I want propofol

I feel you OP. I have had insomnia as long as I can remember. I used to take ambien which worked well but made me dopey the next day, not to mention making me wake up in the middle of the night and snack. I take lunesta which is only mildly effective.

You are a highly sensitive person who is tuned into the world chaos around us.

You issue is more of a spiritual nature than medical, as with most of us.

We live in terrifying times, and some of us are going 'nuts' because of it.

Find a church, go to mass, ask Jesus and the Virgin Mary to help you.

Be well my friend.

Time to try meditation.

I stopped taking prescription drugs a few years ago. I discovered 50 mg of a marijuana edible taken after work allows me to fall asleep at a reasonable time and keeps me asleep through the night. It caused a pattern to form and now I can generally go to sleep the same time every night and wake up for work not wanting to shoot myself. Still actually use marijuana (live in legal state and am med patient for arthritis), but haven't needed to increase dose at all. Its been a Godsend. Haven't had to use painkillers in a couple of years either, CBD cuts the inflammation in my joints to the point of manageability.

R2 is deceiving you, OP! You are an insomniac because Jesus hates you. Yes, you are a degenerate sinner! Try sleeping in hell!

What is the story with pot anyway? I havne't been following it bc I don't smoke but they're trying to override states rights now?

I never responded to pot much. It just might as well be a placebo in there. I am not sure why. I think it's very hard on my lungs when I take a big hit, and it hurts really bad (I put water and ice cubes in the bong) but it just burns like hell - and then I get no high off of it. When I was in high school, I got crazy high off of it, but now I've been exposed to half of the psychiatric medications in the modern world (if not more).

Anyway, thanks for your replies. I kind of felt like venting cuz I only slept a few hours every night this week and stupidly had a little coffee this morning around 5 AM and it made me feel even worse all day.

Woops that's me / op

OP - Take a hit or two of weed, specifically Indica strain, as that's the one that puts you to sleep OR take 1 mg Lorazepam. If you go for the latter (usually kicks in within 20-30 minutes) ask the doctor for 30 pills per month for sleep. Since it's a controlled substance strict rules apply and you can only refill it every 28 days and are only given one per night. You may feel a bit drowsy upon awakening but it wears off quickly and you then feel refreshed because you got a night's sleep.

Assuming you do not have sleep apnea? Do you have any trauma or early sex abuse that can keep you from staying asleep? It sounds like a nightmare, I feel for you, and hope you find something that works for you.,

I feel so bad for you op. I wish I could help. I only sleep during the day and with the help right now of Lorazepam.

OP, sorry for you.

I'm sure you've been asked this, but did this start suddenly, or was it a gradual thing? If suddenly, what was happening in your life? Is there a family history? Of the different diagnoses, was one more prevalent?

That was weird - it said "could not save - permission denied" - I thought maybe propofol got me banned or something. I hope it works now.

R11, it was something that I had even as a little toddler! I don't remember this, but my parents have told me that on vacations, I was a nightmare to deal with because I would jump around in the crib all night. I refused to sleep. As I got older, school was very hard bc I couldn't wake up but as a teenager, I could deal with sleep deprivation. As someone in my (almost) 40s... I do not have the same resilience as I did from 15-35, roughly. The family history has other psychiatric problems, which are often linked to sleep issues. They have a similar underlying biology that nobody understands entirely yet. The final diagnosis is actually that I have something called CRSD - circadian rhythm sleep disorder... which is different than pure insomnia, but they only "invented" this title in the last 10 years or so. There's even a drug out for blind people with a CRSD called "non-24" that is constantly advertised on tv. The drug is $12,000 a month by the way... but it wouldn't really treat my issue. The point is (sorry for rambling) I don'nt have insomnia related to anxiety or trauma or depression as a primary cause. Insomnia is caused by a circadian rhythm dysfunction. Then after that, of course one would be anxious / depressed, etc... because they can't sleep ever.

--

Here's what I posted when I got the error:

I am being treated by a sleep med specialist / neurologist now who is local. He's known me since 2005 actually. He isn't a huge fan of benzos but will let me have clonazapam sometimes because he thinks it is less difficult to taper off of with its longer half life, but everything I've read (stevie nicks in particular) doesn't really agree, so I can't really get any other benzos. The pharmacies track everything you take now that is controlled, so if they see 2 benzos from 2 doctors, they flip out. I've had a hard time in the past, having had a few different sleep docs (psychiatry, neruo, and one was even in pulminary care).

I wasn't ever abused, R9. I had an overnight sleep test and there wasn't true apnea, but they said I had a little bit of shallow breathing or something - like not the ideal oxygen saturation but not the level to diagnose apnea. I could always repeat the test (this was a while ago) but the irony with a sleep test is that it's impossible to sleep. They have so many wires on you - it's easier to sleep on an airplane.

I bet the old drugs would've worked for me - all the good stuff they pulled off the market because of overdoses. It's probably better that it's off the market or I would've been dead on the toilet like Elvis by now. MJ had to turn to general anesthesia though, because (IMO) they removed the stronger drugs from the market (the barbituates). They're terribly addictive and can be quite dangerous, but there's nothing between weak benzos (weak for people with true problems) and then anti-psychotics which are unreliable... and then the next step is Versed (what MJ had Dr Murray give him IV) and after that was propofol.

Sorry "true problems" should've been "sleep problems". They're GREAT for anxiety. For sleep, it's like you're hoping the side effect will be the main effect of the drug, like taking benadryl to sleep. Not everyone gets drowsy enough. They may interfere with sleep architecture too - though this is controversial. I dream plenty when I take benzos and yet the docs claim you don't get REM on them...doesn't make any sense (they do hurt your memory over time, though... I think).

OP, I am not trying to diminish your problems, but have you tried Chamomile Tincture?

I know it sounds lame and weak, but the reality is that in a tincture, Chamomile is quite ballsy and will knock your ass out for the night.

What R14 said - worth a try.

Also, what R4 said. I got a few little packs of edibles when I was in Oregon, and when I can't sleep I eat one. It takes about 90 minutes to kick in for me, but works like a charm. I just can't get up super early the next morning.

Try a weighted blanket too.

Meditation, marijuana (smoking is faster, edibles slower to act) and get tested for ADHD & sleep Apnea have been some of the above suggestions. Get one of those noise machines or on your phone and find one that is soothing to you. There are various massage techniques for addressing sleep, so locate a massage therapist that may specialise in one or two. Acupuncture has areas for sleep as well. My insurance, Kaiser, allows for acupuncture. You also have to strictly adhere to sleep habits: no carbs eating after, say, 7 pm, as carbs will will spike sugar production with 2 hours or so, depending on your metabolism which can wake you up. No TV, phone use, lights on in bedroom. Read with a dimly lit Kindle (there's a model for a less eye strain, blue light reduction). I am on my tablet now, in bed next to my already snoring partner. TV is on. I will turn off TV at 10, but stay on tablet or phone for a while.

No I haven't tried that. For herbal stuff, I just tried valerian which sorta maybe helps. It's hard to tell with herbal meds. Actually, some prescriptions are just as bad. Belsomra, the latest anti-insomnia drug, works like magic on some nights and then on other nights it's basically water. It seems to have garnered some pretty bad reviews too on those drug review sites.

