anyone has insomnia

[someguy 67067]

I've tried Melatonin and valarian and 5htp and they don't seem to work for me.

I have some prescription sleeping pills that work , but I don't want to take them often. I read that sleeping pills can be addictive and dangerous. Dr Oz says taking 18 pills a year triples your chance of death.

I take SleepMD and UniSomme and they seem to work, but I feel Groggy in the morning. Do you find that you don't dream if you take pills.

Any other suggestions?

[cat 262460]

The key with melatonin is to take it about an hour before bed. Dim the lights, turn off the tv and computer then do something quiet. Also look at your dosage. I take 20mgs per night as my doctor prescribed but if I wake up too early, I will decrease the dosage by 5mgs for a couple of days. It does not work like sleeping pills, increasing the dosage will make you sleep less, not more. HTP5 crosses the blood brain barrier more readily than melatonin but works differently. I have at times taken both on the recommendation of my doctor. It depends on what else is going on in my body and my current stress levels. He suggested I take both regularly if I find it beneficial. I have a sleepy time routine that is really helpful and if it is changed, I don't fall asleep as quickly.

Good sex just before my bedtime shower helps exceedingly well...

cat

[backrubman 64800]

I find that nothing beats Ambien (Zolpidem). I do have what is sometimes a high pressure job and sometimes too much intellect and my mind sometimes refuses to shut down so Ambien is a rarely used, but a wonder drug (for me) when really necessary. The molecules are very small and go thought the GI track very quickly. In my case (and most others) you take this on an empty stomach and dam well better be in bed and ready for sleep with in 15 minutes after taking it or you are at risk of falling asleep on your way to bed. The half life is so short it wares off very quickly so no grogginess in the morning.

 

In severe cases Ambien CR (controlled release) will keep you asleep longer but I find just getting asleep to be the problem so regular Ambien (10 mg) is usually more than sufficient. I can't see how it isn't completely safe as they have been using this very drug to repair the brain and bring otherwise comatose patients out of their coma by administering 20 times the usual dose and it is the most prescribed sleeping pill in the US.

 

That said, I usually take advantage of a visit to a foreign country to get a prescription and bring back some for personal use if I am running low.

 

While "approved" in Canada it remains unavailable so the next best (closest commonly available Canadian equivalent is Imovaine (Zopiclone) which is inferior in every way (takes an hour to work and not as well and sometimes leaves a bad taste, copper like, in your mouth).

 

For really troublesome insomnia nothing beats Ambien. Not available in Canada :) But if you have occasional throuble sleeping and can get some, well worth the effort.

[melni_ca 100]

Insomnia isn't so bad - I get to do a lot of reading in the quiet hours after dark! Mind you, when you've experienced a full week of little to no sleep, the wakeful hours can be a bit disorienting..haha.

[Guest John Revelator]

If I can't sleep I get up and read or play some guitar or watch some television if need be. I usually don't have a lot of trouble falling asleep but staying that way is the problem from time to time. The older I get the worse it gets. I remember as a teenager I could go into a coma for 12 hours straight! Not anymore. LOL

[Jhena Grey 25615]

Sometimes I will take a gravol. I don't want to become dependent on it so I only take it if I know I have to be up early.

[The General 11309]

After reading all this, I realize how fortunate I am. I don't need more than about 6 hours of sleep a day, and when I decide to put my head on the pillow, most of the times I can't even remember anything, other than waking up in the morning.

 

I used to have a few sleepless night, but that has been awhile, and most of those were work stress related.

[SamanthaEvans 166766]

I once did a survey on a life insurance website, answering questions about my lifestyle. I said that I got, on average, about six hours' sleep a night. One of the survey results was that, if I were to sleep seven hours a night I could extend my life by over two years. That sounded interesting, until I did the math and discovered that I would be sleeping more than two years in total to get the results!

 

Arguably, it might be worth it anyway, but when I can't get back to sleep, I tell myself how ridiculous it is to live a little longer in order to be unconscious!

[Athos 108589]

I once did a survey on a life insurance website, answering questions about my lifestyle. I said that I got, on average, about six hours' sleep a night. One of the survey results was that, if I were to sleep seven hours a night I could extend my life by over two years. That sounded interesting, until I did the math and discovered that I would be sleeping more than two years in total to get the results!

 

Arguably, it might be worth it anyway, but when I can't get back to sleep, I tell myself how ridiculous it is to live a little longer in order to be unconscious!

 

 

"To sleep, perchance to dream; Ay, there's the rub"

 

Couldn't resist ... How often do we see Shakespeare on Cerb.

 

Porthos

[Chanel Reign 28097]

Two words...

Sleep Clinic.

 

Not everyone needs 8 hours of sleep, if you feel rested when you wake up that's all that really matters.

If you don't, you should see a doctor.

