Does anyone have any suggestions of non prescribed natural sleep aids that work for you. For years I depended on alcohol and pot to sleep. Then I quit the alcohol and always smoked 2 or 3 doobies at night and would drop off as soon as my head hit the pillow.What I hate is lying in bed for 2 hours,tossing and turning waiting to sleep.It is just so tiring ! (pardon the pun) It seems after that I can get about 4-6 hours sleep but with heavy dreaming, then on and off sleep by the hr till I get up. Been off pot since Mar 16., so I know thats when the problem started. The Doc gave me several varieties of low dosage antidepressants (Trazadone, then Mirtazapine) that are more commonly used as a sleep aid, but they were unpredictable when/if they'd kick in. I have Loraz. .05's and 2 mg's that I use very ocassionally (3-4 times a month) to avoid anxiety (playing a large gig as a solo performer,I need something to keep me together till I get comfortable and have the crowd with me, -depended on alcohol for years, but quit that 18 years ago, but I don't want to get into the habit of using them . I take an aspirin and an Atenolol for blood pressure in the a.m. The biggest problem is, I am also trying to change my sleep habits from 3a.m. (many,many years) back to midnight.Anyone live nearby that could give me a sharp judo chop in the right place around midnight daily ?
I'm in the same boat now, Ted. I'm wanting to use natural things to help me so I've got a bunch of things I'm in the process of trying. Here are a few things for you to look into further: 5-htp, l-tryptophan, l-theanine, valerian, melatonin (both the fast acting as well as the sustained release) and non-flush niacin or niacinamide (both forms of vitamin B3). The best brand of 5-htp is a Canadian one (Natural Factors) because it comes enteric coated and so has less of a chance of irritating your stomach. This is something that continues to work better with time, if you take it every night. When you first take it, it may make you groggy (as can some of these other things) the next day so you have to experiment on days when you don't have to drive the next morning or even the next day. Some things may continue to leave you groggy every day and so wouldn't be a good solution while other things may just make you groggy initially and then they'll work better once you're adjusted to them - but you have to do the experiments to find out. Some things may relax you but not put you to sleep. Other things may put you to sleep but not keep you asleep. It can be very individual so again you just have to experiment to find what works for you.
I know that you are not taking any SSRI or SNRI medications but I just want to add that for those who are (who might be reading this post), the 5-htp or the l-tryptophan are not a great idea. They may work out ok if you're on a very low dosage of medication but if you're on a substantial dosage, then taking either of these supplements in addition to your medication, would put you at great risk for serotonin syndrome, which can be deadly.
Ted, I'm also trying to get on an earlier schedule. The melatonin is great for that as it's the body's hormone for telling the body it's time to sleep. Actually, now that I think of it, I'm not sure that melatonin is allowed in Canada. Here we can buy it over the counter but Canada is much stricter about hormonal substances and supplements in general.
Lastly, I don't know if you've tried drinking some of the relaxing herbal teas at night. Some people find that's all they need.
hey ted my wife ruth, as i said before in posts only sleeps 3 to 4 hours every night since i met her. she thinks thats normal an has no illness or problem with it.funny world or what.
Thanks for all the ideas, the 5htp keeps popping up so will as the druggist about that today . I have Camomille and Sleepytime tea and some wind down music or flute playing , as a ritual before bedtime and that definitely gets me thinking sleep . The biggest problem is no matter what, as long as the hands on the clock show anything much earlier than 2 a.m my body doesn't take anything too serious, and if I just go about life as usual till 3 a.m. I fall asleep naturally with no aids. Other than the fairytale ideal of Yvette and I going to bed together at midnight and getting up together, which I'm now striving for, as I don't have the pot to provide creative stimulus,and so am vegging in front of the tv late night, I sometimes think I'm better off just sleeping my old way 3-10 or 11 a.m. ! The problem with things that make me groggy in the a.m., is because I'm self employed and don't open the shop/studio till noon I tend to just fall back into bed and oversleep, but still get up groggy later anyway. Gawd ,I never realized how easy sleep was back in the drinkin and druggin days. Just took it for granted lol
You know folks I've decided to say screw this bs of trying to change umpteen years of sleeping 3-11 peacefully, soundly, relatively heavy dream free, other than REM morning sleep which is ok. What is the point in going to bed at midnite and getting up at 8 when I don't open my music store till noonish, my wife covers morning phone calls and I would be bored out of my skull looking for things to do that at 63 ,(although I'm a young 63 according to my doc) don't wear me out in the morning before my work day even begins ! Most of my recording session clients want to come in between 6 to midnite, or later. We have sex whenever we want ,not at a specific bedtime so I see no need to drive myself crazy worrying about changing my schedule. By 2-3 a.m. after topping off the evening with boring late night tv I'll sleep like a baby with nothing other than peace,quiet and a herbal tea. Once I'm off all meds I may even try a cannabis tea if I need anything, seeing as for 40 some years I smoked weed pretty regular,except for the last 2 months and a few days. That would take some serious thinking over before I did though, as I really don't want to get back into it like I was. Something I'd like to share is yesterday as the intense pain from the ripped rotator cuff has gradually declined I didn't take an oxycocet all day but by about 8 pm I felt I needed one. Wow.....so thats the feeling that addicts crave from them, although much more amplified if you took several. I actually for the first time in 2 months felt it really 'kick in' and realized what the attraction is to them. Pretty incredible I'll bet and tempting as hell to try a couple but that was in another time :-) I'm changing over to Toradol an anti inflammatory non addictive pain killer in a couple days when my Oxys run out. Have only been taking max of 2 a day for a month now, so probably no problem. Amazing how many of my friends asked for my Oxys...now I know why. Peace Ted
Not enough energy to read all the posts, but here's a relaxation technique that has helped me to get to sleep. It's so effective, I've thought of posting it on YouTube.