Is Chamomile tincture like a drop? I went to a holitic / eastern medicine place but they were so weird & were pushing 10 mg (!!) of melatonin on me. I've talked with some of the MD / PHDs who did all the research on melatonin (it started in hamsters...interesting stuff actually) and for humans, most people take way too much. 1/2 or 1/3 mg is the right dose to shift your sleep phase and not have bad side effects.

lol r16, though I may have more bed linens than Bed Bath and Beyond... I never tried a weighted blanket though - or linen sheets (though they're coming! I am very excited about this as I first learned of them on DL and then began searching for good ones) I tend to like to move around... no tucked in hospital corners on my bed.

R18/OP,

You would purchase the Chamomile Tincture in a bottle for approx. $13.00 and yes, you then take about a dropper full and put it in a little water and drink it down.

Chamomile is such a feminine, lovely name and it flowers are a pretty yellow however, it is a BADASS tincture and will konk your ass out for the night--every night, for years.

The ancient Romans considered her to be a very sacred plant.

I am 100% in agreement about the carbs stopping long before sleep, but the other bizarre thing is when I am very tired, I crave carbs like a maniac. That's also why pot scares me a little - I have the muchies as a default state

I have orange glasses for blocking out the blue rays from computers and TVs at night... though i don't think they have helped much. I think there's still too much mental stimulation. Sometimes I wonder if there was no internet or DVR, would I have these problems as bad as I do. I never really tried massage for sleep. I only had a few after surgery for lymphatic drainage.

I have a noise machine but sometimes it annoys me... I use it when there are lawn mowers or dogs etc.

That's great r19 - is there any place reliable to get it or would amazon be ok?

OP r16 posted good advice - weighted blankets are used on kids with severe ADHD to calm them. They also supposedly work for deep anxiety and insomnia, something about the weight pressing on the body down calms the brain's anxiety centers. I used one and it worked very well, I had anxiety-induced sleeplessness for some time.

You can get these at Brookstone or online if you search. They aren't necessarily cheap but take a look or try it out.

I've always had terrible insomnia. I live in the Uk and the NHS give you nothing ever, so I ordered Ambien online and it worked for about ten years, in ever increasing doses. Now it only rarely works, usually at weekends, but if I don't take Ambien I get heart palpitations and other nasty z-drug withdrawal symptoms.

I had a terrible time sleeping about 5 years ago and my doctor put me on GHB, it came from a special pharmacy and luckily my insurance covered it. It completely knocks you out for 4 hours, then you take a second dose when you wake and fall asleep another 4 hours. I wouldn't always get a full 4 hours with it, but it did the trick when nothing else would. You might want to ask your doctor about it, though it can make you feel a bit off in the mornings. I eventually went off it because I didn't like feeling that way and when it knocks you out, you are completely out and nothing will wake you up.

R20/OP,

Yes, you can order it online--the brand I prefer is 'Herb Pharm' but some people prefer Gaia herbs--of course there are other brands too, but I go with the top ones.

It is really important to buy tinctures and to stay away from pills, or even teas. I have my reasons for saying that.

To me, Valerian root is almost worthless. Totally overrated, IMHO.

That's interesting you mentioned that r23. My doc , the sleep specialist, said he is licensed to prescribe GHB. Apparently not all docs are allowed to prescribe this. He said I could try it but I have other things that I take so he as concerned about mixing. Your doc went straight to GHB with you? Usually, its' like the last line of defense. They prefer I take seroquel or zyprexa for now during "severe episodes" - but then I sleep for 15 hours and wake up exhausted and sleep another 10 hours.

Yeah, R24 - it didn't to much - but it smelled pretty bad. My whole kitchen smelled like sweaty feet thanks to that bottle of valerian.

Ok. The Tincture will be here Friday. Amazon Prime is such a strange thing. 2 day shipping means Friday I guess.

Cool!

Let us all know how it works for you! xoxoxo

Have you tried yoga, walking in the woods and acupuncture?

It may sound like some alternative new age Mumbo-Jumbo, but either of the things and certainly a combination could help you.

Acupuncture is very good for unblocking systems in your body that prevent you from relaxing. I had some treatment for a bad joint in my arm and the doctor additionaly poked needles in my whole body. After a few sessions I could really feel the difference. I was more relaxed, less hectic, more focused and overall mentally stronger.

I can only recommend acupuncture. Of course yoga and a good walk is never bad for your health.

Good luck!

I've suffered from periods of insomnia from time to time and it really does screw with you.

I've heard of people like you, OP, where nothing works and it sounds maddening. I've heard of people who kinda have a "reverse physiology" where for instance most people would get drowsy from Benedryl, they get all amped up. Have you asked your Dr. about ADHD drugs? Normal people get the speed effects from ADHD drugs but if you actually have ADHD is calms you down. It's worth a try. Just be careful mixing stuff.

I used to live in New York City and had a high pressure job. I could never sleep, I took Ambien or Tylenol PM every night.

I had lot of stress and anxiety late in the evening because of my insomnia. It was hard to even lie in bed, it was so bad sometimes. One trick I used to do was listen to boring speeches or documentaries online because the narration or voices speaking would distract me from my own thoughts.

Finally I quit the job, moved away to somewhere less stressful out in the country , and finally only after about three years I don’t have problems anymore. Now ironically I sleep too much and can’t get up in the morning.

At any rate I don’t think the prescription drug route is the way to go. I have heard edibles (marijuana) are good. Otherwise it might be helpful to take a holistic approach, ask what in your life isn’t working and how can you drastically reduce stress and anxiety in your lifestyle

r25 they tried Ambien and all those types of meds, and some anti-seizure but I either had a bad reaction or it didn't work. I don't think I was ever put on Seroquel or Zyprexa, but there were a bunch that were tried over the years.

Thanks! I hope the cold weather doesn't hurt it.

I had an intro acupuncture session but it was for allergies (weird I know) - and I did NAET - you can google this - and everyone kind of says its a huge scam. I like acupuncture (I fell completely asleep during it) but the guy is only there on random days, and I haven't' been able to reschedule with him in a while.

I moved out of the city r30, but the suburbs are actually more noisy... sounds crazy but people have an obsession with lawn mowing and leaf blowing that will make me kill someone if I don't move back out soon. I am very strange in the morning... very miserable / depressed.

Yeah, I have tried ADHD meds... like adderall - but that was for focus issues I had (largely due to sleep deprivation). It makes me so wired that I can't even sleep that night. I also felt really jittery and cold... .it wasn't good. I have an extraordinarily sensitive system. I had coffee at 5 AM and I can still tell... and it was a 1/2 caffeinated medium. Then on the other side of the coin, I can take 5mg of xanax and nothing would happen.

Light therapy on the backs of your knees = drug free way to change circad rhythms.

The knee thing is super werrd... how on earth did they come up with that.

"Thus the time sensitive cells that everyone has been looking for in the eye might not be cells at all but hemoglobin molecules."

I wonder why nobody seems to have followed up with this since 1998.

In regard to the blue light from screens, I think it's recommended that people with sleep problems stop using those at least three hours before going to bed?

Do you get much exercise, even walking? Again, not less than maybe five hours before bedtime. Maybe try getting in several sessions in the course of a day, rather than one long session?

