Misc I am dealing with Insomnia and I want the bluelight community to help me

[aguythatlikessmoke]

My fellow bluelighters I am dealing with some slight Insomnia.
Wanted to ask you all what are some natural measures I could take to restore my energy levels and reduce insomnia.

Another note I have Kratom lying around Bali Kratom and Maeng Da Kratom, Do you all consider this a good measure for short term Insomnia. Do you think Kratom the sedating variants could be good at alleviating insomnia and increasing my Energy?
Also What about Valeriana Root and what is the best way to produce Valierana Root?
I also have Kanna Sceletium Tortuosum I use that frequently as a sedative, it seems effective.

One more note, What could it indicate if one sleeps enough but people are telling him he looks tired and he should lay down and sleep. What does that mean??
cause last night my insomnia got bad but most nights I sleep okay but I still get comments from people like you look tired you need to lay down and sleep but I feel fine, maybe slightly lethargic on the other note I live in a country where as of this moment not too much Sunlight very long dark nights and cold days and yea I am student and under pressure with exams. Could the climate be effecting my mood and insomnia???

Thanks please somebody input I beg off you.

 

[hefe1313]

vitamin D pills may help with the sunlight issue.
You may not be getting the right type of sleep, there are stages of sleep when you sleep, and the last one, where your eyes go back and forth(RM) is what recharges you.
melatonin and chamamile may help your sleep.
why are you having insomnia ? are you quiting another opiate?

 

[bunge]

The light levels could affect you circadian cycles (bit of brain that tells you when to rest and when to sleep) but with less light it should make you sleep more not less. You could try melatonin, its about as natural as you can get because its the chemical that tells your brain to sleep. It could be tgat the low light levels are causing a depletion in melatonin levels throughour the day, leaving you feeling tired all day but unable to sleep at night. Look online at health suppliments vendors and melatonin should be easy to find. You could also try some relaxation techniques and again theres lots of info online if you pop it in the search engine. Theres plenty of prescription meds that help sleep but I wouldnt recommend most because thier generally a hard road ti travel down and can end up as addiction and dependence. As for the kratom I cant advise you on that because ive never tried it!lol but if its anything like the drowsiness caused by opiate then its a bad choice for quality restful sleep. Hope some of this helped you, insomnias a tough condition but if you remember that its a case if mind over matter and staying relaxed then it will return to normal soon.
ps. If you can smoke cannabis then a little bit of an indica type strain can be benefiscial as it promotes natural sleep

 

['medicine cabinet']

^i can def agree with a good strong indica, its my fav type of bud for that reason. (im not a fan of super strong sativas unless i have stuff to get done, even then it makes me kinda buggy) there is a combo pill that has melatonin and valerian root in it. take the directed dose of them and drink a nice warm mug of bedtime or chamomile tea, works pretty well for me. insomnia is the worst.

 

[RobotRipping]

yeah hardly any sun light here as well, really messes with my sleep cycle. In that case i'd recommend melatonin (1mg). Personally i take seroquel and zopiclone as needed but my insomnia is quite bad.

for kratom, maeng da is super stimulating so dont take that and bali is pretty sedating, so that may work but still i find kratom too stimulating for sleep purposes really.

 

[aguythatlikessmoke]

Yea Insomnia is the worst. Fortunately I am not withdrawing from Opiods. I have been using Stimulants Amphetamines but I haven't touched that in two weeks doubt its effecting my sleep now. Yea I know that Indica strains are good for sleep unfortunately don't have any weed around but I am gonna try to get some. Anyhow I will have to rely on Kanna Sceletium Tortuosum and Bali Kratom to help me around.

Seletium tortuosum has a good sedative effect last night it was less active for me though I will go with sublingual route. Anyhow how can I properly prepare Valeriana root?
I think that this is all due to Anxiety I am known to be an anxious individual it sucks.
Life is hard.
Yea I seem to understand some nights I sleep enough hours but I am not in deep sleep long enough and that is why I look tired.
Well I told myself things would get better cause I never had Insomnia chronically to me its like a come and go thing but it sucks, especially when people tell you u look horrible or you need to lay down and rest.

 

[rhun]

As far as natural sleep aides go, I would say melatonin is the most effective. I've used valerian and kava kava as well, and they did help, but melatonin is really reliable and I've never had any side effects.

