Anyone use(d) sheep aids?

[scott1598]

I have been having a tough time lately sleeping through the night. Nerves, stress and inadvertently psyching myself out have me sleeping from about 10pm to 2am and staying up from 2am on till I have to get up at 5am and go to work (teacher), usually less than 4 hours total sleep time.

And this is every night during the week. i am still functioning in class and not really hiccupping there, but i would like to sleep half way decent.

i don't find my thoughts racing too much when i wake up at 2 (which i used to when i was younger and had trouble), but as i said, i psyche myself out because i think i have to wake up in a couple hours and then it throws me no matter how much i try to relax myself it seems to just do the opposite. i don't get up or anything, just try to fall back to sleep.

I have tried some very mild biofeedback techniques like counting backwards which really did used to help, but alas.

So i was wondering if anyone has had experience with different OTC pills and find ones that work, keep you asleep and don't make you feel drowsy in the morning?

today, i bought Unisom and Advil PM. the Unisom dosage is 1 pill @ 50mg of something and Advil is 2 pills @ 38mg each pill of the same something for a total 76.

i am more inclined to try just the one Unisom, but not really sure and nervous about experimenting when i have to be fresh tomorrow.

so can someone please help...tell me what you have used that has worked, what pills haven't worked, etc..

very appreciative for any info and advice.

thanks in advance.

[dick_grayson]

did you try valerian root extract? I've found that better than most sleep aids. Mostly because it doesn't result in being groggy as shit the next day. All drugged sleep pills or liquids make me feel awful (weird, disoriented, still tired) but valerian did not. Also, getting more exercise (to the point of exhaustion) is important.

fwiw, I think Excedrin PM was the best drug I found, but still had the after-effects.

[scott1598]

thanks dick. i have tried Valerian root when i was younger and it didn't have too much of an effect. i am pretty active and do work out when i can.

i know it is just nerves and such for starting with a new schedule and all right now.

[JumpCutz]

I use these on occasion and they work for me...

[dick_grayson]

Originally Posted by scott1598

thanks dick. i have tried Valerian root when i was younger and it didn't have too much of an effect. i am pretty active and do work out when i can.

i know it is just nerves and such for starting with a new schedule and all right now.

they make different strengths. try the highest strength you can find (1000mg or more).

also, look into progressive relaxation technique. it's similar to what you're doing, but a bit more thorough.

generalized anxiety is likely the cause and I found that, regardless of what I took, I'd still wake up after a few hours of sleep. progressive relaxation helps a lot (as does yoga - which I'd also strongly recommend).

[scott1598]

Originally Posted by JumpCutz

I use these on occasion and they work for me...

i saw these too. i think 25 mg of Diphenhhdramine per cap, take 2.
the Unisom is the same dosage. the advil a little more di...

[thematahara]

Originally Posted by scott1598

i saw these too. i think 25 mg of Diphenhhdramine per cap, take 2.
the Unisom is the same dosage. the advil a little more di...

I've used these as well. Worked relatively well for me, didnt feel groggy or oversleep with them.

I usually cant sleep because my mind will start racing on me for whatever reason. I have found that taking a shot of liquor works pretty well to take the edge off and get me to sleep.

[NORML54601]

get yourself some Seroquel

[ChineseCheckers]

May I suggest the following...



+



+




This works 100% of the time all the time

[RyoHazuki]

[whotony]

Originally Posted by dick_grayson

did you try valerian root extract? I've found that better than most sleep aids. Mostly because it doesn't result in being groggy as shit the next day. All drugged sleep pills or liquids make me feel awful (weird, disoriented, still tired) but valerian did not. Also, getting more exercise (to the point of exhaustion) is important.

fwiw, I think Excedrin PM was the best drug I found, but still had the after-effects.

Originally Posted by thematahara

I've used these as well. Worked relatively well for me, didnt feel groggy or oversleep with them.

I usually cant sleep because my mind will start racing on me for whatever reason. I have found that taking a shot of liquor works pretty well to take the edge off and get me to sleep.

Aren't these "pm's" just benadryl?
You can buy that seperate from pain medication.

I just got a "sript for ambien, I'll see how that works.

[Dr Mabuse]

Those over the counter sleep aids are essentially antihistamines that cause drowsiness.

They suck.

Ambien is for little girls, but it's better than the OTC crap.

