<p>I’ve had trouble sleeping as I slog through middle age. It seems to me that many people I know take sleeping aides. I’ve resisted and resisted and I have used Melatonin for the last year or two, but it’s become ineffective. Tylenol PM is not an option as I have trouble with Benadryl. I go to bed and lie awake and then after a few hours of sleep I wake up again. After one night of three hours of sleep this week, followed by a long, torturous day where I needed to be able to think and drive great distances, I phoned the doctor and asked him for something I could occasionally take. He prescribed Ambien, 10 mg. Last night I split the pill in half because I’m very sensitive to medications. It took about an hour to fall asleep and I don’t remember actually falling asleep, but I did, and I slept for a full 8 hours straight. I then awoke and dozed for the next two hours. I felt a little groggy in the morning which may be because I went into this sleep-deprived and then over-slept. It was great to sleep, but I don’t like the idea of taking drugs to sleep. I’m posting because I would like to hear other people’s experiences with sleeping pills – do you take the occasionally, did you feel dependent, is there a particular one that seems milder or better? My husband started with Ambien and then switched to Ambien CR but after a while, he built up a tolerance and had insomnia with it. Now he only takes it on occasion when he has a big day ahead of him and the other nights he is just up and down all night.</p>
<p>I’ve never taken sleeping aids and don’t intend to ever take them. They’re messing with the natural system even if that natural system is hard to deal with at times. A lot of people become dependent on medication to help them sleep (whether designated ‘sleeping aids’ or something else like alcohol, Vicadin, etc.) - sometimes physically and sometimes mentally or both.</p>
<p>A relative had some bad experiences with Ambien including a bit of sleep-walking in which she fell which caused other problems. At a minimum, be sure to look up the side effects of whatever you’re taking. These drugs can be powerful, especially prescription meds, and can have a lot of adverse side effects. They affect different people in different ways and can be influenced by any other meds one is taking. You need to be on the lookout for any of the side effects hitting you. Sometimes they’re subtle, like just not feeling ‘sharp’, and sometimes more apparent, like causing one to sleep at inappropriate times or feeling groggy much of the day.</p>
<p>Ambien (and other similar meds) can cause some issues so be careful.</p>
<p>I’ve found reading to be a good sleep aid (unless it’s the really good part of the book in which case it has the opposite effect). I never attempt to sleep without reading first.</p>
<p>I have used Ambien 10 mg- if I take one- it takes forever to fall asleep. I was told that I could take 2, which does send me nodding off within a half hour. (I am a large person, so I’m not saying that 2 is safe for anyone else). </p>
<p>I do have a groggy “hangover” the next day that takes a few hours to clear. So I really don’t like using the Ambien, but I will do it if I haven’t had a good night’s rest in some time.</p>
<p>My elderly mom boke her hip while in a foggy dreamy daze from Ambien. Her Physical Therapist said she gets 3 or 4 people a year who had accidents on Ambien, like walking out the front door in a dream and stepping off the curb. I don’t have a good solution for you but it seems that the sleeping stuff can leave you in a dangerous sleep walking fog.</p>
<p>Even as a child, it took me forever to fall asleep. I am also the world’s lightest sleeper and wake up easily. My problem now though is that after taking two hours to fall asleep, I can wake up three hours later and not be able to fall back asleep. UCLA DAD, I probably said what you said about never taking medication, etc. I feel as you do. But I’m not safe behind the wheel of a car on three hours sleep and I need to be safe on the road. Also, people pay me a lot of hard-earned money for my professional services and I have an obligation to be awake and mentally alert. Also, it’s really miserable to be that tired. Reading doesn’t put me to sleep. I might be wrong, but I think a lot more women take sleeping aides – I think a lot of women develop sleep issues as they age. I don’t intend to use it on a regular basis and I’m not even sure I’d use it again. But today is the first day I’ve felt good all week. Anyone use Trazadone? I have some friends who think it’s milder and better although my pharmacist didn’t seem to think so – he felt it had more potential for a hangover effect.</p>
