Vault: What Horrific Thing Did You Do While Taking Ambien?

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Bert Show

Episode: Vault: What Horrific Thing Did You Do While Taking Ambien?

Date: March 25, 2026

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Overview

In this episode, the Bert Show team explores the bizarre, funny, and sometimes alarming things people have done while under the influence of Ambien, a popular prescription sleep aid. The hosts and callers share first-hand and anecdotal stories about sleepwalking, strange purchases, and even uncharacteristic behaviors—often with no memory of these actions the following morning. The tone is candid, humorous, and slightly incredulous as the cast and callers try to make sense of the drug’s unpredictable effects.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Ambien’s Strange Side-Effects ([01:14]-[01:51])

• Host Tyler Redick introduces the topic by sharing about his mother’s bizarre behavior while using Ambien, such as food and knives left out on the kitchen counter with no memory of it.

  • “My mom was on it for a while. She was waking up in the morning and there was food and knives all on the kitchen counter. And she had no idea what she was eating. Zero idea.” (Tyler Redick, 01:14)

• Callers add to the theme with their own family stories, including a grandmother waking up on the front porch and someone making sandwiches in the middle of the night.

Hallucinations and Unusual Behavior ([01:51]-[03:11])

• Caller Melissa recalls a vivid hallucination involving a Tranquility Buddha figurine chasing her around her bedroom, then realizing she had called a friend in the middle of the night to report it—something she didn’t remember at all.

  • “The first time I ever took Ambien I hallucinated this Tranquility Buddha jumped off the mantel and chased me around the room…You called me at 3 o’clock this morning to tell me all about it. No idea, sorry.” (Caller Melissa, 01:53)

• Melissa also admits to late-night emailing while on Ambien, with no recollection.

• The hosts and callers debate the legality of Ambien and compare its effects to feeling “really drunk,” noting some people use it recreationally.

Embarrassing or Relationship-Altering Consequences ([02:55]-[05:13])

• Caller shares about sending inappropriate, “nasty” texts to a new boyfriend under Ambien’s effects—leading to confusion and embarrassment the next day.

  • “She took Ambien and she sent him some really nasty text messages that she didn’t even remember…and the next day he was like, what’s up with you?” (Caller, 02:58)

• Tyler discusses stories of spouses discovering their partners had intense, uninhibited behavior in the night, only to find out those actions were completely forgotten the next morning.

  • “…the husband walks down…his wife just attacked him and they had freaky, freaky, freaky…she was like this animal…and four days later they both realized that she had no idea what she was doing.” (Tyler Redick, 03:18 & 03:40)

Physical Altercations & Relationship Fallout ([03:49]-[04:33])

• Caller Tanya describes waking up to her boyfriend wrapped in dirty towels on the floor, covered in scratches, after unknowingly beating him up during the night on Ambien.

  • “Apparently I beat the ever living crap out of him and wouldn’t give him a blanket and wouldn’t give him a pillow and didn’t even let him in the bed.” (Caller Tanya, 03:51)
  • “He was in the dirty laundry. He was sleeping with dirty laundry to cover himself.” (Caller Tanya, 04:15)

• Hosts joke about the scenario, highlighting how out-of-character and extreme Ambien behavior can be.

Medieval and Thematic Hallucinations ([04:33]-[06:18])

• Caller Shannon tells a surreal story of “ancient history sex” with her husband, involving imaginary swords and shields, which she didn’t remember afterward. Her husband now anticipates Ambien nights.

  • “I felt like we had had ancient history sex. Like he had a shield and a sword…apparently, we had sex again…and I don’t remember any of it.” (Caller Shannon, 04:38)
  • “He said his odds are working out really good for him right now with Ambien. So every night he’s like, hey, you taking that Ambien before we go?” (Caller Shannon, 05:02)

• Another caller recounts bidding on and winning medieval helmets and chain mail on eBay, items she had no interest in, after a night on Ambien.

  • “I went and ordered all of these, like, old knight helmets, you know, with the chain mail. And I have no interest in that stuff at all…my husband’s freaking out, thinking that I’ve lost my mind.” (Caller, 05:37)

• The hosts joke about Ambien’s apparent tendency to inspire medieval and fantasy behavior.

Sleep-Driving and Night-Time Excursions ([06:18]-[07:05])

• Caller Clay describes a story of his sister who got dressed, left the house, drove to McDonald’s, bought food, and returned—completely unaware of any of it until waking up with food in her bed the next morning.

