Insomnia

[joshsmom]

I'm having problems sleeping--and its NOT because I've been looking at disturbing images on the Net or because I'm reading scary books. I just can't GET to sleep. Then, once I FINALLY get to sleep, I can't STAY asleep!!! I've tried just about everything, including praying, counting sheep, watching TV, not watching TV, reading, Lunesta . . . . Does anyone have any other ideas? What works for you>???

 

[dcentity2000]

Sleep medications are dodgy as you build up a resistance to them very quickly and can easily become addicted to many of them (I'm talking about the prescribed medications here).

There are a few ideas that generally work; salad, particularly cabbage and lettuce, is sedative. Eat some with your evening meal and that should help. Heat is also sedative, so a hot bath an hour before you retire may be useful.



Rich::

 

[momrek06]

Do you have allot on your mind? Is it at all possible for you to start taking YOGA classes? I take them in the evenings...7pm class goes until 8:30pm and man o man, does that ever wind you down after a crazy hectic day.

My DS tends to be an "over-achiever" with his school work. He started taking "from time to time"...SIMPLY SLEEP by Tylenol. He loves it and during the school year when he is in an intense study mode and papers and reports need completing...he will take one of those and says they work great.

How about a long quiet bathe before bed followed with a cup of tea?

You need to figure when you are going to actually go to bed and start settling yourself down several hours before hand. A good book helps me wind down and then after allot of reading, I am so ready to shut off the lights. I also recently bought one of those Sound Sensations from Sharper Image and I listen to the sounds of the ocean!

 

[PrincessKitty1]

Ambien works well for both DH and I. We cut a 10 mg tablet into at least 8 pieces and take one of the tiny pieces. Sometimes we only take half of one of the pieces (yes, 1/16th of the pill).

DH's sister and brother-in-law do the same thing, they discovered the trick independently of us.

I've tried taking 5 mg and half a 5 mg tab and have found they knocked me out, gave me side effects, and sometimes didn't even help me sleep (of course, this was back when I was working night shifts and my sleep cycle was completely out of whack). But now a tiny Ambien chip almost always works. Wierd, I know.