Anyone whos experienced with sleeping medicines?

Hi !

I’ve always have trouble sleeping. I guess that the main reason is that I have been having this problem for so long, and when I am going to sleep, I think about it and thats what gives me problems sleeping. Im also like “aware” of everything that happens just when I am about to sleep making it impossible to sleep. I keep thinking, how does it feel right before you fall asleep, and what should my mind be doing to fall asleep etc.

Anyways, I have started to take some sleeping medicines, but for some reason, they are not that effective so I have to double the dose to fall asleep.

I have tried two kinds: Imovane and Stilnoct. I have the 5 mg versions of theese two but I need to take atleast 10 mg to fall asleep. Imovane uses zopiclon and stilnoct uses zolpidem, which should mean that both are Non-benzodiazepines. I have heard that taking Benzodiazepines can f#ck you up pretty good, like Benzo trips when you walk in your sleep doing crazy stuff.

Does anyone here have experience with sleeping pills? I need some advice on what kind of sleeping pills to get with good effect and low bieffects. I dont want to become addicted but atleast that would be better than not being able to sleep at all.

Thanks

INSOMNIA

Knowing you are seriously ill can generate huge amounts of anxiety, which can in turn result in persistent insomnia. Insomnia is a major stressor and will deplete you of much needed rest and energy. Good sleep is essential for healing. Yet, sleeping tablets are undesirable in the short or long term. They can leave you feeling hung-over and add to the burden your liver already has to deal with in cancer.

The orthomolecular answer to insomnia is Melatonin, your body’s own sleep-regulating hormone. Melatonin can become deficient as you age, or under stress. So taking a synthetic version of this makes sense from time to time. (We stress synthetic because animal-derived melatonin can be full of impurities and other undesirable components). Melatonin is available on prescription or can be bought direct from the U.S. (see Suppliers section). The standard dose is 3 mg. But scientists who have done much work with melatonin suggest that individuals with very high anxiety levels or entrenched insomnia may need higher doses. It is best to start on the standard dose and experiment if necessary. You need to work with your body clock, so take melatonin between 1 to 2 hours before sleep, from 8 in the evening onwards. If you need a higher dose, take it in 2 sessions: say 3 mg at 8 o’clock and 3 mg at 10 o’clock. (We do not recommend you go beyond 5/6 mg a night unless advised to do so by an expert medical practitioner.)

Melatonin has worked miracles where all else has failed. It seems to make sleep more restful and refreshing, making it easier to get up. It can be safely taken for long periods of time, is a natural anti-oxidant and, some authorities believe, has some anti-cancer actions.

To fully reap the relaxant and calming benefits, try to expose yourself to bright light and fresh air in the morning, in combination with regular exercise, such as walking. If your problem is really bad, you should also practice daily relaxation exercises.

SOURCE

Traditional Chinese Medicine/TCM and Insomnia

General advice is that sleeping pills should be a last resort for insomnia. I would recommend the following things:

Avoid caffeine, alcohol, tobacco, and all stimulants. Get a general medical check-up to make sure you have no serious underlying medical or psychiatric disorder. Research “good sleep hygeine”. Try some massage therapy and meditation. Try taking calming minerals before bed such as magnesium and calcium. Melatonin works for some people. Works well for me and my insomnia. Exercise helps alot. Try to avoid things like zolpidem (Ambien)…they work great but you need real, non-chemical induced sleep for the long-term. Try a prescription like Rozerem before you go to the Ambien. It works like melatonin.

Listen to twatt; I suffer of insomnia myself and melatonin is really wonderful.

It’s not a medicine in the proper term- prescription is not needed. Melatonin has not the bad side-effects of sleeping pills.

Give it a try.

Tryptophan - Wikipedia

For many organisms (including humans), tryptophan is an essential amino acid. This means that it cannot be synthesized by the organism and therefore must be part of its diet. Amino acids, including tryptophan, act as building blocks in protein biosynthesis. In addition, tryptophan functions as a biochemical precursor for the following compounds (see also figure to the right):

* Serotonin (a neurotransmitter), synthesized via tryptophan hydroxylase.[7][8] Serotonin, in turn, can be converted to melatonin (a neurohormone), via N-acetyltransferase and 5-hydroxyindole-O-methyltransferase activities.[9]
* Niacin is synthesized from tryptophan via kynurenine and quinolinic acids as key biosynthetic intermediates.[10]

Use as a dietary supplement

For some time, tryptophan has been available in health food stores as a dietary supplement, although it is common in dietary protein. Many people found tryptophan to be a safe and reasonably effective sleep aid, probably due to its ability to increase brain levels of serotonin (a calming neurotransmitter when present in moderate levels)[16] and/or melatonin (a sleep-inducing hormone secreted by the pineal gland in response to darkness or low light levels).[17][18]

Clinical research tends to confirm tryptophan’s effectiveness as a sleep aid[19][20][21] and for a growing variety of other conditions typically associated with low serotonin levels or activity in the brain[22] such as premenstrual dysphoric disorder [23] and seasonal affective disorder.[24][25] In particular, tryptophan has been showing considerable promise as an antidepressant alone,[26] and as an "augmenter" of antidepressant drugs.[26][27] However, the reliability of these clinical trials has been questioned.[28][29]

Not tabacco :cancer:

I believe that tryptophan according to Blue Poppy’s press book called

Has a section in the back that shows some ORTHOMOLECULAR supplements and how they figure into TCM.

Anyhow, the stuff I took was most excellent for a Liver problem in TCM. The Chinese Liver is not the Western concept of the Liver as the organ. The Chinese Liver is like your nervous system in a very basic Western concept.

Before I forget, L-tryptophan needs cofactors along with it, I believe B6 and C vitamins.

There is some very interesting things in Orthomolecular routes to fixing problems without drugs.
One of my favorite sites is for background, navigate on the yellow tabs on the far left of every page. I like reading it for background, not buying stuff from them though. Decent introduction for the layman, so to speak.

GABA (GAMMA AMINOBUTYRIC ACID) is the most frequently occurring of all the calming neurotransmitters in our brains. Tranquilizers like Valium, Librium, Ativan and Xanax work by stimulating GABA receptors. Treating such drug addictions by reloading GABA has worked quite well, and many of these people continue to use GABA in place of their former drug to alleviate anxiety.

TRYPTOPHAN
Tryptophan is the only substance in existence that makes serotonin, a powerful calming brain neurotransmitter. The many copycat anti-depressant drugs now on the market confirm the popularity of flooding our brains with “mellowing” serotonin. Tryptophan’s benefits have been well documented in treating anxiety, panic, and compulsive obsessive disorders.

GLYCINE
This amino acid strengthens our calming alpha brain waves and reduces excitatory waves. It also works throughout our spinal column to relax and ease rigidity and tension.

TAURINE
This amino regulates the excitability of our nervous systems. It is found in abundance around the heart muscle. In our brains, it’s another inhibitory (calming) neurotransmitter.

Lunesta and Abien CR. I love them both. Dont leave the docs without them.Plane Ambien sucks though!

Thanks for all the answers. Actually, I have tried melatonin but it didnt do much for me. I will try to double the dose from 3mg to 6mg and see what happens.