As you lie in bed, become aware of your breathing. Note, specifically, the sounds of your inhalation and exhalation. Your mission, if you choose to accept it for a couple of minutes, is to make sure you produce no sounds whatsoever. You may even imagine that, say, a thug has entered your bedroom, and it's a matter of life and death that you don't make a sound. As well, you shouldn't be moving.
This may sound silly, but I can produce physiological proof that this works. Or it should, if like most people, your breathing is not smooth. Ok, so you tried this, and it doesn't work. Here's part 2. Imagine that your breathing cycle is like a Ferris wheel. On both the edge of inhalation/exhalation and vice versa, make sure that you transition smoothly. A jerky transition is something that jolts the nervous system in a subtle way, but when you consider that this happens thousand times a day, it's serious business.
After 5 min. of doing this, you should feel somewhat relaxed. In fact, in addition to the physiological mechanisms there is also the plain psychological one in that your mind will be so bored and/or lazy to continue, that it will prompt you to drift to sleep! :)
If this doesn't work, Ted, I may have to bring out the heavy artillery, and ship you some of my bio-feedback devices.
ven, who you calling a thug i was only looking for those porn books you borrowed, an you were makeing some funny sounds to me you fucking perve.a jerky transition it may be but you dont have to wash the fucking sheet,s drift to sleep i bet you did after all that action.
Ted, what you say above makes a lot of sense to me (but then I'm a night owl too). But really, if it's working for you now and you're happy (and your wife is happy) on the schedule you've been keeping, then why change?
As for the oxycocet, there is a reason that you finally felt the high from it after taking it for two months. You may already know this but if not, opiates won't make you high when your body needs them for pain relief. When you've taken more than the amount you need for pain relief, then you will experience a high. The rush you just got from this is a sign that you are healing and don't need that much of this medication anymore.
Ven, the sleeping a lot is probably also a symptom of Adderall withdrawal. That should get better with time, even if you don't go up on the Effexor. Also, I'm not sure that going up on the Effexor will help much. It might even make you more lethargic.
Venia...that is very interesting about the oxy buzz, as the pain is subsiding as I heal, and probably shouldn't need anything quite so strong. I've been a latenighter all my music days so wife and I are both ok with it . Changing seemed like a good idea but can't for the love of me remember why. Thanks Ven for sharing breathing techniques ; will try them tonight. Talking about making funny noises, my wife said that on the morning when I was having the seizure I would snore almost exaggerated, on the inhale and sorta whinny , with my lips on the exhale,reaching up for the ceiling saying, "dad,dad"...Then I got out of bed eyes wide open,staring straight ahead,unfocused, and walked around picking at things like you'd pick at lint on a sleeve.Then I'd sit staring vacantly until one of the paramedics approached me and then spring straight up like a jack-in-the-box and move to another chair or couch, flailing my arms to keep them away from me and talking/mumbling incoherently and garbled. Still freaks me out to think about it. Absolutely no recollection of anything till I came to being unloaded into the hospital.....All tests show no seizure evidence.? Anyone have any ideas on what that may have been about ?
Wow, that is so strange! Are you sure it was a seizure? If it were, then why wouldn't it have shown up on the tests? Did you take any kind of medication that evening for sleep? I've heard stories of people taking Ambien and having all kinds of strange behaviors as a result but not remembering any of it in the morning. Have you ever done any sleep walking before this? Maybe it's just that. I don't know - that's all I can come up with. I'm really stumped. What did your doctor or any of the doctors involved think caused all of this?
ted ,i no what it was by the way you discribed, there are many tecnical terms to discribe it,an a srink would go into great detale to help you with this very common problem , so i will put it simple laymens terms. im sorry to tell you your a fucking nut like the rest of us. ps joke
Absolutely no doubt about that Foxy :-)) And no ,the docs have no explanation for what it was and don't seem as concerned as I am. Have one more vist with neurologist to get drivers licence back with his o.k.
ted you didnt answer me on the jonny cash last song he cut (you tube jonny cash hurt)it sum,s his life up an all he lost,real powerful tell me what you think.and you didnt talk about the fender strat,was it one of the best ,our guitar boy had one an every body in rock seemed to play one. good look with the licence.ive seen a neuro, there as mad as us with there knitted cardigans an green cord pants.i said do i have to keep coming hear,he said i like you an you make my day.i said your not bad yourself but i live 20 miles away you fucking nurd,/////
Real good tune, real good guitar ! Well saw the neurologist and he says I should walk for a year seizure free before getting licence back, yet they all say no idea what caused the seizure or even if it was so not to worry. Go figure ! I told him to his face I thought it was total Bullshit and walked out of his office. Enough said. Sign me...wearing holes in my boots.
How frustrating for you that you can't get any answers on this. It doesn't make sense that if there's nothing to worry about, that you shouldn't get your license back.
hey ted i told you them nuro guys are nuts, guess you found out. stop wearing them fucking cowboy boots an get some orthapedic sneakers you old bleeder.face it ted you have done it all an come out the other side ,what side fucked if i no . FOXYBOY AS LEFT THE BUILDING.
You know every time I drop by here I get one shit eatin grin on my face that wasn't there ten minutes before. You guys are great stuff and I see the help and hope you are sharing with each other and the 'searching' newcomers. Much like old school AA - no bullshit ...just caring , everyday folks, with various dependencies, gettin by ,or gettin ahead,and sharing how they're doin it. Pretty special place I'd say.
In my case nothing helps to induce sleep as well as a benzo, i.e. clonazepam or lorazapam. One of my major challenges remains to resist taking these on a daily basis (which can be addictive and lead to adverse effects), so I'm basically asking my p-doc for a script only in 'emergencies'.
