Drugs to Improve the Quality of Sleep.

[aveoturbo]

The-Big-I-Can-t-Sleep-Thread-Insomniacs-Unite!

 

[Doug2113]

no im not joking.

"Benadryl has a powerful hypnotic effect, and for this reason is often used as a nonprescription sleep aid and a mild anxiolytic."

Just because something sedates you, that doesn't mean that it gives you more restful sleep. That just means that it helps you get to sleep. Same with hypnotics, just because it induces sleep, it doesn't mean that it will give you more restful sleep as well.

Shit, if this were true then I would feel like a million bucks after waking up from a 16-hour long, seroquel-induced sleep instead of feeling like complete shit (more so than normal).

 

[whippa craka]

Lol are you joking? That is an anti-histamine, that will DECREASE your quality of sleep lol.

Hey stoop, did u know diphenhydramine (benadryl) is exactly what OTC sleep aids are?

To the rest of you, you are defining a good nights of sleep as being long and waking up refreshed. Drugs do have a comedown or a hangover, just because you feel that around the time you wake up does not mean you didn't get the nights rest you needed.

 

[Oxide]

Things like benadryl have always helped me get to sleep, but I dislike the groggy feeling that comes with antihistamine use.

The exception to this is a low dose of doxylamine. The sedative effect is perfectly balanced and does not hang around very long in the morning. If the 6.25-12.5mg of doxylamine doesn't cut it, I combine it with a 3mg melatonin pill.

This leaves me ever so slightly more groggy in the morning but again it's nothing that a little nicotine + caffeine doesn't chase away. I do notice that my sinuses feel "dried-out" so to speak in the morning but I guess that is just unavoidable.

Doug, seroquel is a much more powerful sedative than benadryl or other OTC antihistamines. It is a drugged-state... it's so hard to get out of bed, and when you do you've slept for 12+ hours and you feel like you could sleep 12 more. There is no 'rest' when you're like that, it's more like a coma than actual sleep, lol.

I hate grogginess. I avoid antihistamines when I can because of the grogginess, although like I said a low-dose of doxylamine (~12.5mg) does the trick with minimal side effects.

 

[Allein]

5-HTP, omega 3, magnesium malate. ever since taking these Ive been waking up feeling a lot fresher, literally jump out of bed at stupid o'clock in the morning ready to go.

however ive found exercise to be the best sleep aid.

Just be careful with 5-HTP I had the most horrific nightmare whilst taking the stuff, I'm not normally affected much by these normallytheses , in that I have them but they don't upset me. Clearly no point trying to describe this one, bit worse still I was away from home.

The positive effects you get in the first couple of weeks seem to fade quickly IME, some people have talked about 2 weeks on and 2 weeks etc, just be aware its quite a potent substance even though they sell it in Holland and Barret!

 

[FlippingTop]

melatonin, fucking excellent stuff. Not only does it help induce sleep, but the vivid dreams are awesome.

Usually comes in 3mg caps/pills but i usually take 9-15mg before sleep. Highly recommend it! I have taken a wide variety of sleep inducing drugs, but if you are looking for sleep, and not just unconsciousness, this is the shit

2nd only to working out in the morning.

 

[Aether]

no im not joking.

"Benadryl has a powerful hypnotic effect, and for this reason is often used as a nonprescription sleep aid and a mild anxiolytic."

There is a world of difference between sleeping and being unconscious.

melatonin, fucking excellent stuff. Not only does it help induce sleep, but the vivid dreams are awesome.

I too have found melatonin to be great. The only weird part is that the dreams, although quite vivid, tend to be of very mundane activities. :S

 

[mgrady3]

I know everyone is a bit different when it comes to sleep aids but here's my 2 cents about melatonin
It has a strange response curve. Its active in the microgram range, standard dosages are 1-3mg.
Many brands of OTC aids pedal "extra strength" 10mg doses ... don't buy it.

If 3mg isn't helping you then taking more of it is not going to do anything else.
taking 50mg is not going to anything more and a simple 1-3mg dose.

Its not like diphenhydramine or doxylamine (common OTC sleep aids) in that it doesn't function directly as a sedative, rather it affects your body's internal clock and helps you adjust the mining on when you will start to feel tired at night.

I still take it but I don't rely it on it solely for my sedation. I think it can definitely help but as mentioned above, the dreams can make it a bit strange as well..

 

[MikeOekiM]

Just because something sedates you, that doesn't mean that it gives you more restful sleep. That just means that it helps you get to sleep. Same with hypnotics, just because it induces sleep, it doesn't mean that it will give you more restful sleep as well.

Shit, if this were true then I would feel like a million bucks after waking up from a 16-hour long, seroquel-induced sleep instead of feeling like complete shit (more so than normal).

again i always feel like shit in the morning no matter what so if it helps me fall asleep im happy because i have so much trouble falling asleep.

 

[Doug2113]

Doug, seroquel is a much more powerful sedative than benadryl or other OTC antihistamines. It is a drugged-state... it's so hard to get out of bed, and when you do you've slept for 12+ hours and you feel like you could sleep 12 more. There is no 'rest' when you're like that, it's more like a coma than actual sleep, lol.

