I have insomnia

[preraph]

I really don't think you will build up a tolerance to Benadryl. I can see not wanting to depend on something all the time though. 

[Art_Critic]

I'll use a child's dose of benydryl to put me to sleep if I have trouble, that keeps out the hangover feeling... it's  a half dose for an Adult.

 

 

 

[basil67]

Paracetamol is a mild OTC painkiller which also can help put you to sleep.  It doesn't create drowsiness, it just seems to relax.

[GoreSP]

 

On 2/18/2020 at 4:54 PM, BC1980 said:

Always remember that herbal remedies are not regulated by the FDA, so you actually have no way of knowing what is in them or how much of the ingredient is in there. Herbal remedies can be useful though. I've taken lutein for a few years. 

THIS. Also, St-John's Wort will interract with pretty much any medication you are taking.

Anyhow, importance of sleep has been proven many times and the only true 'natural' sleep aid would be psychotherapy and melatonin supplements.  Anything else, in my opinion, will affect the brain chemistry in similar ways that medication does.  Personally, I find that a few nights of bad sleep will create a pattern of insomnia.  When I take (prescribed) sleep aids for a few nights, it brings me back to regular sleep patterns (that worked until I got a concussion which resulted in Post-Concussion Syndrome)

And Benadryl?  Really?  OTC medication is just as much a medication as prescribed medication. Also by taking Benadryl you would take unnecessary antihistimine...

[carhill]

Haven't had much luck over the decades, though melatonin, if that's considered a non-pharma type thing, did help me sleep when caregiving. Herbal tea has also helped, though some of that is likely psychological. Remedies, homeopathics, not so much. Then again, my pharma is limited to naproxen for old age aches and pains, no pharma in my body at all, well vodka occasionally. 👍

[FMW]

Everyone is different, pharmaceuticals and herbal supplements both can have different effects in different people.  So you just have to try a few things and see what your own reaction is to them.

I recently started taking the supplement Ashwagandha for mood and stress reasons. But I soon realized that I was sleeping much better.  My sleep issue is being able to STAY asleep, not falling asleep, but since taking Ashwagandha I've been waking up far less and seem to go back to sleep much more quickly.  I've only been taking it about a month though, so not sure how long the positive effects will last.  

Melatonin supplements leave me feeling a little out of it in the morning, and when I've taken Valerian I've had disturbing dreams.  So again, we all react differently, but maybe give Ashwagandha a try.  

[Fletch Lives]

Melatonin puts me to sleep.

For a small fee, I'll come over there and knock your butt out! 😛

[Curious-Sam]

On 1/26/2020 at 1:01 AM, major_merrick said:

Yes and no.  Kind of hard to patent something that grows in the ground and is accessible to everybody, so there's limits to even Big Pharma's profit-making schemes. I think a lot of people are indoctrinated about how useful prescription drugs are.  Many of them are just highly refined.  Could do it with herbs too, if there was money in it.

Totally agree. For a pharma company to invest money into expensive drug trials it usually requires that the substance be patent-able so they can reap the exclusive benefits once its effectiveness has been proven. This isn't possible for natural herbal substances - and so as a result their isn't incentive to run these expensive trials as the group funding the study will not really benefit financially for their initial investment. They would simply open the market up for any company who wants to refine the herb - and they can use the pharma companies study to provide scientific proof.

Down side of this is many herbal substance are as effective or even more effective then man made prescription medicine - but there is no scientific studies to show this. And 2nd there is not study to actually monitor and determine the best dosages and potential side effects\addictive qualities. Thus its hard to gauge how much you should actually take and for how long. 

 

[ironpony]

Oh okay.  Well I don't like melatonin because even though it works, I feel super tired the next day for work.

However, ever since I got laid off from my job, I've been sleeping a lot better.  So I guess the insomnia was most likely job related then probably.

[OatsAndHall]

I dealt with insomnia for a long time and ran the gauntlet of prescription medications. It's not something that I recommend but I'm not your doctor and my experiences were different from many others. I do have a script for hydroxyzine but I might take one of those every six months or so... I think the bottle I have now is expired.

