Sleep Aids?

[Amaryllis]

Check out the Heath Ledger thread. They are speculating that his prescription Ambien might have been the cause of death. These medications can have some horrible side effects. I would try all natural things such as yoga, chamomile tea, nature soundscapes, warm milk with honey....anything but meds. Addictive is bad enough, but when you are taking a pill to help with one thing and you find your health suffering from a side effect, it just ain't worth it.

[jilyan]

Re the racing brain, I can soooo relate!! A fatigue specialist recommended taking a little time out each day (5 or 10 minutes) to let the brain just think and wander. That helps to quell the racing at night because you can say: not now, later. Like when the meditators tell you to "put down your baggage" because you know you can pick it up later. I thought it sounded silly but it's actually worked for me.

Now whenever I'm waiting for the lights at the pedestrian crossing or waiting for a bus I just let my brain think it's random thoughts ... then I don't have to do it at night. Mostly works but took a bit of repetition

[*Shira*]

Originally Posted by ejaghana

For the past year or so, I've been waking up in the middle of the night. Not only that, I can't go back to sleep! I toss and turn and think about the days events, what I need to do the next day, etc.

I thought I'd try to work through it, but I think at this point I need to try some kind of sleep aid. I'm talking Ambien or Lunesta or something, but I'm so afraid of getting addicted to the stuff.

A couple more thoughts...

I've found that I'm more likely to wake up in the middle of the night unable to get back to sleep if I have had beer or wine (either red or white) to drink in the evening. This is true even if I have only one drink. If you frequently have alcohol with supper, even if it's a small amount, you might want to try a few nights in a row without drinking any just to see whether that makes a difference.

Check the temperature of your bedroom. If it's too warm or too cool overnight, that can cause sleep problems.

If you do decide to try a prescription drug, please carefully research it. I've had some sleepless nights myself in the past (fortunately, I figured out what caused them and solved it), so I can understand why you might be willing to do whatever it takes for a solution. Sleep deprivation is very miserable, and after a few nights in a row it's easy to start considering extreme measures to solve it. So do what's right for you, but if you decide to try it, ask both your doctor and your pharmacist these questions so that you take appropriate steps to avoid creating new health problems for yourself:

• What are the side effects?
• What interactions does it have with other drugs? (You should give your pharmacist a list of other stuff you're taking, including dietary supplements like glucosamine or echinacea.)
• What are its contraindications? (That's the medical term which means, "What kinds of health issues would mean it's a bad idea to take this?")
• What are the known risks of taking it?

Remember that by taking a prescription sleep aid, you're treating the symptom and not solving the root problem. It's okay, sometimes that's what you need to do while you search for the root cause and solve it. But if you try the drug and it helps, please keep trying to figure out what caused your problem in the first place so you can solve it at that level and eliminate the need for the drug.

[ruta21030]

Originally Posted by Whisper

NOOOOOOO! Stay away from the 'medications'!!

But do try the natural herbal remedies as well as the relaxation techniques suggested. Valerian root comes in pill form and can be taken as long as needed. It is all natural, an herb, is not addictive and relaxes your central nervous system so you can go to sleep naturally. This allows your body to readjust its sleep schedule. The pills smell nasty (think old gym socks) but they're tasteless. If that doesn't work for you within a couple of days try Cava Cava (or kava kava), also available in pill form. THAT stuff works. Also all natural and works the same way Valerian Root does - both available at GNC or most any pharmacy. Neither have any side effects like meds (lethargy, mental impairment) and cava cava has actually been shown to improve reaction time and mental clarity (it is sometimes taken as an anti-anxiety - it's not strictly used for sleep).

But please stay away from the meds. They may help you sleep for a night but do nothing to help reset your body's clock to sleep naturally. They have side effects, can be habit forming, and at the very least are dehydrating.

ditto on the herbals mentioned.............

like ANY sleep assist, you don't want to OD or rely on them, but i've used valerian, and have friends who RAVE about kava kava..........i've found it just works with your own chemistry and doesnt really drowse, it's hard to describe.....i just get very relaxed, drift, and wake up refreshed.........they DO smell pretty awful, but as mentioned, has no taste (the after-burp is fun too , but i counteract that with fruit juice.

hope u find something that works (failing that you can always use a hammer, or a solid wall, works for me )