OP - try edibles. They kick in slower, which is why I take it within an hour after I get home for work. Takes about 2 hours for maximum effect and unlike smoked weed, the effects last much, much longer. Its 7 p.m. where I am and I just ate five 10 mg. gummies. By 9, I will be extremely mellow. By 10-11 pm, I'll generally be asleep. I will sleep through the entire night and wake up with my alarm at 6:30 am.

I've had insomnia since I was 14. I'm now 48 and weed is the only thing that allows me to sleep and wake up refreshed without drug hangover. I rarely smoke weed as I'm asthmatic, but edibles are perfect.

I sympathize! Insomnia is the worst. Luckily, Xanax does work for me (most of the time) . The other thing that usually works is "games" I play in my head. Basically, some kind of alphabet or word game. For example, thinking of rhyming words for each letter of the alphabet, or foods for each letter. I usually never get past the middle of the alphabet.

Propofol is awesome. For my colonoscopy, I got it to put me to sleep. It worked in seconds and, when I work up 30 minutes later, I felt like I had an amazing night's sleep.

I completely understand why Michael Jackson needed the stuff.

Then there’s this “fail proof 60 second trick” (I’ve never tried it but there is substantial evidence that timing your breathing regulates your heartbeat within one minute and that has a cascading effect on all functions of your brain and body)

As for the light therapy, I would guess no one has done follow up studies because there’s no money in it at all. Big pharma funds all the studies and they throw out results that don’t demonstrate their drugs to be very effective. I’m a firm believer in evidence-based science and vaccines and such but have come to believe that most problems can be prevented or cured by things like a plant-based diet, daily walks in nature, drinking more water, etc.

Maybe if you sign up for a multi-week backpacking expedition with Outward Bound you could rest your clock. Sunlight during the day, no artificial light at night, no screens, and you’d be physically exhausted from hiking and carrying a pack.

Can you force yourself to stay awake for two days and then naturally fall asleep?

I get more hyper r40. It's been the problem since day 1. Sleep deprivation makes my mind race and makes it harder for me to relax or sleep.

About the weighted blanket mentioned above, would that be very hot? People seem to like it & I added a duvet cover last year just out of the comfort of having this heavier thing - but then it was so hot I couldn't stand it. I am very warm at night. My room is like 67 and still I get hot sometimes. It might be the bed too , in part... not sure really. I wasn't always like this.

Just count sheep already, you crybaby.

You gotta get your bipolar disorder treated

The weighted blanket is a bit warmer yes. You may need to compensate by wearing lighter nightclothes or cooling your room a bit. But please try it - it's not like adding a duvet, it's heavier all over and more effective. If you got some slight relief from adding the duvet you could benefit from a weighted blanket. You'll be calmer during the day that I promise.

OP, have you had your thyroid function checked?

What is your diet like op? Try to eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes. It should be the VAST majority of what you eat. If you're eating habits aren't like this already, I would try adding in small portions to whatever your diet is now and make a gradual change so you stick with it. Also, like was said above, stay away from carbs before bed so you don't get an energy spike. Also, drink water.

Working out will also help your body function much better (assuming you don't already). And if you don't, you can get started with an app that helps you workout from home. A few good ones are "Home Workout" and "30 Day Fitness Challenge". There both free and you can download them and get started right away. Just don't workout right before bed.

Exercising and eating whole foods will probably help you solve the problem at the source rather than treating it like a symptom with pills and other weird treatments. I would also turn off your computer/tv/phone 30 minutes to an hour before bed, the light keeps you from sleeping.

I used to have pretty bad insomnia when I was a teenager. I would stay up practically all night, and then be a dysfunctional zombie all day for school. It made my anxiety horrible and my social functioning awful. If you could tell us what your diet is like, if you exercise, and what your electronic usage before bed is like it would help us get a better picture of what's going on.

Another vote for a weighted blanket. My husband’s aunt was a nurse who worked with “mental patients” and it helped them fall and stay asleep. Dammit, it works for me. Not a particular product, just layers. Our bedroom is cold and we have a down comforter plus I have a folded cotton quilt. It’s very calming.

Also this works for me when I need a short nap: binaural beats on YouTube.

[quote]I am very warm at night. My room is like 67 and still I get hot sometimes. It might be the bed too , in part... not sure really. I wasn't always like this.

If you’re a woman of a certain age, that could explain your feeling overheated. Don’t feel that you have to reveal your sex, though.

Wow. The best sleep I've ever had was with a couple hits of an indication strain of pot and a couple comforters. I didn't know about weighted blankets until now but sounds like that's what I was doing. I just remember thinking I felt so snuggly and the next morning felt incredible. Thanks D L!

^ Yes Indica Strain is the best for sleep. When I used to live in CA I used it every night and it worked great. I even had incredible dreams. No groggy feeling when I woke up. Two hits before bedtime was perfect. BTW, never smoke Indica during the day. It will zap your energy. Then I moved back to NY and have to take Lorazepam every night since the Indica isn't legal or available here.

OP, I suggest that before you turn to Propofol, you first try 150 mcg. (equal to 6000 IU) of Vitamin D3 every MORNING. Many people in the U.S., especially older folks, have a D3 deficiency.

If you are deficient in D3, you cannot have a normal sleep rhythm. Vitamin D3 works with melatonin to tell your body when to be awake and when to sleep. So, in addition to taking D3 in the morning, you should take 5 mg. melatonin about 1 hour before bedtime. That should help your body get back on track.

I had been taking melatonin alone, without the D3, and the melatonin wasn't helping in the least. You need both of them together, if you are D3 deficient.

Following this thread have the same problem with sleep constantly wake up every few hours. Good suggestions here . Hope you find answers op.

Propofol "sleep" is not restorative. It prevents you from remembering what happens while you're on it. It is great for surgery because you will not remember the pain of the procedure. Do not use it to get a good night's sleep; it simply will not meet that expectation.

Try a much safer, cheaper, and effective sleep aid such as Diphenhydramine or another first generation antihistamine, which causes drowsiness. Increase the dose until you find your sweet spot.

How about having a night cap?

R54 - alcohol prevents REM sleep

I find that taking Ambien one night will make it impossible to get to sleep the next night. That's how it gets addictive--people have to take it night after night after night.

The sleep problem is usually a life long thing..

I have the one listed below. My tenant and I were discussing this as we've both had it since toddlers.

Then we both talked about our ancestors with the same problems. All of these people hail from the tundra to the Arctic.

We're thinking it has to do with the best hunting times. When it was safe for humans to not be prey. Some places it's easier to hunt at night because animals in this region are nocturnal.

I've tried everything. EVERYTHING. The sure bet:

Seroquel.

It's off use is for severe sleep disorders. It's main use is as an anti-psychotic without the problem of muscle spasms and ticks.

Try it.

Try GHB - It has been used to treat Narcolepsy - It produced a deep rem sleep is easy to take and has no side effects.

I'm a guy - but I still sleep hot. I'm generally warm. I cannot stand the summer, and although this weather is bad - it's fine with me.

If I can try a weighted blanket if I can return it. Usually places don't allow bedding returns.

I have tried seroquel, and it does work well in the 25 mg low dose. I actually think zyprexa is better, though both have a major hangover effect. Yep, i had it from before I could remember too (my parents told me what a problem I was to get to bed).

I doubt I could get GHB... and I don't even know where to get pot or edibles. I don't know anyone who smokes.

I've heard most people are Vit D deficient, and I am sure that I am too - but my levels never go up from supplements. Someone told me this is because I don't take it with potassium and something else I am forgetting. But yea I suppose I could try that.

