<p>lol…I had to look that up.</p>
<p>5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), also known as oxitriptan (INN), is a naturally occurring amino acid and chemical precursor as well as a metabolic intermediate in the biosynthesis of the neurotransmitters serotonin and melatonin from tryptophan.</p>
<p>Lots of good advice and ideas. I think he does need to cut out caffeine by noon and the action TV shows.</p>
<p>Benadryl knocks me right out so I’ll take it if I’m desperately in need of falling asleep & all else fails. But not in the middle of the night cause I’ll be dopey til noon. And I actually take only 1/2 tablet.</p>
<p>I can’t have caffeine after the afternoon, even small amounts.</p>
<p>If I wake up in the middle of the night and can’t get back to sleep (brain clicked on) sometimes a small snack helps. I wouldn’t have known I was hungry if I weren’t awake!</p>
<p>My personal remedy for sleeplessness is leg lifts. That’s right. You know how after you do a bunch of them on all sides you want to just lie there on the mat forever? Just go with it. :)</p>
<p>While I’m fascinated with the number of ideas for better sleep, no one seems to have mentioned my personal favorite: a nice evening walk with the dogs just before getting ready for bed.</p>
<p>No dog here. I suppose I could borrow the neighbor’s…</p>
<p>Melatonin is actually fine to take for sleep. Our bodies naturally produce it although as we get older the level goes down. It is a hormone not a tranquilizer.
[Possible</a> involvement of GABAergic mech… [Fundam Clin Pharmacol. 2009] - PubMed - NCBI](<a href=“Possible involvement of GABAergic mechanism in protective effect of melatonin against sleep deprivation-induced behaviour modification and oxidative damage in mice - PubMed”>Possible involvement of GABAergic mechanism in protective effect of melatonin against sleep deprivation-induced behaviour modification and oxidative damage in mice - PubMed)</p>
<p>I used to be able to go to the gym at about 5pm and work out or a couple hours. Then I would sleep really well. Now unfortunately if I wait till that late, I am too tired to get a good workout, but not the kind of tired that gives quality sleep.
I do try and have a good walk after dinner.</p>
<p>There are several over the counter supplements that might help break the cycle of poor quality sleep. Besides melatonin and GABA, valerian is relaxing and added to sleep aids along with calcium and camomile.
I don’t like using Benadryl except in emergencies to go to sleep. I have enough problems with memory. I do take it sometimes at night in the spring to cope with seasonal allergies. [Cocktail</a> of Popular Drugs May Cloud Brain - NYTimes.com](<a href=“http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/27/cocktail-of-popular-drugs-may-cloud-brain/]Cocktail”>Cocktail of Popular Drugs May Cloud Brain - The New York Times)</p>
<p>I agree that it works best if you don’t use the bedroom for reading or work, if you do, try sitting in a chair instead of the bed. The other activity the bed is used for however, always makes my H conk right out.</p>
<p>emeraldkity4, but that keeps me up! </p>
<p>I agree with the warm bath. DS has a spray that he puts on his pillow that seems to calm him as well. I have no idea why it works, but I am assuming a placebo effect. </p>
<p>[Deep</a> Sleep Dreamy Pillow & Body Mist | The Body Shop ®](<a href=“http://www.thebodyshop-usa.com/shop-by-line/aromatherapy-products/deep-sleep/deep-sleep-dreamy-pillow-body-mist.aspx]Deep”>http://www.thebodyshop-usa.com/shop-by-line/aromatherapy-products/deep-sleep/deep-sleep-dreamy-pillow-body-mist.aspx)</p>
<p>A cool room temp is also critical . No caffeine after noon for me . No eating or exercise 3 hours before bedtime .Something odd ,but it seems to help me- a fan not too near my bed blowing softly helps me get to sleep faster . Earplugs are a must . Also for me - no heavy foods like meat at dinner .My big meal is usually lunch .</p>
<p>Mizzbee I agree, me too. But men have a different reaction( or at least IMO)
Must be an evolutionary thing.</p>
<p>melatonin is fine, but its usually dosed much too strongly. 1mg or 3mg is most commonly sold, which is much more than you really need (its effective in microgrammes, like 300 or so). Otherwise it can leave you pretty tired in the morning. Anti histamines aren’t a bad bet, either. Benadryl is fine, if you want something more interesting, try ketotifen. For computers there’s a nice app that automatically dims your display down after 7 or 8 pm, its called Flux. Carbs before bed are actually beneficial because it stimulates seratonin production. Oh ya, white noise isn’t too bad either, there’re several apps for that. Magnesium is a muscle relaxant and has been shown to help sleep in old people (probably generalizes to the general population too). Say, 500-600mg or so. If you’re adventurous, sign up for a CPAP study or something, see if you have real issues.</p>
<p>-sleep problems since teens</p>
<p>I have a neurologist’s prescription for 6mg/night of melatonin. 3mg by pill, 3 hrs. before bedtime, and 3mg by cream/ 1/2hr before bedtime. I don’t use either.</p>
<p>A major part of sleep hygiene is to have regular bedtimes and wake up times. Three hrs. prior to bed don’t use a computer (you can turn the brightness level down on computers without a special program), or watch TV. Read something that isn’t backlit. </p>
<p>There is a book by Andrew Weil - “Spontaneous Happiness” - that has some good techniques - non-drug ones.</p>
<p>My favorite is a breathing technique - inhale for 4 counts, hold for 3 counts, exhale for 7 counts - This usually knocks me out after a few rounds. If it is comfortable, hold tip of tongue to roof of mouth.</p>
<p>There is a relaxation technique I use. Tighten different muscles throughout the body and hold, then release. The traditional way uses a defined progression of muscles throughout the body, though I vary the muscles I use. This also works well.</p>
<p>Learn to control troubling or neurotic thoughts at bedtime.</p>
<p>^^ I disagree that taking those drugs and substances are ‘fine’. And just because the body produces a substance doesn’t mean it’s ‘fine’ to take it as supplements. People shouldn’t rely on ingesting substances to fall asleep since they don’t know what ancillary effects they may have.</p>
<p>I especially wouldn’t recommend to my kid to start taking substances regularly in order to sleep.</p>
<p>People should focus on the other variables that might be affecting their sleep including the environment, stress, thought processes, what they ingest during the day. If they can get some of these under control they might find it has more benefits than just better sleep.</p>
<p>^^^^If you are referring to melatonin, that is your privilege, but it is used routinely with adolescents, who are a large part of the population with sleep disorders.</p>
<p>All drugs, over the counter or otherwise should be used on the advise of a medical provider.</p>
<p>I didn’t say to take it routinely. It won’t work if you don’t need it. But it’s well worth trying to break the sleeplessness cycle.
