Sleeping aids...what works or didn't work for you?
 

My doctor gave me a prescription for Trazodone 50 mg and it has no affect at all. I have a really hard time falling asleep and staying asleep.

I find myself up almost every night (morning about 2) doing housework or being on yt. I sometimes don't go back to sleep, and will have to struggle to stay alert at work.

That depends on why you're not sleeping. I was having a hard time sleeping because of pain from carpal tunnel in both arms and pain all the way up to the base of my neck but when I used Tylenol PM I slept just fine. I've had surgery on both arms now so I don't need it anymore but it worked for me when I did need it.

trazadone didn't work for me. Ambian has been working for the past six months. I went without sleep many years before ambian.

We give a lot of our patients Melatonin to assist with their sleeping. We ALL have melatonin, but as we age the melatonin in our bodies can decrease. Whats good about supplementing with Melatonin is that's a natural product. You can buy it as CVS or any pharmacy over the counter. Here's some info on it if you want to read about it.

Melatonin

Trazadone didn't do a bleepin' thing for me either, in fact it kind of made me more alert.

I have to take Ambien in order to sleep thru the night. Otherwise, I'll wake up all night long. I've had a sleep study and have very resistant insomnia. Try the regular Ambien first (rather than Ambien CR) bc it's way cheaper than the newer Ambien.

I also had a sleep study over 5 years ago and luckly I do not have to take anything to sleep now. But I have a very rigid routine, I need to be in bed by 10:00 pm and up by 6:30 am (yes even on the weekends).

No napping, very little caffiene, no sugar if possible.

I would suggest maybe a sleep study if you haven't had one yet. It changed my life for the better.

I was thinking of asking my doctor for Ambien since I have chronic insomnia.But I just saw a thread on here about the scary hallucinations. I took it a few times years ago and had weird amnesia the next day so I stopped it. I now take an ativan at bed time but it really hasn't been working lately.

sleep aids
 

My husband had a terrible time sleeping, he would wake at all early hours and tossed and turned and kept me awake too. He does not do meds:mad: I tried to get him to use different products and nothing. He finally tried one of the new OTC sleep aids that are all natural and you can take anytime of the night. He sleeps like a baby, finally. I can't remember the exact name but he buys it at Walmart. It's like good nite or something. I would go and look but he may wake up and find I'm still on the computer. I have been sick all week and am suppose to be getting lots of sleep. If you want me to get the name you can pm me and I'll let you know. What ever it is I am so greatful that it works. For years he has not slept sound and jumps constantly as he was a fireman for 18 years and it seems like his body is still expecting the pager to go off. If natural products will work for you that is great as all meds have side effects.

I have had a problem sleeping for the past 20 plus years. If not in pain the Dr. said to take regular benadryl. That is the same thing in Tylenol Pm and if you do not need pain meds thats the way to go. I did that for a while until I really had a hard time and the benadryl would not work any more. Now I take Soma. It works very good and you do not get the drugged felling when you get up.

Try Yoga and learning alternate nostril breathing. It really calms you down and helps you sleep. I also wake up in the middle of the night and have problems sleeping but the breathing really helps. I don't really believe in taking meds for sleeping. also check with people at the health food store for supplements. I have never taken any but I have friends who swear by them.

Patti, ativan didn't work for me either...also, that family of drugs is notorious for working great at first, and then tapering off to not working at all.

Did you try splitting those Ambiens in half at all? Maybe your body could do okay with a smaller dose?

Another thing they tried for me was Remeron - and OH MY...I slept better than EVER, and no waking in middle of night. But, I had a rare side effect with it...and they decided to take me off of it. At first, you can get next-day tiredness...but it's good to bear with it as it *usually* wears off. :)

This is going to sound bazzare -- but here goes. I am one of the lucky ones that has found the "off" button. Everyone has one - when it's time to go to sleep, I just shut down and go to sleep. 99% of the time even the chronic pain I endure (results of a 4-wheeler accident) doesn't prevent me from sleeping.

I strongly recommend relaxation meditation -- it isn't a quick fix - meditation takes practice to acquire the level of skill necessary to just "flip the switch" and go to sleep when it's time.

This has been a battle for me also. I tried melatonin but it didn't seem to work. I have a co-worker suggest I take it in the morning. Has anyone tried that? I tried otc natural stuff but they have seemed to quit working. The Dr won't give me any sleep aids. They said I had sleep apnea but after a year of therapy with that nothing has changed. I think it hormones due to pre menopause not sleep apnea

Kathy, My Dr. has me on Alrazolam 0.5 mg (xanax), its a muscle relaxer. They work great for me...I have a under active Thyroid so I have to take Synthroid daily and it makes me VERY active so I need something to slow me down at night...If I didn't take them, its hard for me to fall asleep and stay asleep I would be up every hour on the hour....Talk with your Dr. tell him/her they are not working for you, what works for some may not work for you, Keep communicating with your Dr. until you find what works for you..Good Luck!! Hope you find what works for you :)

I just read that thread about Ambien, and it was scary! Some people love it, though.

