I am looking for opinions on the use of Ambien or other sleep aids prior to hiking Whitney. I realize this is not a substitute for the advice of my own physician, but I assume there is experience out there regarding this topic. I am a 45 year old female in good health and reasonably fit. I have successfully day-hiked Whitney three times and have one unsuccessful summit attempt, which I attribute to lack of sleep and possible AMS. I do not experience any symptoms of AMS when I hike Baldy or San Jacinto. I use Diamox only on Whitney, just in case. I take a low dose of Diamox the night before our hike and another dose 12 hours later. I do not use any other medications except for the occasional ibuprofen.
The inability to get good sleep prior to our hike is one of the most difficult parts of hiking Whitney for me. One year I tried Benadryl but it did not improve my sleep and if anything made me more groggy. Has anyone tried Ambien prior to hiking? Would I be able to wake up at 2:00 a.m.? Are there bad side effects that with the addition of altitude and Diamox would compromise my health or my hike? Are there other more natural sleep aids that are recommended? I appreciate any advice and opinions on the subject. Thanks very much.
