Sonata User Reviews & Ratings (Page 2)

• Apn...
• May 8, 2008

For Insomnia "I have sleep apnea and was on rotating shifts for 17 years. My doctor prescribed Ambien, which worked well if I had 7-8 hours to devote to sleep. I do not take it every night. I do wake up midway most nights. I was having difficulty getting back to sleep. My doctor then prescribed Sonata for the times when I have less than 7 hours to sleep. I found it effective and very mild. I can take it with as little as an hour of sleep time available, with minimal side effects."

• Aun...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 28, 2016

For Insomnia "I am bi-polar and awaken many times around 2 or 3 a.m. with racing thoughts. This makes it impossible for me to go back to sleep, and I am exhausted because of it. My doctor had me try Sonata, and by taking it at these times, I can get another 3 to 4 hours of sleep and awaken feeling very rested. I usually fall back to sleep within 15 minutes after taking it. Love it on those rough nights."

• Sw3...
• August 13, 2017

For Insomnia "Sonata, for the most part, is great. I've had insomnia for years now, and nothing seemed to phase me. I'm taking two 10 mg, and while it does work, I have those nights where it doesn't do anything. Can't even tell I took it. I usually take it around 10 pm. I've noticed if I have any food in my stomach, it doesn't work or doesn't work as well. If I take it on an empty stomach, it works great. With my schedule, I sometimes can't eat until around 8:30-9:00 pm, so on those nights, I usually don't even take it because I know it won't work. Also, sometimes I wake up after about 4-5 hours of sleep and can't go back to sleep. Then some nights I sleep all night. Not sure if it's just me, but it seems like Sonata is very finicky."

• Iva...
• October 17, 2009

For Insomnia "Falling asleep can be a bit of a challenge when my back and legs are cramping. Feels like a broomstick is constantly pushing hard on the lower left side of my back. This pill said to take immediately before bed. It takes about 70 minutes for me to shut down after taking it. Other pills give aching shoulders and joints, this one does not, and no grogginess either. I can sleep through at least 6 hours after use, and I appreciate the development of one medicine that works for me, as I have tried many, and they do not work well or have negative side effects."

• Jaz...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 14, 2020

For Insomnia "I was previously on Lunesta, it didn’t work. Trazodone made things worse, and Ambien 10 mg, which was the best, but my body got too used to it. I was prescribed 5 mg of Sonata and instructed to take 1-2 at night as needed. I ended up taking them the first night, and it was basically like popping Tic Tacs. I didn’t even yawn. Worst medicine EVER!"

• ela...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 20, 2012

For Insomnia "It didn't help me fall asleep at all. I tried it one night, and I didn't sleep the whole night, so I tried it again during the day since I hadn't slept at night, no bueno. Made me cough and hack really bad and sinus, had chest pain the next day. I tried again one more night, still no sleep."

• Bel...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 20, 2019

For Insomnia "I’ve had insomnia for around 16 years. Doctor tried me on multiple medications because nothing seemed to work. Ambien worked the most, but I began to build a tolerance to it, so I was given Belsomra samples to try. Best medicine ever. Quickly fell asleep and stayed asleep and not groggy the next day. Went to fill the Belsomra prescription, and insurance wouldn’t cover it because it’s a new drug without generics. Cost was approximately $500 for one month. Doctor said we could get the prescription covered if we now tried two more medicines, and if they didn’t work, the insurance would approve the Belsomra. So we gave Sonata a go, and it might as well be a placebo. Only get about 2-3 hours of restless sleep a night. Everyone has different reactions, but for me, it didn’t do a thing."

• Lad...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 9, 2016

For Insomnia "Started on 10 mg for 1 week with little results. Woke up twice every night, seems like it took forever to get back to sleep. Doctor increased dose to 2 10 mg per night - it's been a month now, and I'm still waking up at least twice each night. I have tried taking both capsules around 9-9:30 PM, or 1 at 9:30 PM & the other around 11 PM, same sleep interruptions. I decided to just get up at 4 AM - when I'm awake the second time and stare at the TV or fix my husband's lunch. I'm still not feeling as if I'm getting a good night's sleep - find myself tired and grouchy during the day and early evening. Feeling very frustrated."

