I went to sleep early and woke up about 8 hours later. I didn’t feel tired but I wasn’t super-refreshed either, so I wanted to go back to sleep since I wasn’t in the mood to do anything else.
Does biting and swallowing 1/3rd of a sleeping pill make the pill lose its effectiveness? Also I’m still experiencing some drowsiness 8 hours after taking the pill, but not a lot more than my normal drowsiness around this time (i.e., without the pill).
I have a few big events coming up so my cognitive function needs to be optimal. Does 1/3rd of a pill have less side effects than the entire pill? Also, is it likely to wear off by the end of today, if I get another 8 hours of sleep without the pill (by sleeping 4 hours later than I did).
Totally depends on what medication it is. I can’t give you an answer unless I know exactly what pill you Are taking, And what its formulation is (i.e standard or extended release).
My experience using Benedryl is that it just makes me less sleepy for the same amount of time. IOW - the drug takes the same time to metabolism out of your system regardless of the quantity.
You’re better off using something that has a shorter effectiveness time, like Benedryl.
The effectiveness of sleeping pills not only varies wildly among people but also varies wildly with dosage. That makes it impossible to give a definitive answer on this.
From personal experience, I know that 5 mg of Ambien doesn’t put me to sleep but 10 mg knocks me out and leaves me groggy. I use a pill splitter to cut up the 10 mg pill so that I can take six or seven eighths. If I wake up and can’t get back to sleep, taking an eighth works perfectly, sending me back to sleep in minutes.
You can try this to see if works for you, but as I said, pills and effects have such wide variation that trial and error is the only sure way to know.
Melatonin is particularly difficult to predict because it’s not a pharmaceutical. It comes in a variety of purities and dosages. One brand is seldom possible to compare to any other brand. It’s not a sleeping pill in the way that term is usually defined.
It has few side-effects, though few does not mean none, and I have no idea what else you might be taking or any medical issues you have. You can read more about it at Melatonin.com. Remember that as with any non-FDA approved medication, nobody really has studied melatonin in the way that actual sleeping pills get studied. A lot of the effect may very well be placebo. If you think that taking the pill will help you sleep, then it probably will.
now my question is, how long will it stay in my system. If greater than 48 hours, does it impair cognitive ability? Or does the drowsiness it induces impair cognitive ability?
I have actually heard from various sources (and anecdotally tested on my person) that a LOWER dosage of melatonin works better. I take 3 mg tops, but usually 300 mcg and it works fine. Try a lower dose. Melatonin’s an odd one as it’s already produced by the body in some amount.
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That’s very true. And in accordance with board policy, I’ve moved this thread from GQ to IMHO, where medical advice threads live.
Please remember, miragesyzygy, that what you’re getting here is not medical advice from trained professionals familiar with your needs, but advice from a bunch of mopes on the Internet. Talk to a doctor or licensed pharmacist before following our recommendations.
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Sometimes taking less (or more) of a prescribed dosage can backfire. This happened to me when I only had 1 tablespoon left of Nyquil. The dosage was 2 tablespoons. I took it anyway and it made me feel like I’d downed a 6 pack of Coke.