Insomnia - any sufferers? any Cures?
485536
I've had this problem for many, many years as well.  There is an herbal remedy that has been used since the Victorian era called valerian root that has worked for me from time to time.  You can buy it just about anywhere you can vitamins.  It is not FDA approved, but there is a vast amount of information regarding it's use and side affects on any internet search.  Just like anything, I will build up an immunity to it after awhile, so I'll take a break from it time to time.  You can get in either a tea or pill form, and a word of caution---it has a strong smell.
349454
I feel your pain!\nHere are some things that have worked for me-\nTry doing the same routine every night before you go to sleep- do a few yoga streches, take a shower and have a cup of tea (I recommend chamomile mango- Bigelow I think...) and THEN climb into bed.  \nTry an eye pillow- it blocks out the light and keeps you from staring around at you furniture while you curse yourself for not being asleep already :)\nTry doing some sort of exercise during the day- it makes you more tired- like running up and down some steps a few times.\nTry to go to sleep and get up at the same time each day.  I know it sounds nuts- who want to get up at seven on a weekend!?  But it seems to help me- it gives your body a schedule.\nTry not to do work on your bed- that way you can associate your bed with sleep adn relaxation only.  \nIf you're lying there for over 30 minutes, try getting up and walking around.  Go sit in the living room and just chill- no TV though.\nIf you're worrying about something- school. work, life- sit in your living room or somewhere other that your bedroom and let yourself think about it and obsess about it for maybe 20 minutes- whatever.  Maybe try to work out a solution.  And then say to yourself, ok! I'm done thinking about that- mean it! and then climb into bed.\nGOOD LUCK!!! I'm not saying that these always always always work for me but they're worth a try.\nZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.......... :)
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!
587357
I received accupuncture from a qualified Traditional Chinese Medince doctor with very good results.  TCM is very effective and helps seek the reasons behind your insomnia.
365675
I went through a similar cycle with no help from anywhere.  Drugs left me zonked the next day too.  Eventually I found relief through my own little techniques.  Stress doesn't help mind you.  She has to find a pattern that suits her.  The trick is that when your head hits the pillow it can't say "OK go to sleep, go to sleep this time".  The n the cycle has already begun.  I drink a warm malted milk and then always force my imagination to go somewhere.  For me the start is always very science fiction, but that is just me.  Before you know it the mind can wonder on its own and zzzzzzzz.....  Just advise mind you, insomnia is different for everyone and there are different types.  The other main variety is waking up 3 hours into sleep and then being stuck awake.
152554
insomnia is being unable to sleep or unable to stay asleep for a "normal" restful periiod.  Not a disease, but can have many possible causes of which illness is one. It can be from being under too much stress, or from eating or drinking too much caffeine.
277329
I think medication is the most successful method. You can also try decreasing the Caffeine intake. I heard anxiety is fully responsible for insomnia.
220238
You need to develop an understanding of why you suffer from insomnia. One of the best things to do is understand what professionals refer to as sleep hygiene. I've posted a helpful webpage below. If implementing these tips don't work and you continue to have difficulty sleeping you might want to consult an M.D. or Ph.D. who specializes in sleep disorders. They can conduct a sleep study to help determine why you struggle with sleeping.
456791
The story of my life!  I often have trouble sleeping and at times no matter what I do helps.  Somethings I have tried that do seem to help from time to time.  \n\nA good round of sex. \n\nA glass of milk.\n\nExercising about 1 hour before you go to bed.\n\nThen there are medications.  I use Ambien from time to time, but it is a prescription so probably no help for tonight.  If you do decide to go with Ambien, a word of caution.  I only use them in dire circumstances.  They make me totally goofy.  I do really silly things, and often have amnesia the next day. \n\nHope you have sweet dreams tonight.  Good Luck!
890891
Sleeping problems seem to be closely related to ADHD. Many children, adolescents or adults have problems to calm down in the evening and fall asleep or report disturbed sleeping patterns or nightmares.\n\nPsychostimulant medication can cause insomnia in some patients. Usually these problems stop after a while (allow 2 weeks to cope) However there is a significant group of patients that will even benefit from low dose psychostimulant in the afternoon or before bedtime to calm down!\n\nTo find out whether the psychostimulant medication is responsible for the sleeping problem you could try to administer the medication earlier and to reduce or avoid medication after 2 pm.\n\nIf you administer sustained release medication (e.g. Concerta) with a very long duration you might consider to change the tablet or dose.\n\nSometimes comedication with sedating antihistamine medication or Clonidine can be helpful.\n\nHowever, it is important to establish sleeping routines and stick to defined times to go to bed. Try to reduce TV times or too much computer games in the late afternoon or evening because this can be a source of overstimulation of the brain.
