[JonB]

What sleeping pill works best for you? I've tried many, many over the years and I still can't find anything that consistantly puts me to sleep. Sonata or Ambien will sometimes work, but I usually have to take way more than the prescribed dose to actually fall asleep. I've tried Rozerem, Lunesta, Prosom, Remeron, Trazadone, Seroquel, even Chloral Hydrate. I've tried every "natural" remedy I could find and none of those made a difference. I don't nap. I don't drink caffeine. I get up at the same time every day. My doc thinks a mood stabilizer will help with the sleep. Has anyone found this to be true?

[Enigmatik]

zopiclon (sp?) seems to work for someone i know very well, but like most others you become dependant and need to up the dosage to get the same effect over time.

[darkeyes]

It depends what's behind your sleeping problem.
Mood stabilizers aren't meant to serve as a sleeping aid, but if you are Bipolar, and not being treated for it with mood stabilizers, racing thoughts, the brain in overdrive can prevent sleep or keep it minimal, I went with only 2 hours sleep per day for 8 months, but my mind was speeding, thought from thought,etc.
In the begining I thought it was insomnia, and would go away, but it worsened, the rest is a long story, but when I was DXed with Bipolar,given the mood stabilizer, the racing thoughts stopped, in the begining the pdoc would prescribe anti anxiety meds and sleeping pill if needed.
Over time, there are occasions where a person may need to use them too, but on an average, just being stabilized helps the brain settle, which allows you to sleep.
Maybe that's what he is referring to.
Mood stabilizers are not in the class of sleeping pills.
Some may have a side effect of making one drowsy, but would not be used as a sleeping pill.
Lots of luck, hope you get a good nite's sleep soon.

[Rhapsody]

I personally like a natural herb for help with sleep...... called: VALERIAN ROOT (3 pills 30 minutes before bed time) and OFF to La La Land YOU will go.
You can read about it in the Rate & Review section here on PC.

And I am presently taking Celexa for my mood swings during my period due to PMDD (and) YES - it greatly helps with sleep when taken at night time.

Good Luck....

LoVe,
Rhapsody - ((( hugs )))

[Taipans]

A few years back I was having trouble sleeping and was prescribed Clonzepam. If taken an hour before bedtime it did actually help, and didnt seem addictive like some sleeping pills. Although I am back on it at a higher dosage for Anxiety now, I do not have any problems sleeping anymore. Maybe just luck I dont know?

[(JD)]

"favorite" caught my eye I also take valerian root, 800-1000 mg an hour before bed and pain med.

I've tried all the regular prescription ones, and had some tough reactions. I think there are a few other threads on the meds somewhere around here

Have you tried progressive muscle relaxation or visual relaxation techniques?

Most meds that are specifically for sleep do have associated tolerance and withdrawal.

Anti-histamines have a side effect of relaxation / sleepiness but they can't be used long term.

Are you getting too much sleep? How many hours sleep do you get on average?

Exercise can help tire out your body so you feel more relaxed / sleepy too.

Some people find a benefit to having their bedroom solely as a place to sleep rather than for watching TV or working or stuff like that. Some people find a benefit to rituals like having a hot relaxing bath and drinking a cup of chamomile tea or something like that right before bed time too.

[JonB]

Thanks for the info. everyone. Not sleeping doesn't always bother me so much, but when it does, I'm willing to try anything. I appreciate all the responses. Thanks.

I have been on the Chloral Hydrate and it worked but I needed higher and higher dosage I ended up very close to being addicted to it and needed to be taken off it.

My present physician of 13 years wont prescribe sleeping meds because in his experience of doing so the patients ended up needing higher and higher dosages due to their bodys built up a tolorance to them so now he advises benedryl which has diphenhyramine (sleep aid) in it most over the counter sleep aids have this and at the same dosage level and benedryl is cheeper then the over the counter sleep aids (and prescription ones too) I can get benedryl here for $1.99 for 24 pills. So thats what I use and yes it does help though I do have to take breaks now and then because my body does build up a tolorance for it.

So I use benedryl and relaxation visualization tape that my therapist and I made during a therapy session along with a routine of doing journaling and taking a long relaxing bath before bed.

[alittlehoshime]

I dont have any favorite meds I hate meds eat also die dont eat also die with side-effects argggggggg

sorry!