Melatonin has been a Godsend for me in many ways. But, it took me awhile to nail down the proper dosage so that a) I didn't have nightmares and b) I woke up refreshed. I have found that the sublingual melatonin works well but nothing stronger than 3mgs. At around 830pm, I take a quarter of a 3mg tablet; just one-quarter. That does the trick 90% of the time for me. But, if I'm still not drowsy by 9pm, I take another quarter of a tablet and that is almost guaranteed to put me to sleep. Very rarely, I'm still up at 930pm so I take the rest of the pill (1/2) and I'm out like a light.

If it looks like it's going to be a rough night (i.e. I'm spun out and can't calm down), I take 25mgs worth of benadryl at 830pm along with my one-quarter melatonin. And, then I go through my progression with the rest of the melatonin pill if needed. That doesn't happen often and it's generally reactionary on my part; I'm wound tight, I don't feel like doing my deep breathing exercises and I just want to crash.

[ironpony]

Oh okay, well for me, when I take melatonin it only works for about four hours, even if I take high a dosage, I still wake up after a few hours a lot, but just much more tired because of it.

[ironpony]

I've been out of work for a few months.  Back then I had insomnia while working.  Then I was laid off, and on all that time off, I used that time to exercise a lot more since I didn't have near as much exercise time when working a full time job with over time.  Now that I have gotten another full time job, and working overtime, and not near as much time to exercise, the insomnia has now returned as a result.

Is there any way I can sleep better, if I don't have near as much time to exercise as I did before, when I was out of work?

[clia]

Why don't you have time to exercise?  Many, many people manage to both have a job and exercise.  Is there some reason why you can't work out before or after work each day?

[ironpony]

Well it's just that if I do it before work, then I am really tired  and more hungry for work, and do not have as much energy to do the job I feel.  And I've tried doing it after, but then I have trouble sleeping if I do it in the evening, and the doctor told me do not do it in the evening, because your adrenaline will then be too high for sleeping afterwards.  But if I do it before work, then I feel really tired out and hungry for work.  And I do not want to eat more food than I normally would.  So I am not sure what to do then.

Edited August 31, 2020 by ironpony

[clia]

Could you do something in the morning that isn't as intense?  You really should be able to do a 30 minute workout without being too tired and hungry for work.  What if you just started out with a 30 minute walk or jog in the morning or something like that?  

[ironpony]

16 hours ago, clia said:

Could you do something in the morning that isn't as intense?  You really should be able to do a 30 minute workout without being too tired and hungry for work.  What if you just started out with a 30 minute walk or jog in the morning or something like that?  

okay thanks. I tried this for the last two mornings where I went for 45 minutes each about.  but it hasn't helped so far and I still stayed up at night. is it possible that maybe 30 minutes isn't enough?  another thing is, since the sun hasn't come up I find it difficult to see when I'm jogging and I don't know if that's safe or not.

Perhaps I need an intense workout to fall asleep later?

Edited September 2, 2020 by ironpony

[ironpony]

My insomnia has been getting pretty bad lately, and I am worried it is hindering my work performance.  I am still trying to figure out a way to remedy or cure it, but until I find a way, what can I do to be more awake and more alert at work?

I think my insomnia was the reason I was laid off of my last job before covid, because I kept making mistakes that I don't think I would have made if I was able to sleep.  Does anyone know of anything I can do at work to help myself concentrate better when tired and do a better job?

[Wiseman2]

See a doctor and get checked out for sleep, anxiety, mood, etc disorders 

[elaine567]

You had no insomnia when you were not at work, now you are working again it has returned...
It is stress.
Unless you get to the bottom of it, it will continue

[ironpony]

Yeah the doctor said it is stress and anxiety.   He recommended a therapist, but I cannot afford to see one because they cost over a hundred an hour now, and need to get back to work for a while before I can I think.  But how do others do it and are able to sleep just fine, especially in more stressful jobs than mine?

Edited September 2, 2020 by ironpony

[d0nnivain]

It's not about the amount of stress.  It's how you cope with it.  Perhaps ask your parents for some money to see a therapist.  