• 2...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 30, 2017

For Insomnia "I have no problem going to sleep (9 or 10). I'll quite frequently wake up at 1:00 am or 2:00 am and cannot get back to sleep. When this happens, I take 10 mg, and I will quickly go back to sleep until 4:30 am or 5:00 am, which is the time I get up. If I get 6 to 7 hours of total sleep without waking up, I won't take the Sonata."

• Ver...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 25, 2016

For Insomnia "This is by far the worst pill prescribed for sleep! I felt anxious, irritable. Heart was racing, headache, and my blood pressure increased along with abdominal discomfort and muscle pain. And if I do fall asleep, it's for an hour or so, and I'm up for another hour and find it very hard to fall back to sleep. Never again! This pill is not for me!"

• Coo...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 27, 2018

For Insomnia "I wanted to try an alternate sleeping pill because Trazodone makes me eat carbohydrates crazy and put on weight. So he gave me Belsomra, and I was scared of those side effects, so I declined it. Tried Sonata 10mg, and I didn't go to sleep. Maybe I slept 2-3 hours and have a nauseous stomach, feel jittery, and tired. Hated it. Would rather have the weight gain and carb cravings if it means I'll sleep and wake up feeling great."

• Sus...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 29, 2020

For Insomnia "A major stroke messed up my sleeping patterns. I can go without sleep for a week. I can be dead tired, but I will not fall asleep. The doctor first had me on Ambien, nothing, then Lunesta, which worked great until the government insurance refused to cover it. I have issues both falling asleep and staying asleep. To complicate matters, I take Adderall too. The nurse practitioner told me to take the pill after dinner. I was taking it at 9 PM, I even opened it and put it in applesauce so it could be easily digested. It is not working. I end up falling asleep at 2 am. Then I can't get up. It is a nightmare."

• fin...
• April 5, 2018

For Insomnia "Works. I used to take Ambien (zolpidem) for years. It had major long-term memory effects. Now it works, but if I wake, I'm wide awake for hours. Sonata is different. Somewhat like Valium (diazepam) but shorter acting. I generally need two. I try one first. If no sleep after two hours, I'll take a second (10 mg). Works about 95%. One only works 50%. I'll note that sometimes taken with a full stomach, but that doesn't seem to affect. I do feel pretty rested after this medication, 1 or 2 doses. Also works well if I pop up after 2-3 hours, 1 will do. I give it an 8 rating: the addiction notes here (no surprise) and my past history of memory loss make me suspicious, and I can't rate for more severe needs. In fact, I wouldn't recommend it for either regular nor long-term use. Useful for intermittent use."

• Mub...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 27, 2021

For Insomnia "This is the only med that has ever worked with my extreme insomnia and anxiety, especially at night. I also have ADHD, bipolar, and am suffering from racing thoughts. This med, along with my bipolar med, not only is the only med combo that's worked effectively long-term for me after 23 years of searching for the right med combo. I've been diagnosed with severe insomnia, bipolar, and severe anxiety since I was 10 years old, but it's also the least amount of pills I've had to take to get these positive results. As always, do your own research, but if you're struggling with insomnia and anxiety, with it being more intense at night, I would 100% talk to your doctor to see if it is the right med for you. The only downside, after being on Sonata a number of years, is that my insurance covering it last year stopped covering it, and I started having to pay out of pocket, but it wasn't too expensive at my local privately owned pharmacy: $42 at CVS Pharmacy, it was a little pricier at $78."

• Sur...
• March 15, 2017

For Insomnia "I was taking this medication on and off for over a year. Although it did help me go back to sleep, I found myself going to the doctor more and more for constipation, stomach pain, muscle pains, anxiety, and the worst one, tingling all over my body. I went through all sorts of miserable medical tests, and everything came back normal. It finally occurred to me that maybe this medication was causing all of my misery, so I looked up the side effects, and sure enough, they are all listed. I am in the process of weaning myself off of this medication and feel like absolute crap. I wish I had never started this medication! My recommendation is: get a sleep study, try 'natural' (less addicting) sleep aids, or trazodone and therapy for stress."