14063
i am very insomnia prone. a few years ago during a very stressful time in my life, i stopped sleeping for a week at a time. it never happened before but it wouldn't stop. prescription medicine works but after a week's use, i couldn't go to sleep without it. SO DON'T TAKE IT UNLESS YOU ARE REALLY A INSOMNIAC! but i noticed that once my life got better and less stressed, i started on a normal sleep schedule. now 5 years later, i still have a hard time going to sleep but once i am asleep 12 hours is not enough! i find the best way to promote a healthy sleep schedule is to get enough to eat (eat healthy) don't drink or eat 2 hours before bed so you don't have your bladder telling you to go to the bathroom!, and this sounds silly but i find that crocheting which i learned from my mother-in-law recently puts me to sleep. i crochet and i guess i am bored and next things i know i feel sleepy. i guess you have to learn a good sleep routine and maybe find a relaxing activity that makes you want to sleep rather than do it.
268160
See a doctor.Insomnia can be a symptom of physical disorders, although for most of us it's the result of tension, stress and anxiety and of course the more anxious we get about our insomnia, the worse it gets. If your doctor pronounces you a "healthy" insomniac, he might suggest some of the techniques provided here. Or she might prescribe drugs to help you get to sleep. \nTake a warm bath.It's a great way to relax your body. Don't overdo it, however. You merely want to relax your body, not exhaust it. Too long in hot water and your body is drained of vitality.Use bath salts, or throw in Epsom salts and baking soda,one cup of each. These will relax you and also help remove toxins from your body. \nGet a massage.Have your spouse (or whoever) give you a massage just before going to sleep. If you can convince them to give you a full body massage, great. If not, even a short backrub and/or a face and scalp massage can be a big help. Have them make the massage strokes slow, gentle, yet firm, to work the tension out of your muscles and soothe you to sleep.\nListen to music.Play some soft, soothing music that will lull you to sleep. There are even cassettes and records designed for that very purpose. Some are specially composed music, others simply have sounds of waves rhythmically breaking, or the steady pattern of a heartbeat. \nDrink warm milk.A glass of warm milk 15 minutes before going to bed will soothe your nervous system. Milk contains calcium, which works directly on jagged nerves to make them (and you) relax.\nDrink herb tea.If you don't like milk or are avoiding dairy products try a cup of hot camomile, catnip, anise or fennel tea. All contain natural ingredients which will help you sleep. Most health food stores will also have special blends of herb tea designed to soothe you and help you get to sleep.\nEat a bedtime snack.A small, low protein, high carbohydrate bedtime snack, such as juice and cookies, eaten about an hour before bedtime, can help you fall asleep sooner. (Pizza does not qualify.)\nAvoid Caffeine, Alcohol and Tobacco.It should be obvious, but some people forget that coffee is not the only drink containing caffeine. Tea (black, not herbal), chocolate and cola drinks are also high in caffeine.Alcohol may feel like it's soothing you, but all it's doing is stupefying you. Research has shown that alcohol upsets sleep, preventing a deep rest. Same with tobacco. Avoid them all. \nSleep in a well-ventilated room.Fresh air (it's hard in the wintertime) and a room temperature between 60-65 degrees will give you the best sleeping conditions. Any warmer and you'll toss and turn from the discomfort of being too warm. Keep the thermostat down and do your temperature-adjusting inside the bed with more or fewer blankets.\nSleep on a good firm bed.A firm bed will give your entire body the support it needs to really relax. It's better for your spine, too.\nSleep on your back.It's the best position for relaxing, and allows all your internal organs to rest properly. If you must sleep on your side, do it on your right side, not your left. Sleeping on the left side causes your lungs, stomach and liver to press against your heart, causing stress on an organ that most of us find quite useful.Neverever sleep on your stomach. It causes pressure on all your internal organs including your lungs, which results in shallow breathing. It can also, as you've no doubt discovered, cause a stiff neck and upper back problems.\nGet some physical exercise during the day.People with "mental" jobs, like office workers, have far more trouble with insomnia than do people who work physically hard all day. Even 15 minutes a day of exercise (at least half an hour before going to bed so your body will have a chance to slow down) will give your body the activity and oxygen it needs to help you relax more and sleep better.\nKeep regular bedtime hours.Your body likes regular routines, whether
831056
