Ambien, a prescription sleep aid, comes in two formulas, Ambien and Ambien CR. According to the Ambien website, both formulas are used for short-term relief of insomnia in adults and are made with zolpidem tartrate. Ambien CR is made with the time release formula of zolpidem tartrate to improve the length of rest received. Ambien comes in 5mg and 10 mg pills, and Ambien CR comes in a 12.5mg pill.
Zolpidem Tartrate
The National Institutes of Health list zolpidem as a medication in the sedative-hypnotics classification. Zolpidem is used to treat insomnia and symptoms like difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. It is listed with the FDA as a controlled substance, and should only be taken by the individual prescribed.
Zolpidem causes the brain to slow its activity, allowing sleep to come easier and should be taken as close to bedtime as possible. Zolpidem has been shown to work quickly, in as fast as 30 minutes.
Since zolpidem is listed as a sedative-hypnotic and a controlled substance, the FDA and Drugs.com strongly advise it never to be prescribed to children.
Additional Ingredients
Zolpidem is the only active ingredient in Ambien and Ambien CR. A number of the remaining ingredients included are tableting agents and coloring.
Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose is a semi-synthetic tableting agent used in pharmaceutical formulas to help maintain consistent tablet and pill shape.
Lactose is used as an inactive ingredient to maintain consistency in weight and measurement in pill form.
Magnesium stearate is another tableting agent that resists water compounds to ensure finished tablets contain the right amount of active ingredient.
In addition, the Ambien tablets contain the following coloring agents in their formulas: FD&C Red No. 40, iron oxide colorant, polysorbate 80 and red ferric oxide.
Dissolving and Assimilation
The last few ingredients in Ambien and Ambien CR are to aid in dissolving the pill and assimilating the active ingredient.
Potassium bitartrate is a salt used in cooking and pharmaceutical formulas. It is used to stabilize ingredients and aid in dissolving pills.
Microcrystalline cellulose is a naturally-occurring substance used as a tableting agent. It helps bind ingredients and also enables the pill to disintegrate properly.
