Diazepam prescriped for sleeping, want something better.

[chopped_chimp]

Hi,

I have been having trouble sleeping ALL year. I will either lie awake all night, or I will wake after 2 to 3 hours and can't get back to sleep. It is shitting me to tears.

I have tried all the over the counter sleeping aids from the chemist and also tried herbal tea's etc. Restivit was the best but still made me wake up after 4 hours.

So I went to my regular Dr. and after a discussion we decided it was due to me taking on a new business this year and being unable to clear my mind at night as I was thinking about too many things. He prescribed me 10mg of Diazepam to take before bed. But he also said to experiment with it as it may not be enough. I've found that 20mg is ok for an 8 hour sleep. I do wake up but find it fairly easily to go back to sleep. The only drama is I wake up feeling like I have a hangover and feel "zonked" all day.

I'm trying not to take it every night because I'd rather just use it to get back in to a routine.

However the zonked feeling is not for me so I am back to trying 10mg but that really does nothing. I went to sleep naturally last night but then took 10mg at 3am once I had been awake again for a while. It did nothing.

Any suggestions for anything better that just knocks you out for a straight 8 hours? I just want to take it for a few weeks to get into a routine. My Dr is pretty good so I'm sure I can suggest pretty much anything.

Cheers.

 

[marley]

Zolpidem (Stilnox in Australia) is what you need - just make sure you follow your doctors instructions and don't mix with other drugs/alcohol.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zolpidem

 

[spok]

i'll propose something radical....

try exercising early in the morning - namely running

start out slow and short, run walk for five hundred meters twice a week for a couple of weeks, step it up to three times a week, then make it a 1km run once a week and two 500m runs, then two 1km runs and one 500, follow that pattern of progressive overload until you're running 2 or even 4km three times per week

get a gym membership or home gym if you can afford it and have someone qualified write you up a program (don't lift weights more than twice a week regardless)

give up caffeine, don't drink more than a few drinks at a time once every fortnight, regulate your diet to avoid sugary foods, start taking a multi-vitamin and fish oil caps, and vitamin b, drink tap or bottled water throughout the day at least as often as you drink anything else

try doing something you wouldn't usually do on the weekend, take up kite surfing maybe

whatever it is that's keeping you awake when you think about it, ask yourself if it is actually a rational concern, or if you're just worrying about something silly because you've got a lot on the table at work

actually try really hard to focus on specific things that are troubling you and logically consider them one by one. just ignore all the other things racing through your head and disregard it as background noise. if you have to, talk to yourself - this sounds stupid but it's actually a very good way to focus the cognitive mind, which is why the crazy homeless guy on the train does it

i think if you seriously commit to it you will see results, it's not the silver bullet answer and it's a long term strategy but it's your life, so i reckon it's worth the effort

 

[chopped_chimp]

^Great thanks. Actually I have heard of Stillnox but my girlfriend says for me to stay away from it due to crazy side effects. I already do crazy things when I sleep (like crash tackling the fan, ripping my clothes off, saving my girlfriend from things, and scaring monkeys/animals out of my room...). From what I've heard about Stillnox, I might be a prime candidate for sleepwalking on it.

This is a quote from your wiki quote,

The Sydney Morning Herald in Australia reported in 2007 that a man who fell 30 meters to his death from a high-rise unit balcony may have been sleepwalking under the influence of Stilnox. The coverage prompted over 40 readers to contact the newspaper with their own accounts of Stilnox-related automatism, and as of March 2007[update], the drug was under review by the Adverse Drug Reactions Advisory Committee.[28]

In February 2008, the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration attached a Black Box Warning to zolpidem, stating that "Zolpidem may be associated with potentially dangerous complex sleep-related behaviours which may include sleep walking, sleep driving and other bizarre behaviours. Zolpidem is not to be taken with alcohol. Caution is needed with other CNS depressant drugs. Limit use to four weeks maximum under close medical supervision."[29]

Anyway, thank you and I will chat to my Doctor about it next time. :D

 

[chopped_chimp]

i'll propose something radical....

