Insomnia! *MEGA-thread*

[kultron]

Don't read any posts in this thread but this one. Get chamomile tea, 2 bags in your cup to make it double strong, drink 2 hours before you want to go to bed in a hot bath, avoid tv and computers and you'll be fast asleep.

 

[BrokedownPalace]

Don't read any posts in this thread but this one. Get chamomile tea, 2 bags in your cup to make it double strong, drink 2 hours before you want to go to bed in a hot bath, avoid tv and computers and you'll be fast asleep.

Thank you Mr. God. Glad you came along to show how everyone else who posted is completely ignorant and wrong. Sweet. !

 

[Nibiru]

Kava root works really good. the scare about kava a few years ago over hepatotoxicity came about because of poor quality kava containing leaf and stem material was being bought up by companies and extracted. Good quality kava root powder works very well to help a person sleep, and isn't terribly harmful. But it does taste god-awful. You can get it online from a number of suppliers depending on what country you're in. I know that in Canada it can't be bought from stores, but can be ordered legally. Some countries may have banned it's import though, I'm not sure.

And lol at the above.

 

[mrs_mia_wallace]

I've fallen asleep twice naturally twice in the last two weeks. Twas awesome.

I only have an Ambien prescrip right now and I HATE Ambien at the moment, it's making me feel really weird the next day-- my body feels sort of numb (especially my hands) and I'm really naeseous, feel like I'm not really awake. I hate talking it so I've just been trying to power sleep. It's worked twice, the other two times I gave in.

 

[mariacallas]

Awesome that you've fallen asleep naturally! Could it also possibly be because you are quite tired after your work? Anyway, good for you.

 

[Mehm]

It sounds like anxiety is the root of your issue. The meth and insomnia reinforce each other, as well as the anxiety.

Things to ask yourself. Do you have a history of abuse? What family dynamics cause you anxiety? What other life dynamics cause you anxiety? Is their anything you can do to change those dynamics?

Zen meditation and yoga are two of the best cure alls for every ailment known to man imo.

Good luck!

 

[hofosho]

So, background- I've been an insomniac since I was a kid (seven or eight). When I was younger I tried a lot of different theraputic exercises to sleep but my doctors gave up one I hit middle school and I started taking medications for sleep. Over the years I have been on a long trail of sleep meds, antipsychotics and non-sleep meds that have drowsiness as a side effect (Ambien, Lunesta, Seroquel, Trazadone, Clonidine). And I've tried non prescription ones like Benadryl, Tylenol PM, and Melatonin.

Some of the meds had no effect (Lunesta, Tylenol PM, Benadryl, Melatonin) others wore after six months or so (Trazadone, Clonidine). Others work 50% of the time (Ambien) and the only one that works consistently is Seroquel. However, I hate the Seroquel-- it puts me in such a deep sleep sometimes that I will sleep through all my alarms (have missed midterms, doc appoints, shifts for work) and the entire day without even realizing it. My therapist hates me being on Seroquel for these reasons. I also have a bad heart and my medical doc hates me being on seroquel since it tends to increase the heart rate.

I have had many talks with my doc about getting off the Seroquel and finding another alternative. At this point I am open to anything except being put back on old mediations that didn't work in the hope they will work now, and meditation like exercises for sleep (they work for some, they do not for me, and I have given them a chance). But my doc basically has told me she has no suggestions for what to use. I have a prescrip for Ambien that I take occasionally, but it doens't put me to sleep half the time just puts me in a weird and scary state. I also have a prescrip for klonopins, but she's againt giving me a prescrip that would cover nightly use (right now I get a small amount for anxiety attacks). She prefers to kepe me on the seroquel and try lowering the dose, or mixing it with other sleep meds.

I am frustrated. I feel like klonopins work the best for sleep, with the least negative side effects. But I understand why she doesn't want to extend my dosage, although I have never abused benzos as they don't do much for me. I feel like there have to be other options medication wise, however-- she is a good doc but I feel I can't have exhausted every option that Seroquel is the only one left.

what other meds or exercises have you guys used for insomnia?

..umm i think your insominia is induced by anxiety ( is it ? ) if that is the case than you should look into self therapy...breathing exercises...
exercising and mediation this must be continous to see benefits
this may sound stupid but maybe if you train yourself to stop being obsessvie about sleeping ( it will be alot of work and may seem impossible ) it maybe the cure
i realize there so much these drugs will do at the end its all up to us...

