Ambien is used for short-term treatment of sleeping disorders in adults. If you have any trouble, like not sleeping quickly, then it is a perfect medication for better rest at night. Ambien has a calming effect on the brain. Do not take a dose of this medicine unless you have had better sleep for 7 to 8 hours. If you have to wake up before that, you may have some memory loss, and you may have trouble doing your daily activities because your medicine dosages are not complete.