Sleep aids?

[SaraJayne]

I swear by Ambien! I tried Lunesta once and it didn't work and it leaves a horrible taste in your mouth (metallic and gross). Ambien puts me right to sleep and I don't have a "hangover" when I wake up. However, a couple of things to keep in mind with Ambien: it can make you do things in your sleep... you might go online and buy things and have no recollection of it... or in more serious cases people have been known to sleep-drive... make sure your SO knows about this side effect and can keep an eye out for any wacky behaviour. Also, if you take Ambien and don't go to sleep right away, you'll start hallucinating.

I'll gladly put up with being tired on an every day basis before I'd put myself through those side effects.

 

[Jennasis]

I'll gladly put up with being tired on an every day basis before I'd put myself through those side effects.

hehe...sleep buying.

Seriously though, DH wakes whenever i get out of bed, so I'm not worried about any of that. He can also hide our keys and password protect the computers if it were that bad.

 

[ckay87]

Can't drink wine. Especially red. So gross.

Oh that's right....the fruit thing.

 

[PigletsPal2]

I've been taking Ambien CR 12.5 mg (generic zolpidem) for years and simply cannot sleep without it. I realize that "for years" means it's a habit, but it's also a necessity. The only side effect I've experienced in 10+ years is occasionally sleep-eating, but it's only been for one night at a time and I usually get up and fix myself a PB&J sandwich (I assume I'm still asleep as I don't remember it the next morning). The only reason I know I do it is that I've left the PB jar on the counter and a paper plate with bread crumbs on my night table!

I've tried every single natural method anyone could think of, OTC sleep and/or pain medications and would have tried alcohol but I lack the enzyme required to process it and become violently ill.

There may be internal side effects that I don't know about, but I'm 65 years old and if it takes sleeping pills to allow me to have a reasonably restful night and enough energy to function when I am awake, so be it. I have blood work and other lab tests done every six months with no troubling results so far.

I hope you find a solution to your sleep problem; I KNOW how debilitating lack of sleep can be. And it doesn't help that family and friends often brush it off as a trivial condition, a "mind over matter" kind of thing. Best of luck, and do let us know how things go with your appointment.

Queen Colleen

 

[furb & dez]

I swear by Ambien! I tried Lunesta once and it didn't work and it leaves a horrible taste in your mouth (metallic and gross). Ambien puts me right to sleep and I don't have a "hangover" when I wake up.

This is mystifying... Ambien and Lunesta do two different things. What kind of doctor would try you on both?

Ambien == puts you to sleep and fades out of your system within 5~ hours (which means you could take it during the night if you are having trouble falling asleep, and not worry about being a zombie in the morning)
Lunesta == puts you to sleep and keeps you asleep

Ambien is for people who have trouble falling asleep. Lunesta is for people who wake up during the night (while also helping you fall to sleep). There is also a version of Ambien (Ambien CR) that has the same effects as Lunesta and lasts through the night (and the next afternoon, if my experience was typical! LOL).

Also, if you take Ambien and don't go to sleep right away, you'll start hallucinating.

Well, that would be not using as directed, you know? Some sleep aids even say right on the bottle "TAKE WHILE IN BED". Also, I've never had this happen.

 

[Domo]

Be aware!

"Z drugs" such as Zopiclone and Zolpidem are effective sleep aids but can be addictive and habituating. It is advised not to regularly take these drugs for more than a week.

As far as natural aids go, I can recommend two things. First, some dark chocolate. Chocolate is a little known antidepressant and will sooth and relax you. Second, a green leaf salad. Green leaves are soporific and can help you drift off into a natural sleep. Remember Peter Rabbit eating the cabbages and falling asleep in Mr McGreggors garden? That.

 

[soccerdad72]

A hear a banana works well.

 

[SaraJayne]

A hear a banana works well.

*snort*

So many naughty comments I could make ~ but I'll refrain.

 

[momrek06]

To the OP, have you seen this … ZZZquil!

http://www.zzzquil.com

My son is in his final intense year of law school. He bought this a few weeks ago and likes it.

 

[Music City Mama]

About 2 years ago, I went through a phase that lasted several months of not being able to fall asleep. Tylenol PM, etc. did absolutely nothing for me. Benadryl has the opposite effect on me (wires me instead of making me sleepy). Wine wasn't cutting it. I always go to sleep and wake up at the same time (I don't even really sleep in on the weekends). Don't watch TV or have electronics in bed. I didn't have anything particularly stressful going on at the time either.

I seriously could not take it anymore and went to a sleep specialist. He was going to recommend Ambien, but since I already dream so much and so vividly anyway, I was worried about exacerbating that since that can be a side effect, so we went with Klonopin. OMG, sweet relief. Took .5 mg every night for about 2 months and now I take it about once a week. I never had to increase my dosage -- that amount was perfect for me and still is when I do take it.

I think just knowing that it worked helped me psychologically -- I knew it was there if I needed it (vs. the dread of knowing I'd be up all night).

