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I was disappointed with this interview for as others have stated there was the the standard got a problem take a drug attitude, which is what we get from too many doctors. Some few people might have no alternative but to take a drug but most people if they got up read a book, or meditated, for 1/4 to 1/2 an hour could get back to sleep without drugs and get a better deeper sleep experience.

Colin Powell in a Nov. 5, 2003 interview:

"Everybody here uses Ambien."

"Here" being the Bush White House.

How about awaiting the coroner's report before even referencing this incident, seems like tabloid time.

I guess to sound the cliche, common sense isn't too common.

Do alcohols differ in their soporific effects?

I've found plumb wine to induces a deeper sleep than regular red or white wine.

"Jack Nicholson reportedly warned Heath not to take Ambien

Is this, in fact, what he warned him about???

This guy is so propped by Big Pharma.

All this picking through Heath Ledger's medicine cabinet seems rather undignified and....slimy.

Jack Nicholson reportedly warned Heath not to take Ambien -

Ask the psychiatrist (if he doesn't have those big pharma ties) what he thinks of formulae like Dr Hofman's MD select sleep formula from Vitamin Shoppe - it has small amounts of 5htp, hops, melatonin and a few otehr herbs and works well. I am not fond of messing with drugs. Also there are nutritional aspects to sleeplessness and as a member of a family full of MDs I know this is not something MDs tend to be up on.

You should ask the Dr. from NYU to disclose any potential conflicts of interest he has with drug companies, especially those who make sleeping pills. Even if he says he doesn't have any conflicts, does he go to 'conferences' at nice locations, and 'professional education seminars' also in chic locations where drug companies pay for nice dinners and theater shows, etc? So, if yes, how objective can he be?

This 'contention' above is not without corroboration with recent stories in the general interest news about how drug companies bury clinical trials that do not show what they want to be shown.

Sleep eating, walking, driving are all things that can happen with overuse of sleeping pills. Some of these can be quickly or long term deadly. Of course, mixing sleeping pills with booze or other drugs is how many people die also.