I took a 1mg ativan 24 hours ago. Could I safely take an ambien for sleep since it has been 24 hours or should I wait longer?

It isn't prudent for anyone online (even a doctor) to answer medication taking questions, because the health history of each person is different.
In general a healthy person should be able to take a prescribed Ambien 24 hours after a prescribed Ativan.
Are both prescriptions prn and that's your concern, because there's no schedule?

Thanks. They are both prescribed by a doctor. In fact, I HATE taking medication at all. That's why I am so paranoid about how to take it. The Ativan is prn and the Ambien is nightly. I'm trying not to take much of either one because I've read that they are addictive. Yes, the schedule is a concern. I go to a free clinic here in my city and I see a different doctor each visit because they are volunteers. Many don't have the time to explain anything or even what they are prescribing. I also take Paxil(anxiety,depression), Metoprolol(SVT), Pulmicort(asthma) and Nexium because all of these darn meds give me acid reflux. I hate it.. But, thanks for the answer.

Yes, they can both be very habit forming and addictive.
Did you have the SVT before the depression and asthma, both of which can be side effects of taking Metoprolol? And both of which should be closely watched when you are taking that drug?
Some thoughts to consider: you are being treated for rapid heart beat, and at the same time being given a psych drug used for both anxiety and depression. Your body isn't always going to know whether it's speeding up or slowing down. In the ideal world, you would have some space age device that would release just the right amount of each drug that is needed for the next few hours.
Anxiety and depression often go hand in hand, but not at the same moment. If you need Ambien and Ativan more lately, you might be a bit more depressed than anxious, and you might want to talk to a doctor about being more flexible with the Paxil, such as decreasing it just to see if it's keeping you awake. People are very individualistic in response to SSRIs.
Just my humble opinion.