 

[LivingInTheMoment]

I had this on another thread, I feel it is well worth while to post it here!!




Specific soft music that sooths you and works subliminally is a great help for insomnia.
There are products ready made to work but you can choose any soothing music from certain stores, just go and see what suits you best, and work it on a self rewinding cd or tape!

Also, a blender mix or banana and milk, and avoid coffees and cafeine in any other drinks.
Below is a combination of herbs you may take or try alone and in combination. Also some information on brain waves and certain music to assist your sleep.

Try to go for cycling or a run or some form of exercise before you are ready to sleep.

Don't sit on the same position if you can't go back to sleep, whalk around for a bit until you tire or change the usual place of sleep, go on the floor, or the couch etc.

I hope any of this helps you!


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What Brainwave Entrainment Is

Brainwave entrainment means that a particular beat or rhythm will guide your brain's electrical pulses, which are called brainwaves, into a new rhythm. Your brain, when it "hears" the new beat will follow it and begin to pulse at the same rate.

When brainwave entrainment is used to cure insomnia the brainwaves we want to guide you into are the waves of sleep. When you are sleeping your brainwaves slow right down. The brainwave entrainment audio you are listening to will guide your brainwaves into the rhythm of sleep. When this happens you will fall asleep.

brainwave patterns
This Is What Happens When You Sleep

As you most likely know your brain uses electrical signals to communicate with all the systems in your body. The rate of these electrical pulses, or brainwaves, can be measured using an EEG (electroencephalograph) machine. The pulses vary in their rhythm depending on what you are doing.

When we are alert and busy the activity in our brains is fast and the waves are closer together. When we are relaxed the wave pattern is much slower. As we begin to go to sleep, the brain waves become slower still.

If you can't sleep when you go to bed your brain waves are most likely not slowing down. If you have a busy mind and can't stop thinking, then you are not relaxing. Your brain waves will just keep on going fast like the beta waves shown above.

But what you want is for them to slow down like the alpha waves. Brainwave entrainment can slow them for you automatically just by listening. Relaxation is necessary for sleep. Without that relaxation and slowing down of the brainwaves sleep will not come.

When your brainwaves slow down, your heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, breathing and muscle tension all relax too. As you listen you become very deeply relaxed and will fall asleep. This process is used in the 'Go To Sleep' CD and the 'Relax into Sleep' CD to send you to sleep.

The idea is to get the brain waves to slow right down to alpha and then slower still to theta and then delta waves. As this happens you drift gently into a natural sleep.

If you would like to know more about brainwave entrainment just click here- it will open in a new window. Learn More About Brainwave Entrainment

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It's the blend of ingredients that assists night sleep

Calcium - sleeplessness has been associated with calcium for centuries. People who don't have enough calcium have two sleep-related problems. First, they have great difficulty falling asleep. In most cases this occurs because low tissue calcium produces irritability. They're just too upset to be able to fall asleep. Second, people with low calcium levels are plagued with muscle cramps at night. These painful cramps occur even without any real exertion during the day. A calcium to magnesium imbalance causes these muscles to remain in a constant state of contraction.

Chamomile - Chamomile flowers are used in alternative medicine as an anodyne, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, nervine, stomachic, tonic, vasodilatory. The herb has pronounced anti-inflammatory activity, promotes wound healing, combats certain bacteria on the skin, and has a mild tranquilizing effect. Chamomile has been known to treat anxiety and sleeplessness.

Jujube -The jujube originated in China where they have been cultivated for more than 4,000 years. Jujube is widely used in Chinese traditional medicine for the treatment of sleeplessness and anxiety; it relieves nervous tension and apprehension. Also, compounds in jujube prevent damage to nerve cells.

Magnesium - Magnesium supplements may be helpful for relieving restless leg syndrome (RLS) and for treating sleeplessness. Magnesium is a mineral that is needed by every cell of the body. Magnesium is needed for bone, protein, and fatty acid formation, making new cells, activating B vitamins, relaxing muscles, clotting blood, and forming ATP - the muscle's energy source. Melatonin also regulates the heart by maintaining normal heart rhythm; converts blood sugar into energy; and promotes deep sleep.

Melatonin - Melatonin is a hormone made by a part of the brain called the pineal (say: "pin-ee-all") gland. Melatonin may help our bodies know when it's time to go to sleep and when it's time to wake up. Melatonin deficiency may cause sleep disorders, immune deficiency conditions, and depression. Melatonin has been found to alleviate sleep disorders and boost the immune system.