• Man...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 13, 2019

For Insomnia "I tried this for a while. Yes, it helped me sleep well. But... I was so sick. Anxious feeling, muscular pain, high blood pressure, terrible headaches. Plain misery! I should have realized it sooner, but it wasn't until I stopped it that those illnesses went away. Never again will I take that medication. I'm back to doxylamine succinate, and I feel normal again!"

• Col...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 1, 2021

For Insomnia "Incredible! I started having trouble staying asleep in 2017, when I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and then later, small fiber peripheral neuropathy. I started to give up hope that I would ever know sleep again (in the past I used to fall asleep as soon as I laid my head down and could sleep forever-if the world would permit it). My doctor prescribed Sonata a week ago for when I wake up, since I can't sleep longer than 4 hours at a time without waking. It's AMAZING. It really works, and I feel no side effects from it. I take 1000 mg of gabapentin a day, so it's hard to say, but I feel really great and grateful. I used to be against prescription drugs, but at some point, you reach that point..."

• Ech...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 18, 2020

For Insomnia "I have tried numerous sleeping pills, and it's difficult to find what's right for me because of the way it reacts. 2 previously were Ambien, which only worked for 2 weeks before it would just give me jittery energy. I took Lunesta for around 4 months, I kept getting a tolerance to it. Anyway, I like Lunesta the best, but I need something else to get my tolerance down for a month. I tried Sonata, and it does not make me sleepy. I feel kind of a high, I suppose, for a short time, and then this hangoverish feeling before I can go to bed. It doesn't really work unless I'm asleep. A big downfall, though, is the longer I sleep on it, the more tired it makes me. I cannot really feel it for almost half a night, and then it's super difficult to get out of bed in the morning."

• Dit...
• September 10, 2017

For Insomnia "It made my blood pressure spike (190/119). This was in the late morning, early afternoon after taking, so I have to assume it was when the CNS suppressive effect was wearing off. My doctor (a psychiatrist) was not interested in discussing the possible reasons for this. I had pounding in my head and pressure against my left eyeball."

• Tin...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 13, 2020

For Insomnia "I have had insomnia since I was a teenager. By having little sleep made me susceptible to being sick a lot as a young woman. Once I was prescribed Lunesta by my psychopharmacologist, it really helped, but over many years I became kind of 'immune' to it. My doctor recently prescribed Sonata, and I love it. It is gentle and does not leave a hangover. I take it before I go to bed, and it usually helps me right away."

• Zal...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 11, 2022

For Insomnia "The effect of zaleplon is very much like the effect of zolpidem tartrate (Ambien), but zaleplon feels weaker to me. I used 5 capsules total in a night, 1 then 2 then 3 at later times, but the drug did not put me to sleep. Zaleplon tablets may be more effective than zaleplon capsules."

• Anonymous
• February 14, 2009

"I took Tylenol PM for several years, and then I started needing more help. I was not able to go to sleep and stay asleep. My doctor prescribed Sonata. It is mostly wonderful. My doctor prescribed 10 mg. If I take 10 mg, I have terrible nightmares. So, I take 5 mg about an hour and a half before I go to bed. It does not work immediately on me. I also take 2 Tylenol PM tablets. Sonata helps me go to sleep, and Tylenol PM helps me to stay asleep. Even if I wake up in the middle of the night to go to the restroom, I usually don't have difficulty going back to sleep."

• hsc...
• November 26, 2011

For Insomnia "Like Ambien, it's good for a solid four hours, but then I wake up totally unable to go back to sleep without taking another dose. It's good if you only need help getting to sleep."

• phl...
• July 25, 2017

For Insomnia "Mother passed away; had to quit my job after 19 years; had surgery on my left hand; had to be retrained. Definitely had a hard time sleeping with all of that going on. Sonata was the answer for me!!!"

• Sle...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 4, 2019

For Insomnia "Sonata medicine does nothing for me. Tried 10 mg as recommended. Upped it to 20 mg, nada. I never went to sleep or felt sleepy."