Experiences with melatonin, sleeping pills, cough medicine, alcohol as sleep ind!


Question: Experiences with melatonin, sleeping pills, cough medicine, alcohol as sleep inducers?
Hi, has anyone here experienced any of the above before? Yes, I'm talking to the insomniacs, one-timers or chronics :) I've tried all of the above, with not very successful results. I don't think my cynicism with them, nor my pessimism with my capability to sleep is helping the lack of sleep I've been experiencing for over a month. I think so far, cough medicine has been the strongest, I've tried sleeping pills, but since one tablet doesn't work sometimes, I'm too scared of the longterm side effects to trial and error with them.

I took a tablet containing 2mg of melatonin yesterday, but it wore off after about 4 hours of me rollin around drowsily trying to get in a comfortable sleeping position with no luck. Then I took half a tablet more, but didn't seem to feel the effects of that one at all...

Any suggestions? I feel like ending my life (no suicide advice please, it was just a thought)..... The sleep deprivation is driving me nuts- I'm frustrated or sleepy 24/7 without any success of getting to sleep.

Thanks in advance

Answers:

I've had good experience with Unisom. It makes me feel a little drugged out in the morning, but if I need to sleep, it is worth it. It hasn't been addictive for me. I think part of the addictive thing is that if you use it too much it makes it more difficult to do it naturally, but that takes a while. Melatonin isn't so much a quick fix, though. It works differently. You should take it every night 30 min before bed, and it won't work for several nights or maybe a week. It gently gets your natural clock to 'set' so it is important to do it the same time every night.
Something else about insomnia is that they say you really shouldn't roll around in bed. If you aren't sleeping, get out of bed and do something else, even just sit on the couch. The idea is that if your body gets used to the bed being something other than just a place for sleep (certain other activities excluded of course), that it will have a more difficult time drifting off. If your body associates your bed with sleep, then it happens more naturally. Kind of like pavlovs bell. This is also a more longterm thing, but if you do a pill like Unisom for a few days, and practice some of the other long term stuff, you should be able to phase out the pill, and have given the other stuff a chance to start working. Speaking of other stuff, have you tried strenuous exercize late in the evening?
Meditation can also be good. There is one that works pretty well for quieting the mind; keeping it from overthinking called Mindfullness Based Stress Reduction. It helps relax the body, but also keeps thoughts from racing (which is sometimes the reason I have difficulting sleeping).
Something else that has worked for me sometimes is a 5-7-9 breathing exercize. You lay in bed flat on your back, breath in through your nose slowely for 5 seconds, hold your breath for 7, and exhale for 9 seconds. Don't get frustrated if you don't hit the counts exactly, it is more just a way to slow things down (which is why it sometimes helps). The counts also keep your mind from drifting too much.
Also I don't know what your situation or comfort level is, but something that can also work is sexual stimulation. It builds up endorphens, so afterward you feel a little more amped up, but as they dissapate, then tend to lower and regulate your heart rate and sense of calm. Similar effect to the reason exercize works.

Oh and cut out all stimulants. Some people are especially sensitive to caffine, or can become that way over time. I know if I have more than 2 cups of coffee, or any after lunch that I am going to have a harder time getting to sleep that night

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Well I take a couple fioricets with codeine at night to sleep and if I wake up middle of the night, I take one more. Yes they are prescribed for pain use (disc problems) and headaches. But they work great for sleep too!



Melatonin only worked once for me.
Sleeping pills had terrible side effects.
Cough medicine made me feel groggy but not sleepy.
Alcohol... Not old enough to trink.

I have the same issues.....



Take no drugs. You'll get enough sleep naturally enough by just carrying on till you drop.




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