Help please. What do you guys take for sleep!?!?!

[[Pi...]]

I naturally have insomnia, but as I'm tapering it's bad! What are some things that will knock me out and make me stay asleep? I've taken seroquel and it worked some nights, I've tried trazodone but maybe the dose wasn't high enough? Will not take ambiem again. Hydroxyine and other antihistamines are not working. I need something strong but inexpensive. Anyone know of any others?

[Guest [Th...]]

Nothing works for me for more than a night or 2 so I don't take anything and I DON'T sleep much either.  Total BS.

[[te...]]

I naturally have insomnia, but as I'm tapering it's bad! What are some things that will knock me out and make me stay asleep? I've taken seroquel and it worked some nights, I've tried trazodone but maybe the dose wasn't high enough? Will not take ambiem again. Hydroxyine and other antihistamines are not working. I need something strong but inexpensive. Anyone know of any others?

 

Hi snowflake,

Here is a list of what has helped me. Disclaimer - these things worked for me, and may not work for others, and I am not advocating any use of anything "gaba synergistic" but I do think the fear mongering about herbs and supplements is a bit hyped up. Please no one jump down my throat about this!

-Unisom (have tried both kinds,the gelcaps with 50mg diphenhydramine and the regular tabs with 25mg doxylamine, NOT at the same time! LOL. Doxy was slightly better).

-Various kinds of melatonin - have tried melatonin alone, and melatonin with added other stuff - like L-theanine, valerian, GABA, magnesium, etc... here's where people might freak out. it helped me though).

-plain old magnesium by itself - magnesium calm (which is a form of magnesium citrate) or magnesium glycinate (not at the same time)

-trazodone - half the 50mg worked for me (25mg)

-mirtazapine (half a 15...so 7.5mg).. REALLY good!

 

I do not typically take the same thing every day as I don't want to develop tolerance on any one thing. I usually alternate. I recently started taking turmeric before bed and it helps too! Other non-oral sleep aid things I do:

 

Use a dream mate watch https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009L6356/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

use apps to track sleep (sleepbot or sleeprate)... helps me a lot! i was getting more sleep than i thought. sleepbot only goes by movement so not as accurate, but sleeprate uses a heart rate monitor. I know some people disagree with this and think it is obsessive but I swear, it is helping me. I am learning more about my patterns and it is very normalizing.

 

Listen to very relaxing youtube videos on earbuds after i lay down, I love ASMR videos (sounds weird, but it's really hypnotizing!)

 

I also have been going to hypnotherapy, and I run and do yoga during the week.

 

I hope any of this helps!!!

[[Ni...]]

Tealwater,

How many hours of sleep do you average?  Insomnia has been by far the worst symptom for me.  I don't understand why it's taking so long to normalize.

[[Pi...]]

I naturally have insomnia, but as I'm tapering it's bad! What are some things that will knock me out and make me stay asleep? I've taken seroquel and it worked some nights, I've tried trazodone but maybe the dose wasn't high enough? Will not take ambiem again. Hydroxyine and other antihistamines are not working. I need something strong but inexpensive. Anyone know of any others?

 

Hi snowflake,

Here is a list of what has helped me. Disclaimer - these things worked for me, and may not work for others, and I am not advocating any use of anything "gaba synergistic" but I do think the fear mongering about herbs and supplements is a bit hyped up. Please no one jump down my throat about this!

-Unisom (have tried both kinds,the gelcaps with 50mg diphenhydramine and the regular tabs with 25mg doxylamine, NOT at the same time! LOL. Doxy was slightly better).

-Various kinds of melatonin - have tried melatonin alone, and melatonin with added other stuff - like L-theanine, valerian, GABA, magnesium, etc... here's where people might freak out. it helped me though).

-plain old magnesium by itself - magnesium calm (which is a form of magnesium citrate) or magnesium glycinate (not at the same time)

-trazodone - half the 50mg worked for me (25mg)

-mirtazapine (half a 15...so 7.5mg).. REALLY good!

