I cant sleep at night. Currently taking Ambien, somewhat successful. Ideas on how to get past insomnia?
459530
Dear Ron,\n     Please stop taking that stuff!!!  There are much better, healthier ways to get a good night's rest.  If you are unable to sleep, your body is trying to tell you something.  Taking a drug simply masks an underlying problem.  Here are a few well-known, proven points about getting a good night's rest.  It may take a while for your body's health and equilibrium to be restored, so please be persistent and patient.  A good night's sleep is a reward that should be cherished and persistently sought:\n      1.  Eliminate ALL caffeine from your diet (coffee, tea, chocolate, caffeinated sodas, etc).  Caffeine is a stimulant that will keep you wide awake for hours.  If you are addicted to coffee or other brown drinks, use plenty of prayer and will power to overcome the addiction.\n      2.  Eliminate ALL alcohol from your diet.  Alcohol is also proven to disrupt sleep patterns.\n      3.  Eat your last meal at least 4 hours before you go to bed.  No late-night snacks.  Digestion stimulates your body and can cause insomnia.  Eat your largest meal in the morning.\n      4.  Drink plenty of pure, clean water.  Water will help your body to regulate itself.\n      5.  Eat a low fat, healthy diet with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.  Rich foods can be disruptive and are unnatural.  Your body was not designed to accommodate them.  Do not overeat.\n      6.  Establish a regular time to go to bed and to awaken.  Your body will gradually adjust if you have a regular time to sleep and awaken.  Try to go to bed early and arise early, if possible (research has shown that sleep that occurs BEFORE midnight has a more restorative effect on the body than sleep that occurs after midnight).\n     7.  Get regular exercise, but not too soon before bed.  This is particularly important if your job is sedentary and/or requires great mental effort.  It is important to keep your body strong and healthy.\n     8.  Do not consume drugs, legal or illegal.\n     9.  Each night as you are resting in bed, think of all the things for which you are thankful.  Thank your Creator for these.  Your sleep will be blessed, and you will be at peace!\n    10.  Finally, if you have tried all the things listed above, and still have occassional sleeplessness, try taking a plant-based calcium/magnesium supplement.  These minerals help to relax the muscles, regulate breathing, and soothe over-stimulated nerves.\n        May God richly bless your efforts!!!
236537
This is going to sound strange but it works.  Take OTC Benadryl.  Doctors are now recommending it for sleeping problems.  It's also non-addictive.  It will work great!
195748
I had a bad problem with insomnia for many years, and did some research on it.  Here are the things I’ve found that help the most.\n\n1.  Don't take the sleeping pills.  Although they are not addictive in the way we tend to think (you won't jones for them if you miss taking them) they are addictive in the sense that once you have taken them for a while, you will have to take them to get to sleep, but they won't have the same effect they used too.   This is because you tend to not get the necessary REM sleep you need to be rested.  If you must take a sleeping pill, take it well before you go to sleep.  For instance, I prefer to take sleeping pills 2 hours before I go to sleep, so that the pill can get into my system and make me drowsy before I get into bed, then get out of my system (hopefully) early enough that I get some normal sleep.\n\n2.  Try to go to bed at about the same time every night.  You have some wiggle room on this, but if you stay out on Saturday night till 3, it'll be harder to go to sleep at 10PM Sunday.\n\n(Which somewhat contradicts:)\n\n3.  If possible, don't go to bed if you're not sleepy.  Note  - one thing I have read and found to be true is that you have to be awake for 12 hours before you can go back to sleep.  So if you sleep till noon, again, you won't be sleepy at 10PM.  \n\n4.  Don't spend more than 15-30 minutes trying to get to sleep.  If you notice that you've been in bed more than 15 minutes, get out of bed and do something for a while.  Make sure what you do isn't going to make you more hyper; e.g. no exercising or energetic music or writing posts to online debates. \n\n5.  When you go to bed, choose a chore or some other task that you do not want to do and tell yourself that if you are still awake in thirty minutes you will do that task.  Then, if you are still awake, get up and do your chosen task.  This is my favorite suggestion, as it has worked nearly every time I've used it. .\n\nThose are the most useful suggestions I have.  Other things you can try:\n\nBefore you start getting ready for sleep, turn off high energy music and turn the lights down.  I love R&R music, but I went through a period where I had to turn the radio off every night about an hour before I went to bed, or I would be to wired to sleep. And our bodies react to reduced light by producing melatonin which puts us to sleep.  \n\nGet plenty of exercise, but not right before bed.  (Unless you're weird like me - exercise right before bed just puts me to sleep)\n\nAnother suggestion that might work is to relax your body, consciously, one area at a time, starting from your feet. You think about the ball of your left foot and relax it, then the ball of your right foot, then the arch of your left foot, etc. You have to concentrate (pretty hard) on what you are doing\n\nSex *grin*  by yourself or with an SO, it produces a nice soporific chemical, which does a nice job of putting you to sleep.