Also, you need to follow a bedtime routine. This will train your body to go to sleep, and it will also help calm your mind. Make sure not to eat close to your bed time as well. About an hour before bed, take any sleep aides, then take a shower and brush your teeth, get into your pajamas, drink some chamomile tea, and read a magazine or a book in bed until you feel sleepy. When you do go to bed, make sure there is no sound or light.. your room should be pitch black and silent. And you need to avoid TV and computer before bed as well as while you're trying to go to sleep, the external stimuli will disrupt your sleep patterns.

Edit: If melatonin doesn't work and you want to try valerian, there should be no preparation needed. It's available in capsules at any health food store, just make sure you choose one that is high quality.

 

[i are spectre]

i think you should stay away from the kratom bud. you will very easily become dependent on that for sleep if it does indeed help. this is probably not what you want to hear but i think some cardio would really do the trick. i recommend going to the gym and getting on one of those elliptical machines. try and get a half hour in even if you have to stop every 10 minutes. each run is easier.

valerian root would be much better if you still cant sleep because you wont have serious withdraw symptoms. i also think you not using amphetamines may indeed be a cause. if you have been abusing them for a long time or even on a normal dose prescribed, it can very easily cause a lack of sleep just as easily as too much sleep. it depends on your body. if i take a small dose of amphetamines i will fall asleep.

kava may be another option. i would stay away from the kratom though.

 

[aguythatlikessmoke]

Thanks I am out now its late, Anyhow I was only planning on using the Kratom short term for a week or two to help with sleep. Oh yea I have some Trazodone lying around, it seems to help short term though. My sleeping issues are related to anxiety though and I Cant get any anxiety medication presribed so i have to rely on Kratom and Kanna short term cause those relieve anxiety, Any other advice would be good I am headin out now though talk to u all tmmrw. Thanks
Btw the thing about Exercise I completely agree with you on it, maybe I will try running outside in the cold or brisk walking, thanks again. I've been a bit lazy lately with exercise and this can have effects on my mood and sleep.

 

[tricomb]

Before you take anything new, are you already taking any other medications and supplements?

 

[aguythatlikessmoke]

Before you take anything new, are you already taking any other medications and supplements?

No I am not on any other medications or supplements , I only take Kanna Sceletium tortuosum daily its a succulent herb and I take Kratom occasionally and I haven't used Amphetamines in two weeks though my sleeplessness is not associated with amphetamines its associated with anxiety this week I have just been feeling more anxious after failing an exam and going through some tough times . I think I will try Valeriana root tonight and can somebody give me instructions on how to use Valeriana root. I will also try to use Kanna to sedate my self and Bali Kratm, perhaps I will try Trazodone its very effective though I dislike relying on it and I only have 130 mg of it left.

 

[Jabberwocky]

well you could try stuff called l-theanine. its meant to increase the amount of GABA in the brain, hence giving a calming and soothing effect. i can definitely vouch for this stuff, when i didn't have a tolerance to benzos or just needed to take the edge off things to calm me down, i'd use l-theanine. sometimes i'd take about 3 grams of the stuff - but that would knock me out if i had no tolerance and also give me an excruciatingly horrible stomach ache.

if you can get ahold of some i suggest taking about 500mg before bed, you'll most likely relax at first and then be able to sleep soundly. you can also take it during the day - it's meant to be a natural anxiety reducer and it does work like that for a while before you end up tolerant to it which is a real shame.

you can also try doxylamine succinate or promethazine as an anti-histamine to knock your lights out. though i don't really suggest it, they are meant to have some minor anti-anxiety properties. the hangover the next day is fucking dreadful though.

trazadone will probably help you in the short term with the insomnia, but it can lead to a whole host of unpleasant and nasty side effects so watch out.

 

[aguythatlikessmoke]

well you could try stuff called l-theanine. its meant to increase the amount of GABA in the brain, hence giving a calming and soothing effect. i can definitely vouch for this stuff, when i didn't have a tolerance to benzos or just needed to take the edge off things to calm me down, i'd use l-theanine. sometimes i'd take about 3 grams of the stuff - but that would knock me out if i had no tolerance and also give me an excruciatingly horrible stomach ache.

if you can get ahold of some i suggest taking about 500mg before bed, you'll most likely relax at first and then be able to sleep soundly. you can also take it during the day - it's meant to be a natural anxiety reducer and it does work like that for a while before you end up tolerant to it which is a real shame.

you can also try doxylamine succinate or promethazine as an anti-histamine to knock your lights out. though i don't really suggest it, they are meant to have some minor anti-anxiety properties. the hangover the next day is fucking dreadful though.

trazadone will probably help you in the short term with the insomnia, but it can lead to a whole host of unpleasant and nasty side effects so watch out.