Niacin - Niacin is a member of the Vitamin B-complex, otherwise known as Vitamin B3. Like most of the B-vitamins, niacin is primarily required for energy metabolism, specifically converting carbohydrates into energy. Other than energy metabolism, proper intake of niacin keeps the skin healthy. It can also be used therapeutically to control cholesterol levels, maintain proper circulation, act as an anti-inflammatory to ease arthritis symptoms, balance blood sugar levels for the prevention of diabetes, and finally, it can be used to stimulate a healthy nervous system, thus easing symptoms of depression, anxiety and sleeplessness. (For people who can't take Niacin please order Great Night Sleep 2™, it contains zero niacin.)

Passion Flower - Passion Flower is the herb of choice for treating intransigent sleeplessness. Passion Flower is a naturally grown medicinal herb, approved by the German Commission E in the treatment of sleeplessness and nervousness. It is also used as a sedative in nervous disorders (including gastrointestinal complaints of nervous origin), difficulties in sleeping, and anxiety or restlessness. The sedative effect of Passion flower has made it popular for treating a variety of ailments, including nervousness and sleeplessness. Research had indicated that passion flower has a complex activity on the central nervous system (CNS), which is responsible for its overall tranquilizing effects. Also, it apparently has an antispasmodic effect on smooth muscles within the body, including the digestive system, promoting digestion.

Valerian - Valerian, a member of the Valerianaceae family, is a perennial plant native to Europe and Asia and naturalized in North America. Used for thousands of years as a folk remedy, tranquilizer, and sedative for disorders such as restlessness, anxiety, and sleeplessness; scientifically proven to be a safe and effective anti-anxiety agent and sedative. Valerian is a common ingredient which is used as a mild sedative and sleep aid for nervous tension and sleeplessness. Many chemical constituents of valerian have been identified, but it is not known which may be responsible for its sleep-promoting effects. It is likely that there is no single active compound and that valerian's effects result from multiple constituents acting independently or synergistically.

 

[Noodle]

I hope I sleep well tonight Although knowing me, it will take me a week to go back to deep sleeping....Yeah...anything used to aid sleep IME always tends to backfire just a couple of days after , and I hate nothing more than not being able to sleep well.

Sometimes marijuana is a better medicine.

 

[treezy z]

i stopped drinking 28 days ago, i've probably had about 4 nights where i've slept more than 3 hours (and those hours aren't consecutive.) i'm fucking miserable, i feel like killing myself or drinking. (don't worry, i would drink long before i would kill myself, i'd prefer to do neither though as it's basically death or jail/hospital that way.) i've been taking 400mg of seroquel and anywhere from 20-30 valerian pills and it don't do shit.
FUCK INSOMNIA

 

[Transcendence]

Which medications do you find most helpful for insomnia?

I've been struggling with insomnia for 1-2 years now and it seems to be getting worse. I'm not currently using any psychoactive drugs or any prescription medications. I don't even drink coffee. I often start feeling tired around 11PM to midnight, but when I go to sleep it's like I can't make the transition from feeling tired to actually falling asleep. I have to wake up at 6:30 most days to go to class, I'm in class all day, and when I get home I have to study/do work until I go to sleep. Therefore, it's a really big problem when I can't fall asleep until after 4 AM (most nights). There's just no way I can stay functional all day on 3 hours of sleep.

I do exercise (ride my bike to classes and go to the gym a couple days a week). I eat healthy (well, as healthy as possible for a college student), take vitamins and fish oil. I tried to put off going to my doctor and getting sleep medication for as long as possible, but I can't keep doing this. I way past the point where OTC supplements are helping. Valerian root does NOTHING for me, diph/doxy doesn't help me sleep anymore and even if it did the quality of sleep is horrendous. Melatonin sometimes helps A LITTLE but it's largely hit or miss and doesn't work if I take it for consecutive nights.

Which sleeping pills are worth taking? I've thought about using GBL/GHB since it seems that it would not only help me get to sleep and extinguish my anxiety but also decrease the amount of sleep I need. My instincts tell me that this isn't a good idea, but if anyone feels otherwise please chime in.

 

[Transcendence]

how about bananas

 

[OverDone]

fuck, I feel for ya, man. Insomnia is a bitch. I was thinking magnesium + calcium + valerian but it sounds like you are past that.

Doxy was recommended to me here on BL and still works for me but apparently this isn't your answer either.