My thyroid is fine.

My diet is shitty right now, but I've had much better eating habits in the past. It doesn't affect my sleep much - but cutting the carbs down helps it. Cutting the carbs OUT does not... Keto actually made me restless and gave me nightmares. I had to stop it solely for this reason, even though I lost a lot of weight - i was freaking out. The dreams were so vivid I couldn't take it anymore. Apparently this is a side effect of ketosis, but a rare one.

OP Some people have a fear of falling asleep and are unaware of this. They nightmare but don't remember the nightmares and developed a fear of sleeping early on because of it. So aside from physiological, there could also be a psychological component to the insomnia. Something to think about.

Stuff it R2 R3. Especially #2. It's genetic. Would you say that to a 4 year old? Der.

Go volunteer, the end of times. Times are really bad. Times are really below the bar right now .

We're not getting bombed out in our London homes WW2.

The Times we are going through right now will only raise the bar much higher than previous generations. Future generations will look back in disbelief. The sections of our naive and gullible of global society will suddenly be conscious of reality. They'll join the rest of us and they'll be angry they were DUPED.

It's a step towards a jump in our evolution. Thank the Internet for forcing us to question everything. The pendulum is swinging.

R6, vapor. Keep up.

Have you tried taking a supplement for your adrenal glands?

R14 is actually a good one but crap taste like cardboard.

Either have a Foster's with that Seroquel and/or shred iceberg lettuce into some beef broth. Add some noodles. Or just use cup of Noodles.

You need either alcohol or heated drink to properly break up sleep meds. Can't have it releasing slowly.

Breathe in through your nose with your jaw relaxed, hold 6 secs & repeat. Probably can't make it to 20 b/you're out.

If you can't manage that, go on YouTube and find a self hypnosis sleep session. Careful though, it's a real talent as you see when going through the vids. Some people drone on forcing you to repeatly say ShutupShutup.

Lettuce is in the opium family. The opium is only released when heated.

Do everything and please get back to us. Lay off the Klonopin because of addiction & the half life that can make you over sleep.

R59, OP..forgive me as I hadn't read the responses just jumped into the thread to help offer immediate relief. You did try Seroquel. ^ Try the tips above when taking it. Good Luck.

OP. I feel ya I truly do.

Starting in 1988 I started getting sleep meds from my psychiatrist for difficulty falling asleep. I was given Halcion and Xanax in the beginning, and then Halcion stopped being prescribed. I moved on to whatever was the newest sleep drug(my memory fails me as to the names of all the meds I have taken) perhaps it was Sonesta? Anyway, it got to the point that from 1990 until 2 years ago I could not go to sleep unless I was drugged out of my mind, and the worst part was that if I awoke after a few hours I had to re-drug myself into oblivion. It was a real life Valley of the Dolls except that I was not taking barbiturates.

Two years ago my doctor started being much less generous with the drugs. It was hell, because that meant that I could not re-drug a second time when I woke up mid-night. I reached a point where I knew I had to get off the stuff or I would die of liver failure(from drinking so much in hopes of it knocking me out,)

The 2 months it took for my body to adjust to the withdrawal of the Xanax et al were horrible. Absolutely miserable. But eventually I was able to go to sleep like a normal person. And now, I can drop off any time I want, even for a cat nap, at whim. I have made so many mistakes and exercised horrible judgment for most of my life, but the one single thing I am proud of is my having the determination and strength to detox from the sleep drugs. I also stopped drinking as a result of being able to sleep. That took no effort whatsoever I am happy to say.

If you could take 2 weeks off it would help you immeasurably in getting through the initial sleeplessness which lasts for DAYS at a time. If you know that you have to get up for work, it makes it very hard not to fold and say, "I'll just take half an Ambien because I have to get some sleep or I'll be a zombie at work." I believe that after 2 weeks, you would be at the point where you could at least get 2 hours or so in snippets throughout the night. But the magic doesn't happen until you have passed the first 30 days.

Wouldn't it be worth it to know that, for the rest of your life, sleeping will be as easy and routine as eating?

I once took care of a baby boy who could not sleep. I hoped he would grow out of it. It was like a curse.

CORRECTION: R56. Forgot to add in that you breathe out through your mouth with to tongue between teeth to force your jaw muscles into submission.

I would very much like to try edible pot but the repugs won't let us get our medical pot laws straight.

R66, wow! It's like the withdrawal altered your nervous system. Probably a lot older now as well.

Stupid question but how do you get the Indica strain of cannabis from a dealer? It's not that I don't know where to get weed but that all of the stuff has cute names like Cherry Pie and OG. I've never heard them described as being indica or sativa.

Where I live there is limited medical marijuana and it's not available for most psychological conditions. Insomnia is not a qualifying condition here.

I would like to try edibles because smoking can get me to sleep but it won't keep me asleep.

Is a weighted blanket much heavier than 3 quilts? At least during winter I can keep the bedroom cold enough to need three or four blankets

Things I have found helpful have been meditation, true blackout curtains (most inexpensive blackout curtains allow some light in), and no reading at all and no TV or audio entertainment at bedtime.

For some reason basic Android app type games don't prevent me from falling asleep. That's probably because they're really boring and repetitive. I think these act like a modern equivalent of counting sheep. Tap tap swipe swipe zzzzzzz. YMMV.

Good luck. I feel for you

R67, well, if you just stopped tickling him...

OP, as mentioned, it can be hard to stop the "noise" in one's head at night. That old saying about counting sheep has some truth. I find that counting backward from 100 really can help me get to sleep. It might take a couple of rotations. Some people try counting back in increments of 2 or 3. I've also heard that the bedroom should be on the cool side.

Sleep with your feet facing West.

Be careful with Seroquel long term--it causes diabetes.

And please don't mix booze with pills, ever.

Op, if you want to consider another medication, tricyclic antidepressants like amitriptyline, and even more so, doxepin can be very effective. Those are go to meds for people with terrible sleep problems. The other recommendations are also interesting. Best of luck to you.

Have you tried hypnosis. I suffer from loud tinnitus that effects my sleep and I listen to hypnosis tracks or music for tinnitus at night and they help me sleep. There are hundreds of videos on youtube you can watch for sleep deprivation. I listen to a guy named Michael Sealey. He is actually pretty good. If you have a subscription to Spotify or Itunes, or Napster where you can listen to endless music you can look up sleep hypnosis and listen to those at night as well.

Here is Michael Sealey's youtube site.

I saw on one of those medical mystery shows where a guy didn't realize that he wasn't falling into real sleep each night and he died from sleep deprivation.

R76 I know you and others mean well, but once you have been acclimated to the use of benzos, it is not a matter of relaxing or turning off the noise in your head. There is a rebound effect which comes with benzos, which makes you 10 times more unable to fall asleep than it was before you began to take them.

Have you ever known anyone who is "addicted" to Afrin type nose sprays? It's the same effect. Afrin shrinks your sinuses and allows you to breathe through your nose like nothing else can. If you are a frequent flyer, you know how valuable that can be. Unfortunately Afrin has a horrible rebound effect which makes it nearly impossible to breathe through your nose without it. That is why 1 out of 3 flight attendants are Afrin dependent. Anyway, for OP to be able to undo the damage which has been done by sleep med dependency her is going to need to wean himself off it slowly and then gut it out for 2-6 weeks without any meds while his brain and nervous system resets itself.