[Perna]

I generally take one Advil and a children's chewable Benadryl (or a Tylenol PM) and that works fine to straighten me out unless it doesn't :-)

I am on a combination of Ambien and Trazadone and that has worked for about 4 years. I take from 50 to 200 mg of trazadone. It is very hard to wake up in the morn. A natural remedy that also works for me - is "REALLY RAW HONEY" and warm milk - sounds nasty doesn't it but when I'm desperate for sleep -I'll try anything. The name of the honey is a trademark - I bought the honey on-line - it is honey that isn't processed at all - it's actually solid in form. The regular honey didn't work. It takes about a teaspoon of honey and whole milk - the 1/2% and 2% milk didn't work - just drawing from my own experience. Also I've found taking calcium just before bedtime gives me a sounder sleep. I would check with my Dr. first to make sure that taking honey or calcium is OK for you. Also I went thru my psych. to get the right dosages of the trazadone and ambien.

Take Care

[allosteric]

Stay awy from benzodiazepines like Klonopin etc, as they will put you to sleep but will interfere with your stage 4 sleep, so you will become sleep deprived even if you feel you are sleeping better. Ambien, zopiclone, and es-zopiclone are good and YES tachyphylaxis does occure requiring higher doses for the same effect, but they are better than the older sleep meds like benzos, antihistamines etc.. Rozerem can be good, but not for men or women who may become or are pregnant. Serquel can work well for some, but make sure you consult a psychiatrist or qualified medical psychologist before taking this.

Dr.S.

[Engel_The_Fallen]

For me at least I found that anti-anxiety medication was the key to sleeping. But now I think about it, when I was put on Lamitical and Effexor I fall asleep fast. My newest problem is only sleeping for 3 hours or so at a time.

But one thing to go over with your doctor is why you cannot sleep, and try to treat the underlying cause if you can, and not the symptom of not sleeping. Are you worrying excessively night, do you have this crazy desire at times to be constructive and get stuff done, but cannot because your body is too tired, so you hope to sleep and wake up as fast as you can to get more stuff done? These sort of things are what should be looked at, as they could be anxiety or mania related, and fixed without having to resort to sleeping pills.

That said the single thing that helped me sleep the most is a white noise generator that is found in many doctors or therapist offices. It cancels out most little sounds and is random so you do not fixate on it. Thing was about 50 bucks online and improved my sleep greatly, and it was worth every penny I spent on it IMO. May not work for all, but some swear by it. If people have no clue what I am talking about here PM me and I will dig up where I found this thing at.

[darkeyes]

That is not the case for everyone, some meds effect people differently than it may for others.
Often I find Ativan more helpful,relaxes me enough,allowing thoughts that haunt my mind when I'm trying to fall asleep.
Oh, btw benzo's are not sleeping pills,they are anti-anxiety
meds.
Ambien,Sonata,etc. can help some fall asleep,but in the AM feel zonked out.
Anti anxiety meds, can help let you relax enough to enter sleep, and yes, the levels of sleep go uniterrupted,resulting with waking up well rested.
I personally feel meds that help people sleep, need to be based on what is causing the person to have difficulty falling asleep, many cases if it is due to anxiety (stuff going on in one's life) one may benefit more with a med to address that sensation, if it's some sort of pain, then a pain reducer with sleep aid in it may be a good option, if Bipolar mania, mood stabilizer and temporary use of an anti-anxiety med. cause the first key, is stabilization, then other courses of action will follow according to pdoc's recommendation. If one is trying to skirt around the stabilizer and has Bipolar disorder, it's like skipping a step, trying to get to "c" from "a" and not going to "b".
I'm just trying to shed light on that there is not always a black or white answer, but we need to try to be open to what may and does work for us individualy.
I do not see the many meds already mentioned as being bad or one worse/better than the other, it's what is used as prescribed,not abused, that matters.
And always remember to keep in touch with the prescribing physician if you are having any side effects that are bothersome, you can check the monograph that is attached with your meds when you pick them up at the pharmacy.
I wish you all lots of luck with this.
and a good nite's ZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzz's

[psisci]

You have no way of knowing if your stage 4 sleep is disturbed unless you did multiple 24hr EEG, sleep studies. The research says benzos do this, and up until a few years ago ALL sleeping meds were benzos (IE. restoril etc..) The newer meds interact with the benzodiazepine receptors in a very similar fashion, but have not been shown to decrease stage 4 sleep. Lunesta is the best and then Ambien.

Dr.S.