try exercising early in the morning - namely running

start out slow and short, run walk for five hundred meters twice a week for a couple of weeks, step it up to three times a week, then make it a 1km run once a week and two 500m runs, then two 1km runs and one 500, follow that pattern of progressive overload until you're running 2 or even 4km three times per week

get a gym membership or home gym if you can afford it and have someone qualified write you up a program (don't lift weights more than twice a week regardless)

give up caffeine, don't drink more than a few drinks at a time once every fortnight, regulate your diet to avoid sugary foods, start taking a multi-vitamin and fish oil caps, and vitamin b, drink tap or bottled water throughout the day at least as often as you drink anything else

try doing something you wouldn't usually do on the weekend, take up kite surfing maybe

whatever it is that's keeping you awake when you think about it, ask yourself if it is actually a rational concern, or if you're just worrying about something silly because you've got a lot on the table at work

actually try really hard to focus on specific things that are troubling you and logically consider them one by one. just ignore all the other things racing through your head and disregard it as background noise. if you have to, talk to yourself - this sounds stupid but it's actually a very good way to focus the cognitive mind, which is why the crazy homeless guy on the train does it

i think if you seriously commit to it you will see results, it's not the silver bullet answer and it's a long term strategy but it's your life, so i reckon it's worth the effort

Thanks Spok, all good advice too. However I already go to the gym 4 times a week for weights and I try to run a couple of times too (did a 10km fun run recently so lots of training for that!). As for fish oil, I don't take that but maybe will start. I do eat lots of tinned tuna though...

I also surf in Summer but am too much of a pussy in Winter.

Probably my biggest thing to change is drinking. I will generally drink on a Friday, a Sunday and once during the week. And when I drink I drink....like 12 to 24 beers. My goal is to only drink once a week and to do other things instead on the other days. I just got my boat licence so keen on buying a fishing boat actually.

Thanks for the advice!

 

[spok]

no worries dude, you seem pretty switched on, think you'll overcome whatever comes your way..

*fighting off the urge to start preaching to you about how lifting weights four times a week you're over training*

 

[madmick19]

Hi,
I have been having trouble sleeping ALL year. I will either lie awake all night, or I will wake after 2 to 3 hours and can't get back to sleep. It is shitting me to tears. I have tried all the over the counter sleeping aids from the chemist and also tried herbal tea's etc. Restivit was the best but still made me wake up after 4 hours.

So I went to my regular Dr. and after a discussion we decided it was due to me taking on a new business this year and being unable to clear my mind at night as I was thinking about too many things. He prescribed me 10mg of Diazepam to take before bed. Any suggestions for anything better that just knocks you out for a straight 8 hours? I just want to take it for a few weeks to get into a routine.

howdy chopped chimp,

stress is directly related to our overall performance and can dramatically change our ability to sleep relax among other things.

you indicated you are under a lot of stress at the moment due to the new business situation. It sounds like you have been trying a manner of things that can shortcut the amount of stress in your life but have not gotten the results you expect.
your stress at night would be directly related to your thoughts/worry and stress that happens througout the day which impacts you physically and in addition changes your response to stress eg not sleeping

As with stress and anxiety medication is only part of the answer; if you rely on these then you are not practicing or developing your coping skills that assist create resilience.
Luckily, resilience can be developed and strengthened over time. To discover
and strengthen your resilience traits, think about which traits you rely on during stressful situations and how you use them when approaching life’s challenges. Then, think about which traits you would like to strengthen and the types of situations where they could be employed. Review your progress by recognizing which traits you are strengthening, and where you might need more work. Fact is, we can’t get rid of stress, but we can control our reactions and behaviors associated with it.


stress is difficult to control if you are not relaxing or getting any down time, down time means not worrying either but being able to kick back and relax totally without intrusive worry. living in this state also increases the production of stress hormones that affect our bodies abilty to naturally relax or sleep.

taking stock of what is stressing you at the moment would be a good place to start, i would suggest that if you can manage to take a break from the business to relax would be a good first step. Maybe even talk to a business consultant who might be able to talk to you about where you can reduce areas of stress within your business.

whats really important is to know your limitations, and be able to augment you own resilience through accessing help such as counselling, relaxation, ect.
that way you will probably be able to perform better for longer through self care and looking after yourself.

there are a few really good self help books for anxiety, stress i would highly the happiness trap as a place to start. It deals with stress, worry depression, relaxation, intrusive thoughts/worry and the life struggle switch.

