How Long Does Ambien Stay in Your System? Detection Times & Effects

An estimated 12% of people in the U.S. struggle with chronic insomnia, a sleep disorder characterized by persistent difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up feeling unrested. Chronic insomnia generally occurs three or more nights per week, lasts more than three months, and cannot be fully explained by any other health problem.

Lack of sleep resulting from chronic insomnia can have a profound effect on one’s physical and mental health, according to a study published by the Mayo Clinic. It found that individuals who do not get at least 7 to 9 hours of deep, restorative sleep each night are more likely to be diagnosed with obesity, diabetes, depression, high blood pressure, stroke, and heart disease than those who do. To avoid the physical and psychological problems that can arise from not getting enough sleep, many people turn to prescription-based sleep aids. One of the more popular ones is Ambien.

How Long Can Ambien Remain in Your System?

When it comes to how long Ambien remains in one’s system, available data shows that the half-life, the time it takes for the concentration of a drug in the body to decrease by 50%, for Ambien is between 2.5 and 3 hours. For older individuals and those who have been diagnosed with liver or kidney disease, the half-life might be slightly longer since their body will take longer to metabolize the medication. Regarding how long Ambien remains detectable, it will continue to show up in blood tests for up to 48 hours after someone takes it. In urine, it will continue to show up for up to 20 hours, and in hair tests, it will show up for up to 5 weeks. Along with age and liver or kidney disease, weight, gender, and metabolism can dictate the detectability window of Ambien.

Test Type	Detection Window	Notes
Urine Test	24-48 hours	Most common drug test for Ambien; detects metabolites for up to 48 hours.
Blood Test	Up to 20 hours	Short detection window; mainly used in medical or forensic settings.
Saliva Test	6-8 hours	Detects Ambien for a short period; rarely used for drug testing.
Hair Follicle Test	Up to 90 days	Longest detection time; can reveal long-term use but not recent consumption.

What More People Should Know About Ambien

Also known as its brand name zolpidem, Ambien is a prescription sleep aid belonging to a class of drugs known as sedative-hypnotics. When taken as prescribed, Ambien does an excellent job of slowing down activity in the brain to help individuals fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. Because it is highly effective in these regards, Ambien is one of the most commonly prescribed sedative-hypnotics in the U.S. Available data shows that over 10 million prescriptions are written for Ambien (zolpidem) or Ambien CR annually.

According to the drug’s manufacturer, Cosette Pharmaceuticals, Ambien has a mechanism of action that is similar to that of more potent tranquilizers/sedatives (z-drugs), such as Xanax or Valium (benzodiazepines). When someone takes Ambien, it increases the availability of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain and spinal cord. That increase reduces the actions of other neurons in the brain, which leads to feelings of sedation that allow individuals to fall asleep. As effective as Ambien is, there are some downsides.

Side Effects of Ambien (Zolpidem)

Ambien (zolpidem) is a Schedule IV prescription medication used for short-term treatment of insomnia. It affects receptors in the brain to slow brain activity and induce sleep. However, it also has several potential side effects, especially at higher doses or when taken improperly.

Short-Term Side Effects

These effects typically occur after taking a single dose and may vary based on individual tolerance and metabolism:

• Drowsiness & Dizziness – Due to its effect on the central nervous system (CNS), Ambien can cause extreme drowsiness, dizziness, and lack of coordination.
• Memory Impairment – Some users experience amnesia or forget events that occurred after their last dose.
• Hallucinations & Confusion – Altered perception, including seeing or hearing things that aren’t there.
• Sleepwalking or Sleep Activities – Some people perform tasks like eating, driving, or talking while asleep.
• Gastrointestinal Issues – Nausea, vomiting, and stomach pain.

Long-Term & Higher Dose Risks

Chronic use or higher doses can lead to more severe health concerns:

• Dependence & Withdrawal – Long-term use may lead to physical and psychological dependence.
• Liver Function Impairment – Ambien is metabolized in the liver, and prolonged use can affect liver function, especially in individuals with pre-existing liver disease.
• Tolerance & Reduced Effectiveness – Over time, the body may adapt, requiring higher doses for the same effect, increasing the risk of overdose.
• Cognitive Decline – Prolonged use may impair brain activity, leading to confusion, slow reaction time, and difficulty concentrating.

Metabolism & Duration in the Body

• Ambien’s metabolites are processed primarily by the liver and excreted through urine.
• The drug has a short half-life (about 2-3 hours), meaning its effects wear off quickly, but residual drowsiness can persist.

Understanding Ambien Addiction and Why It Happens

Most people who start taking Ambien do so because they find it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep. Unfortunately, somewhere along the way, some people become addicted to the powerful sedative-hypnotic drug. That’s according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), which revealed that about 1% of people who use Ambien for insomnia develop an addiction. Increased tolerance is the primary driver of most Ambien addiction cases. To appreciate why that is, we should familiarize ourselves with what it means to build up a tolerance to a particular medication or drug.