Always been an insomniac. Lived in Europe and took half a Dormicum every night for 20 years. Moved to the States and couldn't get it here - it's a dangerous drug they claim. Well I'm still alive but haven't been able to get to sleep for the past 2 years since I moved to the US.

CBD oil ( a few drops under the tongue) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy might be worth discussing with your doctor.

R78, good point. I'm not sure what OP takes regularly, but Xanax takes a long time to get off of, under Dr's supervision.

I've lost a lot of sleep because my kid would get up multiple times each night. He has anxiety and sensory disorders. I put a weighted blanket on him and we've been golden. He sleeps right through. This is why I suggested it. Good luck OP

I have tried Xanax, Ambien and indica edibles, but the only thing that I have stuck with because it's cheap and safe is doxylamine succinate, an OTC sleep aid. Walmart and Costco sell it, but I've never been able to find it at Walgreens, CVS or any drugstore. Recreational pot is legal in my state, but pure indica was often out of stock, very expensive for daily use and I was quickly becoming immune to the sleep inducing effects. I really didn't think an OTC sleep aid would help me because I've dealt with major insomnia since childhood, but I'm so glad it has.

Have you tried Trazodone, OP?

I am a life long insomniac. I use Zanaflex (Tizantadine) to put me to sleep. It's a non-narcotic muscle relaxer. It's a really, really shitty muscle relaxer but it puts me to sleep

Ask your doctor for these. They aren't a controlled substance. One tablet (4 mg) will put you to sleep

R53 is right is propofol doesn't let you get any healing sleep. Your immune system would get greater benefit from transcendental meditation than sleep from propofol

I'm using phenergan at the moment which isnt ideal either longterm

Cut out caffeine. This will be ugly if you use it to counter your sleep deprivation. Stop the drugs.

Do a hard hike type exercise earlier in day. Manual labor around house with quick walk st night will do, but not too late.

Turn off freaking phone. And TV. No blue light!

Then take just a bite or toke of your favorite sleepy edible or weed.

This will not work immediately, but it will work and you’ll have hardcore natural sleep. Probably spend a whole weekend in bed.

Give it two weeks before you give up. It will suck at first.

[quote]And please don't mix booze with pills, ever.

They work faster!

Google search for "Magnesium Citrate" and "Calm"

Not all of us live in states where we can easily obtain marijuana edibles. Has anyone tried CBD oil for anxiety/insomnia? What were your results?

Ambien is shit. I've taken as much as two 12.5 extended release tablets and no sleep. No side effects, but no sleep. Ativan helps a little but still, broken sleep with gaps of 2-3 hours where I'm awake. I've tried adding benadryl it helps a tiny bit, not much.

Ask for Seroquel, OP. Seriously, 12.5 mg of Seroquel and I sleep like a baby.

Sorry to hear and hope you find something that works, OP. Have you tried walking at a gentle pace on a treadmill to some relaxing, meditative music? Maybe your body needs to work through some things to relax your mind to lull it to sleep?

R91: other ways of getting it. You don’t need a lot. I’ve survived a year on two chocolate bars.

I've had chronic insomnia as long as I can remember. Long ago I decided that I was not going to ask for strong prescription sleep aids because that could easily lead to overuse of prescription drugs, and the OP has made me feel great about my choice!

Incidentally, the one time in my life that I slept deeply and soundly was when I went on a cruse! it made me consider living on a boat some time in the future, maybe all I really need was the rocking motion.

Lorazepam works. Most people don't get addicted to Lorazepam if they are taking it at night to fall asleep and only take one pill per day. When I stopped taking Lorazepam I had no side effects at all. I just wasn't able to sleep and went right back to not sleeping.

Then I went back to the doctor and got another re-fill prescription for Lorazepam and started taking one every night at bedtime again, and again sleep 6 hours straight through. I've been taking it for years and I am not addicted to it. When I stop taking it I go right back to not being able to fall asleep and stay asleep. But I have no withdrawal and no side effects at all. So there is no addiction.

The doctor told me that those who take Lorazepam specifically for sleep because it doesn't get them high, it really puts them to sleep within the hour or less, as opposed to getting high off it (which I don't get high off of it) do not become addicted. They are dependent on it for sleep, but then sleep is a basic human need, not a luxury.

There's a free meditation app called insight timer and it has body scan meditations that run from 20 minutes to an hour or more. I was trying to do them as part of meditation practice and the ones that are over 20 minutes in length always put me to sleep. Unfortunately in my case it was during times when I wasn't trying to get to sleep but maybe it will help you.

Reading all the comments, I'm thankful I have the sleep of the innocent and not of the wicked.

Same problem: Try L-Theanine... May be misspelling it... Amino acid....Glutamine and Magnesium together are helpful Amino A cids too. Grass is good too. Another benzo to try is Restoril. It is an older sleeping pill or sedative. I don't think Halcyon is avail any longer in the states, but if you want to do the drug route, I'd try those two before Trazedone and Seroquel.... They are serious drugs w/nasty side effects.... Have personally experienced priapism while on Trazedone.... NOT FUN! Seroquel is given, and should be reserved for psychotics. The old Canadian Nytol (Doxylamine Succinate) as someone upthread has mentioned works well too.... Better than diphenhydramine or Hydroxyzine.... Don't take anything every night, every other night take something different to mix it up. Good Luck & Sweet Dreams!

OP what kind of doctors do you see? Shrinks or PCPs/GPs?

You silly people, don't you know the answer is a coffee enema? It's proven to work by actual scientists.

Quit the gabapentin. It only induces sleep the first few times you take it. After that it acts as an anti-sleep agent.

Try listening to Niall Horan's latest album , Flicker.

There are so many soporific songs on there that you'll be asleep in no time.

He's currently in the process of rebranding it as a digital alternative to Ambien and it works!

Trazodone works WONDERS, OP.

Traze-, Traza-, Traz-whatever.

Rohypnol, if you can get it.

Did you ever try a sleep mask?

Trazedone indeed does help, but it will make you fat and turn you into a complete zombie feelings and personality wise.

Anyone remember the scene in Silver Linings Playbook where JLaw and BCoop were discussing their psych meds at the dinner table? It says a lot that Trazedone is the one drug which both agreed turns one into a walking corpse.

Trazedone for sleep and trazedone for psych help are two wildly different dosages - I take 50mg for sleep, and have no side effects. Therapeutic dose for psychiatric issues is upwards of 3-400mg. THAT will turn you into a zombie. 50mg gets me to sleep and I wake up with zero hangover feeling or tiredness. It has saved me.

You can also take codeine to get to sleep. I'm in the UK and take 2 X Solpadeine Max tablets, which gives me 26 mg of pure codeine. Just make sure there's no caffeine in there as well.

One episode of Grantchester should do the trick.

I don't know where you get your tinctures, r19, but chamomile can be found for les srhan $10 at most retailers. I get mine at Sprouts for $7.99.

Hello - thanks for posting all of the suggestions. I fell asleep sometime around midnight & that was my last post I think. I have used trazodone in the past but it's not always that strong or predictable for me.