Thanks for the heads up on Trazodone, I dislike using it too often its very effective though but a tolerance builts up. Today I am relying on Kanna Sceletium tortuosum Have you heard of it? it has stimulative sedative effects and antidepressant effects its herbal im using it cause my sleeplessness is associated with anxiety. I have regular powder and an extract I Just took some extract to chill out. Anyhow I can't get doxylamine succinate or promethazine in my country though I can get Codeine cough syrup over the counter, don't know if its smart to use codeine as sedative occasionally perhaps. I will stick to Valeriana and Kanna tonight and if nothing else goes I will try trazodone.
BTW I got my MP3 ready and I might do some out door running at night. I took a 30 -45 minute brisk walk, speed walk today and it helped a lot to soothe and calm me down so maybe if I do some running and jogging lightly 10-15 minutes it could have a positive effect what do you reckon?

 

[n0th1ng]

OP; Almost all antipsychotics helps with falling into sleep, seroquel for instance. Valerian root and melatonin could also help thou they are kinda weak comparing to antipsychotics.

 

[Jabberwocky]

i can't say that i've heard of kanna if im honest. if it's working for you then great what about l-theanine, have you ever given that a try or heard about it?

no, no, no using codeine as a sedative short term is completely unjust and stupid. you'll end up with an addiction, an extremely poor quality of sleep and fuck knows what else. whatever you do don't jump on that boat, you'll never get out of it.

i think the valerian should be good in helping you sleep. try to not use the trazadone - i'm sure you can do it.

as for the running/walk that will definately help as your body will be more tired at the end of the day and want to rest/recover more so. i know that if i exercise for an hour a day or more by the time evening comes/i'm in bed i fall asleep much more quickly and actually have the feeling that i want to sleep. just don't exercise too close to when you want to fall asleep - in some people it can make them more energetic/less sleepy. i agree with that, i usually leave about 5-6 hours after exercise to get some proper sleep.

i know how frustrating and just infuriating insomnia is as i'm a long time sufferer from it. the more you think/make yourself anxious the more you won't be able to sleep at night. try to distract your mind from everything in the evening before sleep, read a book, do something constructive/challenging to the brain. in the night if you can't sleep for longer than half an hour what i suggest you do is get up out of bed and start reading again. don't just toss and turn for hours as it just adds further and further to the restlessness and irritability. just keep reading and reading. trust me, you'll be sleepy and fall asleep quicker than you think. don't pay attention to your clock while youre reading either. when you come to a section at which you're tired or feel youre sleepy then is the right time. ignore the clock.

 

[aguythatlikessmoke]

i can't say that i've heard of kanna if im honest. if it's working for you then great what about l-theanine, have you ever given that a try or heard about it?

no, no, no using codeine as a sedative short term is completely unjust and stupid. you'll end up with an addiction, an extremely poor quality of sleep and fuck knows what else. whatever you do don't jump on that boat, you'll never get out of it.

i think the valerian should be good in helping you sleep. try to not use the trazadone - i'm sure you can do it.

as for the running/walk that will definately help as your body will be more tired at the end of the day and want to rest/recover more so. i know that if i exercise for an hour a day or more by the time evening comes/i'm in bed i fall asleep much more quickly and actually have the feeling that i want to sleep. just don't exercise too close to when you want to fall asleep - in some people it can make them more energetic/less sleepy. i agree with that, i usually leave about 5-6 hours after exercise to get some proper sleep.

i know how frustrating and just infuriating insomnia is as i'm a long time sufferer from it. the more you think/make yourself anxious the more you won't be able to sleep at night. try to distract your mind from everything in the evening before sleep, read a book, do something constructive/challenging to the brain. in the night if you can't sleep for longer than half an hour what i suggest you do is get up out of bed and start reading again. don't just toss and turn for hours as it just adds further and further to the restlessness and irritability. just keep reading and reading. trust me, you'll be sleepy and fall asleep quicker than you think. don't pay attention to your clock while youre reading either. when you come to a section at which you're tired or feel youre sleepy then is the right time. ignore the clock.

