Hey guys...is there any clean solution for sleep issues, im taking a lot of things for sleep ,gaba ,melatonin,magnesium plus seroquel...i wanna cut the seroquel but i know i cant sleep without it...so is there any suggestions?
Be careful with the gabapentin as it is addictive, as I am sure you're aware. I'd personally stop using it especially if it's not helping or if you're finding that you're taking higher and higher doses of it to get the same effect, because this obviously means you're gaining a tolerance to it, i.e. becoming addicted to it.
You can try some antihistamines BUT they have to be the ones that induce lethargy. A lot of antihistamines on the market these days are "non-drowsy", these are obviously not going to help. The 2 that I would recommend are doxylamine (very effective in my personal experience, I always have it in my medicine stash), and promethazine (Phenergan). But please tell your doctor or pharmacist every medication that you're currently on before trying these, as there are interactions with some medications.
A lot of people underestimate the use of herbal teas for sleep. Chamomile tea is particularly effective (again, I always have a stash of it in my cupboard for when I can't sleep), and you can get teabag products that contain multiple different herbs known for assisting with sleep. Even just the pure calming effect of having a nice warm soothing tea right before bed can help. I recall times when I have been in detoxes and rehabs for drug and alcohol cessation, and have gotten the other inpatients on to chamomile tea to help with sleep. We'd all sit around before bed outside drinking a hundred little cups of chamomile tea and smoking cigarettes and chatting, everyone slept like logs afterwards
You mentioned that you're
taking magnesium, which can help immensely with sleep. You can also take a warm soothing bath with Epsom salts which contain magnesium and absorbs in to your skin, right before bed. This can help with muscle relaxation and akasthisia also.
Additionally, other sleep hygiene methods can help such as avoiding any screen time for 1 hour before going to bed (you can read a book or magazine or talk with family members/housemates instead), reserving your bed for sleeping and sex only (as opposed to using your bed for eating and watching TV or using your laptop or for work or studying purposes etc), going to bed at the same time each night so your Circadian rhythm gets in to a nice groove, and having a nice clean bed to get in to (this includes washing your sheets once a week, and making your bed every day when you get up).
As a sufferer of chronic insomnia my entire life, well before I ever got in to drugs and alcohol and had cPTSD, I have tried everything to help with sleep, and I hope the above information helps you
