Ambien use not recommended for people with certain occupations, doctors say
By Melissa Rudy
Published July 24, 2025
Ambien is under scrutiny following recent claims about Joe Biden's use of the popular sleep aid.
In an interview with YouTube host Andrew Callaghan that was released Monday, Hunter Biden alleged that the sleeping pills could have contributed to his father's apparent cognitive struggles during the first 2024 presidential debate.
"He's 81 years old. He's tired as s---. They give him Ambien to be able to sleep," the former president's son claimed. "He gets up on stage, and he looks like he's a deer in the headlights. And it feeds into a f------ story that anybody wants to tell."
AMBIEN UNDER SCRUTINY AMID CLAIMS JOE BIDEN HAD BEEN TAKING SLEEP DRUG
Amid these claims, some have voiced concerns about the former president's possible use of the drug, which has been linked to memory problems and daytime grogginess.
Ambien (generic name zolpidem), a prescription medication for insomnia, is intended only for short-term use, according to GoodRx.
Some of the more serious and rare side effects can include hallucinations, "abnormal thinking and behavior" and "possible increased risk of dementia in older adults."
During a Tuesday appearance on "Fox and Friends," political reporter and author Salena Zito commented on the president's alleged use of Ambien.
DOCTORS EXPRESS CONCERN ABOUT BIDEN'S APPARENT COGNITIVE ISSUES DURING DEBATE: 'TROUBLING INDICATORS'
"For the guy who's supposed to answer the 3 a.m. phone calls — it's bewildering," she said.
"I can't imagine a doctor prescribing that to a president, and I can't imagine that this has been a secret." Who should not take Ambien?
The medication's prescription information warns of "potential impairment of activities requiring complete mental alertness," including operating machinery or driving a motor vehicle, which can last until the day after taking it.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) states that pilots and aircrew should not fly within 24 hours of taking a sleep aid.
"For the guy who's supposed to answer the 3 a.m. phone calls — it's bewildering."
"All currently available sleep aids, both prescription and OTC, can cause impairment of mental processes and reaction times, even when the individual feels fully awake," the agency states in its "Do Not Fly" guidelines.
Heavy equipment and machinery operators should also refrain from operating machinery within seven to eight hours — or ideally until the following day — after taking the drug due to delayed cognitive and motor recovery, according to the medication's prescribing info.
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Commercial truck drivers should adhere to these same cautions.
For drivers taking a prescription sleep aid, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration states that a medical examiner will review each medication and request a letter from the prescribing doctor to determine whether the drug will "adversely affect safe operation" of a commercial motor vehicle.
Experts also urge caution for law enforcement, first responders and medical workers in acute healthcare settings due to the risk of slowed reaction time, "cognitive fog" and errors in judgment.
"I think there may be times when physicians require sleep aids, but not in a way where they could interfere with performance during procedures," Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News' senior medical analyst, told Fox News Digital.
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For military personnel, the Department of Defense (DOD) requires service members to get a minimum of seven hours of sleep per night for "military readiness."
The DOD has also cautioned about the "physiological and cognitive negative side effects" of sleep aids.
For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health
Fox News Digital reached out to Joe Biden's representatives and to Cosette Pharmaceuticals, the current manufacturer of Ambien, for comment. Print Close
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