unfortunately taking a just a medical approach to stress does not relieve the stress in the long term; as the stress is still there anyway. Its like putting on a pair of bright sunnies on a dreary winter day- when you lift the sunnies its still there

taking a holistic appraoch is the key; a combination of medication, counselling and lifestyle changes has a much better outcome.

i'll propose something radical....

try exercising early in the morning - namely running

start out slow and short, run walk for five hundred meters twice a week for a couple of weeks, step it up to three times a week, then make it a 1km run once a week and two 500m runs, then two 1km runs and one 500, follow that pattern of progressive overload until you're running 2 or even 4km three times per week

get a gym membership or home gym if you can afford it and have someone qualified write you up a program (don't lift weights more than twice a week regardless)

give up caffeine, don't drink more than a few drinks at a time once every fortnight, regulate your diet to avoid sugary foods, start taking a multi-vitamin and fish oil caps, and vitamin b, drink tap or bottled water throughout the day at least as often as you drink anything else

try doing something you wouldn't usually do on the weekend, take up kite surfing maybe

whatever it is that's keeping you awake when you think about it, ask yourself if it is actually a rational concern, or if you're just worrying about something silly because you've got a lot on the table at work

actually try really hard to focus on specific things that are troubling you and logically consider them one by one. just ignore all the other things racing through your head and disregard it as background noise. if you have to, talk to yourself - this sounds stupid but it's actually a very good way to focus the cognitive mind, which is why the crazy homeless guy on the train does it

i think if you seriously commit to it you will see results, it's not the silver bullet answer and it's a long term strategy but it's your life, so i reckon it's worth the effort

This would have to be one of the best posts i have seen on bluelight regarding sleeping and general health- good work spok.

 

[psytaco]

i'll propose something radical....

try exercising early in the morning - namely running

start out slow and short, run walk for five hundred meters twice a week for a couple of weeks, step it up to three times a week, then make it a 1km run once a week and two 500m runs, then two 1km runs and one 500, follow that pattern of progressive overload until you're running 2 or even 4km three times per week

get a gym membership or home gym if you can afford it and have someone qualified write you up a program (don't lift weights more than twice a week regardless)

give up caffeine, don't drink more than a few drinks at a time once every fortnight, regulate your diet to avoid sugary foods, start taking a multi-vitamin and fish oil caps, and vitamin b, drink tap or bottled water throughout the day at least as often as you drink anything else

try doing something you wouldn't usually do on the weekend, take up kite surfing maybe

whatever it is that's keeping you awake when you think about it, ask yourself if it is actually a rational concern, or if you're just worrying about something silly because you've got a lot on the table at work

actually try really hard to focus on specific things that are troubling you and logically consider them one by one. just ignore all the other things racing through your head and disregard it as background noise. if you have to, talk to yourself - this sounds stupid but it's actually a very good way to focus the cognitive mind, which is why the crazy homeless guy on the train does it

i think if you seriously commit to it you will see results, it's not the silver bullet answer and it's a long term strategy but it's your life, so i reckon it's worth the effort

This is really good advice. I suffer from insomnia intermittently, and I find on the days I do strenuous exercise I sleep alot better. For me though, weights aren't strenuous enough, so need something with a high cardiovascular component.

I used stilnox daily to get to sleep. Aftter about 8 months I had to eat 5 tablets a night just to get 5 hours sleep. If youm can avoid it, medication is not a good path to go down.

Your insomnia (if like mine) is likely the result of stress. You need to deal with the issues that are causing you anxiety. This can be done by youself, but some problems are difficult and talking to psychologist might be necessary. They know more about this type of stuff than a GP, and can work though the problem with you.

 

[footscrazy]

I actually agree with Spok Great advice.

I would also suggest practicing some mindfullness meditation. It's also worked wonders for me for anxiety in general. When you're lying in bed, focus on your breath, saying 'breathing in, breathing out'. If anything else comes into your mind, label it (say 'thinking' or 'hearing') then gently bring your awareness back to your breath. It takes some practice but it really helps you to live in the present, rather than the past or future, where anxiety generally comes from. I really hope you'll look into it and give it a go, it's made big changes in my life.