<p>About 15 years ago, I was having terrible insomnia problems. I could get to sleep easily, but I’d wake up in the middle of the night and toss and turn for hours. It was horrible. I had to be up VERY early for work, so taking anything in the middle of the night was an absolute NO. </p>
<p>Eventually, I saw a doctor who prescribed something that specifically addressed night waking and was supposedly non habit forming. I took it for a while, got back on track, rested, with no hangerover, and then got off it when all was well. </p>
<p>I would recommend it highly, but I cannot remember the name of it! Since I’m a nurse, that really irks me, but there it is. Perhaps ask your doctor about a sleep aid that is specifically for night waking. Ambien is great for helping you to sleep right away, but that really wasn’t my problem, and as mentioned above, for some people, it can cause problems with sleepwalking and other odd behaviors while “asleep.” For others, it’s fine.</p>
<p>EDIT: I’ve tried Trazadone-I have to cut it in half or I have a pretty groggy morning.</p>
<p>The sleepwalking is very scary. I asked my husband to tell me if I said or did anything in my sleep (since he seems to be up most of the night, he’s able to do that.) I did only take half the dose though. Maybe I’ll try some relaxation exercises although I’m sure I have in the past. The one downside with a sleeping aide is that you can’t decide at 2:00 a.m. to take it when you realize you aren’t going to sleep. You have to take it early enough so it’s out of your system.</p>
<p>I have to be properly hydrated in order to sleep well. Urine no darker than pale hay all day long. </p>
<p>Other remedies I know about: warm milk, a glass of wine, sex.</p>
<p>
I thought I was! Note that when I read first, which is always, I might read for 30 minutes or 3 hours before getting tired enough to fall asleep- it just depends. Reading does two things for me - it helps to settle my mind from its usual random thinking about everything, which keeps me more awake, and it tires out my eyes, making it easier to drop off. Things like naps, time of day eating, what one eats, amount of exercise during the day, etc. can all affect the ability to sleep well. Luckily I can function fairly well on not much sleep.</p>
<p>I urge you to try some non-drug techniques and be extra careful with Ambien.</p>
<p>I tried warm milk the other night – I can’t remember if it worked or not. I’ll try again tonight. I’ve tried wine without too much success.</p>
<p>I have had significant sleep problems as long as I can remember. I could never sleep for more than 2-3 hours, waking easily and then unable to get back to sleep. It affected my work performance, my relationships, my energy level. I never felt good.
I did not want to take medication for a variety of reasons. Two different doctors suggested I try trazedone. I finally agreed-only 50mg-one half of a pill. For the first time in 20 years I was able to sleep for five hours straight on a daily basis. It really worked for me and has made a huge difference in my quality of life. I have been taking it for a year now.</p>
<p>I, too, consider sleep to be my nemesis. All my life I have been a very light sleeper. I can fall asleep pretty well, but if I wake up (or if the phone wakes me-- HORRIBLE!!) sometimes I will lie awake for hours. I sleep with ear plugs because I live in NYC. And, mim, I, too, can’t take Tylenol PM or any of the medications that have the same ingredients as Benedryl. They flip on me, and keep me awake rather than letting me sleep. I occasionally use a generic brand of Unisom with the ingredient doxylamine succinate. It’s important to look for that ingredient; it’s rarer than the Benedryl one (can’t remember the name but it has -phen something or other in it) and it’s the only one that is not prescribed that I can take. I have no side effects, though other people that I know have had a very dry mouth. Also, when I get up in the morning I am not “druggy” at all. I love it, and would take it every night, but I don’t want to get too used to it. So I only take it when I can guess I might have a particularly difficult time. Good luck. Sleeplessness is a real drag… A doctor once said to me that when I got tired enough I would sleep, and if I didn’t sleep more than an hour or two once in a while it would be fine. The worst thing I can do is worry about the next day. I have never had a really bad time during the next day. So I don’t worry about it anymore. That has been the best help of all!</p>
<p>I had terrible problems with insomnia due to major menopausal hormonal changes.