How Ambien Tolerance Starts

Most people develop a tolerance to Ambien when they have been on it for too long or increase their dose without alerting their physician. Long-term Ambien use and failing to take Ambien as prescribed can trigger the following tolerance events:

• Pharmacokinetic tolerance – This particular tolerance occurs when the body metabolizes Ambien faster than usual.
• Pharmacodynamic tolerance – This form of tolerance occurs when the brain becomes so accustomed to the presence of Ambien that it becomes less sensitive to it.
• Behavioral tolerance – This form of tolerance occurs when the body becomes so adept at managing Ambien that it reduces the medication’s efficacy.

Ambien Withdrawal Symptoms

Whether it’s for its intended therapeutic use or strictly to achieve a euphoric high, when someone’s Ambien tolerance increases, they have to take more of the medication to derive the same effects. And the more they take, the greater their chances are of becoming addicted. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, an estimated 5 million people aged 12 and over misused prescription sedative-hypnotics, like Ambien, in 2022. When someone develops an Ambien addiction, they can experience numerous unpleasant withdrawal symptoms when they stop taking it. Some of those symptoms include the following:

• Anxiety and panic attacks
• Cravings
• Delirium
• Feelings of dysphoria
• Heart palpitations.
• Insomnia
• Psychosis
• Seizures
• Stomach pain
• Tremors

Ambien withdrawal symptoms usually kick in 6 to 8 hours after someone stops taking the medication. Symptoms typically peak on the second day and fade by the fourth or fifth day. While we are on the topic, it is worth noting that individuals who combine Ambien with other drugs, including alcohol, tend to struggle with greater physical dependence and more intense, not to mention longer-lasting, withdrawal symptoms when they finally stop taking the medication.

What Is the Safest Way To Quit or Better Manage Ambien?

The safest way for individuals ready to quit taking Ambien as a sleep aid is to work with a physician who can help gradually taper them off of the drug or find a suitable replacement. Sometimes, changing one’s routine, such as not watching television or using a smartphone or tablet before bed, can promote sleep and reduce the need for Ambien and other sleep aids altogether. The same applies to implementing relaxation techniques and making dietary changes, such as not consuming caffeine or sugary foods before bed. Individuals who have a long history of misusing or abusing Ambien solely for its euphoric effects might need to seek addiction recovery treatments with a licensed rehab facility.

How Licensed Rehab Facilities Help People Overcome Ambien Addiction

One of the most notable benefits of seeking the help of a licensed rehab facility when trying to quit Ambien is medication-assisted treatment (MAT). Along with reducing the dose of Ambien someone might be on, MAT involves round-the-clock monitoring by medical professionals and the use of prescription medications to help ease challenging withdrawal symptoms. It also includes counseling and behavioral therapies with a licensed therapist. Some of the medications approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to help combat Ambien withdrawal symptoms include the following:

• Antidepressants
• Beta-blockers
• Gabapentin
• Melatonin

Inpatient vs. Outpatient Recovery To Overcome Ambien Addiction

Both inpatient and outpatient recovery treatment programs can benefit you or a loved-one trying to break the cycle of addiction when it comes to Ambien. To determine which one of these two programs is right for you, it helps to know more about each of them. In an inpatient program, individuals must remain onsite for the duration of their addiction recovery treatment, which can be anywhere from 30 to 90 days.

Factors that dictate how long an inpatient treatment will last include the severity of one’s addiction, whether or not they have a co-occurring disorder, insurance coverage, and financial resources. While in an inpatient recovery treatment program for Ambien, individuals will begin their detox journey. They will also learn about addiction, relapse prevention, self-care, and how to manage insomnia without needing to resort to taking addictive sleep aids.

Like their inpatient counterparts, outpatient treatment programs also last 30 to 90 days. However, they do not require individuals to remain onsite for the duration of their treatment. These programs, instead, require individuals to attend group or one-on-one treatment sessions where they learn about addiction, relapse prevention, self-care, and how to manage insomnia without needing to take addictive sleep aids from licensed addiction experts.

Outpatient programs also offer counseling with a licensed therapist to help individuals deal with co-occurring disorders or stand-alone mental illnesses that might stand in the way of their addiction recovery. Since individuals only have to attend a few sessions each week in an outpatient program, they can fulfill family and work obligations in between sessions. Another key difference between inpatient and outpatient treatment has to do with detox assistance. Patients who need medication-assisted treatment while going through detox in an outpatient program will usually have to travel to a hospital or another treatment facility daily for such care.

Get the Help You Need To Overcome Ambien Addiction

Many people develop an ambien abuse problem or an addiction to Ambien when using it to combat insomnia, or explicitly to achieve a euphoric high. Fortunately, several treatment options can help individuals quit or better manage Ambien, including those offered in inpatient and outpatient addiction recovery programs. If you are looking for an ambien addiction treatment program, or an addiction treatment center that can help, consider speaking with a Long Island Interventions expert today. In some cases, a medical detox may be recommended to safely manage withdrawal symptoms.

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Published on: 2025-03-06
Updated on: 2025-03-06