Let me tell you my story with sleep meds...

I tried pretty much every sleep med under the sun, including high doses of antipsychotics, but after a while NOTHING would put me to sleep. I practiced good sleep hygine, tried to meditate (but did not work for me at the time), used sleep CDs, tried herbs and sleep drinks, pretty much anything you could do to go to sleep, I tried. After a 6 - 8 month period of hypomania, I crashed, but could only sleep a few hours during the day. Could absolutely not sleep at night.

The most effective from memory was stillnox CR (2 pills), the problem with that was if I took it I did not remember a single thing for the 12 hours it was in effect. One time I went to work and did a heap of work with the horses, I dont remember a single thing about it but apparently I was there for hours and seemed normal. That scared the crap out of me, cos who knows what else I did while under the influence of this med, I have no memory if I maybe drove anywhere or did anything like that - scary!! It only worked for a few weeks though until that started to not work at all.

I was desperate. I was seeing a new pdoc at the time. He didnt know all my previous meds as my previous pdoc would not forward my records on (probably from fear of being prosecuted because of the absolutely HUGE amounts of medication she put me on). He eventually asked to try melatonin. He was at the end of his tether saying lets start from the beginning again. I had never tried melatonin, it is not available here without a doctors prescription, previous pdoc had never even suggested it. By this time I was in bed all day, sleeping a broken 5 or 6 hours, but in bed for more like 16 because I was just sooooo tired. I was willing to try anything.

Much to my surprise after a 3 week course of prescribed melatonin (high dose), and being extremely strict with when I allowed myself to even be in bed, practicing a very strict sleep routine, my sleep issues were FIXED! I couldnt believe it, my pdoc was stoked, as was I. Since then I have had very few issues with sleep. And I feel confident that if I need to I can go on another course of it but in 3 years I have not needed to.

Now since my sleep patterns have been corrected my whole life is easier to live. Along with being on the correct antipsychotic I am starting to live a very stable and HAPPY life. Life is SO much easier now that I can sleep properly and my moods are far more stable than they have ever been.

I ensure I get 6-9 hours of sleep a night every night now. Some days if I am feeling low it is hard to get out of bed, and hard not to nap, but I remind myself how much more stable I am now when sleeping correctly. Sure some days I do have a nap but NEVER for more than 2 days in a row, I do not want to get back into bad habits as so many people do. I go outside EVERY morning for at the very least 10 minutes. The sunlight really helps me wake up.

Now days I am finding since I am so stable, the more natural side of medicine is working brilliantly for me. I am really starting to meditate instead of just laying there with thoughts rushing though my head. If I do ever feel like I wont sleep - sleepytime tea just about knocks me out! Life is so much easier when it is stable.

PS seroquel stops being sedating after 200 or 400 mg, i cant remember which. Its all good while and if it works but if you need to use it as an AP instead of a sleep med eventually it is not going to work for sleep.