I’ve been taking Lunesta and have had good success with it. I started at 3mg, dropped down to 2mg, plan to go to 1mg, then hopefully ultimately wean myself off it.</p>
<p>I’m told it’s not habit forming but I feel the need to have it–perhaps it’s all mental but I always make sure I have it. Those months dealing with insomnia were truly awful and I’d do most anything not to have that happen again. It’s a tough problem.</p>
<p>The thing about Lunesta, at least for me, is that there is zero grogginess and it seems to allow me to sleep straight through the night. I’ll never forget the first night I took it, AND IT WORKED, and how fabulous it felt to wake up the next morning after a full night’s sleep. What a gift.</p>
<p>mimk6, Have you ever been tested for a B12 deficiency? Through a routine blood test, my doctor discovered that I had a B12 deficiency. Weird thing was when I started getting a monthly B12 shot to bring up my levels, I noticed that I was able to fall asleep quickly and stay asleep. I didn’t put it all together until I did a little research on the computer and discovered that a B12 deficiency can be associated with insomnia.</p>
<p>I don’t think I’ve been tested and I just had a physical and had all my blood work done. I’ll have to ask about that the next time I go in.</p>
<p>I suffered from insomnia for years. I took Ambien for several years it worked ok. Lunesta worked better with out the “hangover” but was very expensive. I still take a Benadryl but I think its just out of habit.</p>
<p>I will try to explain what really worked. I had a book on sleep disorders and had never read it - go figure. When I finally read it the solution seemed just too simple but I decided to give it a try - what did I have to loose.</p>
<p>What the books said barring extenuation circumstances, i.e. medications, outside interferences, etc. most people start out sleeping well in life then something will happen to disrupt their sleep pattern so they sleep badly for a few nights or a week or two. Then they begin to worry about sleep and begin to think of themselves as a person with a sleep problem such as not being able to get to sleep, waking up often or waking too early. The Drs. in the book suggested a regular schedule with no naps and no caffeine after noon. Then, and this is the sort of too simple part, telling yourself and anyone who would listen how well you sleep. Tell yourself and others how you fall asleep easily, how you never wake up and/or how you always get a good eight hours. As I said, I did give it a try and in about a week I was sleeping through the night for about 7 hours. I was amazed and grateful. </p>
<p>A psychologist friend of mine also had another suggestion that she had had success with.
She suggested that I plan out and prepare an unpleasant chore, cleaning the toilets, scrubbing grout, etc. And if I did wake up too early or in the middle of the night I would HAVE to get up and go do the chore. She said rarely do people have to do the chore more than two nights before they are sleeping well.</p>
<p>Have you tried herbal teas? My ob/gyn suggested that I use chamomile tea to fight the insomnia that came with my last pregnancy. Being pregnant, I was unable to use any sleep aids so I gave it a try. Although I am a big tea drinker, I am not a fan of herbal teas but I was desperate. After about 2 weeks I began to notice a slight difference. Impatient, I experimented with different teas as people began recommending all types of things: lemongrass, lavender, mint. I picked up Celestial Seasoning Sleepytime Tea one day (seemed like a good name). I have to say that the first night I felt very relaxed and seemed to have less trouble falling asleep. I would steep 2 teabags in an 8oz cup about one hour before going to bed. I would add alittle lowfat milk (no sugar as it is a stimulant). After about a week, I would start to nod off about 40 minutes after finishing my tea. Needless to say, this was a life savior. I still keep some Sleepytime on hand, just in case, all these years later. I am not a pill taker and anytime I have used a sleep aid in the past, I have felt hungover the next day. So when I feel I need alittle help in the sleep dept, I reach for the Sleepytime.</p>
<p>
Good point about the caffeine. I don’t drink coffee but I know that some of the Starbucks and other coffees nowadays can have incredible amounts of caffeine in them and some people never miss having their coffee(s). Others purposely drink ‘energy drinks’ that have a lot of caffeine. Then there are people like me who drink Mt. Dew but I limit my intake of that purposely to not get too much caffeine (and it has significantly less caffeine than a cup of coffee contrary to what some people think and wayyy less than some of the Starbucks stuff).</p>
<p>I highly recommend this book: “Power Sleep” by Dr. James Maas. A very easy read, with great advice. Everyone wakes after two or three hours of sleep, but most people don’t remember; it’s only a problem when you can’t fall back asleep. This book has clear instructions on how to overcome sleep problems and explains some of the science behind the sleep cycle and insomnia. The author explains why sleeping pills can eventually make matters worse and should only be used as a temporary last resort.</p>
<p>I rarely drink caffeine. I spent so many years pregnant and nursing that I just gave up caffeine and didn’t go back to it. I’ll check the Sleepytime tea but I wonder what is in it that makes you sleepy. I’m not sure I was ever a good sleeper. Family legend had it that my mother kind of trained me to be a light sleeper – she wouldn’t let anyone make noise around the house if I was sleeping. Or maybe I was by nature a light sleeper and she was adjusting the environment to that. As a child, it took me forever to fall asleep. I also had years of interrupted sleep when I was pregnant (had trouble sleeping when pregnant) and up and down at night with four infants over a long period of time. I spent so many years waking up during the night that it became habit. Now it’s just getting harder to get back to sleep when that happens.</p>