This is what I was trying to express lol.

again i always feel like shit in the morning no matter what so if it helps me fall asleep im happy because i have so much trouble falling asleep.

I do too. I sit up from the recliner (because the bed I have leaves me in agony because of back problems; oddly enough it's a very nice and comfortable mattress, my issue is waking up lying flat on my back (I have hyperkyphosis-hunched back-so this is EXCRUCIATING). My hyperkyphosis also causes me neck problems because of the way that it's bent with my back being hunched forward at all times, so when I wake up, it's 4-5 cracks to the left, which usually have to be forced (and I have to slowly force it otherwise I have about 30 degrees to the left and right I can turn it), and then another 4-5 to the right.

I then limp to the medicine cabinet and take my morning 8-12 pills, dependent on if I take anything OTC, then walk outside and smoke. After about 30 minutes when my meds start to work, I can then TRY to get the stiffness out of my back, but is often unsuccessful. I'll normally reach full flexibility (which isn't much at all lol) after about an hour and a half.

Yes, being able to be conked out is nice, but I would like to actually like to wake up feeling somewhat rested and less like I got beat with a bag of bricks in my sleep.

I picked up some 3mg melatonin, but didn't want to test it on a night before I have to get up early in the morning, so I will try it tonight (probably about 24 hours from now) and report back.

Good luck to others trying to find something that actually helps you sleep well instead of just sedating you to the ability to sleep/having sleep induced by hypnotics.

-Doug

 

[basement_shaman]

Allow me to say +1 for phenibut. It not only induces but also maintains sleep, at least from my personal experience. Sleeping 6-8 hours on normal days, I sleep 9-12 on 1.5-2 grams of phenibut.

Oh, and you can do away with any kind of mild hangover by doing careful dose titration. I know that 1.7-1.8 g is my sweet spot. Yours might be less than that or (unlikely) more.

 

[deaf eye]

for some reason i cant fuck with melatonin if i eat 3mg's or more i lay in bed feeling like im strung out on coke, and my brain keeps going zap zap zap , it really sucks

 

[Doug2113]

Tried the melatonin, can't be a good judge of it atm because I stayed up til early this morning before taking it and didn't bother taking any of my meds between midnight of last night and when I went to sleep this morning, so naturally, as the effects of my meds were completely worn off by the time I went to sleep, I woke up more sick and in a lot more pain than normal...I did however wake up after only 8 hours of snoozage and didn't wake up super groggy so that's a plus.

 

[rolls_]

Hey stoop, did u know diphenhydramine (benadryl) is exactly what OTC sleep aids are?

To the rest of you, you are defining a good nights of sleep as being long and waking up refreshed. Drugs do have a comedown or a hangover, just because you feel that around the time you wake up does not mean you didn't get the nights rest you needed.

Most of them decrease your REM period, so they get you to sleep, but it is poor quality sleep.

I want a drug that increases the QUALITY of my sleep, not the duration and not help getting to sleep. Just improves the REM period and helps me feel good after I wake up.

Phenibut actually seems to work quite well, I dream whilst on it, if you take too much it can be quite hard to get up, but once you get up you feel fine.

 

[effie]

^ phenibut can be physically addictive, so watch out if you are using it all the time..

 

[Addyman]

For harm reduction's sake I would say fall asleep earlier and abstain from stimulants

My next healthiest solution would be taking melatonin supplements (NOT EVERYDAY)

If you're LEGITIMATELY unable to... I'd go to a sleep clinic, get a good matress, etc... Something

If you My next healthiest suggestion is drinking a cup of coffee or taking a 100-200mg caffeine tablet as soon as you wake up (despite the fact you won't be solving the problem)

Everyone needs different amounts of sleep. Everyone reacts differently to drugs and such, but I need 12+ hours of sleep...

Not that I encourage off-label soma use... The first time I took Carisoprodol (Soma) and alcohol, I got the best sleep I'd gotten in a month or so, in only 7 hours... Compared to the over 12+ hours I need usually

 

[Doug2113]

It's funny you mention that, because the best sleep I've gotten in YEARS was back in January or February when I took 30mg of Morphine, smoked a bit of weed, and woke up SIX hours later ON MY OWN and was actually down to a 2 in pain. I never wake up on my own unless I sleep more than 10 in not 12 hours.

 

[aveoturbo]

I hate being out 10-12 hours at a time. Feels like I am missing out on life. 5-7 is ideal for me, usually. Although, been a bit more tired lately but, meh, I may take some naps today.

 

[Doug2113]

Oh, I don't like being down for 10-12 either. I just can't control it; I am DEAD to the world when I sleep. Obviously, I don't remember this happening, but I've been told that friends, trying to get me out of bed, have punched me in the nuts trying to wake me up. They said I moaned and rolled over with a pissed off look on my face lol.
It appears I also will sleep walk if I need to take a dump. A friend told me, trying to wake me up for class when I crashed at their place that I got up, walked to the bathroom without saying a word, came back out 15 minutes later, and went back to the couch and laid down lol.

 

[debaser]

7 hours usually do it for me. But I need a benzo, even a small dose. I have LOTS of different benzos in my stash. Long acting ones like nitrazepam or clonazepam are the best for my condition.