Hi!
When I found out I had Stage IV lung cancer in January, I was TERRIFIED and couldn't sleep. My doctor perscribed Ambien also, but the insurance company wouldn't cover it. So he gave a different perscription. It took away a lot of my fear of going to bed and just lying there in fear and sadness all night. I was able to feel less fearful in general.
I took the meds every night for 30 days and then decided to try to cut back. I did and discovered the fear and shock were going away and I could sleep pretty normally. It's been five months now and I haven't needed help sleeping in months. But I keep that mediation around so I'll have it if I need it someday.
Hang in there. You will feel less scared and troubled at night as time goes on. And if you decide to keep taking the medication, that's fine. We all need to be kind and caring to ourselves when we are faced with something so unexpected and scarey.
Leslie