Man will seconol or nembutol put your ass to sleep, love them. To bad we don't use medication that actually works any more in large part. Patents wore off, no money in them any more.

[Kittydreamer]

skullcap with some hops and passionflower

[Goat3001]

Start smoking weed. It helped me when I was going through a bout with sleeplessness last year.

[cungar]

Originally Posted by chinesecheckers

may i suggest the following...



+



+




this works 100% of the time all the time

tmi

[ChineseCheckers]

what? I thought it was common knowledge?

[spainlinx0]

I know that was going to be my suggestion. Ambien gave me bizarre dreams, and I usually have some weird ones.

[Count Dooku]

If you have never taken a sleep aid before, you can't predict how the pills will effect you.
Will the standard recommended dosage hit you hard, or be less than effective?
Unfortunately, the only way to find out is to take the drug.

The pills warn you that you should be prepared to be asleep for a full night (8 hours) but if the drug hits you hard, you will want to sleep longer, and when you force yourself out of bed prematurely, you will feel it throughout the next day.



Abut the pills you purchased:
The single pill dosage [50 ml of Diphenhydramine] for the Unisom Sleep Gel.
And the recommended dosage for the Advil [76 ml of Diphenhydramine] --which strikes me as a little high.

I say that because Tylenol PM and Sominex both have a drug dosage of 25 ml of Diphenhydramine per pill, and the recommmended dosage is two pills [50 ml] --But dividing the dosage between two pills allows you to easily cut the dosage in half [25 ml] if you discover that's all the help you need.

I have trouble relaxing enough to be able to fall asleep.
I break a Tylenol PM in half, so I am getting 1/4 of the recommended dosage, and that helps me fall asleep just fine.



If you're having trouble staying asleep, I would start by taking the Unisom.
If you usually go to bed at 10pm, take the pill at 9pm and prepare yourself to go to bed perhaps as early as 9:30.

Once you see how that effects you, you can decide if that is fine --or if you need the extra dosage of the two Advil, or maybe just the lesser dosage of one Advil.

Edited to reflect the difference in drug and dosage between Unisom Sleep Tabs, which contain Doxylamine (which is also in Nyquil) and Unisom Sleep Gels.

[scott1598]

^ thanks count. that was truly very helpful.

all i have right now is the Unisom sleep gel with diephenh. 1 pill is 50 and not the regular Unisom with the other stuff. i think i will try that around 9pm and just hope to sleep past the 2am mark and nto feel bad in the morning. i find that i can wake up a few nights at the exact same minute in a row and that sets my clock. i just need to sleep past that 2am mark to reset and hopefully that can change it for good, at least for a while and i can goback to my normal routine and not take the OTC.

[Count Dooku]

Every person is unique, and there is no predicting how someone will react to a drug, but if the Unisom works normally, you should sleep through the night --or, if you do awaken at 2am, you will fall back asleep quickly.

[scott1598]

Originally Posted by Count Dooku

Every person is unique, and there is no predicting how someone will react to a drug, but if the Unisom works normally, you should sleep through the night --or, if you do awaken at 2am, you will fall back asleep quickly.

i think all this worrying about what will work and how i will be in the morning is going to give me some angst as well, as i am feeling a little angsty now.

[mbs]

Try melatonin. I know people who swear by it.

[Count Dooku]

Originally Posted by scott1598

i think all this worrying about what will work and how i will be in the morning is going to give me some angst as well, as i am feeling a little angsty now.

I certainly don't want to make you worry.

It's a pharmaceutical drug designed to make you fall asleep and stay asleep.

I just wanted to caution you that when they say that you should expect to sleep for eight hours, they mean it.

I think a lot of adults who are used to sleeping 5-6 hours a night, when they are sleeping normally, underestimate that the drug makes you want to sleep A FULL NIGHT. Then they force themselves out of bed prematurely, and feel especially tired.

And I just wanted to be honest and share that my personal experience has been that the drug is very effective on me.

[Rockmjd23]

No but I admit I did use aids to lose weight...

[John Drake]

Originally Posted by mbs

Try melatonin. I know people who swear by it.

Find the melatonin that has some L-Theanine in it. This is an herbal relaxant. You'll start to find yourself relaxing pretty quickly, and then you'll get sleepy within about 30 minutes.

At least that's the way it affects me.