Ambien - Important Information, Precautions, Use, Side Effects, Order Online Ambien is a brand name for Zolpidem. It is employed to treat short term sleeping illnesses. It is a kind of sedative, also called hypnotic. Sometimes a few chemicals in our brain are unbalanced that can cause sleep illness like sleeplessness or insomnia. In order to treat insomnia, this medication affects chemicals in our brains that are unbalanced so that insomnia can be cured. Usually, it helps you to fall asleep when you go to bed. The immediate-release tablet helps you fall asleep, whereas the extended-release for Ambien CR has twolayers. Ambien is a prescription drug that helps you fall asleep, and Ambien CR is a prescription drug that helps you fall asleep and also helps you stay asleep. Basically, Ambien CR has a dual purpose. Both contain the same active ingredient, but both work differently. Also, Ambien is single-layered, but Ambien CR is twolayered. This sedative takes 3 hours to complete its action. Another name for Ambien is Zolpidem tartrate.