sleep help

[my name]

please can anybody help me? got any sleep remedies? I've tried nearly everything, reading, tv, quiet, painkillers, sleeping pills, pot, alcohol, games... everything. and yet every single day i can not sleep. and its not like i sleep too much, i wake up every day round 1 or so and dont sleep till i actually fall asleep at night which is usually round 6 in the morning. any tips... please, i'm begging :(

[Mist]

What are you doing during the day? The simplest answer is "do more" because then your body will get more tired.

[spanner]

The following websites have lots of info on this:

http://www.sleepcouncil.org.uk/

http://www.bettersleep.org/

TheSite also has some useful features:

Insomnia (http://www.thesite.org/youthnet/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=159&a=313)

Sleeping disorders (http://www.thesite.org/youthnet/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=159&a=2895)

The basic rules are: don't eat late or watch TV in bed, go to bed when you're tired, and avoide too much alcohol. It's also worth trying lavender which has great sleep-inducing properties - either burn it, put a few drops on your pillow or in your bath. Make sure your bedroom is a comfortable place in terms of your surroundings, your actual bed (a good mattress helps enormously) and things like noise etc. Ear plugs can help block everything out.

:)

[DG]

Originally posted by my_name
please can anybody help me? got any sleep remedies? I've tried nearly everything, reading, tv, quiet, painkillers, sleeping pills, pot, alcohol, games... everything. and yet every single day i can not sleep. and its not like i sleep too much, i wake up every day round 1 or so and dont sleep till i actually fall asleep at night which is usually round 6 in the morning. any tips... please, i'm begging :(

How about sex?

It's supposed to be one of the best way to fall asleep - well it is for men not sure about women!!

[budda]

I was talking to my sister the nurse about it and she was recomending melatonin, its a hormone (I think) which regulates your body clock, and taken for two weeks in a row can re-set your sleep patterns.

However it is not available on script here from your GP, its only a special hospital script, although it can be bought in the US and I presume over the internet.

There is quite a bit more info if you do a search but anyway heres my response from a while ago.

The treatment that you need really depends on the type of insomnia that you have, if its based on the mental stress that you have then obviously sedatives arent the answer.

However if like me you have inheratied a sleeping problem and never sleep for more than about 3 hours in a stretch then it can get preaty bad. As yet I havent managed to get any long term meds from my doctor but I have tried a few.

Valium ; Not strictly an insomnia drug, its a muscle relaxant. However it will make you sleep soundly, does have a slight hangover though, lasts about 9hrs.

Temazepan ; Similar to valium but just a crappier version, quite stony, zonked me out, I didnt like it, lasts about 9hrs

Matrazapean (spelt wrong) ; Its kind of a mixture of prozac and a sedative, can be taken long term, takes about an hour to work, then lasts another 9 after that, does have a hangover, I felt quite groggy on this, I dont really like it.

Stilnoct ; This is a new one, I quite liked it, it felt more focused than the others, just helped me sleep and didnt fog my mind, no hangover what so ever lasts about 8hrs. Not sure if it can be taken long term though. Not massively effective though.

Zopiclone ; Related to Stilnoct, which is actualy called Zopidone in the US. Anyway this is a short-term anti-stress sedative I was put on a while ago. Its much nicer than Stilnoct which I didnt really think was strong enough. This one does leave a metalic taste in your mouth the next day which is nasty. I'd say this one is the best of the lot though.

However drugs arent the answer, stress should be gotten rid off by you not a substance really.

Anyway, hope this helps. Go and talk to your doctor.

I have been put on a semi-permenant course of every now and then Zopiclone. I was refered for risk assessment because my insomnia got really bad.
But because I wasnt 'at risk' then I wasnt put forward for mental health treatment.

However I am fighting to get refered to a specialist hospital for treatment there, but my bastard PCT wont pay for it.

Your doctor may well not take it seriously at first, it does take a while, but mine has come round and is actualy pretty good about it.

Well, I hope that helps.

[morrocan roll]

large whisky with equal measure of night nurse ...if it kills you though its not my fault.

[budda]

Doesnt night nurse have paracetamol in it? I think so and if so you really shouldnt be taking it with booze, you'll do your liver no favors.

[Char_Baby]

have a hot milk drink and a banana

both have potassium (or something) which should send you off

[budda]

Personally I've never heard of potasium having a sedative effect. I know that milk can help the release of seratonin which can make you sleepy, but the effect is far from dramatic.

Most of those 'home remedies' dont actualy physically do anything much, but with a thing like insomnia you shouldnt underestimate the power of the mind.

[Char_Baby]

dont know if it is potassium, just something in the bananas make you sleepy!!

[lisa simpson's saxophone]

Yeah I heard that about peanut butter too.

[budda]

You could also try Valerian Root, this is a herb which you can get from health food shops, its supposed to be a sedative, I've not found it greatly useful, but it does sort of work.

There is also hops, which are basicaly used as the above.