What are good sleep aids or remedies? besides Ambien...?

Question

I have a major problem falling asleep at night.. i stay asleep fine.. but i just cant relax unless I'm completely sleep deprived

Answer 1

I like liquid melatonin that you can buy at a health food store.

Limit the amount of caffeine you drink also.

I have also used teas like Sleepy time from Celestial Seasonings and Trader Joes Sleep tea.

Answer 2

Hi:  Overall, I agree with the other answers you received. For many people, avoiding caffeine after 3 PM is advised. Also, eating late at night can disturb the sleep cycle. You might want to check with your doctor first, since insomnia is sometimes a symptom of another health issue.

There are many relaxation CDs available. On eBay, you can find hundreds at cheap prices. What works best for me is a CD that combines someone speaking with relaxing music in the background. Depending on the season, soaking in a warm bath can be very relaxing to the body and mind.

It might be helpful to consider what is making it difficult for you to fall asleep. Are there problems in your life that surface as you are trying to fall asleep?  Do you have racing thoughts?        

As you read the stuff below, keep in mind that I ain't no doctor. As far as remedies for insomnia go, I would suggest starting with natural remedies. If these don't work, then you can go on to the "harder stuff." You can try herbs like valerian root, kava kava, chamomile, passion flower, hops and catnip. Melatonin is a hormone, and I would use caution about using it on a regular basis. If you are unsure, consult a health professional.

If the herbs are not helpful, you can go on to over the counter remedies like sominex, unisom, and nytol. If these don't work, talk to your doctor about going on to the hard stuff. Hopefully, you would have success with a short-acting sleeping pill that does not stay in your body very long. One reason is that you won't feel groggy in the morning.  The shortest acting is sonata, then ambien, and the longest acting is lunesta. There might be others; check with your doctor.

If those don't work, the next step would be the "big guns"---anti-anxiety pills called benzodiazepines. Again, hopefully, short acting benzos would be best, like ativan and xanax.  

Finally, even bigger guns are prosom, librium and klonopin. Prosom is the shortest acting (good), followed by librium and the evil klonopin.

The stronger the medication is (like klonopin) the easier it is to become addicted to it and have nasty withdrawal symptoms if you want to stop.

So what do you do?  Take over the counter pills and the drugs from your doctor only when needed. Then you should be alright.

Sweet dreams!

Answer 3

Have you tried meditation?  It has worked for me in the past.  Put on some soothing music on a very low volume level, concentrate your thoughts and off you go.  No drug-related side effects either.

Answer 4

Over-the-counter diphenhydramine (Nytol), an anti-histamine worked well for me I found (of course ask your pharmacist for the appropriate product for your problem). They are ok for short term use. but if your problem gets worse.. consult your doctor for a more long-term solution.  Hope this helps? Try and avoid caffeine too late at night and try and think of why you can't get to sleep.. pressure at work? worrying. Nothing is worth you missing your sleep for, trust me...