Man I am glad I am not the only Human enduring such suffering, to me my sleeplessness and insomnia is completely related to anxiousness. Anyhow yea I am gonna try to walk and run a lot more over the coming days, What sucks is when your sleep deprived running is even more challenging anyhow 10-15 minutes of jogging and running nonethless can ease me , daily with 30-45 minutes of speed walking. What more sucks is that I am kinda of depended on sleep right now as I have a somewhat big exam on Pharmacognosy on Tuesday so its a bitch I didn't study too much today due to fatigue. I am more so nervous about that exam and its compounding my anxiousness. Yea that Kanna Sceletium Tortuosum has a calming effect, and yea I am gonna give Valeriana a shot tonight i have some more herbals lying around. I will try Natural methods and then resort to Trazodone. Maybe next week I will try to travel and do a change of scenery that can always effect anxiety. Yes I will try that reading method that you recommended to me to fall asleep. My insomnia is weird in the fact that I sleep good most nights especially this week it just came on the past 2-3 days real bad. Some nights I get my full sleep but it seems the quality of my sleep is low. Cause I feel fatigued and irritable and anxious/depressed the next day.
just the past two nights my sleep has been shit like 4-5 hours.
Anyhow tonight I am gonna try to use Valeriana and Kanna.
Are you suffering from anxiety/insomnia at this moment as well? btw I won't use codeine perhaps I will use Kratom occasionally one day on one day off it tends to alleviate anxiety.

 

[Jabberwocky]

i suffer from the same kind of insomnia i think. it's related to anxiety and stress, and it can really be awful some nights, some not. with regards to the quality of sleep i find i get really deep and restful sleep some nights and others not (usually the ones where i'm anxious and more stressed) so pretty much the same as you.

the reading technique has really helped me out with my sleeping - i sometimes just get so bored and notice i'm so exhausted i fall asleep while reading my book! just taking your mind off the anxiety and stressors is what helps so so much.

valerian is great for some people - mostly with people suffering from anxiety and wanting to get a good nights sleep. i've seen it work on countless people and it's natural and unharmful to your body.

at the moment no i don't suffer from insomnia and anxiety as i'm treated for adhd medically. it's helped me leaps and bounds - but i don't abuse my medication at all and stick to my schedule for taking it properly. i don't use benzos for sleeping purposes, and i do use drugs recreationally from time to time, but i've always found that if i end up using a drug to get me to sleep i get addicted to it very easily and quickly as i make it a habit. it's always easier to pick up a tablet and sleep rather than work with the problems that are causing the sleeplessness - which is awful.

thats good - you really don't want to start using opiates to sleep. thats the beggining of a nightmare waiting to happen. kratom is OK if you keep it in moderation and don't let it become a habit. it interferes with sleep architecture so you could end up waking up feeling as if you haven't slept all night yet you've been asleep for 8-10 hours or whatever.

how long do you normally sleep at night?

 

[aguythatlikessmoke]

i suffer from the same kind of insomnia i think. it's related to anxiety and stress, and it can really be awful some nights, some not. with regards to the quality of sleep i find i get really deep and restful sleep some nights and others not (usually the ones where i'm anxious and more stressed) so pretty much the same as you.

the reading technique has really helped me out with my sleeping - i sometimes just get so bored and notice i'm so exhausted i fall asleep while reading my book! just taking your mind off the anxiety and stressors is what helps so so much.

valerian is great for some people - mostly with people suffering from anxiety and wanting to get a good nights sleep. i've seen it work on countless people and it's natural and unharmful to your body.

at the moment no i don't suffer from insomnia and anxiety as i'm treated for adhd medically. it's helped me leaps and bounds - but i don't abuse my medication at all and stick to my schedule for taking it properly. i don't use benzos for sleeping purposes, and i do use drugs recreationally from time to time, but i've always found that if i end up using a drug to get me to sleep i get addicted to it very easily and quickly as i make it a habit. it's always easier to pick up a tablet and sleep rather than work with the problems that are causing the sleeplessness - which is awful.

thats good - you really don't want to start using opiates to sleep. thats the beggining of a nightmare waiting to happen. kratom is OK if you keep it in moderation and don't let it become a habit. it interferes with sleep architecture so you could end up waking up feeling as if you haven't slept all night yet you've been asleep for 8-10 hours or whatever.

how long do you normally sleep at night?

