Sleep Aids Found with the Body of Actor Heath Ledger

Acclaimed actor Heath Ledger, the 28-year-old Australian native, was pronounced dead in his Manhattan apartment on Tuesday. As the world mourns, we also ask why. Ledger was a successful film actor with a 2-year-old daughter whom he was frequently seen out with. CNN reported that his body found by his housekeeper had pills strewn all around it; both prescription sleeping pills and over the counter.

While filming the Batman movie The Dark Knight, he spoke of his troubles sleeping. He told of how he took an Ambien and it didn't work, so he took another and only slept for an hour. Is this what happened here? Was he simply trying to get some rest and accidentally overdosed? The initial autopsy has proved inconclusive and will take another 10 days to get more results according to The Associated Press.

Ambien is a medication prescribed by doctors to treat insomnia. In many people this drug can cause hallucinations before falling asleep. If you aren't able to get a full night sleep; at least 8 hours, this medication should not be used as it can leave you feeling groggy in the morning. Ambien is not for long term usage. 10 mg is the maximum dosage of regular Ambien, 12.5 for Ambien CR (extended release) and should not be taken again in the same night if you fail to fall asleep. People using Ambien have been known to "get up" and do things such as eat or have conversations yet not remember them the next day.

If insomnia does not get better or worsens after 10 days a doctor needs to be consulted.

I have suffered from anxiety and insomnia for years and was given the highest dose of 10 mg of Ambien by my physician. I took the medication and went to bed. Nothing happened. I didn't even get groggy.

My husband took half the dose that I did when he went to the doctor about sleep issues and he had hallucinations for about a minute or two then fell into a deep sleep. These types of medications affect different people in different ways and need to be monitored closely. I understood the dangers of taking more Ambien than was prescribed so I refrained from doing so. Instead, I waited and went back to my doctor who later prescribed Trazodone for sleep.

Trazodone is a sedative but has the properties of an anti-depressant. I started by taking 50 mg nightly. This amount worked perfectly for me. The only drawback seemed to be that once I took it, I could not stay awake! That may sound silly, why would I want to stay awake after I just took a pill to go to sleep? Everyone has those times in their lives that something comes up at the last minute. Other people I have spoken to have complained of headache the next day, though this side effect did not happen with my usage.

After approximately one year my doctor increased my dosage to 100 mg. My body had grown accustomed to the 50 mg and I was not sleeping as well. It has been 3 years since the increase and my prescription has not needed to be adjusted since.

As with all medications, prescription sleep aids should only be used under the supervision of a doctor. There are many medications that when mixed cause extreme reactions, the worst of course being death.