I also agree with the above post that pointed out the dose needed is actually smaller than what sizes the tablets come in.
</p>
<p><a href=“http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2001/melatonin-1017.html[/url]”>http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2001/melatonin-1017.html</a></p>
<p>I struggle with this a lot. I try to fall asleep, and as soon as I put my head down, my mind starts racing, going over work issues or money worries – the list is endless. </p>
<p>Here’s what works for me:
being physically tired – if I exercise in the morning – doesn’t have to be every day but a good cardio workout of at least 30 minutes – I fall asleep more easily at night and stay asleep</p>
<p>No caffeine after noon – no diet coke, no red bull, no iced tea-- nothing</p>
<p>No checking blackberry once I get home – inevitably, there’s some issue or distressing email that I can’t do anything about (since it’s nighttime) and it just stresses me out</p>
<p>A benadryl (or generic equivalent) – 20 minutes later, I’m asleep</p>
<p>Not trying to go to bed too early – because then you just lie there, frustrated you’re not falling asleep</p>
<p>Meditation – as others have said – turning the mind away from the obsessive thoughts and calming yourself</p>
<p>Calming music (white noise) – I just bought 30 minutes worth of various thunderstorm/rain songs from itunes – it unkinks the knots in my brain </p>
<p>Good luck</p>
<p>I know the rule about not watching tv or reading in bed, but I discovered a surefire sleep enabler for me when I started an Audible subscription and downloaded books on my phone. I settle in for sleep, set the timer for 30 minutes and I’m usually sound asleep in 25. Some of the readers are more soothing than others of course.</p>
<p>I have fibromyalgia as well as other fun things that try to keep me from getting to sleep a lot of the time.</p>
<p>I also use these sound apps which really work!
[url=<a href=“http://iapps.bzsounds.com/pc.htm]Apps”>http://iapps.bzsounds.com/pc.htm]Apps</a> from Brian Zeleniak<a href=“also%20good%20just%20for%20relaxing%20in%20stressful%20situations,%20I%20have%20Sleep%20System%20&%20Pain%20Killer”>/url</a></p>
<p>I take Melatonin every night. I started taking it, with my doctor’s approval, when I was waking up for long stretches during the night. The melatonin helps me stay asleep. I still wake up during the night but I turn over and go right back to sleep because I feel sleepy. And I feel fine in the morning.</p>
<p>GladGradDad, my husband does indeed have sleep apnea and sleeps with a high-quality C-Pap machine, but he still wakes up a lot during the night. I think he does some of the standard things wrong but those are his choices. And I think he’d still have insomnia even if he didn’t. Some people just have more trouble with sleep than others.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Exactly.</p>
<p>I spent ten years (yes, I’m stubborn) trying to conquer insomnia naturally. Ten years. Now I take two pills at bed time, have been doing that for ten years, and I sleep like a baby plus wake up refreshed. I only wish I’d done it years sooner.</p>
<p>I’ve just accepted that my sleep switch is broken. I can stay up for days in a row. I feel like hell and look it too but I can do it with no effort. Thank goodness for the medication I take now. It quite literally changed my life. </p>
<p>My advice is to do everything possible to help oneself. It’s so important to get to bed at the same time and wake up at the same time, use the bedroom only for sleep/sex, avoid caffine and do not exercise late in they day and so on. But if best practices don’t do it, then by all means talk to a doctor.</p>
<p>I heard a commercial on the radio yesterday for a product especially for people who work night shifts and have trouble sleeping. The product pitch was about 15 seconds and then the warnings, side effects, disclaimers went on for about a minute. It sounded horrible!</p>
<p>My DH takes after his mom who basically just lies there wide awake most of the night, thinking and thinking and thinking. When he gets some serious sleep it sort of wrecks him. He is very high energy and I think not getting much sleep is one of the ways he keeps himself fit for civilized society. I do think we vary in how much we need. My mil is 88 and doing just fine, having really not slept much at all in the 33 years I’ve known her.</p>
<p>I, otoh, need my nine . . .</p>