I normally sleep 6-9 hours a night of good quality sleep, I am a longer sleeper though so I would say 7,8,9 hours a night if I get less ,I feel anxiety and tension building. I use recreational drugs as well its the good stuff though I haven't used since New years eve I am not an addict, I had a bad comedown last week and had a few sleepless and restless nights after new years eve:D but it was worth the fun. I have smoked pot since New years on and off of course and I've combined with Kanna .Pot seems to help me sleep but the next day I still feel the anxiety coming back and sometimes it comes back worst( anxious feeling) I kinda of feel the same with Kratom it helps you sleep but if you take a high dosage sleep is not restful and the next day you could feel slightly anxious or depressed, if I smoke a lot though the night I am high I feel good and relaxed and sleep immensely good better quality sleep than on Kratom but not the best quality. Kanna Sceletium Tortuosum seems to help me a lot through these stressful days its God send for sleeping problems and anxiety though I need to take higher dosages initially it is stimulatin than it is sedating seems to work as a SRI serotonin reuptake inhibitor and it can cause euphoria, sleepiness and sedation was used by tribes for this but I would describe its effects as moderate not the best for severe insomnia or high levels of stress. I am trying those relaxation techniques and using these herbs and I did some jogging today as well and I did brisk walking I will continue with the exercise daily, next week I will try a change of scenery. Kanna Sceletium I reckon its the strongest herbal antidepressant out there. I wonder how Valeriana works hopefully it will work out good, I have my doubts but its recommended for sleep and I got my self 50 grams of Valeriana today dont know how much to use tonight though will look it up online.
I went to a Shrink once for insomnia reckon I hate going to Psychologists and shrinks. Psychologists want to only teach you relaxation techniques you can find online and shrinks just want to prescribe meds. Anyhow the Shrink mentioned any sleep is better than no Sleep when your dealing with Insomnia in my area they presribe Klonopin Clonazepam for severe insomnia great it works and yea I wish I had some benzos lying around now though to get me through anxious times unfortunately I dont yet benzos they do not produce quality sleep you sleep but its not good quality but the shrink did mention any sleep is better than no sleep.

I really wonder though how the Valeriana will work out, I will brew a tea now. BTW I have some Kava lying around too but I need some proper directions on how to make a tea or how to use Kava. Yea Pot and Kratom are good for my anxiety and yea I think Ive been hitting indica lately though both Marihuana and Kratom help me sleep, Marihuana more so but I have rebound anxiety the next day from them the intial night I feel immense relief though.

 

[rhun]

^ OP, the site search engine and Google are your friend when it comes to finding the best method on how to take something.
Be proactive, use the tools you have available instead of asking the same question.

 

[Swimmingdancer]

^This is true. It's easy to find out the options for how to take valerian or kava. For both you can just eat the powder, put it in capsules, or make a tea. The traditional method for kava is to crush the root (if it's not crushed already), put it in a piece of cloth (like a piece of a t-shirt fabric or whatever), hold the cloth making a bag so that the kava can't escape, and swish the bag part around in a bowl of room-temperature water for quite a while, then drink the resulting liquid. All kava is different and who knows what the potency will be so just drink a small cup to start and then you can get an idea for dosing from there. But I find it's just easier to down some powder or capsules. I'm sure there are additional ways to take kava as well. For valerian you just prepare it like you would any tea. Check out this link: How to Prepare, Brew, and How Long to Steep Valerian Root Tea. Again, you will have to experiment to find out the dosage that works best for you.

I also highly recommend you incorporate things like sleep hygiene, sleep music, meditation, sleep hypnosis, etc. You don't want to rely on taking anything long-term for sleep, natural or not. I'm glad you're goal is to incorporate exercise and relaxation techniques as well.

And yes, the weather/light levels could definitely be affecting your sleep and mood.

You may not be getting the right type of sleep, there are stages of sleep when you sleep, and the last one, where your eyes go back and forth(RM) is what recharges you.

I assume you meant to say REM sleep, but that's not actually true, it is deep sleep that is most important for feeling rested and refreshed.