3.5 mg (sublingual tablets), and ZolpiMist 5 mg (oral spray). [1][100][11] Ambien is a prescription drug used to help treat insomnia in adults. Learn about dosages, forms, strengths, how to take the drug, and more. Zolpidem (Ambien) is commonly used short-term to help treat insomnia. It can be used to help people fall asleep faster or help them wake up less times during the night. Zolpidem is used to treat insomnia (trouble sleeping). It belongs to the group of medicines called central nervous system (CNS) depressants, which slows down the nervous system. Zolpidem will help you get to sleep faster and sleep throughout the night. Zolpidem is used in adults to treat insomnia. The immediate-release forms are Ambien, Edluar, and Zolpimist, which are used to help you fall asleep. Intermezzo, is used to help you fall back to sleep if you wake up in the middle of the night and then have trouble sleeping. Ambien side effects can be serious—from changes in mood to memory loss to parasomnia. Here are the side effects of Ambien, also known as Zolpidem, you should watch out for. Zolpidem (Ambien) is a medication that treats insomnia. It helps you fall asleep and stay asleep throughout the night.