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Insomnia

Stress and anxiety (among other things) tend to raise background adrenaline/NE levels, preventing quality sleep. An adrenergic blockade will generally induce sleep. It mimics the process that occurs during deep sleep when NE levels are very low and the brain shrinks and flushes out toxins. Since that process makes a person vulnerable (the brain doesn't function well when shrunk), any sensation of unease will tend to cause insomnia and prevent the brain from entering its cleaning cycle.
 
Try Kava tea. I usually have sleeping problems too. I'll just lay there in bed with my mind still racing. But just recently, I started drinking Kava tea a couple hours before bed and it knocks me out. Why it differs from other nighttime medication or teas is because Kava also winds down my thoughts. I still have thoughts obviously, but it's like I don't pay attention to them or don't care/ judge the thoughts. So when I go to bed, close my eyes there is minimal interaction going on in my mind. I usually just drift off to sleep, to wakeup feeling refreshed and ready to take on the day.
 
I used to be a terrible sleeper too. I think it was the stress. I would wake up at 2am and just feel awful and then couldn't sleep.

I have a lot less stress now due to a lot of reasons, but between working out (killing off stress too) and reducing my stress, I sleep like a baby now. I can't even stay awake passed midnight anymore. lol

Weed also puts me right to sleep, but I don't need anything to help me sleep anymore. You don't realize how much stress affects you until it's gone and you just relax. Not sure what to say that will make it better, but I always used to watch some TV to try to forget about things before I went to bed.
 
I think Clonidine (an adrenaline blocker essentially) is the best for natural sleep. But sodium channel blockers like Depakote have found success in treating a variety of diseases where there is too much activity of the brain and such (epilepsy, bipolar mania) so it might help you too. A new drug called belsomra is worth trying but is expensive.
 
Try Kava, melatonion, & valerian root. I also think that you should see a therapist who specializes in CBT, mindfulness, and meditation/relaxation techniques. The therapist would be able to properly teach you different techniques to help you. My friend has said good things about this mindfulness app called, headspace. Worth a download. GL.
 
I can vouch for Headspace. You can do a free 10 day trial. Although I don't have debilitating sleep problems I do get the busy mind when I am overwhelmed at work, like now it's 3:45 am. Headspace has helped with my focus and sleep immensely.

I think I could go back to sleep right now but I think I will just get up and go to work. It will make tonight's sleep that much easier.

I feel for those with chronic sleep problems. I've known people close in my life who used the serious sleep meds and those didn't end well.
 
I use exercise, but it doesn't always work. Trazodone worked immediately. You only feel out of it for a week or so. YMMV.
 
I get Insomnia but it is from using opiates excessively and what helps is muscle relaxers, I take 5-6 10mgs of flexeril. It knocks me out for almost 12hrs in some cases but it's mostly an 8hr long peaceful sleep.
 
I've had chronic insomnia literally all my life, even as an infant and toddler. My standard go to were trazodone, alcohol, and Xanax, which I ended up being extremely addicted to the Xanax and alcohol and subsequently did two stints in rehab. What's been working for me lately is 100mg kavalactones, 200mg 5-htp, 2.5mg melatonin, 500mg GABA, 450mg taurine, 200mg l-theanine, 150mg Relora, and 100mg Holy Basil Leaf. This combo knocks my ass out within 30 minutes. If I'm not in bed within 30 minutes of taking it, I can barely walk and talk. Eventually I would like to get that list of nightly herbs smaller, but since it all seems to be working right now I'm afraid to make changes. I can literally go days without sleep if I take nothing.

I also wanted to add someone posted about visteral - be careful trying that. I took it once and it was like I did several line of Coke I was so wired. The wired feeling lasted for 12 hours and was terrible. If you're desparate for sleep I would be careful experimenting with cold or allergy meds as several seem to have that effect for me, including NyQuil, and you may experience something similar.
 
Late in the thread here, see lots of stuff but no sure fire methods to kill insomnia, and as for some of them there is a back story that is up to OP's due diligence to determine suitable in his situation.

Maybe some basic stuff to stop insomnia should be mentioned up front, before considering Ambien, which is dangerous shit.

First and foremost, it sounds like OP might benefit from being on a normal, regular sleep/wake schedule. You don't have to be Charles Darwin to figure out what schedule is best for health and well being. Staying up all night is a personal choice, but also very unwise to make it a habit and expect to cure insomnia.

From experience on a midnight shift for a year and another job working a rotating shift schedule, that is a inevitable slow motion suicide for health. You will have accidents. You will get sick and sicker. You will be out of sync and like a mistreated machine you will break down Last but not least, on a night schedule, good sleep is almost impossible.

Unless you are working a night job, you should be in bed at about the same time every evening, the earlier the better, and give yourself seven hours minimum.

In order to fall asleep and stay asleep, It is "very" important to be in a quiet place and to have the room as Dark as Possible. Use earplugs and an eye mask if you can't control the amount of noise and light.

Next is the comfort of the pillow, the bedding, and the room temperature. There is a delicate balance of these elements to achieve an ideal sleep environment.

Do you have a bed partner? You might be better off alone.

Ok, this is TL;DR but to sum up, OP should not look for an effortless guaranteed sleeping solution that will consistently beat insomnia, not without covering these basics.

Finally for anyone wanting to fall and stay asleep---> Strongly recommend exercise to exhaustion, in fresh air and sunlight. Also niacin B3, the kind I take says on the label "for heart health", that is what you want. One last item would be magnesium, such as the newer biglyconate type available online.
 
I don't think zolpidem is that dangerous, unless you're talking about long-term correlations between z-drugs and cancer or something like that. Also you should exercise immediately before sleep because that'll put your body into "exercise-mode" while you're trying to fall asleep
 
I've been there and done that as far as insomnia is concerned. I've been at the end of my rope with sleepless nights. The doc put me on ambien once upon a time.

Ambien does work, but can be rather unpredictable and addicting and costly. To be dependent on it for sleep is rather an extreme measure IMO, but YMMV.

But, much worse than zolpdiem is a lifestyle of irregular and inverted sleep/wake periods, such as described by the OP, which will cause not only insomnia but a shitload of other health problems.

The answer to insomnia depends on the individual, their age, health, environment, and habits. The suggestions offered in this thread may be anecdotally valid but are not universally effective.
 
I've been prescribed it too. I've been on it for over a year, actually. Recently went over a week without it, pretty much 0 "rebound insomnia"
 
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