Do you know of a good "non-addictive" sleep aid?

[Irene Iesu]

Wow, people in this forum really know their stuff! So many suggestions, thank you all so much!!

I had never had a sleeping problem before, but now I totally understand how hard it can be not to be able to fall asleep ... I really appreciate hearing the opinions of those who've dealt with sleeping issues firsthand.

To answer MrPill's question, no, I never had a drug addiction problem. However, I had been drinking quite a bit for the past couple of years. Especially the last half year, I'd drink over half a bottle of wine every night (and a whole bottle once in a while). That was my way of winding down and falling asleep comfortably. Could this be categorized as an addiction? (I had no bad incidents from drinking tho...)

I realized I should cut down, but I had been unsuccessful. In the evening my mind would always go, "wine time!" and then I'd tell myself "Ok, I'll only have one glass tonight" ... and it would never be just one glass ... So, I know how weak-willed I am! That's why I'm worried about getting used to a strong narcotic. Because I don't trust myself!

But since being on bupropion, I don't enjoy drinking much at all. I don't get the euphoric feeling from drinking anymore ... Now I know why this med works for smoking cessation ... I don't smoke, but I get how it manipulates the brain's reward system and render chemical stimuli (either nicotine or alcohol) virtually non-rewarding. Well, I wanted to cut down my drinking, so I got my wish, but I so miss feeling tipsy and being out like a light when I hit the pillow and not tossing around in bed ...

I'll research all those sleep aids you guys mentioned and consult with my doctor.

Thanks again! :D

 

[bingey]

Melatonin is the only one that improves the quality of your sleep imo

 

[Renald]

Quetiapine.For me even 5-10 mg is enough to be sedated. I use it very rarely, maybe twich a month.

 

[MasterOfDeception]

quietapine can have addiction and stuff... meaning that if you quit it you will experience insomnias for some time

I would go for melatonin , and possibly some magnesium or zinc+magnesium (search ZMA) as a supplement

 

[bobby1978]

Doxepin (tricyclic AD) diphenhydramine and seroquel all knock me the hell out, and as far as I know, none of them are addictive. They are kind of garbage for anything but sleep anyway, at least in my estimation. (I am aware seroquel helps people with psychotic states, but I don't have them)

Just to be to be clear, I don't mean all at once though. I would only take one of the three I mentioned.

EDIT: I just saw someone mention that seroquel can have addictive potential, I never really used it enough to get to that point so I don't know, could well be true.

EDIT part deux: I forgot kava, which I like and gives me neat vivid dreams, but is orders of magnitude less potent than the others.

 

[keeping]

low dose (under 7mgs) mirtazipine is a rather good sleep medicine
as is hydroxyzine

 

[Keif' Richards]

If you're looking for over the counter options, I feel that Melatonin is the best option. If you find it works for you, you can buy a 500ct bottle at Costco for less than a pack of cigs. There's a whole host of other over the counter products that work wonders for some including sedating/relaxing herbs like Valerian, Kava, Passion Flower, Ashwaganda etc. the list goes on and on. What works best seems to depend heavily upon individual preference/metabolisms etc.

This is only my personal opinion, but as far as non-addictive, easy to acquire options go, Clonidine (Catapres) is my gold standard. It works almost as well as Zolpidem (Ambien) does for me. I'm generally out within 30 minutes after effects occur and approximately one hour after ingestion. I've had to escalate my dose previously with chronic usage, but all that means is shifting between .1mg/.2mg or occasionally, if I'm really hard up, .3mg. There's no rapidly escalating tolerance or diminished efficacy with this one. The only issue that you may have upon abrupt cessation is increased blood pressure and accompanying anxiety, but this is generally pretty mild.

Just my thoughts.

 

[Jekyl Anhydride]

Doxylamine Succinate is another sleep aid in the 1st generation antihistamine class similar to Diphenhydramine that pairs well with other mild sedatives and is relatively benign. It's also very cheap and devoid of any recreational or addictive properties IMO. I also like Melatonin but have to start off with half a dose for a couple nights or it gives me headaches at the 10mg dose. Europe just banned it OTC but still sells codeine OTC so go figure.