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

Yeah avoeturbo, thats the way to do it. I have a special cupboard full of massive bags of diced Valerian root, shredded Ginseng, Chamomile flowers, loose Green Tea, loose Redbush, kilo bag of Ginger etc etc etc and make up my own teas each day. So much cheaper and a lot more effective than a pre-made teabag of Valerian with a questionably small amount of anything decent in it, potentially from non-organic sources and overpriced!

At least you remembered tonight though man....and you may just sleep well tonight given you got so little last night.

California Poppy is one thing I have never tried.....is it worth it? I never got round to it as there were many reports of it's inefficacy. What do you think of it on it's own?

All the best
 
Its not much to brag about on its own. But, IMO, it helps potentiate other herbs, similar to an herb like B. Cappi which I also have plenty of and make sure to keep on hand.

I like adding ginger and cinnamon to my teas as well for the flavor. The only thing I dont like cooking up is that valerian root because damn it stinks! Doesnt taste bad, it just stinks up the house, making it smell like a dirty sock.

Another good root for sleep is Ashwagandha. It is mainly used for pain but it has sedative properties and on its own its nice but mix it in with other herbs and it just gets better. Damn, now I am thirsty for a tea :)

Edit: The Ashwaghanda root, plus Kratom leaves, and Passion Flower is a really good combo for anytime. Of course, if its night time, be sure to use some extra Kratom as you dont want its energizing effects
 
Aye Ash' is great, especially combined with Valerian. I've been a daily Kratom user for several years as well but prefer to use it during the day, as regardless of the strain, the sheer euphoria kind of keeps me awake. I take several 10g doses throughout the day until nighttime but for me the common "more is sedating, less is stimulating" mantra doesn't hold true. Even if I were to have say 15g of a good Red Vein Borneo and Kali Indo, I still feel too nice to try and sleep!

For me personally, the best herbs for sleep are to consume Valerian, Chamomile and Redbush (Redbush is actually surprisingly relaxing when you notice it) 20 minutes pre-bedtime with a bong or two of Cannabis ingested one hour before bed. The Cannabis starts to taper off after an hour which is when I start feeling monged out and ready for sleep.

And yeah man, Valerian actually smells like faeces to me! Like my room STINKS of baby poop whenever I have Valerian on the go. Another thing is that it emits an odour not too dissimilar to Catnip and attracts cats like flies to shit. Even if I place the bag of Valerian on my floor for 20 seconds then remove it, the cats come over and start rolling around over it and going mad!

Cinnamon is disgusting I think, but I add Ginger (and often lemon) to pretty much every tea I make. I love the warmth of ginger, it's more than just a taste, it's like a fantastic sensation! Such a great flavour.
 
Attempt- yes, I think melatonin is the effective of the stand alone herbal remedies. I use a product that has a combo of all plus GABA. I have personally battled insomnia for years and have tried everything under the sun under a doctor's supervision. I also self medicate with high quality marijuana .
 
I severely suffer from insomnia. Having to be absolutely sober with no ambien, lunesta or X-PM crab. I started exercising in the morning and in the afternoon and drinking warm milk before bed. I never drink milk but I have changed my lifestyle completely and well milk is my new savior drug. I have been doing this regime for exactly 32 days and I have not skipped a day. Great routines will send you to bed. Moving from the East Coast to the West Coast was quite a change for my sleep habits as well. I think it has improved my sleeping pattern.
 
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Yeah, milk is pretty great for helping sleep.

So ALTGIRL, are you sleeping much better now? How many hours you getting a night? Properly tiring yourself out with hard graft/exercise is also very effective for helping knock you out at night!

HeavyMetal.....Marijuana is pretty great for helping induce sleep. Having a couple bongs about 1 to 2 hours before bed helps massively (though sometimes not). It's obviously strain-dependant aswell. A really heavy Indica or some nice quality Afghani Black is great for monging you out, though to be honest, I sometimes find extremely trippy, demanding cerebral Sativa's can knock you out when you come down from the energetic high.

There is a lot to be said for intention-specific Cannabis use. That is, instead of just smoking some, enjoying it recreationally and utilising it to only a fraction of it's potential, one may reap the benefits of any spiritual goal one may wish to achieve, limited only by one's imagination. Getting kinda off topic here! Though i'm not going to go into the utilisation of Marijuana's potential and what one may achieve from it's use (that's a whole other debate), I will put forth that if one is to meditate upon a specific intention prior to Cannabis use (it could be for increased clarity, aiding decision-making or helping one relax enough to sleep) then there is a much higher chance of the power of your belief substantiating and actualising what one intends/desires.
The same goes for any herb and meditation.
Simply chugging back a cup of Valerian, Chamomile, Rhodiola etc won't achieve quite the same results as if one were to forego each sip with a real belief in it's efficacy and knowingness of it's power to help you sleep. Take deep breaths, focussing on nothing but your breath and each sip relaxing every muscle in your body.
The relaxation meditation is a fantastic aid for sleep. Couple this with nature's herbal tools and you greatly increase your chances materialising that elusive slumber.
 
You should add mulungu to that list of medicinal herbs. It is very sleep-inducing, and it makes dreams very vivid as well.

I find marijuana keeps me awake actually... I never, ever go to sleep shortly after smoking. I actually don't smoke within the last two hours before sleep or it will keep me awake.

