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Old 09-23-2015, 08:24 AM   #21
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I have occasional bouts of insomnia. There is an over the counter product called Alteril that works very well for me. It is made up of melatonin, valerian root and a couple of other things.
Alterial also has tryptophan (why eating turkey makes you sleepy) - I have been using it for about 6 months with success- I get at at W*mart - about $16.
I occasionaly will add an advil pm while taking it.
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Old 09-23-2015, 08:33 AM   #22
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[QUOTE=W2R;1637325]Here's what works for me to some extent.
(3) Go to bed at the same time each night, and set an alarm to awaken at the same time each morning. I know "alarm" is a dirty word for us retirees sometimes, but some of us need a very regular schedule to prevent insomnia.


FWIW, I agree with all of the tips except this one. One help for my insomnia was to to bed only when I was sleepy. Going to bed at, say, 11PM, just because it was 11 didn't help me. If I wasn't tired, that would just accentuate the insomnia.

Many years ago I also changed my attitude about sleepless night or minimal sleep. I don't "fight" insomnia. If I'm tossing and turning I just get out of bed and read (like others have written I avoid the computer or TV). Invariably, the next night I'll get a better sleep (not necessarily a full night's sleep but enough to recharge).
Everyone is different and thus different solutions apply to each person. Incidentally, I use Ambien rarely, but when I do it works like a charm. I never developed a dependence on it.
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Old 09-24-2015, 09:56 AM   #23
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Here's what works for me to some extent. I never take any sleep medications, whether prescription or OTC, but instead I work on doing these sorts of things:

(1) Don't consume ANY caffeine whatsoever for 12 hours before you plan to sleep. And don't assume that you actually know what has caffeine and what doesn't; read and go by this list, for example:

Caffeine content for coffee, tea, soda and more - Mayo Clinic

(2) Exercise vigorously at some point during the day, but don't exercise for several hours before bedtime.

(3) Go to bed at the same time each night, and set an alarm to awaken at the same time each morning. I know "alarm" is a dirty word for us retirees sometimes, but some of us need a very regular schedule to prevent insomnia.

(4) Do not watch any shows with killing or high tension music for several hours before bedtime. Read or watch something sweet and cute and caring, or else a slightly tedious historical documentary or biography.

(5) Follow a nearly OCD routine at bedtime. Check the thermostat, lock the doors, and such, in the same order each night. And in my case, part of this is doing one pencil-and-paper Sudoku just before lights out.

(6) Make sure you have a comfortable bed. Also I like the fan or white noise suggestions. I don't consciously do that, but I do turn down the central AC one degree before I go to bed (for comfort), so the fan is going.

Also, if you sleep 7-8 hours every night but then only sleep 6 hours one or two nights a week, and don't feel exhausted the next day, don't beat yourself up about it. You probably didn't need the sleep. Or, so I tell myself....
FYI, I did all of these things. Had several appts with a sleep study doctor. At the end of all of this she said take a sleep aid so have been on half dose of Ambien (generic equivalent). From what I've read I'll probably be on this the rest of my life as it is addicting. Some new studies possibly linking to late dementia but right now everything seems to be linked to that.
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Old 09-24-2015, 12:53 PM   #24
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I don't suffer from insomnia, but my mind races around sometimes after waking in the middle of the night. I focus on observing (not controlling) my breathing and try to eliminate any other thought. If my mind wanders, I bring it back to the breathing without getting worked up about it - that part is important. It works for me.

You probably need to practice this - it is just a form of meditation - in your waking hours first.
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Old 09-24-2015, 03:22 PM   #25
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I started having trouble falling and staying asleep about 10 years ago. It was so bad that many nights, I didn't sleep at all. The doctor gave me Ambien and then Lunesta. Both worked for a few hours each night but made me feel like I was in a daze the next. After about a month, I built up a tolerance to both and they didn't work anymore. I didn't want to stay on prescription sleep meds anyway.

So I tried just about every OTC sleep aid I could find. None worked very well "except" a particular variety of Unisom sleep tabs. I found there are basically two different ingredients in most OTC sleep aids. Most use Diphenhydramine HCI and a few use Doxylamine Succinate. The ones that use Diphenhydramine HCl don't do anything for me (zero) but the Doxylamine Succinate works great for me and has for the past ten years and with no side effects (that I've noticed). I suspect I'm addicted to them since I take one every night now.

If you decide to try these be careful and look at the ingredients carefully since many bands make sleep aids (including Unisom) with both ingredients. One variety with Diphenhydramine HCI and another with Doxylamine Succinate. Check the labels. I assume one ingredient may work for some people and the other ingredient may work for others. (YMMV so check with your doctor)

Here's some more useful info. The Unisom Advantage - Unisom OTC Sleep-Aids

Good luck, not sleeping for days, really sucks.
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Old 09-24-2015, 08:04 PM   #26
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So many good ideas here, I feel I should thank everyone personally.