  • “…she grabbed her pillow, dressed herself, and walked right out the door. Jumped in her car, went and picked up food, came back home and went straight back to bed and had food all over her bed and she didn’t know how it got there.” (Caller Clay, 06:22)

• The team highlights the seriousness and humor of waking up next to fast food with no memory.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “How is that stuff legal then? If it does this to everybody, I don't know.” (Caller, 02:32)
• “You got to reevaluate that relationship.” (Caller, 04:30) in reference to someone forced to sleep with dirty laundry for warmth.
• “He’s crushing it up into your dinner. You don’t even know it.” (Tyler Redick, 05:09) joking about a husband taking advantage of Ambien’s effects.

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:14] — Host introduces Ambien stories with personal anecdote
• [01:53] — Caller Melissa’s hallucination and late-night calls/emailing
• [02:58] — Texting new boyfriend inappropriate messages
• [03:18] — Uncharacteristic sexual behavior and forgotten nights
• [03:49] — Physical altercation: boyfriend forced to sleep on the floor
• [04:38] — “Ancient history sex” and Ambien-fueled relationship boosts
• [05:37] — Medieval eBay purchases made in an Ambien haze
• [06:22] — Sleep-driving to McDonald’s and waking up with food in bed

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Tone & Language

The style throughout the segment is informal, lighthearted, and often self-deprecating. The hosts and callers approach potentially dangerous stories with humor, but there’s an underlying acknowledgment of the seriousness and unpredictability of Ambien’s effects.

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Summary

This episode of The Bert Show serves as both an entertaining and cautionary tale about the power and unpredictability of Ambien. Through a collection of outrageous listener stories—ranging from sleepwalking and hallucinations to unexpected intimacy and accidental shopping sprees—the hosts highlight that while some side effects are hilarious in hindsight, they can also lead to genuine risks. The unique blend of audience participation and candid conversation gives this topic a relatable and comedic edge, reminding listeners to be wary of what might happen after popping that little white pill.

Transcript

[Tyler Redick]

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[Tyler Redick]

This is the bird show your Ambien issue here, okay? Ambien is notorious. I mean, for people doing freaky things in the middle of the night and having zero idea about it. My mom was on it for a while. She was waking up in the morning and there was food and knives all on the kitchen counter. And she had no idea what she was eating. Zero idea.

[Caller 1]

She'd wake up at 2 in the morning, go make a sandwich, eating the whole thing, go to bed.

[Caller 2]

My grandmother was on it and woke up one day on her front porch. Yeah, I mean, like I've woken up in the middle of the night and sat on her like rocking chair on the front porch and that's where she woke up.

[Caller 1]

That's awesome.

[Tyler Redick]

Hey, Melissa, Good morning. You're on Q100.

[Caller 3]

Good morning, you guys. I had a fireplace in my bedroom and on the mantel I had a Tranquility Buddha. And the first time I ever took Ambie and I hallucinated this Tranquility Buddha jumped off the mantel and chased me around the room. So I'm talking to a friend the next morning. I said, you're never going to believe what happened to me last night. Your Tranquility Buddha jumped off the mantel and chased your own room. Scared? How did you know? You called me at 3 o' clock this morning to tell me all about it. No idea, sorry. But I've also emailed people in the middle of the night on Ambient. I've lost. I'm on Ambien. Yeah, I don't. I don't take it anymore.

[Tyler Redick]

Yeah, it's freaky. Freaky.

[Caller 2]

How is that stuff legal then? If it does this to everybody, I don't know.

[Caller 4]

What?

[Tyler Redick]

Do it to everybody? It doesn't do it to everybody. It just made me. It was really strong. Like I couldn't even walk up the steps in my house after I took an Ambien. That's why I switched over to Vanessa. It was too. Too strong for me.

[Caller 1]

So what would happen? You would just be like really drunk?

[Tyler Redick]

Like, I know some people that take and go out, they can have a great time on it because they're high as hell.

[Caller 2]

Yeah, there's a lot of people that

[Tyler Redick]

use it as a recreational drug because of all this.

[Caller 3]

I took it for you, Jessica Dollar.

[Caller 5]

You know that happened to my friend. Actually, my friend is dating this new guy. This is. This is perfect. Dating this new guy. And she took Ambien and she sent him some really nasty text messages that she didn't even remember.

[Caller 1]

Oh no.

[Caller 5]

And the next day he was like, what's up with you? I mean, new boyfriend. That's way to ruin it.

[Tyler Redick]

Yeah, we've heard stories of like the husband walks down or the. The wife walks downstairs and. No, the husband and is all sort of embarrassed because last night his wife just attacked him and they had freaky, freaky, freaky. Like she was like this animal and it happens for a couple of nights in a row and he thinks he's just the benefit of his kitty cat wife.

