natural or mild sleep aids?

[heapsreal]

Hip i see i will try but i wonder how much dose. maybe ill try mine first which has 1000mg cal, 500mg mag n vit d. but i guess it also depends on each ability to absorb it. i wonder if thats also the cause i didnt get best of it cause my digestice issues. also calcium better be taken with big fatty meal.
heapsreal
i know. well getting much/enough good quality also quantity of sleep are both important but if u dont get that then it will make health condition get worse.
about the xanax i was thinking the same thing too but since thats what i got and tried and the doctor said itll help with sleep too. but i actually got prescribed for anxiety too other than sleep.
however i actually dont wanna depend on drugs cause of side effects, etc thats why i thought if i can find other more natural alternatives itll be good.

Thats fair enough. For me high doses of tryptophan 3000mg and 500mg phosphatidylserine have been the best natural combo I have used. Im currently going through a stage where not alot is helping. But I have these periods generally after a crash.

 

[kisekishiawase]

unfortunately i dont think i can get tryptophan supplement nearby here. (i didnt find them)
anyway i tried taking 1000mg cal, 500mg mag n vit d last night along with omega supplement and 3 eggs before bed.
but i got bad reaction when sleeping (heart palp&tachycardia) i dont know if its because of digestive/something else. sometimes i do get that attack when in bad condition only.
anyway i was reading about nutmeg and wonder about the dose cause im not using the powder form. but the whole seed form. so i have to cut it. i dont want to over do it and ended up getting sick.

 

[maryb]

Thats fair enough. For me high doses of tryptophan 3000mg and 500mg phosphatidylserine have been the best natural combo I have used. Im currently going through a stage where not alot is helping. But I have these periods generally after a crash.

Heaps just wondering why this combination may work as a sleep aid? I've heard of using the trytophan but not the phos....

 

[peggy-sue]

Just because something is natural does not mean it is not harmful!

Plant materials contain bioactive chemicals - that is what a drug is. Most drugs are originally derived from plant materials. Valerian is a drug.

I'm a bit worried about you saying you are interested in nutmeg.
Nutmeg is well-known as a pseudohallucionator. It contains chemicals so toxic they will cause hallucinations - unless you take too much, when it will kill you.

It's not toxic in the tiny doses grated over or in food.
(but I won't have it anywhere near me)

 

[heapsreal]

Heaps wondering why this combination may work as a sleep aid? I've heard of using the trytophan but not the phos....

Phophatidyle serine helps lower high night time cortisol.

 

[maryb]

heapsreal
thanks heaps that makes sense - my recent nightime cortisol was a little high so maybe worth a try
Morning - 30.3 range 12 - 22
Noon - 7.5 range 5 - 9
5pm - 6.8 range 3 - 7
10pm - 3.1 range 1 - 3

which antihistamine works best for you? - Benadryl only works if I take it once a week.

 

[peggy-sue]

I occassionally use an OTC drug, promethazine hydrochloride, also known as Sominex or Phenergan.

It really does make me drowsy and gets me off to sleep, I sleep fairly well on it, but can be a little groggy the next day.

 

[maryb]

peggy-sue
thanks for that another one to add to my arsenal
I say benadryl but I mean nytol - benadryl in the UK is not sedating....
do you take it every night?

 

[peggy-sue]

There are 2 kinds of Nytol maryb - the herby one and the antihistamine one.
The antihistamine one is diphenhydramine.
(is that benadryl?).

Diphenhydramine is (mildly) sedating. I do use it as well. I find it best to alternate between these, the herby ones and Sominex. Obviously, if you can buy the same stuff in generic form, it is a lot cheaper than these branded names.

No, I don't take it every night. It stops working if I do.

But the most effective one is Sominex, for short periods.

 

[maryb]

peggy-sue
Yes its diphenhydramine I use - called benadryl in the US but nytol over here. (I call it benadryl as most people seem to know it by that name)
I won't sleep at all if I don't take something, at the moment its zopiclone but I'm needing to take more to stay asleep longer than 3/4hrs - which is not good - going to try a few different things - if I can get 7 that work I have a different one to take each night of the week - hurrah!!!!

 

[peggy-sue]

maryb said;
"if I can get 7 that work I have a different one to take each night of the week - hurrah!!!!"

yes, that's exactly what we need.

And you are in the uk, so you can get the promethazone OTC easily. It is one of those things recommended for 3 days use only, or go see your gp... yadayada. But if you're using it only a couple of time a week at most, alternating with other things, surely that's better than going without sleep?
Or perhaps your gp would prescribe it for you, which might be cheaper?

Gps just don't take the lack of sleep seriously enough, think it can all be solved with "sleep hygiene" methods.

They don't work for PWME. We can't DO enough during a day to make us properly tired and sleepy.
It is strenuous activity which promotes phase4 deep sleep, the important phase most of us miss out on.

 

[maryb]

peggy-sue
so true - why don't they get that.
Don't mention GP's - mine just rx fossamax for osteoporosis, poo pooed my high TSH and bye bye - I'd like nothing more than to never have to see him again............ sunday rant over....

 

[peggy-sue]

At least you were taken seriously enough to get a TSH test in the first place - but these are notoriously unreliable!


I'm getting mad at my surgery. I'm getting letters through the door, inviting me to "keep well clinics".
I went to one, once. Total waste of time and energy, wildly inaccurate BP readings taken (but because of being wildly inaccurate, were in a "normal" range...).
The whole thing was just an exercise in promoting statin prescriptions, I will not take statins under any circumstances.
I've been invited for the 'flu jab. (I will not be having it)
I've been invited for breast screening.

Why the heck are they so interested in something I might get, but ignore what I do have?

 

[maryb]

peggy-sue

Ah ha but they only tested myTSH because I'd been rec to take thyroxine by my private doc - he sat back rocking in his chair with that smug arrogant look when the results came back - under no circumstances would I rx thyroxine on those values he said - I tried to discuss the most recent views of endocrinologists - but guidelines are rigid, thats the only way they can function - no common sense - he never said we need to look at other things - do they ever?.......... I've just started on the thyroxine- he'll probably throw me off the books when he finds out - who cares...........

 

[peggy-sue]

Oooh, I hate that smug arrogant look!
I got it after I suggested doxycycline might help me.

He leaned back in his chair, rocking it and grinning as he told me; "You couldn't ever have that - you're allergic."
Yup, they have their guidelines from "above".
It's never them personally that won't help somebody who does not fit a "prescribed" pigeon-hole.

 

[maryb]

peggy-sue
do you reckon they get the rocking chair technique taught in med school seems pretty prevalent

 

[peggy-sue]

Must be part of their proscribed guidelines.

 

[wanttorecover]

I don't even know if you have heard of milo or can get it where you are it is a vitamin based chocolate drink I was told this by a ME specialist I know it sounds kooky but strange to have three cups of milo with two heaped tea spoons of milo and three heaped tea spoons of sugar and a good serve of milk.

Also if you have tense muscles salt water baths will help you relax and lavender oil rubbed into your skin will make you sleepy naturally. Lavender as a scent is also calming probably why the old ladies love it LOL

 

[peggy-sue]

I did a project on lavender oil for my 6th form studies in Chemistry.

It went mouldy, it was dissolved in ether, which dissolved the rubber bung in the top of the flask,

it stank to high heaven - I can't bear the smell now.

(but I am very senstive to all smells. I can't eat if somebody with conditioner in their clothes is sitting near me, I leave shops with horrible chemical "scents" being puffed out.)

 

[kisekishiawase]

@wanttorecover @peggy-sue tried lavender oil but did nothing
also 100mg of lavender nothing at all.

anyone tried passion flower?