I will admit I love ambien, but the last time I took it I was rather punch drunk and ordered 4k worth of clothes and shoes from Neiman Marcus online. Had retrograde amnesia, so totally forgot about it until I looked at my email the following day and saw my purchase confirmation. (FWIW my choices were excellent and I did keep everything). 😇

I do need to focus on the meditative ideas, along with keeping away from iPad and iPhone right before bed.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to respond, it was of great help.



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Old 09-24-2015, 08:51 PM   #27
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I no longer have the problem thanks to a combination of retirement and HRT, but if I did, I would give cognitive behavioral therapy a try:

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/09/up...-insomnia.html
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Old 09-24-2015, 08:55 PM   #28
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I no longer have the problem thanks to a combination of retirement and HRT, but if I did, I would give cognitive behavioral therapy a try:

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/09/up...-insomnia.html

Love it, was academically trained as a PhD psychologist who moved into global healthcare consulting but well versed in CBT, and of course horrible at applying it to myself.. But you are spot on, it's stopping the racing thoughts that would be helpful.


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Old 10-01-2015, 08:10 PM   #29
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+1 magnesium

+1 mindfulness breathing techniques

+1 remeron ( an antidepressant but in low doses works instead as an antihistamine thus causing drowsiness) ( less than $4 per month prescription)



a condition of apparent weightlessness such as that experienced in orbit or in free fall or my aunts inverse table! Causes blood flow to the brain that might result in amazing thoughts!
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Old 12-13-2015, 04:48 AM   #30
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Unlike other insomnia threads, no one has mentioned podcasts yet. I do so only because someone started the industrial strength Sleep With Me Podcast | The Podcast That Puts You To Sleep | A Lulling, Droning, Boring Bedtime Story to Distract Your Racing Mind Compared to Sleep with Me, the average Shaggy Dog story* seems like the Cliffs notes of a Hemingway short story.

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaggy_dog_story
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Old 12-13-2015, 10:26 AM   #31
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Unlike other insomnia threads, no one has mentioned podcasts yet.
Good idea! Also I sometimes drift off while listening to just any old podcast late at night, without any intention of doing so. This works best for me if the podcast guest's voice is sort of monotone and his topic is less than riveting.

I still love podcasts as a form of entertainment, and listen to at least one every night. Many are quite interesting to me.
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Old 12-13-2015, 01:51 PM   #32
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Unlike other insomnia threads, no one has mentioned podcasts yet. I do so only because someone started the industrial strength Sleep With Me Podcast | The Podcast That Puts You To Sleep | A Lulling, Droning, Boring Bedtime Story to Distract Your Racing Mind Compared to Sleep with Me, the average Shaggy Dog story* seems like the Cliffs notes of a Hemingway short story.
[/URL]
I have an good free Audio Books app

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/audi...311507490?mt=8

that I have loaded on an old iPhone I keep by my bed. When I wake up in the middle of the night and don't fall right back to sleep I pop in the earbuds (so as not to annoy DW) and fire up this app.

Last summer I was listening to Walden, right now I'm listening to The Odyssey. There are lots of great old (free) books inside this app that help me to fall asleep. And Eventually I do make it through the book and have a new classic under my belt.
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Old 12-13-2015, 02:41 PM   #33
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Women approaching menopause often have disturbed sleep - waking up during the night and being unable to go back to sleep.

My progesterone levels had dropped (common in perimenopause), and taking progesterone took care of the sleep issues.
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Old 12-13-2015, 06:45 PM   #34
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I started having trouble falling and staying asleep about 10 years ago. It was so bad that many nights, I didn't sleep at all. The doctor gave me Ambien and then Lunesta. Both worked for a few hours each night but made me feel like I was in a daze the next. After about a month, I built up a tolerance to both and they didn't work anymore. I didn't want to stay on prescription sleep meds anyway.

So I tried just about every OTC sleep aid I could find. None worked very well "except" a particular variety of Unisom sleep tabs. I found there are basically two different ingredients in most OTC sleep aids. Most use Diphenhydramine HCI and a few use Doxylamine Succinate. The ones that use Diphenhydramine HCl don't do anything for me (zero) but the Doxylamine Succinate works great for me and has for the past ten years and with no side effects (that I've noticed). I suspect I'm addicted to them since I take one every night now.