Treatment for insomnia\nIn many cases, insomnia is caused by another disease or psychological problem. In this case, medical or psychological help may be useful. All sedative drugs have the potential of causing psychological dependence where the individual can't psychologically accept that they can sleep without drugs. Certain classes of sedatives such as benzodiazepines and newer non-benzodiazepine drugs can also cause physical dependence which manifests in withdrawal symptoms if the drug is not carefully titrated down.\n\nMany insomniacs rely on sleeping tablets and other sedatives to get rest. The most commonly used class of hypnotics prescribed for insomnia are the benzodiazepines. This includes drugs such as temazepam, diazepam, lorazepam, nitrazepam and midazolam. These medications can be addictive, especially after taking them over long periods of time.\n\nNon-benzodiazepine prescription drugs, including Ambien and Lunesta, have a cleaner side effect profile than the older benzodiazepines, however there are controversies over whether these non-benzodiazepine drugs are superior to benzodiazpines. These drugs appear to cause both psychological and physical dependence, and can also cause the same memory and cognitive disturbances as the benzodiazepines along with morning sedation.\n\nMelatonin agonists, including Ramelteon (Rozerem), seem to lack the potential for abuse and dependence. This class of drugs has a relatively mild side effect profile and lower likelihood of causing morning sedation.\n\nThe antihistamine diphenhydramine is widely used in nonprescription sleep aids, with a 50 mg recommended dose mandated by the FDA. In the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and other countries, a 50 to 100 mg recommended dose is permitted. While it is available over the counter, the effectiveness of these agents may decrease over time and the incidence of next-day sedation is higher than for most of the newer prescription drugs. Dependence does not seem to be an issue with this class of drugs.\n\nSome antidepressants such as mirtazapine, trazodone and doxepin have a sedative effect, and are prescribed off label to treat insomnia. The major drawback of these drugs is that they have antihistaminergic, anticholinergic and antiadrenergic properties which can lead to many side effects. Some also alter sleep architecture.\n\nLow doses of Atypical antipsychotics such as quetiapine(Seroquel) are also prescribed for their sedative effect but the danger of neurological and cognitive side effects make these drugs a poor choice to treat insomnia.\n\nSome insomniacs use herbs such as valerian, chamomile, lavender, hops, and passion-flower. Valerian has undergone the most studies and appears to be modestly effective.\n\nAlcohol may have sedative properties, but the REM suppressing effects of the drug prevent restful, quality sleep. Middle-of-the-night awakenings due to alcohol consumption are common, and hangovers can also lead to morning grogginess.\n\nSome traditional remedies for insomnia have included drinking warm milk before bedtime*, taking a warm bath in the evening; exercising vigorously for half an hour in the afternoon, eating a large lunch and then having only a light evening meal at least three hours before bed, avoiding mentally stimulating activities in the evening hours, and making sure to get up early in the morning and to retire to bed at a reasonable hour. Pomegranates are also believed to be able to help insomniacs sleep.\n\nAdding honey to warm milk helps get the tryptophan in your system faster. Tryptophan absorption is normally inhibited or deterred by other amino acids but in the presence of sugar tryptophan is absorbed more quickly. \nTraditional Chinese medicine has included treatment for insomnia throughout its history. A typical approach may utilize acupuncture, dietary and lifestyle analysis, herbology and other techniques, with the goal of resolving the problem at a subtle level. Although t
452554
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 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
903977
Registered Nurse here;  Yes, please do not take another.  Ambien is one of the strongest medications on the market for insomnia.  If this is not working, return to your physician, for evaluation, and perhaps change in sleeping medication.  But regardless of what your told here on Yahoo, Please do not take any more.  Thanks for the opportunity to address your question.
1069643
my wife has trouble sleeping too. she can fall asleep, but she cannot stay asleep. Her doctor told her to cut down on her caffienne intake closer to evening. and my motherinlaw has also suggested maybe some lavender oil in a vapor mist vaporizor to help soothe her. she hasn't tried this yet, but i will let you all know
948678
go to your doc and get on Ambien CR..  it's non addictive and works like a charm...  it's control release so it keeps you in a nice even sleep pattern for a good 7 hours, and when you wake you don't feel drowsy or sluggish..  your doc may have samples to give you.  btw.. lots of people suffer from insomnia either from stress or any number of reasons, but just to let you know, it's always there when a person becomes or is depressed..