Trouble sleeping...

[coldarchon]

Originally Posted by Ludeykrus

You submit opinion with no justification

in my very first post I gave a very plausible justification. if you deny it because you want to justify your own poor vicious circle you think you can´t escape from, then stay with your post above and don´t address me. you only suppress your symptoms and have to take drugs on a daily basis, sry if you think your fate has to the one for everyone else ..

 

[rxcats]

Originally Posted by MrG

I sincerely don't mean to pick a fight here, but this is awful "advice." If you're an insomniac there is no reason not to consider medication. Avoiding sleep meds when you're an insomniac is like avoiding antibiotics when you have an ear infection. These are treatable illnesses.

Quite contrary to the above, Ambien (and other sleep meds) can be quite helpful. It's great for getting back into a more reliable, fixed schedule. If you use it as your doctor directs the insomnia doesn't get worse when you quit. They'd probably give it to you for about a week and tell you to keep to a regular bed time. The idea is that it can correct your schedule by knocking you out at the same time every night. There is a possibility of one night of a bit of rebound insomnia, but even if that happens it's not terrible and it passes quickly. Yes, if you abuse it you'll probably have a problem, but if you follow the doctor's orders you will be fine.

I know you said you were hoping to avoid a doctor, but if nothing else works it might be worth trying. They produce a generic now, so it's not quite as expensive as it used to be, even without insurance.

I work different shifts sometimes and that can really disrupt my sleep cycle. Ambien is great for that! I knocks me out in <30 minutes every time. Most of the time the 5mg "senior citizen" dose is enough for me. I've never had any problem with rebound insomnia; I try to never take it more than 3 days in a row. Just knowing I have Ambien in my medicine chest helps me sleep because I know it is there if I need it. You are right about the generic; zopidem is less than my copay so I just pay cash. Ambien "CR" is not worth the money; it is Sanofi-aventis pharmaceutical's way of extending their lucrative patent.

 

[TGPlastic]

Never do lines after midnight. Except maybe New Year's Eve.

 

[Shoe City Thinker]

I second the Ambien. I have delayed sleep phase syndrome thanks to years of grave yard shift work and 30-40 death march shifts as a techie. Valerian root doesn't work for me.

 

[Arch Stanton]

Try some of these chages! Work wonders for me. Now sleeping like a baby!

* Sleep in the most comfortable bed you can afford. Not just the mattress. I'm talkin pillow, sheets and comforter. And if your room is a light color, paint it darker.

* You say your working out at night. I have found this only makes it harder to fall asleep. A cooler body temperature helps you fall asleep. That means no late night work outs or hot showers before bed. And try to keep your room as cool as possible.

* As for working out, I now wake up earlier in the morning to hit the gym. This wakes me up in the morning and I cant wait to hit the sack at night.

* And the the thing that has worked the best. Throw your absolute favorite movie in the DVD player. When I do this I knock out before the beginning credits finish. Several of my friends have tried this and it seems to be working.

*Also, you need to try to eliminate as much stress from your life as possible. Tough I know, but this would probably help you the most.

Good Luck!

 

[cory22]

I tried OTC sleep aid from Target, worked decently well.

Sex/masturbating helps.

Throw in a movie you know by heart so you don't have to have your eyes open to 'watch' it.

A drink or too helps also.

Think about something you find enjoyable and don't think about serious things.