 

There seems to be an awful lot of self medicating going on in this thread, (which I don't totally disagree with,) but self medicating can be dangerous, even with natural items.

 

Sleepeze can be very dangerous for the heart, and St John's Wort, when taken improperly (like with wine or cheese) can lead to an increase in blood pressure.

 

I hope everyone's playing as safe with the OTCs as they do with sex. ;)

 

This is so true. OTC remedies can play havoc with cognitive behaviour and your physical health

 

I have a form of insomnia. When I went to get tested (and no they didnt stick a thermometer up my bottom!) they woke me up after I had 60 unconscious awakenings. The actual #1 stage of REM sleep and the average person has 12-15 in an 8 hour night.

 

And most people dont need 8 hours of sleep. Some need 6, some need 9; everyone is different, you know what you need.

 

My biggest success is routine, and I dont deter far from it. Not just when I go to bed, but everything leading up to it. What I do to what I think about as I fall asleep.

[someguy 67067]

I think that I have found the problem.

I was put on a double dose of Lipitor and that gave me, memory loss, brain fog, insomnia.

 

google

 

Lipitor insomnia

lipitor side effects.

 

You will be shocked at what you find.

[Nicolette Vaughn 294340]

I've had insomia for the past week. I cleaned my whole house the other night because I couldn't sleep. Had 4 hours sleep last night and sleeping pills no longer work. I think it's just a matter of turning my mind off. I stayed up all day today with no naps and no caffeine so here's hoping for a better sleep tonight but then again I'm in a hotel room by an airport... Damn...You can only hide dark circles with makeup for so long..

[JuliasUndies 7288]

Hi!

 

A new insomniac to the club!

 

Can I get melatonin over the counter or do I nees a prescription?

 

Over the counter in the same aisle you'd buy your tylenol.

 

If no natural ways are working and y'all really need sleep, I suggest talking to your doctor about zopiclone. You'll be asleep before you walk up the stairs and stay that way for hours. It's not covered by insurance but it's an 80's drug so it's pretty cheap. Honestly, the side effects are mind numbing but it has saved my life.

[Nicolette Vaughn 294340]

Damn, still awake!!!

[The General 11309]

I usually sleep well, but was up at 4am this morning, however, having a gang over and eat "bad" food, sometimes the body does like and it tells you so, and make you pay a price for it. It was good going down though.

[Nicolette Vaughn 294340]

Damn, still awake!!!

 

And still awake again tonight! I'm going to see a doctor about this. I slept 4-5 hours last night in a hotel with a nice bed but crappy pillows and was up at 7:30 am to go to the cottage and then a 7 hour drive home earlier last night. I can't chalk it up to stress because usually I can roll with the punches and there will always be stress in everyone's life but almost like a dull but pounding headache as well.

 

Update... I got a full 8 hours sleep last night with no interruptions. I think I broke the cycle. Thank God!

[someguy 67067]

Some times i feel hungary when I go to bed. But am too lazy to get up to make something to eat. An hour later, I will go down and usually make a peanut butter sandwich. After which I usually fall asleep. It helps to have a snack before you sleep

[someguy 67067]

Still having problems.

Take a sleeping pill ever 3 days to make sure I get a good night sleep.

otherwise I get up in 3 hrs and then toss and turn.

I tried 5htp, Niacine B3. valerian, melatonin, but does not seem to work.

Don't want to get addicted to sleeping pills.

 

Any other suggestions.

[Guest Ve**Di**ySe**et]

I might have you all beat! I once went 11 days with no sleep at all (I'm serious). The doctor did not want to prescribe me medication early on, he said it might be dangerous. I literally got to the point of trying to knock myself out to sleep...it was seriously torture. On day 10, he said that if I hit 14 days I actually could die (weakened heart/arithmya) so if it went 12 days, he'd need to admit me to the hospital. Mercifully, on day 11, I passed out and slept for 18 hours straight. I woke up, ate, went to the washroom, then went back to bed and slept for another 12!!

[oldblueeyez 15475]

I didn't read this whole thread, but beware of sleeping pills.

 

Sleeping pill use tied to higher death risk

 

I'd say one of the best ways to improve your sleep is to destress your life as much as possible: dejob, deevorce, delocate, whatever. If you have a stressful job in a stressful city and in a stressful marriage, get rid of them all, get damn rid of them all!

 

Be happy will less money and less stress.

[someguy 67067]

None of the remedies I've tried work.

Except sleeping pill. which I don't want to get addicted to.

 

I am going to try

Chia Seeds.

 

Currently trying Magnesium citrate.

 

Any other suggestions?

[Guest N***he**Ont**y]

Have you tried Melatonin?

[someguy 67067]

Doesn't really work for me.

[Guest N***he**Ont**y]

May we suggest a duo then? Perhaps a hot blonde and a redhead to tire you out?

[someguy 67067]

Can't afford it every night :)