Yet another vote for melatonin.
jabiru - it’s illegal in Australia? Why?
I only get a cold or bug once every 3-4 years, but Night Time TheraFlu, with its steamy, lemony goodness, really knocks me out. I know this because I am just getting over a nasty “bug” and have relied on drinking one or two mugs of it before bed to sleep through the night.
Alcohol has never worked as a sleep aid for me, personally.
Never discount the placebo effect.
Now alcohol, while it can some measurable negative effects on the quality of sleep, it also does have measurable effects on the ability to get to sleep. This is the obstacle facing many people having sleeping problems; getting to sleep in the first place.
Actually when I have problems with sleeping, it’s the inability to stay asleep that’s the issue. I can always fall asleep no problem. But then I start waking up repeatedly after about 2 hours and basically spend the rest of the night hovering between sleeping fitfully, reading and staring at the ceiling.
About 15 years ago - first and last time I got a scrip for sleeping pills - the doc prescribed something that didn’t kick in until 3-4 hours after I took it, so it really worked to get me sleeping through the night and I didn’t feel groggy in the morning.
I use melatonin too (6 - 10 mg), or Nyquil.
I remember back when I used to combine alcohol (I had a problem) and Unisom (100mg). More then a few times I woke up because I had stopped breathing. Scary.
I use dyphenhydramine. Preferably without the Tylenol part, since that’s not necessary. The other kinds out there do nothing for me, and melatonin gives me wild dreams that wake me up…at which point I am WIDE awake and spend another couple hours trying to go back to sleep. Dyphenhydramine gives me no morning hangover; in fact, it wears off after a couple few hours, for me. Which isn’t a problem, as staying asleep is not one of my issues, it’s just turning off my brain that is.
Surprised to see all the votes for melatonin. During a bout of bad insomnia, I poked around the medical lit and it seemed like melatonin hadn’t performed at all in trials and had a reputation for making people groggy without doing much for “healthy” sleep. Might need to reevaluate.
I’ve tried most sleep aids. I currently take Valerian, and I feel like it helps despite having a suspicion it’s mostly placebo effect.
When I can’t sleep, Benedryl has been a lifesaver. Two little pink pills will reliably get me to sleep at the worst, even if I’ve done something idiotic like drink a quart of black tea after dinner. One is plenty if I’m just feeling restless.
It’s been approved recently (ie in the last couple of years) but only for certain categories of people, I believe and only on prescription. I haven’t looked into it because I’d rather toss and turn for hours every night than wait in the doctor’s waiting room but I think one of the prescription criteria is for people over 55 (yes) but only for short-term use (three weeks). I don’t know why those particular rules are in force but I think if I got a script for melatonin (after waiting etc …) and it worked, I’d feel thoroughly cheated that I could only have it for three weeks.
http://www.australiandoctor.com.au/news/85/0c01c185.asp
It’s not illegal to have, it’s just got limits on who can sell it over here. If you’re importing for personal use, you can do so. It’s likely you can get much better prices on something like that from a US or other overseas source than you’d get in a pharmacy/health shop over here anyway.
Yeah, unfortunately that’s what works best for me too. Antihistamines sometimes work but rarely. Melatonin didn’t help. Neither have the various things my psychiatrist prescribed: Trazadone, Gabapentin, and Seroquel.
Benadryl (diphenhydramine) does nothing for me, although I recall that it used to.
I don’t know if any states that have medical marijuana have approved it for insomnia, but if your state has, OP, it works wonders in putting people to sleep.
Benzos are great for getting to sleep, but I’m not sure if 1/2 to 1 daily long-term would cause problems or not.
Benzodiazopines are very addictive.
I realize, but does one half or one a day really cause concern? I used to take it just to sleep, for several months, and I don’t recall starting to jones for more, or having any problems when I stopped.
THIS!
Maybe you are lucky, maybe you can handle your benzos, also depends very much on which of the 20+ different benzos you use. Benzos are seriously addictive! May be useful for anxiety, or for sleep, but only for very short term, NOT for chronic long-term usage**!!!**. (Most descriptions say only a few weeks, MAX.) They can be tougher than all f*cking shit to kick! Often said to be tougher to quit than heroin. Can cause maximally obnoxious withdrawal syndrome, and for a truly lucky few this can last for over a year, up to two years or even more.
Some benzos are more addictive than others. The shorter the half-life, the worse. Xanax is said to be really really bad. Valium, not so much but still bad enough. Klonopin, in between. Not sure about Ativan. There are many others too.
Been there. I don’t ever want to touch benzos again, damned toxic brain poisons they are!
I think that would depend on the individual. Clearly you had no issue using it for quite a while. I was prescribed something like a ten-day supply of xanax a few years ago (precisely for sleeping difficulties) and I remember how much I loved going to bed when I took those. I know if I were to use a benzo for a prolonged period, even at a small dosage, I’d most likely develop some sort of problem with it. Of all the drugs I’ve ever been prescribed, and there have been many (often in very liberal amounts), it has only ever been sleeping/anxiety medications that have had the potential to turn into dependence/addiction issues. Ambien is also one such drug.
:dubious:
Oookay…
::slowly backs away from the thread::
An orgasm usually works for me.
Don’t feel bad. I have a bottle of 2.0 mg of Klonopin on my dresser. I have epilepsy and have taken it on/off for the last five years. There is no addiction (other then “don’t take this for ages and then drop off lest you want a seizure”), no jonesing, no issue.
I think if you need a drug, you will react properly to it. If you don’t need a drug, you’re more likely to develop an issue.
that’s my .02.
It would be interesting to know if there is any recommendation for my specific sleep problems. I generally fall asleep easily and then get up to pee in the middle of the night and can’t get back to sleep. Last night, for example, I turned the light out before 11, fell asleep immediately and was up by 4, unable to get back to sleep. Five hours of sleep is just not satisfying.
Alcohol only makes this problem worse; when the effects wear off, I am fully awake. From what I’ve read melatonin helps you fall asleep, but that’s not my problem. I recall how my grandmother took larger and larger doses of sleeping pills and have avoided any kind of pill.
There’s a time release version of Melatonin, you might give that a try.
For general, non-anxiety-related sleep problems (in my layman’s assessment) I use the antihistamine doxylamine (brand name Unisom). But after months of using it, it’s started to make me groggy after a night splent sleeping fewer than 8 hours, so I’ve discontinued, largely.
My mother told me she started with Valerian, and it seems to work for her, but I wouldn’t know personally.
Non-OTC, a few mg of Xanax (Alprazolam) helps calm my brain down without hangover-like side-effects (for me). I just saw my GP last week and he intimated that a number of people use alprazolam as a sleep aid, to no (apparent) ill effects.
Booze in small, careful quantities, but that’s a fine line between drinking to help fall asleep (perhaps with some OVALTINE!??!!!) and simply passing out and waking up dehydrated and angry .