Regarding eating a turkey sandwich, really any filling meal full of carbs should make someone more drowsy due to insulin.
 
Good call mate, I will add mulungu :) I haven't tried it.

And yeah, Marijuana is far too awakening for me too, hence why I said "an hour or two" after smoking, when you start coming down.

And aye I specifically said wholemeal bread for that reason :) Turkey on wholemeal bread is a great option for trying to sleep, coupled with warm milk.
 
I purchase a pure indica strain if it is available - then chill out, have a meal, watch some TV. The comedown from a high gives you that nice "I just want to lay down" feeling :)
 
You are absolutely spot on with the idea about keeping the bedroom for nothing but sleep. I definitely have more trouble sleeping when I sit in my bedroom watching TV all day, then try and get into bed watching TV for a bit. The bedroom should ideally be separate from day-to-day life.
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A good term for this concept that I've come across is "sleep hygiene". It can also include a schedule/routine and all of that stuff as well.

A section on prescription benzos & z-drugs along with OTC anthistamines (e.g. doxylamine) might be nice.
 
amapola said:
A good term for this concept that I've come across is "sleep hygiene".
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attempt4 said:
...it should make a huge difference to your Sleep Hygiene.
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Yep :) I've always liked that term too, nice neat way to describe the topic.

amapola said:
A section on prescription benzos & z-drugs along with OTC anthistamines (e.g. doxylamine) might be nice.
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Absolutely. I did think about it. However I was unsure about whether it would keep the thread in line with the concept of 'healthy living', given the addiction/withdrawal potential, and if one were to engage in the use of benzodiazepines for the long-term then the problems that could arise compared to the other more benign supplements as well as the 1.1million-participant study that displayed an increased susceptibility to developing cancer and the few studies alluding to certain types of brain damage from benzo use.
However, understandably if you feel it should be included for the sake of accuracy in compiling a detailed list and alerting people to the medicines available for helping achieve sleep, then let me know and i'll make a section on it too!
 
I think it is at least worthwhile to mention with a note that discussion should be taken to OtherDrugs. I just can't imagine a full on discussion on sleeping aides completely ignoring the topic. Then again if we changed the title to "natural options" or something it would work fine as well in another way. Your thread your choice :D
 
^Maybe we can make the counterpart thread in OD, an official sleeping medicine thread...
 
+1 to everyone who has started buying bulk herbs rather than paying for prepackaged boxed and branded teas like valerian, kava, etc.

I love making my own blend of loose herbs for bedtime teas.
I currently use:
German Chamomile
English Lavender
Lemon Balm
Peppermint
Hibiscus
Valerian
----------------- The hibiscus and peppermint just make it taste lovely, but its really the valerian, chamomile, and lavender that help with stress reduction.

Have in the past added elderberry, lemon grass, spearmint, skullcap, and passionflower.

I have never found a combination, or perhaps simply a reasonable dosage, that will be rather sedating in and of itself. As someone mentioned part of it is drinking the concoction and believing that you will relax your body. I find that the tea before bedtime just helps get me in the right mood for sleeping as well as adding to the effect of any other medication/supplement I use such as a benzodiazepine or diphenhydramine. A secondary effect is that it helps keep you hydrated. One of the worst feelings in the world, imo, is waking up dehydrated (ever waken up hungover anyone?) I find that anti-histamines like diphen can make me feel pretty dried out so its important for me to make sure I am well hydrated when using them for sleep otherwise i'll wake up feeling like crap. Its oen thing to wake up feeling tired from lack of sleep but compounding that with dehydration makes for a rough morning indeed
 
I just find it so much more convenient to make my own herbal mixtures because then I can control how much of what to put in and I know whats going into my tea. Also, alot of those herbs that help you sleep are also good for some additional pain management if you deal with chronic pain alot.

And of course, like mentioned above, theres nothing like taking a couple hits of ganja and falling asleep with your hand in the corn chips.
 
if i werent an insomniac, id smoke very little cannabis, basically only when id be coming down from other drugs or maybe occasional stoned sex. but alas, ive been a daily smoker for 10+ years now... time to get that vape!
mmmm sleep...
 
rm-rf said:
if i werent an insomniac, id smoke very little cannabis, basically only when id be coming down from other drugs or maybe occasional stoned sex. but alas, ive been a daily smoker for 10+ years now... time to get that vape!
mmmm sleep...
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sometimes i think that's what keeps pulling me back too. insomnia is the only truly intolerable part of not smoking for me.

@thread - what everyone else has said about exercise, smoking (but not right before trying to sleep), and not "hanging out" in bed too long beforehand. does anyone else have the experience of being half-asleep/dozing off on the couch, then get up and go to bed and being up another hour?
 
How in Zeus's butthole has nobody in here mentioned Kava yet? Hands down my favorite herb for insomnia/anxiety. My girlfriend gets pretty bad RLS sometimes, and absolutely nothing works as well or as quickly as kava. She'll be like a damn hurricane in the blankets one minute, and still as a rock the next. I friggin love kava. I also use it during the day (sometimes coupled with caffeine) to ease anxiety. I haven't tried many things (save aniracetam) that offer such anxiolytic effects without making me lethargic & dull.

Seriously guys, kava, try it.
 
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