sleep aid?

[Frantasmic]

I suggest running a marathon daily, but in the morning. I hear if you exercise too closely to bedtime, you are all geared up and stuff.

 

[arminnie]

Here's the thing about ambien. A good friend who works in this area says to start very small - 1/2 of 5mg. That will probablly be enough. Also if you are worried about weird stuff - get in bed and then take the pill.

Most people get in trouble because they take it and then start to do a few more things before they go to bed. They are still up and active, but should be in bed because their mind is asleep. That's when the weird amnesia stuff happens.

Ambien saved my life. I was traveling internationally 2 weeks in Australia, back to U.S., week in London, back to U.S. for days back to Asia for Singapore and Australia, etc. I was so unable to go to sleep untlil 3-4am but had to get up and go to work. I was falling asleep during 1 on 1 meetings - about to fall out of my chair.

Now on a flight to London I would take 1 ambien just as the flight took off. Forget about the meal. I would then wake up and have breakfast a little before landing. And then be able to go to bed. I might take it 2-3 nights at most. But mine was for drastic time zone changes not insomnia.

 

[MomRN]

Sleep and I get along real well, so I can't speak from experience, but...

The MDs at the hospital I work at are fond of Trazodone and Prosom. Prosom is more of a short-term solution. I will not give someone Ambien in the hospital that has not taken it at home. Unusual circumstances, unusual environment... it usually does not make for a good night for anyone. I'm sure other doctors are more fond of other sleep aids, but you really need to discuss it with your doctor. There's other things on the market.

 

[arminnie]

Ambien does have a generic now so it can be relatively cheap. There are newer meds but most sleep docs that I know say none are really better than ambien.

It would be extremely rare for someone who took 2.5 mg after they were in bed to start going to do weird stuff. Now start with 10 (which many docs prescribe) and take it while you are still up and about and then the risk increases, but most people still would not have horrible reactions.

 

[Mickey527]

I took Lunesta a few times during radiation and it did get me to sleep but the side effect of the terrible taste in my mouth made me quit that one. Tasted like I had chewed on the white part of a grapefruit all day.
Benydryl gives me a terrible hangover effect. I feel tired all day if I try the benydryl for sleep.
I tried Ambien last week and it does give me a good night's sleep. Enough that I have a Dr's appt tomorrow to get a full script.
The first night I took Ambien however I did have a strange occurance. I woke up with a bottle of hand lotion in my bed and my white night gloves on my hand. I didn't put them on the night before because my hands were ok, not chapped or cracked, I only do the lotion and gloves when they are cracked. I keep the lotion bottle on my dresser across the room from my bed.
I also took off my ring which I never take off and couldn't find it all day. It was in my bed way under the covers at the foot of the bed.
I must have taken the ring off, put on lotion and gloves and went back to sleep.
At least I didn't go downstairs and eat everything in the fridge or take a drive. I have heard of people doing this.
Oh, and Tiger Woods claimed he took Ambien the night that his wife used the golf club to get him out of his car.

 

[arminnie]

Okay these are real life things that have actually happened (but they took too much or didn't go right to bed).

One woman went down stairs to find her kitchen just trashed. She'd cooked a full meal, but had not cleaned up anything.

Another woman got up walked into the kitchen and when she opened the refrigerator found several items that she had cooked. The kitchen was spotless. She had cooked, packaged, and cleaned every pot.

But this one is something that would truly be awful - a woman (and a prominent doctor's wife) who was middle aged and a little on the "fluffy" side (term used by the doctor who told me this) found herself downtown in a town of about 50,000 wearing a blue teddie.

 

[dakcp2001]

You know I have an old prescription for Ambien and I am also afraid to try it! Of course work stress keeping me up, but I am afraid to take an old prescription cuz I am not sure if Ambien will show up in a drug test for my new employer. Its prescription, but an old prescription. I never took it because there was some story all over the news about a politician from Massachusetts crashing his car and blaming it on "sleep driving" caused by Ambien. I had just gotten the prescription and that was the news story that night. Go figure.

 

[Seewhatimesdone]

I would only take half of the Ambien just in case. My best friend is on it and she has to give her parents the keys because she'll try to drive the car. She'll also smoke in the house and make food and leave it around the house

I take half of a unisom when I can't sleep and it works really well. Just make sure you have a full 8 hours of sleep or you may be drowsy the next day!

 

[crazelion]

I take 5HTP when I can't sleep. It has done micales for me. Okay up now because I just realize that did not take it this morning because I was out. I defiately going to Wal-Mart to tomorrow and buy some. Mom take the last one this morning and forgot tell me it last one.

Hence up 2:00 a.m. because I can't sleep.

 

[disneymarie]

What do you take? Does it work?

Benadryl, tylenol PM, and melatonin have all failed me.

My Dr gave me ambien, I am afraid to try it!

I am like you also afraid of a sleep aid, and after a family member and friend had Ambien would NEVER take it. You have to hit the sheets immediately.
No activity and defiantly NO posting on dis forums, or you will have to use a disclaimer warning that you have no control of what your brain types.

I actually found something that works and is natural. After receiving a sample of something called Calm and made it like a tea, I looked for it on the Internet.

The Calm was expensive but I found the content it had in various markets sites. Magnisium citrate I think...
It is Epsom salts.....but covered with lemon and in a way to add to hot water.

I use the no more the 2 tsp, it is also a substance for constipation use. Although I am lactose intolerant, it never had an issue with that at all.

It has helped with the insomnia greatly....
http://www.best-magnesium-citrate.com/:wizard:

If you google magnesium citrate, the active ingredient, there should be many places to find samples to try.

 

[Kellydelly]

I am an RN and Drs prescribe Ambien all the time for my post-surgical pts. I have never had anyone have any weird reactions from it. (I think it is a waste to take it in the hospital when you are going to have nurses, doctors, aides, etc in and out of your room every hour or two anyway ) If you are nervous about trying it, I would start with half a pill (do you have 5 or 10 mg tablets?). If I have to work several shifts in a row I might take 5 mg (half of one of my tabs) and I can get at least 6 hrs of sleep (I work nights so sleeping in the day can be difficult).

 

[MushyMushy]

I mentioned in an earlier post to make sure you go to bed when you take it and others have elaborated on that, saying that trying to stay awake is what causes a lot of the sleep activity.

That has definitely been true in my case. I like to read in bed, so a lot of times I'd take my ambien, then try to go read myself to sleep. At first the worst that would happen would be I'd completely forget the last chapter I read. That was kind of funny. But then I started purchasing iPhone apps and lately ebooks for my nook. I wouldn't find out til the next day when I'd see the new apps or books. Now I go to bed to read for a while, THEN take my ambien and go straight to sleep. Shopping problem solved.

 

[136368]

There are zillions of medications out there that aid sleep, from the desperate to the mundane. Originally I was prescribed 25mg Dosulepin, a TCA antidepressant with sedative properties, for sleep. Not only did it encourage sleep, but it also relaxed me and made me forget about all my troubles! It's probably a softer drug than Ambien, so it could be a option to consider.

That being said, Ambien is a great drug to use in the short term - I wouldn't be afraid of it

 

[LuvOrlando]

DH has been on plain old Ambian a long time with no worries. He doesn't use the highest dose, he cuts the 10 mg into 1/3's and very rarely needs more, but if he has a drink of wine in the evening or caffeine anytime after lunch it won't help him. I think it's wonderful drug for people who genuinely suffer from Insomnia.... nothing else ever helped him and I don't see the Insomnia going away ever

 

[disneychic2]

I take Advil PM and recently began playing the sounds of falling rain on my Ipad next to my bed. I only have occassional problems, though, not every night.