[Caller 1]

He's a man.

[Tyler Redick]

And four days later they both realized that she had no idea what she was doing. Zero idea. Hey, Tanya. Good Morning. You're on Q100.

[Caller 3]

Good morning, guys.

[Tyler Redick]

What's up?

[Caller 3]

I got physical. When I took it, I woke up to my boyfriend wrapped up in dirty towels on the floor. And I went to touch him and look, are you okay? And he jumped like 50ft in the air. I scared him and had scratches all over him. And apparently I beat the ever living crap out of him and wouldn't give him a blanket and wouldn't give him a pillow and didn't even let him in the bed.

[Caller 2]

Oh no.

[Caller 1]

So he had to sleep on the floor using a Towel as a blanket.

[Caller 3]

Yeah. He was in the dirty laundry. He was sleeping with dirty laundry to cover himself.

[Tyler Redick]

That right there, that's rock bottom.

[Caller 2]

That is horrible.

[Caller 1]

If you're trying to manipulate a sock, because part of you. A dirty old sock. Part of you is cold.

[Caller 6]

Yeah.

[Caller 2]

You got to reevaluate that relationship.

[Tyler Redick]

Wow. Shannon. Ambien. Tell us about it.

[Caller 6]

Hi. Good morning.

[Tyler Redick]

Hey.

[Caller 6]

Sunday night, I had sex with my husband and proceeded to tell him after sex that I felt like we had had ancient history sex. Like he had a shield and a sword, like the. And then Tuesday night, apparently, we had sex again. And I had no idea until Wednesday morning was he proceeded to tell me that I told him to get a sword out and let's get ready, and we had sex for, like, an hour, and I don't remember any of it.

[Caller 1]

Damn.

[Caller 6]

He said his odds are working out really good for him right now with Ambien. So every night he's like, hey, you taking that Ambien before we go?

[Tyler Redick]

He's crushing it up into your dinner. You don't even know it.

[Caller 1]

Hey, Wendy, you should invite him up to Medieval Times with us so you can practice with the sword and the shield.

[Caller 3]

I don't either.

[Tyler Redick]

We are going to have ancient history sex tonight. I don't even know what that means, but okay, let's do it.

[Caller 3]

Let's try it.

[Caller 1]

Then we'll have future sex.

[Tyler Redick]

What do you think?

[Caller 1]

All right. Sure. Call me.

[Caller 3]

Buzz Lightyear, Infinity and beyond.

[Tyler Redick]

Hey, Angela.

[Caller 3]

Hey. I. One night, it was like a weekend, I was sitting up late and I ordered a ton of stuff on ebay. I went and bid on all these auctions and won them, and I didn't even remember doing it. And all of a sudden, things start showing up at my house. And what's even stranger about it is I went and ordered all of these, like, old knight helmets, you know, with the chain metal. And I have no interest in that stuff at all. And all of a sudden, this chain mail and night medieval things start showing up at my house, and my husband's freaking out, thinking that I've lost my mind.

[Caller 1]

You got the movie 300Y, and we got this woman trying to put together a suit of armor.

[Caller 2]

Sword and shield lady, ambient.

[Tyler Redick]

Makes you go medieval man. Clay, good Morning. You're on Q100.

[Caller 4]

Hey. One night, my sister woke up in the middle of the night off of Avian, and she grabbed her pillow, dressed herself, and walked right out the door. Jumped in her car, went and picked up food, came back home and went straight back to bed and had food all over her bed and she didn't know how I got there.

[Caller 1]

Did she, like, go to a grocery store? Like, you mean take away?

[Caller 4]

No, like McDonald's.

[Tyler Redick]

Scary. Didn't even know she got into the car. Man.

[Caller 1]

How much does that freak you out, though? Like, if you wake up in the morning and you open, you know, you open your eyes and you roll over and there's a Big Mac in your bed.

[Tyler Redick]

Yeah, like, how in hell?

[Caller 1]

And it's like, if you live alone or something, you're like, what the hell, right? Like, how long does it take you to figure out that you went to McDonald's in the middle of the night?

[Tyler Redick]

We had one woman's call, dropped out that said Hamburglar. She always dreamt that she was a queen on a throne and she'd be barking orders to her husband.

[Caller 1]

Medieval again.

[Caller 3]

Oh, everyone needs to take it.

[Tyler Redick]

Everybody's going medieval.

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[Tyler Redick]

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[Alex Canceroitz]

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