 

I do not typically take the same thing every day as I don't want to develop tolerance on any one thing. I usually alternate. I recently started taking turmeric before bed and it helps too! Other non-oral sleep aid things I do:

 

Use a dream mate watch https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009L6356/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

use apps to track sleep (sleepbot or sleeprate)... helps me a lot! i was getting more sleep than i thought. sleepbot only goes by movement so not as accurate, but sleeprate uses a heart rate monitor. I know some people disagree with this and think it is obsessive but I swear, it is helping me. I am learning more about my patterns and it is very normalizing.

 

Listen to very relaxing youtube videos on earbuds after i lay down, I love ASMR videos (sounds weird, but it's really hypnotizing!)

 

I also have been going to hypnotherapy, and I run and do yoga during the week.

 

I hope any of this helps!!!

Thank you!!! Do you think it would be hard to get off Trazodone? I don't know any of the others or what they are for.

[[...]]

I was taking Benadryl but it didn't work all that well and made me feel wired.  I asked a pharmacist and she said Unisom (the doxylamine kind) will work for some people if the Benadryl doesn't.  Half a pill is plenty for me. It does make me feel slightly wired at night when I wake up and in the morning, but I sleep so it's worth it to me.  I might wake up at 4am with it but I can get back to sleep.  To me, sleep is worth it even if it's not the best quality sleep because it passes half the day and makes time go by more quickly.

[[Bu...]]

Teal said it all very well... Many will say to stay away from this or that while tapering and that is generally good advice. Having said that without sleep healing is thwarted, we need sleep, so whatever takes that is non-benzo is okay. Like teal said just not everyday, mix it up.

 

In addition to his suggestions my doctor prescribed me Phenergan and Flexeril off label for sleep. I really like and had great success with tryptophan as well.

 

Good luck and good sleeping...

 

Wilson

[[Ni...]]

Buhbye,

How much tryptophan are you taking?  This used to help then it seems it just stopped working for me earlier on.

[[Bu...]]

Buhbye,

How much tryptophan are you taking?  This used to help then it seems it just stopped working for me earlier on.

 

Niners,

 

I usually take just 500mg 30-45 minutes before bed, sometimes 750-1000mg. I also take magnesium/calcium, bacopa monnieri at the same time sometimes Relora. Works well.

 

Good luck (night)...

 

Wilson

[[te...]]

Tealwater,

How many hours of sleep do you average?  Insomnia has been by far the worst symptom for me.  I don't understand why it's taking so long to normalize.

 

When it was first really bad, I got maybe 3-4.5 hours and a good night would be 5. i also would sleep a few hours (if that) and then wake up in the middle of the night and not be able to get back to sleep. Now, I think my average is 6-7 hours. I do wake up frequently, but I am awake only 5-10 minutes each time. Sleep aids usually minimize the awakenings. The worst part for me is the anxiety at bedtime wondering if I will sleep or not or how long it will take. This happened last night and I got upset, I thought I was OVER this! LOL. I took a mirtazapine last night and also (TMI) had sex with my husband. That actually helps too, if you have a partner. Sex releases oxytocin which is a relaxing hormone that "cancels" out cortisol. I tried to go to bed at 8pm, even though I was wiped out tired before that, I couldn't fall asleep. I took 7.5mg mirtazapine at 9pm, probably had sex at 9:30, and fell asleep between 10-10:30. Last night my husband took melatonin AND tylenol PM - then asked me if this was safe to take both. I have become the sleep aid authority around here 

I hope this helps! Sorry about my TMI.

[[Pi...]]

Tealwater,

How many hours of sleep do you average?  Insomnia has been by far the worst symptom for me.  I don't understand why it's taking so long to normalize.

 

When it was first really bad, I got maybe 3-4.5 hours and a good night would be 5. i also would sleep a few hours (if that) and then wake up in the middle of the night and not be able to get back to sleep. Now, I think my average is 6-7 hours. I do wake up frequently, but I am awake only 5-10 minutes each time. Sleep aids usually minimize the awakenings. The worst part for me is the anxiety at bedtime wondering if I will sleep or not or how long it will take. This happened last night and I got upset, I thought I was OVER this! LOL. I took a mirtazapine last night and also (TMI) had sex with my husband. That actually helps too, if you have a partner. Sex releases oxytocin which is a relaxing hormone that "cancels" out cortisol. I tried to go to bed at 8pm, even though I was wiped out tired before that, I couldn't fall asleep. I took 7.5mg mirtazapine at 9pm, probably had sex at 9:30, and fell asleep between 10-10:30. Last night my husband took melatonin AND tylenol PM - then asked me if this was safe to take both. I have become the sleep aid authority around here 

I hope this helps! Sorry about my TMI.

