if you have no tolerance to benzos (valium, xanax, klonopin) than just a 10mg dose of valium is enough to sedate you to the point you may not want to drive or perform tasks, as you will be a bit too confused, relaxed, and cozy, 5mg is a good dose to relax you but to the point where you aren't to sedated and clumsy as 10mg can make you. however everyone is different. start off with 5mg on an empty stomach, effects should start within 10-15mins. they say 10mg of valium is equilivant to .5mg xanax/.5mg klonopin, however i beg to differ, i feel 10mg of valium will effect you as the same as 1mg of xanax will, not .5mg , if your trying to compare.... Anyhow tolerance builds quick if taken everyday at increasing doses. benzos really aren't meant to be taken consistantly everyday like some medications, it's generally an "as needed" medication that you would take when you feel a panic attack coming on, or for sleep, if taken for example xanax 4x a day everyday, you will become immune to it and build a tolerance and need to up your dose. if you take valium once a day, the same dose, you should be borderline good, of course you wont feel the effects as good as the 1st time you take it, but im sure u will feel relief if only taken once a day, valium has a long half life too so im pretty sure it's effects will drag on to the next day. So if your trying to sleep, 10mg is the ideal dose of Valium to take, that's the dose that is given when taking an MRI to relax your muscles and nerves. So again 10mg is ideal for sleep, if taken everynight you should benefit. dont forget you will build a dependency physically if you do this longer than 2 weeks, and withdrawl can cause at severe cases seizures, coma, deaths..you should be fine, just try not to take it everynight for the sake of dependency and POSSIBILITY of tolerance