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The Big "I Can't Sleep" Thread - Insomniacs Unite!

....I guess I don't really see insomnia as a long-term, chronic problem needing some sort of lifelong treatment. There's gotta be some serious underlying issues for that to occur. For occasional insomnia, nothing tops kava.
 
I never meant to undercut Kavas abilities. I personally like it.

I think your probably right, if you just use it occasionally you will more than likely be fine. Hell, you dont need both kidneys anyway ;)

But I know people who use it everyday in teas and capsules and while they are alot better via mood, I worry about their health overall and what kind of toll it could take on their bodies.

I am surprised this thread doesn't get more replies. Maybe everybody else sleeps good :)
 
Hi All,
Some more tip for good night's sleep are:
Create a sleep schedule,
Exercise early,
Don't eat late,
Avoid alcohol,
Avoid oversleep,
Avoid taking naps in day timing.
 
I'm curious how weed affects other peoples' sleep...it seems to be touted as a great sleep aid, but it makes me wake up in the middle of the night without fail and I hate it. So much so that I'm considering giving up cannabis all-together.
 
I hereby join this thread.

I can sleep, but not without aid. Natural sleep is not possible for me. I used Seroquel for approx. 4 years for sleep and after that it was not possible to get sleep without aid. Sleep medicine does not work because they are either benzos or z-drugs and I'm a benzo addict (clonazepam 3 mg/day). Benzo's don't help me with sleep because I have such a high tolerance. I can sleep with mirtazapine, but I hate the drug. Now I actually manage to sleep with 3 mg melatonin and 500 mg valerian root. I just get a stuffy nose from melatonin. Does anyone else get this symptom? Seroquel also blocks my nose, but thank god I only use it in extreme cases nowadays. It is an utterly horrible drug.
 
^ perhaps you should try lowering your dosage of melatonin. It can be used effectively in the microgram range.

"Some experts, however, advocate that low-dose melatonin is better than higher doses. These scientists point to another study on human subjects where only 300 micrograms of melatonin induced better sleep than 3000 micrograms (3 mg) over a seven day period.(2)"
 
I would if I could, but I just got that off some random article. It's pretty common knowledge though I though, even at stores they sell it usually in 300mcg, 1mg, and 3mg...or something like that. I find higher doses make me drowsy into the next day.
 
^ perhaps you should try lowering your dosage of melatonin. It can be used effectively in the microgram range.

"Some experts, however, advocate that low-dose melatonin is better than higher doses. These scientists point to another study on human subjects where only 300 micrograms of melatonin induced better sleep than 3000 micrograms (3 mg) over a seven day period.(2)"

The problem is that if I take only half the dose (1,5mg) I don't get sleep. It would lead to many sleepless nights.
 
The problem is that if I take only half the dose (1,5mg) I don't get sleep. It would lead to many sleepless nights.

Considered tapering off your benzos over a long term period like a year? Getting off that stuff for good would help with your sleep.
 
Exercising so close to when you wish to drop off is not a good idea for trying to induce sleep. The resultant release of norepinephrine and cortisol amongst other neurotransmitters will only serve to keep you awake for a while. Exercising during the day, or a couple hours before bed however is a great idea. I often workout at 9pm then hit the hay at midnight, but any closer to bed and it most likely won't work.

I struggle to sleep during w/d's, just laying there sweating and being wide awake but find that 10g Valerian with 10g Chamomile, a couple bongs of black Hashish like Afghani, exercise and being outside during the day and meditation in bed can help massively.
 
Being out in the sun, eg the beach in summer has always been great for putting me to sleep.
 
Wow. Last evening I split my 3 mg melatonin pill into 4 parts and took only one part (0,75 mg) and I haven't felt as alert for months! Waking up was as bad as usual, but after a couple of hours I noticed I'm not at all as groggy and dizzy like I use to be at work. I also wake up every night at least 2-3 times, usually the first time a few hours after falling asleep. Now I only woke up once and slept for 6 hours straight since falling asleep before awakening. I did have the "melatonin flu", a very stuffy and running nose I get from melatonin today though. But that's a minor issue. Maybe 3 mg is just too much?

Tapering the benzos is really not an option right now. I've tried tapering from alprazolam and diazepam before and it didn't go well, I just ended up switching to another benzo (clonazepam right now). I've been a benzo addict for over 7 years and had good sleep too, so I don't think the benzos are the main reason for me having trouble getting sleep, or feeling extremely tired even though I sleep 9-10 hours. Also, having been through withdrawal, it's pure hell, because it brings back all the mental disorders I suffered severly from for many years (panic attacks, anxiety disorder, severe social phobia).
 
^ Nice about the melatonin. Save the higher amounts for forced vivid dreaming or post MDMA sleep. It's an incredible anti-oxidant so that's what I use it for.

If you ever wanna taper, consider using Kava and Scullcap as a benzo substitute.
 
i love melatonin but strangely on three separate occassions after using it sublingually, i've awoken the next morning to infected salivary glands. obviously, i'm sure pill form or a different brand would remedy this but an unusual side-effect nonetheless.
 
^
Wow! Can we say 'post hoc propter hoc' fallacy? You took melatonin, then got an infection, therefore melatonin caused the infection? HAHAHA...oh wow!

Seeing as melatonin is neither a organism, nor is it (at least in short term use) immuno-suppressant, how could it have caused an infection? Causality is lacking.
How would changing brands affect the action of the same molecule, assuming it was caused by melatonin?
 
ugh. 8) i thought it was pretty obvious but let me spell it out: i've taken melatonin sublingually several times and in THREE instances i've awoken to infected salivary glands, which i've NEVER had previously. that's hardly a coincidence. i'm willing to try pill form or a different brand so clearly i don't have an aversion to melatonin nor did i suggest people not use it; in fact, i said i love it. my suggestion is that maybe this particular method (sublingually) and/or brand, which may have some sort of texture or chalkiness to it, might be causing minute pieces of the disintegrated pill to block my salivary glands. in turn, causing a salivary gland infection.
 
So, now you are specifying a theory of causation. Congratulations! You are vaguely now making sense!

Of course it is still very much a coincidence, since your theory has no supporting evidence and thus your conclusion is based only upon the principal of co-relation
equaling causation, which of course, we all know that is fucking retarded completely sound and scientifically valid. I drink water when I swallow my dexedrine. I get high about 30 minutes later. Therefore, water is a stimulant.
Its a fact because of temporal succession. :D

As for recommending it to people or saying you love it or not. Thanks for clearing that up, but I had no confusion over the fact you said you love melatonin.
I was only questioning your logic train in deducing that melatonin was the causal agent of an infection.
(In fact I feel that your mention of loving it and your recomending it to others was nothing but a rhetorical technique that shares it name
with a type of brine cured fish. "Red herring" likely in an attempt to distract the reader from your glaring non-sequitur logic)
 
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Yeah alright, good point, rangrz ....but Jesus Christ you aren't half condescending.

As for my sleep, lately it's been all kinds of fucked. I've been lying there desperately trying to sleep but stressing like all hell about so much nonsense lately. Unfortunately I have allowed myself to be lazy the past 10 days or so with regards to weight training, meditation, healthy eating - the usual. Which is strange, really. I don't know where it's come from, but as of yesterday i'm back on the money. Quite a random little 10 days of bad habits though.

Tomorrow I train.
Tomorrow it's just me and the iron.
 
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