I thought about this the other night, (how sex would definitely help) Too bad that's not an option for me. But oh well lol. Trying different meds & things

[[te...]]

It probably helps both because of the distraction aspect, and also the physical hormonal release. I mean, you have other options too if you know what I mean. Not to be gross or crude. I've read articles about how that can help people, too!

 

I've been listening to ASMR videos a lot lately to go to sleep. Have you heard of this? It's super relaxing and distracting. Some people may find it weird or silly.

 

I need to go back to acupuncture. That helped a lot! Keep us posted on what helps!!

[[Pi...]]

Yeah that's true.    And no I've never heard of that. Waiting for my data on my phone to come through so I can watch videos. Definitely gonna look it up. Thank you.

[[pa...]]

Last night I took 7.5 mg of mirtazapine.Slept well but well wedated whole day and with lack of concentration.

Does daily sedation wear off?

[[Pi...]]

See my problem is staying asleep, not falling.

[[ne...]]

L-Theanine

 

Working great

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=167128.0

[[wo...]]

hi there

NOTHING  puts me to sleep , ive been asleep no more than 30 hours in the last 3 months , last night i tried 10 mg of melatonin  - zero minutes sleep . Tried up to 200 mg of diphenhydramine  no use ,  ,promethazine 100 mg no effect , quetiapine  50  75 100 and 125 mg still no sleep , 900 mg of gabapentin no use , hydroxyzine hydrochloride  50 mg no effect , mirtazapine  15 mg and 7.5 mg no use for sleep , i have tried all of the above for many weeks sometimes months - still desperate for sleep , when i do find anything it only works for an hour or so and will not work on a consecutive night , the only thing that ive found that - occasionally works for an hour is a " space cookie"  , i am desperate to find something regular to help me sleep  . UK  ?

[[br...]]

 

 

7.5mg . Remeron. Really effective. A lot of us get good sleep on this and it does not get in the way of receptor healing.

[[wo...]]

..hi been trying remeron/mirtazapine for 2 months now every night - no help , ive not slept since thursday  an hours sleep

[[br...]]

 

How much remeron do you take ? anything abov 7.5mg can rev you up and send you int insomnia.

[[wo...]]

..hi .. only take 7.5 mg of remeron .. its never help

[[Ce...]]

I take Valerian, Melatonin and Zanaflex...sleep about 5-6 hours no interruptions. I'd like to get in the habit of no meds or supplements at all...but I'm not quite there yet. As said by one of the posters...sleep is detrimental for healing. so for now, I'll do whatever it takes....btw; sex is a great one for sleep..I saw that mentioned previously and it really does release some brain chemicals that aide in sleeping....good luck to you!

 

~CeCe           

[[te...]]

I take Valerian, Melatonin and Zanaflex...sleep about 5-6 hours no interruptions. I'd like to get in the habit of no meds or supplements at all...but I'm not quite there yet. As said by one of the posters...sleep is detrimental for healing. so for now, I'll do whatever it takes....btw; sex is a great one for sleep..I saw that mentioned previously and it really does release some brain chemicals that aide in sleeping....good luck to you!

 

~CeCe           

 

Thanks for reminding us about the sex option!  I have posted about this too, embarrasingly enough!

[[ti...]]

Just started with different supplements.  L tryphtophan worked really good, GABA, hops, melatonin. valerian.  Most sleep herbs you get come mixed.  So far both the GABA and L tryphtophan worked.  I also am trying to rotate so I don't get immune.  Remeron worked really good for a couple of months.  Just stopped it last night as I lost the NP who was prescribing it

[[Pi...]]

Just started with different supplements.  L tryphtophan worked really good, GABA, hops, melatonin. valerian.  Most sleep herbs you get come mixed.  So far both the GABA and L tryphtophan worked.  I also am trying to rotate so I don't get immune.  Remeron worked really good for a couple of months.  Just stopped it last night as I lost the NP who was prescribing it

Is remeron just a sleeping pill?