[darkeyes]

How's Sonata? I haven't had much luck with Sonata, Ambien had been alright, and Lunesta I haven't tried yet.
For "me" only my opinion for myself,is anti-anxiety meds help relax me enough,so that when I finally put my head down on that pillow, I can close my eyes and no tossing and turning,watching the clock occurs.
This is the thing that helps me now,if I'm having a problem.
Fortunately,I do not need this much at all, and if I get out walk/jog or work outdoors I fall asleep, with no problem,it's great too,its natural.
Kind of reminds me when children have played outdoors, they fall asleep earlier and everyone would sleep great.
This applies to fidgety dogs,especially the seniour dogs.
Does Sonata work the same way as Ambien, and Lunesta?
I was just wondering,and thought if it doesn't may be why it didn't do much for me,just a morning headache.

[psisci]

Ya it is similar, but inmy experience not even as good as Lunesta or Ambien. Using an antuanxiety to calm you down enough to sleep works well, and as you state should not be done every night. My concern is when I see people who take Klonopin or Valium (long acting benzos) and their second dose is at HS (hour of sleep) every night. Their sympotoms often get worse as time goes on, and can be helped by changing that second dose to earlier in the day.

Dr.S.

[JonB]

Thanks for the tips everyone...

Anti-anxiety meds don't work for me because I usually end up still awake but a zombie. And, anxiety is not the reason I can't sleep. I might try Restoril again, though. If it would get me one good night that might last me awhile.

Lunesta doesn't put me to sleep at all. Rozerem did put me to sleep but I'd say it had about the same effect as a bottle of whisky and not nearly the fun - similar hangover though.

Ambien works if I only take if from time to time, but I'm still up for at least 3 hours after I take it and then I'm all foggy the next morning and it never works 2 days in a row. I usually have to wait a week or so before that one will work for me again.

That's what I like about the Sonata - no morning fogginess. Even with Sonata, it takes a long time for me to go to sleep but it eventually gets me 3 or 4 hours I might not have gotten otherwise. For now, I take 3x the prescribed dose of 10 mg Sonata and throw in Ambien every now in then to shake things up, then go a few days with little to no sleep and start all over again.

The mood stabilizers I'm on haven't been particularly helpful with the sleep but I'm trying to be patient. I know I can get knocked out by some of the heavy hitting antipsychotics, but then I can't get through the day doing the things that have to be done because I'm too disoriented by the zombie brain fog that lasts all day from those.

Trying so hard to find a sleeping pill that will actually put me to sleep makes me think I must just be destined to stay awake. Too bad we can't live like that - not for too long anyway.

[gardenergirl]

Late to this, sorry. It sounds like you've had a really hard time. I do pretty well with ambien, though there are times I wake up on it. If I get up, I'm staggering around like I'm drunk, but that doesn't seem to stop me from trying to do something like yoga in the dark in the middle of the night. I do best with it if I haven't had anything to eat within an hour or two before taking it. For some reason, if I've eaten before bed, it doesn't work as well. I absolutely have to have at least 7 hours available to sleep if I take it, because it's just too hard to wake up if not. I usually feel pretty good the next day.

I tried Ambien CR, but I always felt depressed and sluggish the next day. Lunesta gave me an awful taste in my mouth that lasted all day despite everything I tried to get rid of it. I have a sample of rozere m around here somewhere, but I haven't tried it. My pdoc said he hasn't heard it's all that good.

Besides meds, I also have to have some kind of white noise. I even travel with something like a CD player or alarm clock that can generate white noise or some other kind of soothing sound, because I always have a terrible time sleeping in new places.

If you take magnesium, try taking it at night. That can help, too. Also, check any of your meds to see if they might be interfering with sleep. If so, see if you can move a dose to earlier in the night. I had to do that with my pm dose of Lamictal.

Good luck,

gg

[abilifyguy]

What is working for me is Trazodone. It's not a knockout drug and doesn't really make me sleepy, but it makes me able to calm my mind and focus on going to sleep, which does the trick. I do some relaxation exercises once I get in bed, and with that and the help of trazodone (100mg) I can get to sleep.

[abilifyguy]

I forgot to mention above, I take it on an empty stomach about 30 minutes before bed. That way it seems to have the best "kick".

[bizi]

Dear Jon,
I am bipolar 1 and yes I take lamictal
as a mood stabilizer 200mg...at nite.
I also take ambien cr 12mg
these are my only meds.
I take both together about 30 minutes before going to bed...if I try to stay up longer than that I end up sending some really poorly written emails and can't remember what I have written....the ambien can cause real problems for some people....
anyway
I have also taken geodon when needed
to help "bring me down"...but I don't stay on that too long.
I have been on the lamictal now for about 6 months and feel like I am doing well.
I am so sorry that you are not sleeping...
been there done that...awful!
Have you ever tried seroquel?
that can be a great sleep inducer.
bizi