[lizzzie]

I've had insomnia for as long as I can remember, and obviously it's exacerbated by having bipolar disorder. I've tried various meds, but I haven't found the perfect one yet. I'm wondering what any of you have taken, and also curious to find out about non-med sleep strategies...

Thanks!

Liz

[MyBestKids2]

I've taken Trazadone and Seroquel and Ambien.

I have found Seroquel to have the least "hangover" effect of the three. Good luck!

[Twinmommy]

Ambien, my doctor approved me to take two 10mg pills and that should last the night, which it usually does. Nothing else worksl.

[Kootz]

I take Melatonin 6 mg. Helps a bit but you need to take it 4 hours before you want to go to sleep. I took Ambien, Benadryl and Trazadone in the past. All have hangover effect. I haven't found anything really effective. Insomnia is a real problem for me.

[HALLIEBETH87]

ive tried seroquel (for mood stabilizing too), ambien, doxepin and trazadone.

i now take restoril.

[PlanningtoLive]

Ambien, and when I have to get up early the next day I cut the 10mg tab in two.

Mary Alice

[Lemon]

I take 5-10mg of ambien. Some nights works better than others. Every once in awhile I take a night or two off and then it starts to work better again.

As far an non-med stuff....I read in bed for awhile before turning out the lights, no TV in my bedroom, I have a evening yoga and yoga/meditation DVD that I do sometimes before laying down. Hot baths also sometimes help a little.

[lizzzie]

I've tried ambien, but it makes me crazy (crazier) - hallucinations and feeling like there are other people in the room with me... Now I'm back to trazodone, but it makes me sooo sleepy all the time. Does anyone have suggestions for dealing with that kind of daytime drowsiness?

[Ltr2Hermione]

Self hypnosis if I can get it to work...

[Eleora]

I take Seroquel, but before I was on medication and needed to sleep Dramamine or Diphenhydramine would do the trick. Diphenhydramine was the better of the two. The problem was that my tolerance level went up and they were no longer effective.

[Brian37]

I have a 3 year old son......it puts me to sleep every nite

[anna342]

I've tried a lot of things for sleep, as mine is very much anxiety related, and some were used for other properties too:

Olanzapine, lorazepam trazodone, temazepam, diazepam, seroquel, stelazine.

[RACEKA]

I take trazadone and it works great. Try taking it earlier if you feel tired in the morning or try cutting back on the dosage. I've done both. If I have to get up early for work, I take it early enough that it is out of my system by morning. I go right to sleep and don't wake up until morning.

[BP1961]

I've taken a lot of other meds posted. Traz. works the best for me. It helps a lot if you take it earlier as posted before. If I need to be asleep by 10, I take it my 9. Sometimes I'm exhausted in 20 minutes. If I'm over stressed or had caffeine after 5 pm, I lay there at times. A slight increase in dose helps- I have the option from pdoc. Seem to sleep straight thru for 7-8 hours. VERY out of it if awakened in middle of the night. Also stops 80% of my nightmares/terrors. Good luck.

[ujaz]

I use nitrazipam, you can only use it 2 or 3 nights a week & expect it to keep working though. I tend to use it only once or twice a week to alow myself to get some decent rest. I've tried many different drugs over the years & find most stop working if you take them all the time & hangovers/side affects can be rough. The nitrazipam for me has least side affects & no hangover.

[sunrise]

I'm a terrible sleeper but I don't take anything for that. I would feel like I was really giving up to take something each day just to sleep, like it would make me feel really bad about myself that I couldn't even do this normal bodily function without drugs. There have been a few times when I just didn't want to deal with it, and I took a Xanax (lowest dose) at bedtime. That drug konks me out, but I don't want to make this a habit and become dependent on Xanax in order to sleep, so I've only done it a few times.

Usually, I just stay up late until I'm really tired. And I read in bed before turning out the lights and that helps too. The bad part is I can't sleep for too many hours in a row. Sometimes I keep trying to sleep after that--I really fight the awakeness and try to sleep again. Other times, I just give up and read or go on the computer for an hour or two, and then I can often sleep again.

Recently, I began taking a stimulant for ADHD-like symptoms (lowest dose of Vyvanse). I have found that is really helping with my sleep, which seems paradoxical since it is a stimulant. But it is helping me segregate my sleep into the night and my awake into the day. I'm waking up less at night, sleeping more hours in a row, going to bed earlier. And during the day, I am not falling asleep at all! This last part is truly incredible, as usually, I fall asleep multiple times during the day--while at work while working on computer or reading stuff, at stop signs while driving, definitely when I am a passenger in a car, at meetings, sometimes even sitting talking to people. It feels fantastic to not fall asleep during the day! It reminds me that I didn't always used to have these sleep problems. Something in my body is saying, yeah, this is how it is supposed to be! You are not supposed to fall asleep so much during the day. So, yay, to Vyvanse for being a good "sleep organizer." I would take it for this reason alone. I hope this lasts.