758242
its definitely a sleeping disorder, but do u catch up on lost sleep during the day or have problems from sleep loss?\ny dont u see a doc about it.\nordering ambien online is a bit risky, and it may not work best for u.
809526
I feel for your friend- But,I have the same problem.I'm a 37yr.old female.And I have Insomnia really bad.I've had a sleep study done.But,nothing I've tried has helped.I've tried- Reading,Simply Sleep,Tylenol P.M.,Ambien,Lunesta,and even a natural med from the pharmacy.Nothing has helped me yet.Sometimes I'm up for 2-days straight.It sucks.So,If you find out something please let me know if you don't mind.My E-Mail is: jac9blond@yahoo.com I wish i could help.
169908
Don't take any medicine to fall asleep.  Try reading a book or a magazine.  Don't get on the computer though.
466785
Wow, that's awful.\n\nI haven't had too much trouble with insomnia, but the few times I have, tylenol pm (over the counter) helped me wind down enough to sleep.\n\nAfter four days, I'm sure you've already tried the standards: milk ( contains natural stuff that helps you sleep..doesn't have to be warm - yuk!), a nice glass of wine, warm bath, etc.  \n\nGood luck, man.  Hope you don't get this because you've finally been able to sleep.
965319
I had Insomnia about 10 years ago, after visiting a lot of Doctors and taking different medicines a friend took me to a Homeopath and she prescribed a Herb called PASSIFLORA INCARNATA in Q potency. I took it for three days 20 drop doses in some water every 6 hours ,never needed any aid to go to sleep after it. Wonderfully calming effect it had on me and its totally non addictive.Now whenever I am too uptight to go to sleep I take 20 drops in warm water and Zzzzzz :-) I go to peaceful sleep and wake up feeling fresh and pacified.\nBest of Luck
1089593
i would go get some tylenol pm and try and help get your sleeping habits back to normal.. they are not addictive and the nights you are really tired do not take them.. get exercise during the day and stay away from caffeine hours before it is your bedtime...see if this helps you..
846781
There are different sleeping medications out there. Mention your problem to your physician, it is possible you may need to try a different medicine or even a different dosage of your current one. Also, there are some over the counter herbal options that work well, for example Valarian Root(known as natures Valium). However, do not take any herbal or over the counter medication along with the Ambien without speaking to your doctor.\n\nI hope this helps a bit, take care!!
1184920
Drink a warm glass of milk and take Tylenol PM. It is non-addictive sleep formula. Plan to sleep 6 to 8 hours...restfull sleep!
94362
I have dealt with insomnia too, and one of the best things you can do is create a regular sleep/wake cycle. Try to go to bed at the same time every night, and wake up at the same time every morning. It can be hard at first, but it really does help, and you'll feel better emotionally.\nAlso, you can try these tips:\n-cut back on coffee, tea, and soft drinks that contain caffeine; instead drink clear soft drinks like 7-Up and Sprite, or caffeine-free sodas like root beer\n-avoid eating large, heavy meals before going to bed\n-don't exercise too soon before going to bed\n-relax yourself before bed with a hot bath, meditation, progressive muscle relaxation (see my link), etc.\n-have a glass of warm milk and half a turkey sandwich about 30 minutes before going to bed; both contain tryptophan, which will help you sleep\n-don't use your bedroom as a place to work, eat, watch TV, etc.; it should be a place to sleep and rest and that's it\n-avoid alcoholic drinks in the evening\n-listen to calm, soothing music before bed and while you're trying to sleep\n-sleep on a comfortable mattress and pillow\n-keep your room at a cool temperature\n-practice deep breathing exercises (see link)\n-avoid naps if they interfere with your sleep/wake cycle\n-once you're in bed, visualize a safe, peaceful scene, like the beach or a rainy day\n-establish a bedtime ritual before going to sleep to key your body to relax; follow the ritual every night\n-keep your bedroom dark\n-sleep in a well-ventilated room\n-don't watch TV, read, or do any other mentally stimulating activity before bed\n-try to get into the habit of sleeping on your back... it's the best position for relaxing because it allows for deep, restful breathing\n\nGood luck!