It may be a pain in the ass and fuck with your daily routine but have you thought of incorporating swimming into your exercise regimen? Swimming utilizes pretty much every muscle you have and, remembering the times I have swam, it may knock you right out at the end of the day (it did for me)

At any rate, I hope you find your answer!

 

[Transcendence]

I love swimming and would include it into my daily routine if possible, but it's not really feasible right now. However, that's still a good idea. I think swimming would probably work better than most other exercises because it involves every muscle. I'm going to see if I can figure out a way to incorporate that.

At this point, idk. I don't think I want to take the legal risk of importing GBL even though its probably small. I ordered some phenibut, but I realize I'll only be able to take it once in a while. Some people claim it's a miracle drug for providing a deep sleep, others say it keeps them awake. I guess I'll find out how it affects me soon enough.

If I do end up going to my GP though, do people here generally find zopiclone (lunesta) to be more helpful than zolpidem (ambien)? How do people feel about melatonin-agonists?

I'll eventually look into CBT, but I'm not sure I can fit it into my schedule in the immediate future.

 

[ranunky]

Do you do real cardio in the gym? Riding your bike to class is about the same amount of cardio as taking a piss. Try doing boxing or boxercise instead of gym. That'll exhaust you, you'll sleep so well.

 

[izzy66]

oh man, i feel ya. i've had some major problems with sleep too.
i tried all OTC stuff like you, got nowhere so even though i didn't want to i asked the doc for something but not ambien, restoril, lunesta, etc.
he gave me amitriptyline (elavil) which is an old school antidepressant and i had taken it for awhile years ago. i take a really low dose, 25mgs and it def helps -most of the time- but not 100%

i also took up running/walking 5-10 miles on days i don't work (i work 3 12hr shifts/wk 7pm-7am)
honestly if i'm not physically pretty exhausted, i still have some trouble so i gotta wear myself out.
best of luck to you
-izzy

 

[Transcendence]

Do you do real cardio in the gym? Riding your bike to class is about the same amount of cardio as taking a piss. Try doing boxing or boxercise instead of gym. That'll exhaust you, you'll sleep so well.

To be fair, it's not as if I'm riding from a dorm on campus to class. It's about a ten mile round trip that is completed 2-3 times daily. Probably not nearly as intensive as boxing for long periods of time, but biking (fast) between 20-30 miles every day is something at least.

I'm interested in getting into boxing, but I'd like to build up my muscle mass further by concentrating on weight lifting for now. It might be a little embarrassing to get into the ring at this point, lols.

 

[gloeek]

The medications that helped me most with insomnia (I have tried about everything too) is thorazine. If you find that regular sleeping pills like your Ambien, Lunesta, Sonata, Rozeram, ect. aren't working and atypical antidepressants don't work like your Trazadone and anti psychotics like Seroquel aren't working also try Thorazine. It's a pretty old anti psychotic and it works pretty much every time with me.

 

[Z Y G G Y]

Just be careful with the trazadone, thorazine and seroquel as it can give u a hangover. Some people can't tolerate it, me for example. I'd rather not sleep at all than have the hangover effect and it seems like once the hangover is gone it doesn't work for sleep that well anymore. Works for some, hated by many.

I have a similar problem when not taking opiates regularly. The only meds that work w/o major side effects are benzos and benzo like drugs ambien, lunesta. I never took them for longer than a day or 2 but they work like a charm. The best benzos for sleep I tried is temazepam, it's a hypnotic. I didn't sleep for 2-3 days, took 1 pill, 30mg I think and slept for 12 hours, which is the most sleep in one night I got this month. So if u have only like 6 hours don't take more than 15mg or talk to ur doctor.

I tried many OTC meds, they either don't work or make things worse (antihistamines).

But since there is so much risk with dependency with the benzos meds, I often choose just not to sleep as I fear that if I keep taking them it will only make things worse. I break down a few times month and take something. Sometimes I just want to be put out so bad that I'll take anything that works.

This is my 3rd night of not sleeping. Last time I slept was with the temazepam. Before that I didn't sleep for 5 days. Can't wait for my meds, counting days.

 

[ranunky]

I'm interested in getting into boxing, but I'd like to build up my muscle mass further by concentrating on weight lifting for now. It might be a little embarrassing to get into the ring at this point, lols.

Not AT ALL. In fact building up bulk before training for at least a year or two will be counter productive. You'll be slower, have less endurance, more injury prone, easier to read. When I started boxing my trainer specifically told us NOT to try to bulk up in the gym.