Read books & articles about coping with stress & anxiety.  Learn about mindfulness & mediation.  If you are religious, rely on your faith.  Re-discovering my faith is what helps me cope when stress & anxiety get the best of me.  

Do you follow the "rules" about creating a sleep inducing environment? You need a cool, decluttered room.  Avoid caffeine in the afternoon & in your case heavy exercise but you could probably benefit from a walk after dinner.  Have a routine which includes going to bed at the same time.  Detox from electronics before bed -- no TV, internet or phone for 1+ hours before bed.  Ideally you should not even have a TV in your room, your phone should be dimmed & any digital alarm clocks facing away from you.   Perhaps have a cup of herbal tea; my favorite is a spearmint blend called SleepyTime.  Puts me right out most of the time.  Don't do other things in your bed like eat, hang out, watch TV etc.   You need to set up a consistent routine where you know you will be doing certain steps in a certain order & that when you slide between the sheets that is a signal to go to sleep. 

For example:  

10 p.m.  turn off TV & put down phone 

10:05  make a cup of tea & drink it. 

10:06 drink tea & read a book

10:45 stop reading, straighten up, wash tea cup

10:50 lock up 

10:55 brush teeth & wash face

11:00 pm lights out, slide into bed

Perhaps do some breathing exercises or relaxation of the muscles.  Clear your mind.  

You should be sound asleep by 11:15.  

[elaine567]

THE MILITARY SECRET TO FALLING ASLEEP IN TWO MINUTES

[d0nnivain]

Great article @elaine567 Thanks!

[ironpony]

10 hours ago, d0nnivain said:

It's not about the amount of stress.  It's how you cope with it.  Perhaps ask your parents for some money to see a therapist.  

Read books & articles about coping with stress & anxiety.  Learn about mindfulness & mediation.  If you are religious, rely on your faith.  Re-discovering my faith is what helps me cope when stress & anxiety get the best of me.  

Do you follow the "rules" about creating a sleep inducing environment? You need a cool, decluttered room.  Avoid caffeine in the afternoon & in your case heavy exercise but you could probably benefit from a walk after dinner.  Have a routine which includes going to bed at the same time.  Detox from electronics before bed -- no TV, internet or phone for 1+ hours before bed.  Ideally you should not even have a TV in your room, your phone should be dimmed & any digital alarm clocks facing away from you.   Perhaps have a cup of herbal tea; my favorite is a spearmint blend called SleepyTime.  Puts me right out most of the time.  Don't do other things in your bed like eat, hang out, watch TV etc.   You need to set up a consistent routine where you know you will be doing certain steps in a certain order & that when you slide between the sheets that is a signal to go to sleep. 

For example:  

10 p.m.  turn off TV & put down phone 

10:05  make a cup of tea & drink it. 

10:06 drink tea & read a book

10:45 stop reading, straighten up, wash tea cup

10:50 lock up 

10:55 brush teeth & wash face

11:00 pm lights out, slide into bed

Perhaps do some breathing exercises or relaxation of the muscles.  Clear your mind.  

You should be sound asleep by 11:15.  

Oh okay, well I do a lot of video editing for people in the evenings after work, and it's the only time I have to do it, so it's kind of impossible to avoid it seems.

But if I am turning everything off by 10 then it's not so bad.  However, as for the room being cool, I suppose it is, but I am sweating hot while in bed because of the stress of the insomnia.

Well is there any medication I can take for the insomnia for now, that will work?  I mean I have tried things like melatonin and lavender in the past but it hasn't worked much, because my brain's stress overides the medicine.  Is there a medicine that is potent enough, that it can actually beat the brain's stress, if that makes sense?

Edited September 2, 2020 by ironpony

[d0nnivain]

I have no idea if there are medications that will work for you.  I am not a doctor.  I also don't believe in better living through chemistry.  Most sleep medications are addictive & bad for the rest of your overall health.  They cause side effects like sleepwalking & can be hard to wake up from, as in you shouldn't drive the next day.