318161
you have to understand that insomnia is a mental disorder. there are few treatments that can help him. my recommendation is to take him to a doctor and give him prescription sleep aids, like lunesta. they usually work real well.
6122
I believe ambien is a sleepy pill. How else would you expect to fee when taking a sleeping aid? You take this then go to bed about half hour later that will take care of the dopey feeling.
973191
Go into a deep sleep. I think that works.
145924
I was also having problems falling asleep, doing so around 3-4am, au aunt told me about Melatonin, its a natural pill. i tried it...and literally about 30-60 minutes later i could barely keep my eyes open. its over the counter so no need for a doc visit, and actually when i visited my doc for other reasons...i did ask about melatonin and she didnt see any problem with me taking it. it worked for me, dont know if it will work for you..but you can give it a try. hope it helps.
182810
Before you see a doctor, try some of this advice:\n\nI had a bad problem with insomnia for many years, and did some research on it.  Here are the things I’ve found that help the most.\n\n1.  Don't take the sleeping pills.  Although they are not addictive in the way we tend to think (you won't jones for them if you miss taking them) they are addictive in the sense that once you have taken them for a while, you will have to take them to get to sleep, but they won't have the same effect they used too.   This is because you tend to not get the necessary REM sleep you need to be rested.  If you must take a sleeping pill, take it well before you go to sleep.  For instance, I prefer to take sleeping pills 2 hours before I go to sleep, so that the pill can get into my system and make me drowsy before I get into bed, then get out of my system (hopefully) early enough that I get some normal sleep.\n\n2.  Try to go to bed at about the same time every night.  You have some wiggle room on this, but if you stay out on Saturday night till 3, it'll be harder to go to sleep at 10PM Sunday.\n\n(Which somewhat contradicts:)\n\n3.  If possible, don't go to bed if you're not sleepy.  Note  - one thing I have read and found to be true is that you have to be awake for 12 hours before you can go back to sleep.  So if you sleep till noon, again, you won't be sleepy at 10PM.  \n\n4.  Don't spend more than 15-30 minutes trying to get to sleep.  If you notice that you've been in bed more than 15 minutes, get out of bed and do something for a while.  Make sure what you do isn't going to make you more hyper; e.g. no exercising or energetic music or writing posts to online debates. \n\n5.  When you go to bed, choose a chore or some other task that you do not want to do and tell yourself that if you are still awake in thirty minutes you will do that task.  Then, if you are still awake, get up and do your chosen task.  This is my favorite suggestion, as it has worked nearly every time I've used it. .\n\nThose are the most useful suggestions I have.  Other things you can try:\n\nBefore you start getting ready for sleep, turn off high energy music and turn the lights down.  I love R&R music, but I went through a period where I had to turn the radio off every night about an hour before I went to bed, or I would be too wired to sleep. And our bodies react to reduced light by producing melatonin which puts us to sleep.  \n\nGet plenty of exercise, but not right before bed.  (Unless you're weird like me - exercise right before bed just puts me to sleep)\n\nAnother suggestion that might work is to relax your body, consciously, one area at a time, starting from your feet. You think about the ball of your left foot and relax it, then the ball of your right foot, then the arch of your left foot, etc. You have to concentrate (pretty hard) on what you are doing\n\nSex *grin*  by yourself or with an SO, it produces a nice soporific chemical, which does a nice job of putting you to sleep.