Ambien....I call it a defibrillator for your body's circadian rythm. A great tool for crossing time zones; but it is a tool, not a toy. Much like a real cardiac defibrillator.
The first time you take it, take it (at home) EARLY in the evening when there is someone you trust at home who will be awake.
You will not remember anything.
Take it and go to bed; don't try to stay up....because you just might succeed in staying up. That's a bad thing. If you're awake but under Ambien (ABUA...a new acronym!), you won't act drunk or inebriated. You can have perfectly lucid conversations and actions; you just won't remember any of it and could do or say some VERY uninhibited things. (Having sex is one of the side effects listed on Ambien's package insert!)
Many people (including me) find Ambien completely ineffective if taken after eating. When flying, I generally take 10mg when I see the FAs prepping for meal service...about 1/2 hour before eating. I feel the affects begin about meal time. (Affects for me: a slight metallic taste, a bit clumsy if I try to walk - so I don't. The dead giveaway for me is if I am reading, the letters will begin to wander about the page. A bit disconcerting the first time, but amusing thereafter). FOR ME, the affects of regular Ambien (10mg) wear off in 4-5 hours. Ambien CR lasts 7-8 hours. If I want 6 hours of sleep, I take an AmbienCR and bite it in half before swallowing. (Breaks the time delay coating)
Once at my destination, I use it for the first two nights....at bedtime. Bam! My body is on local time and I sleep normally for the duration.
Benadryl leaves me hung over and dry-eyed the next day...and I don't find the sleep very restful. Knocked out does not equal sleep. Ambien is actual sleep.
Some people have negative experiences - that's why the first few times you take it should be under controlled/observed conditions. It's a serious medication and not to be taken lightly. Most people don't appreciate the product warnings - afterall, we've become so bombarded with warnings that they become part of the scenery. Read the package - if you're not confortable with the listed warnings, go another route.