I did have seroquel, which I completely forgot about, until people mentioned it here. So, I took that (25 mg) - and then I was asleep for 11 or 12 hours - and am still pretty tired even 24 hrs since I took it. That's the problem with it, for me, but I know it is very different for everyone. I get very vivid dreams & woke up a few times seriously thinking I was somewhere else - completely convinced I was (partly because of the window size / location and bedroom door location are identical to somewhere else I lived).

Trazodone doesn't have a hangover effect on me, like people above said for them too. But seroquel isn't supposed to have a hangover either. I also ordered the Chamomile tincture & hopefully it won't freeze or get ruined somehow by this weather.

Not much can be done honestly... because the underlying cause is still something that nobody knows how to treat reliably. Melatonin & orange goggles (to stop melatonin from being suppressed by blue wavelengths of light) are supposed to work - but they aren't perfect, and then I have to wear the goggles every day after 6 pm - no exceptions. And it looks odd... though I was dating one guy who knew all about my sleep problems (usually i don't tell people, but this was going on for a couple years) and randomly he said "don't you have to put your orange glasses on now" and I was like - no I don't feel like dealing with it - and he was just like "no do it - it's hot" lol. So in that case, it was ok - but I can't exactly wear them to dinner (etc).

^ That was me, op.

There is a study in China where they treated insomnia (my kind of insomnia too) using propofol, but my doctor (psychiatrist at the time) wouldn't even read it. I have a new doctor who is just a neurologist who only treats sleep, so it's a little better. They don't use it every day. They use it to get the patient back on track in a normal sleep schedule and then supposedly they stay there- if you trust Chinese research that conveniently came out during the Conrad Murray trial... but no doc here could use it unless it was approved by the ethics review committee for human research, especially after that major legal case, so I doubt I will get propofol any time soon.

Edibles no pills.

"just" = "focusing" on sleep... I didn't mean a lowly neurologist by "just"

R116 - I seriously don't have any access to them. It's not a "qualifying condition" here. Though DL's favorite "Fibromyalgia" is a qualifying condition. I don't have access off the medical market, I mean.

OP when I read your post I immediately got an image of tall trees in a forest. If possible you should do some earthing everyday which is walk on soil. grass or beach with your bare feet. I feel like you need to connect with nature. Maybe take a week long camping trip or long hikes on trails. I'm getting Something about deep breathing, fresh air, sunlight. Hey maybe go to the Alps . They have great air. I was trying to get high off it when I was there. You need some kind of re-set. I like the advice on yoga and accupunture. When I do a long yoga class I feel so relaxed. All the muscles get stretched and you are constantly breathing deeply. It is very transformative. Try some online classes with Bryan Kest or Udaya.com

The notion of using propofol is ridiculous. It's a serious drug and you need life support equipment around just in case you end up like Michael Jackson. Even in a hospital setting it's used sparingly. And China may use this, but China isn't known for any medical advances. They're actually known for things like poisoning milk and all other kinds of things leading to thousands of their citizen's deaths. They also built some gigantic bridge that collapsed on the first day it was open.

Like I said in an earlier post. Get your doc to give you a script for generic Zanaflex. That will knock you out. It's non-narcotic and non-addictive

R2 Choke and die on my fat black cock, cunt. STFU with your cuntitude. Spiritual my black ass!

R91, I have tried CBD oil for insomnia. It didn't do much for me, but some people swear by it. I do believe it has other health benefits so I keep taking it. It's supposed to be especially good at soothing inflammation.

If you decide to try it, be careful to get it from a reputable source. There is a lot of "hemp oil" out there which is low quality and contains very little CBD. I get mine from a company called Green Roads World in Florida, which claims theirs is formulated to pharmaceutical standards. I've also heard good things about the Triniti brand (I'm a medical MJ user and frequent a message board where we trade information about these things.)

CBD oil can be quite expensive. A 1 oz. bottle of their 350 mg., one of the lower strengths, runs about $60. But you only need to take two or three drops, so one bottle lasts me about a month. I use it with indica tinctures or edibles, which I realize is not an option for you.

I have suffered from insomnia for many years, though it's not as severe as yours. I've used trazodone successfully, too, but had to quit when it gave me neurological symptoms (dizziness, balance problems, muscle spasms and twitching) even at a low dose. What gets me to sleep these days is a combination of CBD oil, vaping an indica and Green Roads' "Soothing Syrup," which contains CBD and melatonin.

Is Zanaflex like Flexaril because flexaril works well. It just has a very long half life.

Oh - that was me. I am back awake. This is how it goes. Party, this is why I got into DL too. I suppose I should be wearing orange glasses while reading this or I won't go back to bed, but 99% of the time I can't go back to bed.

I am trying to get off Ambien. Years on it and taking 30mg every night. After 4 months of tapering and withdrawal I am down to 15mg every night and managing to sleep. Will I be able to get down to zero Ambien and still sleep? Some people are doubtful. My doc wants me to stop tapering at 10mg because she believes I will not sleep. My gut says that is bs. The withdrawals---heart palpitations, ringing ears, buzzing nerves and a primal sense of dread---make me angry I ever started down that road. Fuck Ambien. Fuck it right up the ass.

R124 Did you read my post @R66? The answer is a resounding YES! That's the good news.

The bad news is you will have to go through hell for 1-2 months while your brain resets to undo the Ambien dependency. But seriously, doesn't having a rough 60 days seem worth while in exchange for a life time of easy on demand sleep?

I am serious when I say that I could not talk even a catnap without Ambien, Xanax and sometimes booze and hydrocodone. I was a major pill head for 30 years. I never believed that I would ever sleep normally again.

But I stuck it out(the withdrawal) and it was the best gift I ever gave myself.

Thanks R125. My doc now has me on a conservative tapering schedule of 2.5mg (quarter pill) every 6 weeks. Eases the withdrawal. Valium for a couple of days after each new taper. So following this schedule it should take about 6 months more to get to zero Ambien. If you are right and I can sleep without Ambien then I will be happy and relieved.

I tried the pot cure, every strain that should put me to sleep kept me up for 3 days.

Now...meditation and it works for me.

Well if you can get a prescription Xyrem that is GHB used to treat Narcolepsy. GHB is not hard to get.

'The withdrawals---heart palpitations, ringing ears, buzzing nerves and a primal sense of dread---make me angry I ever started down that road. Fuck Ambien. Fuck it right up the ass. '

I was addicted to 8 mg of Xanax a day, plus 30mg Ambien at night. I kicked both over 10 months, with the help of Valium, which was reduced every two weeks down to just 2mg. That way I avoided the heart paps, tinnitus and other symptoms but did feel pretty depressed, as Valium is a horrible dumbing down drug. It feels different from Xanax, which leaves you still feeling intelligent.

Anyway, now I am free of both and of the stressful job I took them to feel better about. I sleep but it's not reliable. I just think anything is better than a massive benzo addiction.

Good for you!

There's an article in the Jan 9 NY Times science section about magnesium and sleep.

Thanks R129 for your comment. When I asked my doc, somewhat in jest, if people went on to live happy and productive lives after getting off ambien she rolled her eyes and said, "yeah, sure." She also said that going through the withdrawals is so hard that people who do it usually never want to take ambien ever again. Not to scare anybody, getting off is manageable with low doses of valium and a few months to a year is what most people say.

Fuck. I just got results from my last sleep study...sleep efficiency of 48%. No wonder I always feel fucked over

R128 How does one get their hands on GHB? Is it available on line from an Indian pharmacy? That's how I get my Flexrl and diet pills. I don't care about the cost as long as the provider is pretty dependable. Thanks for any help you can give me.