I have been taking Ambien for years and have never had any of the strange side effects I've read that others have. Ever since menopause began years ago, I have had severe insomnia and that is the only thing that works for me. And when I wake up in the morning I feel refreshed and ready to hit the ground running. I don't have that "drugged" feeling when I get up. I tried all the OTC drugs and natural drugs and nothing works for me except Ambien (NOT Ambien CR). But as with all medicines, they affect people differently.

I have a doctor's appointment on Friday; I'll post her opinion.

Good luck! Will be anxious to hear what your dr. has to say.

I have problems sleeping frequently as well. Sometimes due to minor aches and pains, and sometimes due to bazillions of thoughts running through my head. I got an adjustable bed and it has made a huge difference - amazing how much better you can sleep when you are physically comfortable. I know you're not supposed to have TV in the bedroom, but I turn it on and put the volume down so low I have to really work to hear. For some reason, that usually puts me right to sleep. If it doesnt, I will take a Tylenol PM. One usually makes me sleep all night. Two make me oversleep.

You can also try some essential oils. This recipe say to bathe but I mix it with Grape seed oil and dab some on my nose before bed time. I also leave a small jar of it with a small rag on my night stand. If I wake up in the night I put some on the rag and stuff it inside my pillow. It helps me drift back off to sleep.

Essential Oils Recipes for Sleeping: Relaxing Bath for Insomnia:
5 drops of lavender oil
3 drop of chamomile oil
3 drop of Ylang Ylang oil
Instructions: Add the oils to a warm bath and soak for at least fifteen minutes.

The doctor put me on amitriptyline 25mg. I took one last night and slept well...I only woke up once, and went back to sleep. I took one this evening about 7ish, and I'm waiting for it to kick in.

That's great. Any weird side effects? I need to check into that.

No, no side effects, yet. It seems that it doesn't force you to sleep, but when I do settle down, I sleep really well. I've only taken it twice, so far.

I've never heard of Remerol. I might ask to try this.

Currently, I take Ambien to fall asleep, Lorazepam to STAY asleep, and Melatonin to really cement it. It's not my ideal solution, but it's worked for years.

I think it depends a lot on why you have insomnia. Early morning waking tends to be caused by depression and/or anxiety. I'm not sure if 2 am counts as "early morning waking" for you or not -- it's defined as a few hours before you get up.

I think the solution will depend on what the root causes are. People have mentioned physical discomfort, hormonal changes, side effects from other drugs, etc, etc. What do you think is the issue for you?

I tried Tylenol PM, but I didn't find it to be a good long term solution. It made me very groggy the next day, and if I take it more than a few days in a row, I get violently ill.

I also had a sleep study a long time ago, though I didn't find it all that helpful. Here are some basic tips I've learned over the years:

- Go to sleep and get up at the same time every day, even weekends.

- Don't nap.

- If you do have insomnia, stick to your schedule. The fatigue should help you sleep more soundly the next night. Some people simply overestimate the amount of sleep they need.

- Only use your bed for sleep & sex. Try not to watch tv in the bedroom.

- If you are positive you cannot sleep, get up and do something else in another room, so your bed is only associated with sleep.

- Establish a quiet bedtime routine of ~30 minutes. Give yourself time to relax. Don't watch the news at night, as it can be upsetting.

- I used a "meditation sleep" tape for a while, and I reliably fell asleep to it. It's basically someone with a very soothing voice talking you through a guided meditation.

- If you wake up in the middle of the night because you are anxious, keep a notepad by the bed. When you wake up, jot down your thoughts and a basic plan of attack for the following day. Then let it go.

- Stop drinking caffeine at least five hours before bedtime.

- Try to get as much sunlight as possible during the day to set your circadian rythmns well. Exercise can also help with this.



Hope some of that helps.

I was given amitriptylene for neck pain--I had a pinched nerve. After 2-3 weeks I started developing lesions on my skin. Watch out for those. As soon as I stopped taking amitriptylene they faded away.

I recommend melatonin --At least 5 mg. Most tablets are 3 mg, so take 2. That and cardiovascular excercise before NOON helps. If you exercise too late in the day you will have trouble falling asleep.

If I may ask, how old are you? I really began having problems sleeping after age 50.

Ambien CR when i was employed and had insurance to cover it...it help me fall asleep and stay asleep since i had a problem with sleeping as if sleeping was my enemy. lol...and if and when i was able to fall asleep and something woke me up i was never able to fall right back to sleep and it messes up my sleeping hours and i too am restless and tired in the morning.

Now that i am unemployed with no insurance i am taking Melatonin vitamins i got at walmart. It helps me fall asleep.

I just tried Silenor for the first time last night, and really like it. My problems are mostly staying asleep and sometimes falling asleep. I did not wake up hung over.

Silenor® (doxepin) | For People with Insomnia who Have Difficulty Staying Asleep