Sleep Aids?

[ejaghana]

I've been having a serious problem with lack-of-sleep. 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. Anyone have experience with this stuff?

[maranajla]

Have you tried imagery or 'sleepytime' yoga or another form of alternative medicine? Just wondering as you have hesitations about traditional medication...

[ejaghana]

Originally Posted by maranajla

Have you tried imagery or 'sleepytime' yoga or another form of alternative medicine? Just wondering as you have hesitations about traditional medication...

I haven't! I think that would be so much better than a sleep aid if it works. The problem is that I don't have trouble falling asleep (at least not any more) I have problems staying asleep...

[NajlaHalem]

I take Benadryl. Not all the time, but only when I've got insomnia really badly. I know, I know, I shouldn't do it, but sometimes I'm desperate!

[nasila]

Make sure your room is really, really dark (or wear an eye mask). Your body only produces the sleepy hormone (melatonin) in the absence of all light. I've had the same problem lately (3am wake up) and it's been a lot easier to get back to sleep with an eye mask on.

Also, calcium late at night can help the body relax, and steer clear of TV, computer, and other stimulating activities for at least 30 minutes before lying down. I've heard you can ask a doc for an Rx of melatonin; a hormone is possibly safer and less addictive than whatever's in the other ones you named...might be worth looking into.

[kina]

dyphenhydramine (the generic of benadryl) is good, cheaper if you buy it in the generic as well. ccan rarely give side effects, gives me nightmares, and I can't get up the next morning.

valerian root in pill form is good (herbal remedy, but nasty to drink)

[ssipes]

Originally Posted by ejaghana

I've been having a serious problem with lack-of-sleep. 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 had this exact problem for years. My saving grace came in a strange form -- a herniated disc in my neck, accompanied by muscle knots that tightened up terribly at night. My doctor put me on flexeril (a muscle relaxer). I take one dose at night and thankfully I sleep through the night.

This medication is not addictive, neither is it generally used long term, but I have been taking it for two years now. It keeps me away from the neurosurgeon's knife and I feel so much better sleeping through the night. Several doctors have told me they see no harm in my extended use of it.

Sedonia

[NisreenBrooklyn]

I've used melatonin with good success -- haven't experienced any side effects or addiction issues. You can get it over the counter.

If you have trouble sleeping because your mind is racing, it might be helpful (contrary to conventional wisdom) to put on the TV or a book on tape or something. This usually works for me, although it used to make me feel guilty since I'd always heard that you're supposed to have that stuff turned off. But I recently read that some people actually recommend it because your mind can only have one narrative going on at once, and the book on tape or etc. can therefore preempt worrying about what happened that day or what you're going to do tomorrow.

And I know this is obvious, but you might think about what/when/how much you drink before you go to bed. For one thing, caffeine can affect your body for a longer period of time than you might think.

One more thing -- trouble sleeping can be a symptom of depression, so if you have any other symptoms, you might want to get checked out for that.

[sabrinabellydancer]

i second kina's suggestion for valerian root.
its generally considered safe and doesn't drug you up.

i'm generally not in favor of drugs that knock you out. what if there's an emergency and you can't wake up or are too drugged to handle the situation?

also, perhaps try hypnosis. a good hypnotherapist can teach you how to quiet your mind when its time to sleep.

[HubicRuzz]

You can try listening to the Sleep Induction Wizard which I have.

Sleep Wiz - Surefire Natural Remedy To End Insomnia Forever And Enjoy Energizing Sleep In As Little As 3 Days!

Basically you hear pulses which gradually slow down and the brain waves follow the pulses.

I also find that sweating in a steam room provides me better sleep at night if I haven't had a chance to detox for a while, like in winter.

[shimmygoddess]

Did you get hallucinations from Ambien? The one and only time I took it, I did. But i think it is b/c I didnt fall asleep immediately after taking it

[kina]

Originally Posted by shimmygoddess

Did you get hallucinations from Ambien? The one and only time I took it, I did. But i think it is b/c I didnt fall asleep immediately after taking it

who had hallucinations? I used to take ambien, but it's addictive, so I had to stop.

Trazadone (a mood stabilizer so can help with mild forms of depression) is also pretty good and not as many side effects

[tahiradancer]

Sonota is actually a good sleep aid. It has a very short half live so if you were to try other things to calm your mind - meditation, prayer, etc. - you might find that Sonata is better answer. This way, if you wake up in the middle of the night and can't settle, Sonota only lasts about 2.5 hours or so. In other words, it'll get you back to sleep and allow you to wake up if needed.

But I am going to agree with the idea of a bedtime yoga and meditation. Giaum has a great DVD called PM yoga. It is only about 20 mins long. Which works great for a pre bedtime ritual.

{{{HUGS}}}

[steffib]

I am almost addicted to my iPod: When I wake up at night, I turn on the iPod, which makes me fall back asleep within minutes. I found that podcasts and <don't laugh!!!> sitcoms are the perfect way to get me to sleep quick, and without disturbing my dearheart. That may be a no-drug thing to consider (it works perfectly for me, my husband doesn't even want to give it a try).

I believe know the first 10 minutes of pretty much every Frasier episode as well as one can, but hardly know the last 5 minutes, because I am so conditioned to fall asleep ;-)

[roxxanne]

Passion Fruit juice!!!

Or anything with passion fruit in it! In Brazil we make alot of things with it and you have to be careful cuz it really does make you sleepy.

And it tastes good:)

[ouroboros]

Originally Posted by kina

Trazadone (a mood stabilizer so can help with mild forms of depression) is also pretty good and not as many side effects

I second trazadone.

[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.

[Souzan]

Here are two tips I learned from my doctor:

1. Eat a small amount of protein before going to bed.
2. Do multiplication tables in your head.

Works every time. And no drugs.

Souzan

[aazura]

I use Diphenhydramine (Benadryl). You can get it in generic versions that don't cost as much. First I tried Somonex but then realized that the main ingredient is Diphenhydramine and started finding it in generic, cheaper versions. It helps take the edge off for me and works great when I have an overnight flight.

[Samirah-NH]

Originally Posted by Souzan

Here are two tips I learned from my doctor:

1. Eat a small amount of protein before going to bed.
2. Do multiplication tables in your head.

I do a variation of this, but with the alphabet. I'll either try to name all the states in alphabetical order, or as many animals as I can (or foods, or book titles, or any topic you choose) for each letter. I usually only get 1/3 to half way through the alphabet before dozing off.

[SummerSahar]

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.

Natural doesn't necessarily mean better. Whether you ingest something that comes from a natural source or a lab-synthesized source, they BOTH will chemically interact with your body and alter or influence your biochemical processes in some way. Any time you ingest something your body reacts with/to it. Natural does NOT mean automatically exempt from negative effects and is often mistaken to mean better for your body. Natural does not mean "gentler on the human body."

That said, have you tried a white noise machine? Often times, I wake up in the middle of the night due to a weird noise. I guess I'm a light sleeper. My boyfriend brought me a white noise machine and ever since, I've been able to sleep through the night. It's heavenly!