If you decide to try these be careful and look at the ingredients carefully since many bands make sleep aids (including Unisom) with both ingredients. One variety with Diphenhydramine HCI and another with Doxylamine Succinate. Check the labels. I assume one ingredient may work for some people and the other ingredient may work for others. (YMMV so check with your doctor)

Here's some more useful info. The Unisom Advantage - Unisom OTC Sleep-Aids

Good luck, not sleeping for days, really sucks.

Car-Guy..thanks! I tried this back in September and it worked well for me. I don't take a full 25mg, sometimes only a quarter tablet, but now even though I might wake up at 3AM, I go back to sleep quite quickly. Again, thanks!


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Old 12-13-2015, 07:05 PM   #35
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I realize it's only AARP, and therefore suspect, but this really is a bit scary. The article lists a host of common sleep aids (mainly antihistamines) whose regular use has been linked to long-term memory loss:

Sleep and Allergy Meds Linked to Dementia, Alzheimer’s – AARP

Quote:
Originally Posted by Car-Guy View Post
I started having trouble falling and staying asleep about 10 years ago. It was so bad that many nights, I didn't sleep at all. The doctor gave me Ambien and then Lunesta. Both worked for a few hours each night but made me feel like I was in a daze the next. After about a month, I built up a tolerance to both and they didn't work anymore. I didn't want to stay on prescription sleep meds anyway.

So I tried just about every OTC sleep aid I could find. None worked very well "except" a particular variety of Unisom sleep tabs. I found there are basically two different ingredients in most OTC sleep aids. Most use Diphenhydramine HCI and a few use Doxylamine Succinate. The ones that use Diphenhydramine HCl don't do anything for me (zero) but the Doxylamine Succinate works great for me and has for the past ten years and with no side effects (that I've noticed). I suspect I'm addicted to them since I take one every night now.

If you decide to try these be careful and look at the ingredients carefully since many bands make sleep aids (including Unisom) with both ingredients. One variety with Diphenhydramine HCI and another with Doxylamine Succinate. Check the labels. I assume one ingredient may work for some people and the other ingredient may work for others. (YMMV so check with your doctor)

Here's some more useful info. The Unisom Advantage - Unisom OTC Sleep-Aids

Good luck, not sleeping for days, really sucks.
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Old 12-13-2015, 07:18 PM   #36
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I realize it's only AARP, and therefore suspect, but this really is a bit scary. The article lists a host of common sleep aids (mainly antihistamines) whose regular use has been linked to long-term memory loss:



Sleep and Allergy Meds Linked to Dementia, Alzheimer’s – AARP

Oh wow. It is interesting that the one mentioned by Car-Guy isn't mentioned in that list, although it probably applies.


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Old 12-13-2015, 09:23 PM   #37
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Here's a link that references a recent study.

Over-the-counter sleep aids linked to dementia - Medical News Today

Ha
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Old 12-14-2015, 07:00 AM   #38
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Unlike other insomnia threads, no one has mentioned podcasts yet.
Speak of the devil.

Chatting with DS (home from college) and he mentioned how he listens to podcasts to fall asleep sometime. His only problem is that sometimes they are too interesting and so he doesn't fall asleep.

He's going to try the Audio Books app I mentioned. It contains lots of old books that are good, but maybe a little boring...
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Old 12-14-2015, 07:14 AM   #39
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Here's my story regarding Unisom and other sleep meds. Maybe someone will find it helpful. I've been dealing with sleep issues since childhood. I've tried most OTC and naturopathic drugs, and some prescriptions. I studied the topic extensively. I focused on CBT and obsessively worked on sleep hygiene. For many years I ended up on Unisom, which I found to be the most helpful, with the fewest side effects. But I found I was groggy and in a haze. So this year I went to yet another sleep doctor. He suggested I try Ambien/Lunesta, which I have been avoiding. DW and I discussed it- she's an RN. She mentioned she has seen good results in her patients with Trazolam, which she described as a "old school" med. Apparently it's also popular as a recreational drug, at high dosages. And it is addictive, though not so much at lower dosages. My sleep dr was sceptical, but OK'ed it. The results for me have been striking. I mean, I could not believe a drug could be so helpful, with so few side effects. I've been on it for 6 months (0.25mg). I am cautiously hopeful that I can continue on this. Of course, humans are different, so it might not help you. It's generic, costs $6/mo.
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Old 12-14-2015, 08:24 AM   #40
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DW and I discussed it- she's an RN. She mentioned she has seen good results in her patients with Trazolam, which she described as a "old school" med.
When I had my knee replacement my Dr. gave me a prescription for Triazolam and it worked very well. Unfortunately after 1 year he would no longer prescribe it so I went back to Alteril. For those that like Unisom it is primarily Benedril which is Diphenhydramine HCL and can be purchased at Amazon for about $20 for 1000 capsules.
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