36 replies to this topic

[ExtraHye]

Don't know what's wrong with me lately!!! I toss and turn alllll night, and can't go to sleep A friend of mine told me to take sleeping pills, and that it helps him a lot. But isn't this addictive, meaning once start taking them. You can't fall asleep without them?

I remember watching a movie a while ago about Elvis Priestly. How he had to start taking sleeping pills to fall asleep, but then got addicted to them. So he had to take pills to stay awake. Do you think this might happen if I start taking sleeping pills too???? Have any of you guys taken sleeping pills????

Anyway, I'm thinking too much... I'll go count some sheep now, that might help me fall asleep. Good night.

[nairi]

I've taken sleeping pills twice in my life. The first I feel asleep like a log but the second I felt like I was on speed. I never took sleeping pills after that again.

Yes, Extra, they are addictive. I think that ultimately "chronic" sleeping problems are a result of psychological instability. I know that when I feel tense or when something is bothering me I have much more trouble falling asleep (and staying asleep) than when I feel good. Whenever that happens to me, I try to "solve" whatever it is that is bothering me and then I feel much better. But yes, sometimes I have to dig deep to find out what's wrong as I tend to bury everything and forget what it is that's still haunting me. At other times it's old memories, old pains etc. that come back to bother me. Either way, the best way for me is to solve all that, is by feeling what it is that my mind wants me to feel. A good, honest cry is definitey a brilliant solution for me

If it's simply an "out of rhythm" sleeping problem, I try to wake up early and stay up until late in the evening and then crash. It takes a couple of days though, and sometimes even weeks Drinking something warm (WITHOUT caffeine) before going to bed helps as well; herbal tea or hot chocolate. Otherwise a nice hot bath or shower makes me sleepy as well. More importantly than all this is to try to be as inactive as possible in the hours before going to sleep. If I read a very exciting book or watch an exciting movie, or get all chatty and awake on this forum, I have much more trouble falling asleep than if I just do nothing in the evening.

[koko]

Take a strong vodka, and maybe that way you'll feel a bit heavy and ll be able to sleep , (tlp! kgnes tsas)

Edited by koko, 01 May 2004 - 07:03 AM.

[Armat]

Extra J
My solution is more natural. I drink herbal tea, which has melatonin, which is the natural hormone your body makes to go to sleep. When in stress the body makes less of it hence not being able to sleep. The herbal tea is great and you can control the level of melatonin by sipping the tea longer or shorter in hot water.
I hope this works since it did for me without any side effects.look for it in health organic stores.

Edited by Armat, 01 May 2004 - 08:29 AM.

[DominO]

Armat, what is the concentration of melatonin per cup of tea?

Melatonin in pills is a very efficient way to induce sleep. But it wont be wise to take over 1-2 mg. Another thing is that it should be in time released or extended released form, as it could do the opposit of what it is supposed to do if it is not.

Ah and, extrahye, I don't know your age, but you should wait to be 18 years old or over to take melatonin, because it is a hormon.

[Stormig]

I advise hard exercise (moderate pace and for a few hours rather than strenuous and exhausting in ten minutes) and/or wine whilst relaxing in front of TV. Take caution not to have so much wine or so little water that you're dessicated and thirsty at 3:30 AM, though...
(On a very hard-beat Sunday, I fell asleep on my bed watching "What Not to Wear" - something not at all exciting, somewhat boring, somewhat amusing - and I've very rarely fallen asleep like that in my life - two or three times in total. I'm sure the program helped, so Nairi is on the money there.)
Fadiushka, I'm sure Extra is well over 18.

[Sasun]

A good, honest cry is definitey a brilliant solution for me

Hmm... let's make Extra cry so she can sleep

Just kidding Extra jan, we want you to be happy

[Maral]

EXTRA,I think if you tire yourself out during the day,it'll help tremendously...it'll take a few days,but makes a big difference.
And if worse comes to worse,everyone I know is taking Ambien,no complaints.
they say you get a good sleepout of it,not groggy the next day.It's not addictive,they say,but I haven't tried it,I dont' know.
But the best way to deal with it is the tiring yourself out and the herbal teas,and maybe a hot bath,and keep a regular schedule....oh yeah and the liquor helps mucho NOT THAT I'LD KNOW


Try those things before you turn to the med's.

Oh and I just remembered,some people say that Tylenol PM does it for them,and for those that Ambien doenst work for,the doc says to take a tylenol PM with it and voila,they are having interesting dreams

Edited by Maral, 01 May 2004 - 10:31 AM.

[DominO]

It's not addictive,they say,but I haven't tried it,I dont' know.

I vigoursly disagree here. Ambien addiction can be very serious.

Extra, if you are over 18 years of age and really want to take something, go for melatonin extended or time release forms. They are cheap and will really work. Don't take over 2 mg.

The myth of hot bath.

Hot bath relax, and that might help if the prblem of your insomnia is because you are too stressed or can not relax, but on the other hand, hot bath can induce insomnia and even disturb sleep. The same goes with too much exercise.

[vava]

I think Stormig is right in the money. Excercise is the best way to release stress & increase blood flow... ultimately relaxing! When I have trouble sleeping (which used to happen more often) I take my dog for a long walk on Mont Royal - they call it a 'mountain' but it's really just a hill - but it takes almost a couple of hours for me & pooch to climb up and come back down. Plus the view is superb.

[vava]

BTW - Too much excercise can just make you excitable... you shouldn't excercise right before bed anyway... at least a few hours before is a better idea to give your body time to return to a resting state.

[Sip]

I totally agree with the exercise comments. It does great things for the body. This tends to work VERY well for me:

1) Exercise during the day ... moderate will do. As long as the heart rate goes into the target zone for like 30 minutes or so.

2) Don't eat for a few hours before sleep. Avoid heavy foods in the evening/night.

3) Practice deep breathing while trying to sleep ... long heavy breaths with controlled exhaling does wonders to relax the mind and the body.

I am rather negative on taking any sort of drugs unless it is absolutely necessary or prescribed.

[Sip]

BTW - Too much excercise can just make you excitable... you shouldn't excercise right before bed anyway... at least a few hours before is a better idea to give your body time to return to a resting state.

It's funny because I sleep like a baby after shooting hoops for an hour or so at 1AM!

[Harut]

Extra,

wake up at 6am, go to work, go to school at noon, come back home at 7pm, study till 1am.... you'll fall asleep right on the chair.

[Azat]

Extra, the secret is to turn off HyeForum at 10PM, by 10:30 you will be sleeping...

[nairi]

Haha, yeah, forgot about the exercise thing. I hardly ever exercise, that's probably why. Swimming makes me very tired though. Sun-bathing too

[Azat]

Nairi jan, how the heck do you sunbath to get tired?

[DominO]

It's funny because I sleep like a baby after shooting hoops for an hour or so at 1AM!

Vava is right, overexercising disturb sleep, you can have alpha intrusions on slow waves or REM disturbances because of it.

[Sip]

As nairi said, watch out for Caffein intake ... you won't believe how much caffein there is in sodas ... like mountain dew

[DominO]

As nairi said, watch out for Caffein intake ... you won't believe how much caffein there is in sodas ... like mountain dew

That's weird, as Caffeine makes me sleep. I am not joking here.