i have pretty sever insomnia which is i think part of some pretty sever ptsd i also have. i take Valerian to help me sleep and it really works quiet well and has less side affects than the various prescriptions i have tried over the years. i have never tried ambien. also i sometimes take benadryl when i am having a lot of trouble with sleep and it really makes me sleep. benadryl doesn't work for everyone some people get hyper on it. definitly speak with a doctor. actually it was my doc that told me about valerian when i got sick of all the prescriptions.