[CedarS]

I occasionally take flexeril (muscle relaxant helpful also for my fibromyalgia) or benadryrl.

Ear plugs help me sleep better. I also have to turn off computer or TV several hours before I go to bed, otherwise it is hard for me to go to sleep.

Getting some exercise earlier in day helps. As does a warm bath.

[iamtwilight]

i've been prescribed many things but usally i end up doing this:

right now i've been prescribed restoril (temazepam) 20 mg once a night when needed.

but often i take 40 mg and sometimes 20 mg with valium (diazepam) 5 mg.

i do not recommend not taking meds as not prescribed to anyone.

in the past, the following meds have worked well:

sirdalud (tizanidin) 4 mg + seroquel 25 mg [sirdalud is a mscle relaxant tho]
seroquel 25 mg alone (at this dose i do not feel drowsy in the morning, but as the dose increases, it gets harder and harder to wake up - i react very strongly to this med)
xanax 2 mg

though the dosage is different for each individual..

[nightbird]

I take my anti-anxiety medication and then when I crawl into bed.
I bring my ipod and listen to affirmations and instrumentals that are calming, and usually before the affirmations are over, I am asleep.

Most important thing I found to aid sleep was to cut all stimulants like caffeine out in the afternoon, and rely on herbal teas after that, or weakened green - which you can seep twice (I use loose, so I just do another pot).

I also quit any money talk at night, along with my own serious problems. No bickering at night either - just a tranquil time, or laughs of course. Movies, and shows I love are a definite, and PC also, to chat if I'm lonely or miss some friends.

Try to clear up ones mind as much as possible. Take your medications. We need the restful sleep to restore ourselves, to heal our bodies from the stress and strain of the day.

Adding more thinking about ones problems at night does more harm than good, I think.
I also do not answer phone calls after a certain hour, nor do I take them before a certain time. Unless it's a family emergency, it's not happening.

I have to put health before impulses and things that can be enjoyed when I am refreshed. And if one is worn out, there really is no way that good decision making and better judgments are being made.

That's my thoughts. Find the creature comforts that create a tranquil evening and do them every night. When the problem is handled, then one can take more on, I feel.

Of course, I realize there are different health issues where it is extremely difficult to get to sleep for long periods of time.
I wish that were not the case for you Guys, and I hope your Drs. and the herbalists available to you are helping. Best to you and hope you take little rests when possible.

peace and tranquility,
night

[Dani]

I also have always had a difficult time going to sleep, mainly because of the nightmares. I used to take trazadone that was prescribed but after the last time I overdosed on it, I stopped taking it and don't take any prescriptions to sleep anymore. I just use Simply Sleep, it's from the makers of Tylenol PM, and it doesn't have the pain reliever. I've heard it has the same ingredient as Benadryl, but it helps me fall asleep and usually I can stay sleeping through the night and wake up feeling refreshed.

[skeksi]

I take a high dose of trazodone and it works quite well. I have to budget in 8-9 hours for sleep and take it well in advance of that in order to fall asleep at the right time. This eats into my social life a bit, but it's worth it to be well-rested!

Like nightbird says, other lifestyle adjustments have helped in tandem--I cut out caffeine and alcohol, and work to get adequate exercise each day. Meditation and visualization time is a must for me, too.

[scooterb]

I struggle with sleep on a regular basis. I am also a recovering addict, so I am extra careful about what I depend on to help with falling asleep. I don't do well with Trazadone, it makes me feel a foggy the next day and increases the intensness of my dreams.
I had an experience last week that I shared here about where I think I "lost" a day or two. I think I might have had a semi-blackout and the only cause I can figure out was my combination of Ativan and Trazadone. So that was the final proof I needed to knock off the Trazadone.
What has worked best for me is listening to CD's of old radio shows, like "The Green Hornet," "The Shadow," etc.
Scooterb

[skylar414]

i have the same problem. i have been on ambien and serequel. i think i have tried everything. my last resort was xanax. that is honestly the only thing i can take at night time to fall asleep and to keep my mind from over-thinking when i close my eyes.

[Lorazepam]

I have taken Ambien and Seroquel. The Ambien didn't work at all. If anything it had the opposite effect and kept me awake even later. I take the Seroquel every night and it works all the time. I have to be careful with the doses to avoid a hangover over in the morning. I usually take 50 mg

[Broken69]

The only sleep med that's worked for me at all is Trazadone, but the benefit only lasts for about 2 weeks. On lower doses, I was unable to fall asleep with it, and at the higher doses, I would sleep for 15 or 16 hours.