One trick that was not drug-related that kind of worked for me was reverse psychology. As you're laying there, instead of trying to fall asleep, tell yourself that you have to stay awake -- try to keep your eyes open. That worked okay for me, but Klonopin is what really got me through. Good luck, I know how miserable insomnia is!

 

[Pamlur]

I have taken Ambien every night for the last 15-20 years, almost since it first came out. I can't sleep if I don't take it, but then, I take it because I can't sleep. Chicken/egg thing? I'm not addicted because I never "crave" it. Am I dependent on it? Maybe. But again, before I started taking it, I couldn't go to sleep.

Benadryl wires me instead of making me sleepy, too. Ditto any form of wine.

Occasionally I'll sleep-eat or sleep-buy, but most of the time I have it under control. I love my sleep!

 

[Albort]

Get a better bed... used to sleep on a futon and couldnt sleep sometimes... now i got a pillow top with 300 thread count sheets, i sleep like a baby!

Lunesta also leaves me a disgusting metal taste. I was more awake trying to drink gallons of water to get rid of the taste... didnt try it again.

My mom uses anti-depressant to help her sleep. Doc recommended it over sleeping pills. i think she takes xanax. She has strong sleep meds that i didnt get to catch the name but the pills looks like effexor.

 

[Jennasis]

A hear a banana works well.

***shakes fist angrily***

I knew telling that story here would haunt me.





So I'm back, and amazingly the PA was attentive and took me seriously. She asked questions and listened to my issues. She ordered some blood work based on some past endocrine type issues and I mentioned the possible menopause possibility. Then she prescribed me Trazidone. I'll let you guys know tomorrow if we have any luck with it. Fingers crossed!

 

[Dancind]

I hope that works for you! Not sleeping is so miserable, I've dealt with it all my life. I am sensitive to medications so Rx stuff is out.

Some other suggestions, evaluate your sleep environment. I figured out that when my DH was gone I sleep like a baby. Separate beds is not a possibility right now, but I've got a pillow between us as a buffer and I wear ear plugs. I also have to keep the cat off me, his stirrings keep me awake.

Make sure your room is good and dark, not even blue lights. Turn all the lights down a couple of hours before bedtime and minimize use of computers etc. Reading helps me.

I take melatonin, magnesium, and 5-htp after dinner. And I do my evening grooming before I sit down to read. So when I get sleepy, I can just go crawl into bed. A lot of work, but sleep is worth it!

 

[furb & dez]

It's always amusing to see everyone touting Tylenol PM, Advil PM, ZZZquill, etc. ...

The active ingredients are all just diphenhydramine (Benadryl). If Benadryl works for you, don't waste your money on name-brand crap... go to CostCo and buy a bottle of 300 diphyenhydramine for cheap (usually for the price of 14/30 "name brand" doses).

 

[lustergirl]

It's always amusing to see everyone touting Tylenol PM, Advil PM, ZZZquill, etc. ...

The active ingredients are all just diphenhydramine (Benadryl). If Benadryl works for you, don't waste your money on name-brand crap... go to CostCo and buy a bottle of 300 diphyenhydramine for cheap (usually for the price of 14/30 "name brand" doses).

Actually I could not find anymore Tylenol PM's so bought a generic PM pill instead and saved about 5 dollars. I only take them once in awhile though because they make me groggy in the morning.

 

[maelstrom]

It's always amusing to see everyone touting Tylenol PM, Advil PM, ZZZquill, etc. ...

The active ingredients are all just diphenhydramine (Benadryl). If Benadryl works for you, don't waste your money on name-brand crap... go to CostCo and buy a bottle of 300 diphyenhydramine for cheap (usually for the price of 14/30 "name brand" doses).

That was the most useful "everyday" thing I learned in pharmacy tech class.

 

[furb & dez]

That was the most useful "everyday" thing I learned in pharmacy tech class.

Yup yup yup.

I take Claritin (loratidine) for allergies. Claritin® 10mg costs $15 for 30 pills in a retail store. Loratidine 10mg costs $15 for 300 pills at Costco.

Read the labels, people! Save yourself a ton of money.

 

[Domo]

You could always try sedating antihistamines such as Phenergan (promethazine)? They're available over the counter and really work in many cases!

 

[Callie]

I have taken Ambien every night for the last 15-20 years, almost since it first came out. I can't sleep if I don't take it, but then, I take it because I can't sleep. Chicken/egg thing? I'm not addicted because I never "crave" it. Am I dependent on it? Maybe. But again, before I started taking it, I couldn't go to sleep.

I'm in the current situation. I'm trying to slowly ween myself down, taking half a pill a night, and then if that doesn't work, i take the other.
My entire family is on Ambien. My sleep disorders are related to my anxiety, and the fact my mind won't shut down on its own. I confess I don't go straight to bed right after, I let it kick in. Sometimes I get clearing splurges! My sister gets these too!
But she is also a graduate student who is beyond stressed in every aspect, dealing with depression as well.
So I suggest that one!