Just ordered some chamomile tincture, very curious to see what this does.

I need to stress this: do NOT buy any essential oils!

Chamomille essential oil is NOT to be taken internally and really, should not be used on the body either.

All "essential oils" are dangerous and can cause severe problems. NEVER use them!

What you should buy is just a 'tincture,' which is a small bottle that is alcohol based. It will say TINCTURE on the bottle. This is why you should purchase all products from very popular brands like Herb Pharm or Gaia Herbs.

Listen, if you are an AA'er and worried about the alcohol, which is ridiculous because it's NOTHING but still, there are Chamomile teas out there that do work.

Best of luck to you all.

They should use that chemical that naturally occurs in turkey dinner.

It takes me forever to fall asleep and then when i do, I wake up a few hours later, so then I'm tired the whole day and basically always feel like I need a nap. The only thing that helps me is ambien and some booze which I know is a bad combo, so I try not to take do that too often.

In the late 90s I took Dalmane, a benzo, which was great at first, but I built up a tolerance rather quickly and had to stop.

Go to a psychologist and start taking psych medication for anxiety. Try Trazadone.

You sound like you are chock full of anxiety and paranoia, so trying lots of meds to help with sleep shouldn't be hard.

Trazadone is now prescribed by many kinds of doctors just for insomnia. If I take a full 100 mg, it knocks me the fuck out and keeps me sleepy as a zombie the next day.

If I take 50 mg, it knocks me out but lets me wake up at some point the next day.

Zinc is also an over-the-counter vitamin that acts as a sedative. It will knock you out.

I'm taking trazadone now and I find it a little hit and miss. Sometimes I dream so vividly that I don't get a restful sleep.

Why are most 'out and proud' homosexuals on drugs?

Seconal works for me.

what dosage of traz, R141?

I have the same experience, hit or miss, doc keeps increasing dosage, but I'm wary of more than 200mg. dreams can sometimes be worse than not sleeping

50 mg, r144. I've never taken more than 100 at a time.

100 mg at a time, that is.

Good thing you cleared that up, R146! I was worried about you!

R127, I had the same problem you do. Indica strains, the ones that which are supposed to be powerfully sedating, didn't do much more than give me a relaxing body buzz. I found that upping the dose helped, though. It's legal here, so now I use 35 mg. indica capsules added to the CBD/melatonin syrup I mentioned earlier and a few tokes from my indica vape pen, and that puts me to sleep every time.

Even if pot doesn't put you to sleep the high is pleasurable in its own right, and that makes insomnia easier to bear.

R137, can I have your stuff?

[quote] Is Zanaflex like Flexaril because flexaril works well. It just has a very long half life.

No it isn't. There isn't a hangover effect the next morning like you a lot of people get with Flexeril. When you take flexeril it is metabolized to compound that is almost exactly like amitriptyline (elavil - tricyclic antidepressant) in your body

The half life of Zanaflex is 2.5 hrs. The half life of Flexeril is 18 hours. The half life for Ativan is 12 to 18 hrs. Xanax is 11.2 hours. Belsomra is about 15 hours. Benadryl is 8 to 10 hrs. The half life of pot (THC) is 10 DAYS. Why are you worrying about the half life of a drug? If you've taken all of these other drugs, they have similar half lives of Flexeril. Half lives don't mean really anything in relation to having a hang over effect. It takes 5 half lives to eliminate the drug and all it's metabolites. That doesn't mean it has an effect on you for that long.

R148 while I would hesitate to ever actually encourage someone to mix their piss with booze. the effect of doing such has really been overblown. Sure, you CAN expire from doing so, just as you CAN die from an aspirin overdose, but the amount it takes to do so is rarely consumed by those not wishing to commit suicide. I am afraid that you have been brainwashed much as we were in the sixties in high school to believe that LSD would make you jump off your balcony and that marijuana smoking would lead to heroin usage. All are scare tactics said with good intention---but they aren't accurate.

Not bragging at all, because as I said above, the smartest thing I ever did was getting off the pills and booze for sleep, but for well over 20 years I consumed massive amounts of alcohol mixed with Xanax, Halcion or Ambien(depending on the era) and a generous dosage of opioids just to make me feel better.

I never ever even came close to ODing. I never went into an extended period of unconsciousness. Nada.

The closest I ever came to that sort of thing was when I was taking a prescription nose spray intended to be used sparingly for migraine headaches. I would use it non-stop along with alcohol which put me into a "nod" which I suspect is something like what heroin users experience. I was aware of my surroundings the whole time, but I could not open my eyes or make myself perform any movement or response to stimuli. That drug was taken off the market.

tl;dr mixing drugs isn't as dangerous as the media would have you think.

My insomnia and apnea are currently under control, it's the restless legs causing problems. I'm taking apple cider vinegar and lots of magnesium but am reluctant to use sifrol again because it makes my shopping addiction worse.

Any tips?

R150, I'm glad you're still with us. However, you are doing a major disservice in writing as cavalierly as you do about drug combining. It's a real roulette game. A terrible idea.

I had the best sleep on my life on a combo of 60mg pure codeine, 2mg Xanax and 30mg Ambien. Guaranteed 10 hours and always woke refreshed with a kind of nice high that lasted the rest of the day.

Insomnia can be annoying but it is nothing to lose sleep over.

R151, you might want to look into the use of antiepileptic drugs for RLS. Gabapentin is one. However, I think there are possible serious side effects.

I have this weighted blanket and it's amazing. Really cozy.

[quote]Half lives don't mean really anything in relation to having a hang over effect. It takes 5 half lives to eliminate the drug and all it's metabolites.

I see a doctor for sleep issues, and he specifically will not prescribe certain things because he says the half life is too long and I will be hungover...

That always seemed completely logical, so I cannot understand this statement.

Yes, it takes multiple half-lives to eliminate the an drug (by definition), but below a certain threshold, the drug isn't having much effect just because a little of it is still floating around.

r156 - that blanket doesn't make you really warm?

I feel like I'd be baking under something like that.

Run the AC, R158.

Thanks r155 but I think about suicide a fair bit already...xxx

What does the "weighted" part of weighted blanket mean? I read the description at the link, and it doesn't say anything about weights.

This is something I have never heard before.

[quote] I see a doctor for sleep issues, and he specifically will not prescribe certain things because he says the half life is too long and I will be hungover..

I explained this with examples. You have taken some of these drugs. Did they leave you with a hangover effect? According to you they don't even get you to sleep. So, really the long half life of certain drugs doesn't apply to your situation. I have told you what you need to use, Zanaflex. It has a short half life, (half life of Zanaflex is 2.5 hrs). It is not a controlled substance or a narcotic. It is not addictive. I don't understand why you didn't run to your doctor and ask him to prescribe some for you. Have him give you a weeks supply. If it works, he can call in a full prescription for you.

I'm a pharmacist who has tried every single drug in the pharmacy for my insomnia. Should I have done that? No, but I did. I'm telling you what works for me. I have had insomnia since I was 2 years old. The only other thing I can tell you about (although your doc probably isn't going to go for this) is Chloral Hydrate liquid. I never used it (it seemed a too severe to me), but I had a patient with severe insomnia and her old doctor prescribed it for her (old doctors prescribe stuff young docs would never ever think of prescribing). It's an really, really old drug that probably has a ton of side effects. If I remember correctly they only used to use it in hospitals for people who were getting anesthesia (they may have even used it for anesthesia). But you could tell your doc someone told you about it. He'll probably think, WTF? I'm certainly not recommending the drug, just informing you that some docs do prescribe it.