 

[Miguel Sanchez]

All good advice, a healthier lifestyle can really help things. But in the short term I would second getting on Stillnox. I think allot of stories about it are a bit of media hysteria. I’ve used it for short periods (exam periods at Uni, stressful times at work, relationship break-ups etc) for over 5 years now and never had any problems, my Dr uses it himself. Having said that though, I wouldn't recommend using it for more than a few weeks continuously.

 

[Sustanon]

Try codeine. I sleep so well on it like i have never ever before.

 

[Sameria]

I've been in a similiar situation for most of my life.

I've had anxiety issues, stress by the bucketload, crushing depression and huge difficulty getting and maintaining sleep.

After all my years of going the route of chemical aids I've found nothing better than a good diet and regular excercise.

I know its been said a thousand times, but your body will thank you. A thousand times.

Hope it goes well; let us know how you go

 

[chopped_chimp]

Wow thanks everyone for some really good advice.

The whole stress reduction theme seems to be most consistant and more likely to produce a long term result.

I will definitely read The Happiness Trap as I've heard about that before.

It's funny, you think your life is a fairly healthy one but once you analyse it a bit further you realise it's work 10 hours, excercise 1 hour, eat 1 hour, numb your brain for a few hours with TV and then try to sleep. I think inserting a couple of hours of reading, possible meditation or something else outside that is not neccesarily full exertion is probably a really good idea.

Time to relax every day that doesn't involving drinking or TV is something I will try.

Once again, thanks!

Oh, and I have found lately that 15mg of the Diazepam actually does a good job of putting me to sleep and being able to continue to sleep once I wake up for the toilet. I also wake up ok without the "hangover" too.

 

[belarki]

If you're looking into mindfulness, reading the happiness trap etc, there are various podcasts floating around that you might find useful too. I guess it's somewhat related to meditation and some of the exercises are great for relaxing & getting to sleep.

You could try these for starters (I can't vouch for them but given the source they should be reasonable):

http://emedia.rmit.edu.au/communication/content/4_Mindfulness/01_audio.htm

 

[Mr. White]

Some great advice in this thread, good work guys!

In the short term, drugs will probably help. Temazepam is what my mum (a doctor) has always used, both for herself and when the family needs something.
Its one of the active metabolites of diazepam and has a shorter half life than most benzos so leaves you feeling less "zonked" the day after.

I know diazepam always carries over to the next day for me. Can be a good thing when i'm feeling stressed but not good when theres work to be done

 

[the_ketaman]

Zolpidem (Stilnox in Australia) is what you need - just make sure you follow your doctors instructions and don't mix with other drugs/alcohol.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zolpidem

I agree with this 100%. Valium at least for me is more of an anxiety drug. Xanax is much better for sleep as well as stilnox as long as you go to bed as soon as you take the stilnox otherwise it wont work as well and it gives alot of people including me the shittest taste in my mouth.

God luck...bad sleep patterns make life not a fun place to be so I hope you get what you need. Just dont become dependent on any of those drugs because they will cause more problems than you already have.

 

[the_ketaman]

Have you tried phenergan(promethazine)? Its the best OTC sleep aid ive ever used.

 

[Luude]

Zopiclone?

I'd avoid meds for sleep personally, but Zopiclone does the trick...

Smoke some ganja? Forgive me if you have mentioned this, i haven't read the whole thread.

 

[thickskin]

Have you tried phenergan(promethazine)? Its the best OTC sleep aid ive ever used.

I've used phenergan for sleep before, and have never felt more fucked the next morning. It was like my brain was asleep but my body was just managing to function. Works well for some people, but not for me.

The best sleep aid I had (as in gave the best) was Soma (Carisoprodol), but that led to an addiction.

 

[puckboy]

I can relate to alot of what you are saying OP. I have terrible insomnia.

Most sleep medications can only be used for a short time (like 2 weeks) as your really only fucking yourself over more by becoming dependant on them (particularly benzos). If you want to go down the benzo line though, valium is much more of a daytime anxiety drug if you want to call it that. You need a hypnotic benzo like temazepam. It's shorter acting so is less likely to leave you with that 'zonked' feeling you get from valium. Also it is much more sedating. Just be very aware of the addiction potential.

Anti-psychotics like zyprexa (olanzapine) also work really well in knocking you out, but I wouldnt bother with this crap, the side effects are really not pleasant.

Cannabis is the greatest sleep aid ever though imo.