I've had insomnia since I was a kid, OP. I feel you.

Trazodone gave me nightmares. Escitalopram helped but gave me so much nausea I couldn't take it, and when I told my nurse she yelled at me to get back on it because nausea wasn't a side effect. Not sure what happened there but I stopped trying to get help from my doctor after that. He's okay but when he's on call and the nurse takes over, she's a menace. She doesn't know what she's doing.

So far I've had good luck with a complicated routine: take 500 mg magnesium and 2 St John's wort pills before hopping in the shower. The shower before bed helps me relax. Then when in bed I have a cup of lavender tea (not chamomile, because it's related to ragweed and I am slightly allergic) and 2 mg sublingual melatonin.

While in bed I'm on my phone for about 45 minutes in two phases. I make sure my bedside lamp is off, then use an app to turn the blue light (which keeps you awake) down on the phone. First I check in on email and a few things just to set my mind at ease that nothing is burning down, then I turn on a sleep sounds app and do a boring crossword puzzle. Then I change to a specific app for night sleep delta waves sounds, and lay down.

So far so good. About an 80% success rate with that. But the time it took to get to this point was intolerable. Years of problems.

R162 When I first went into the hospital for addiction to Ambien, Xanax and Lortab, I was not able to sleep for the first 3 nights I was there. I was begging the doctor for something besides the Librium which would allow me to get even a little sleep. The doc refused to give me any benzos so first he tried a barbiturate(Nembutol.) It did nothing. The next night he gave me chloral hydrate, which I knew to be the drug which was found in Marilyn Monroe's system after her death. I thought, "Yay!! If it can kill someone, then I will finally get some sleep." Not so lucky. I swear it caused a reverse effect which left me twice as wired as I already was. It was a disaster. Of course, I understand that it may work perfectly well on someone who was not in the withdrawal state I was in.

I just found out the anti nausea drugs puts you to sleep. I really think you need to get off the ambien and other sleep drugs bc you become immune to the effects and you become dependent.

The other thing is mindfulness mediation. Because if you cannot sleep, you can become anxious over it. Anxiety impairs sleep. But, you know this.

Other thing NO electronics in the bedroom where you sleep. TV, cell phones to alarms clock- everything out. Use an old fashion alarm clock. They are cheap.

I’ve found yoga nidra, or “yogic sleep”, to be really helpful. Also valerian, which stops my mind from racing.

R162, ZANAFLEX is a Z drug and it is addictive, just like Zolpidem (Ambien) and Zopiclone. Stop taking it after a few months and you'll get severe rebound insomnia, plus heart palpitations.

One of my great grandmothers was addicted to chloral hydrate. After she died, almost every cupboard in her house was found to be full of empty bottles.

I'm just realizing I'm addicted to Ambien. I take it at night because I need to wake up early, so by taking it I get to sleep immediately, I shut down right away and get the sleep I need. Now I've tried going to sleep the last few night without it. I don't sleep. A fucking wink. Nothing. I don't know what to do. I've been on it for several years. I'm afraid to speak to my doctor, because he likely won't write me more prescriptions for it, then I'm really fucked. Any (real) advise? I was never a terrible sleeper, I just need to shut down when I need to shut down. 😩

R151 i found my nasal inhaler caused my restless leg syndrome. Prescription nasal inhalers and breathing inhalers contain steroids. If you use anything that contains steroids, they could be the problem. I stopped the nasal inhaler, and the restless legs stopped immediately.

I think it is heredity. My parents sleep 4 hours a night, as do my siblings. I have 2 adult kids and they are starting to have it too.

I have come to terms with it and developed "midnight hobbies."

1. Try and fuck or jack off first. 2. Tell yourself to sleep and lay there with no phone, etc. 3. Get up and shower. 4. Start your day. 5. Nap after work.

No pills, no bs. It won't kill you, but be careful on the road.

Good luck.

R149 Lorazepam. Take 20 minutes before bed. And don't eat or do anything stimulating for the full hour before bedtime.

For more info google 'Lorazepam for sleep.'

I'm down to 13mg Ambien from 30mg. Every time I taper down the withdrawals come back for a few days. Still managing to get a few hours sleep though.

^ You don't have withdrawal symptoms from Lorazepam, if you're only taking one at night, just before bedtime, for sleep only. If you are taking them other than sleep, than yes, you might have some withdrawal. I've been on and off of them and had no withdrawal at all. I only take them to sleep. They knock me out for 6-7 hours. Ask for 3 pills and if they work request a one month 30-day supply.

They are a controlled substance so they are highly regulated which means it also requires a trip to the doctor every 6 months for a script renewal, even if you have no reason to see the doctor. Every 28 days you get 30 pills. That's it. Some doctors will not prescribe Lorazepam because they are so highly regulated. Find a doctor that will.

Take one pill 20-30 minutes before you are ready to go to sleep. Avoid caffeine after 12 noon. Try it for 2-3 nights before you decide it doesn't work. Give it a chance. The only side effect is feeling a little groggy the first 10 minutes you wake. That's it. Once you're up and about and get going, that groggy feeling goes away quickly. It doesn't linger. Ten minutes of feeling groggy upon awakening sure beats being up all night.

OP - Elevated or high blood pressure will also keep you awake. You may not realize your BP is high. The mind will not shut down and your body will not relax if your BP is above-average, or worse, high. So avoid salty foods and snacks. Same for sugar.

Get one of those at-home BP meters and check your BP regularly. There are usually several factors that contribute to insomnia, not just one. Elevated BP could be playing some role or be a big part of the problem. Your mind cannot shut down if your BP is up.

Does anyone else have Pee O'Clock. I wake up 4-5 hours into sleep to pee and CANNOT go back to bed half the time. This has been driving me insane. No doc will give me anything for it. I asked for ditropan, but they won't prescribe it. I have a friend who takes it for excessive sweating and she says she rarely pees too. This peeing thing is a nightmare. Nothing is wrong with my prostate... has been checked.

R169, taper off the med. There are different ways to do that, but one way is to take a half pill for a while. You can do a google search for more info.

R176 I take ditropan and still get up at least once each night

R176, try counting,backward from 100.

R169, don't even try going off Ambien, there's no point. You'll have insomnia for decades. The doctor knows you're addicted but he's not bothered. If he refuses to prescribe, it can be bought cheaply online.

[quote] ZANAFLEX is a Z drug and it is addictive, just like Zolpidem (Ambien) and Zopiclone.

Zanaflex is NOT a Z drug. You don't know what you are talking about.

And no shit, it's no secret that Zolpidem and Zopiclone are addictive. They are scheduled drugs. They're controlled substances, just like Lortab, benzodiazepines, pain killers and all other addictive drugs are. The FDA has determined from day one that they are addictive drugs. Zanaflex is not in that category

Do you actually know what Z drugs are? You seem to think Z drugs are any and all drugs that start with the letter Z. They aren't

I am the one who asked about zanaflex in the first place and then the other person made me LOL when they called it a "z-drug"