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natural or mild sleep aids?

Messages
426
Location
southeast asia
hello :D i dont know if theres already a topic like this before cause i cant find. im trying to collect also share (and hear) information and experience about natural sleep aids.
anyone also interested or want to share?
what i know and tried/can get
b3, magnesium, valerian (only once), nutmeg, chamomile (tried the tea didnt work) oregano (is this working? cause i tried but none), wild lettuce ( i only tried the regular ones but it didnt work i guess its different)
i tried some but not on combination and i also wonder if itll work better if it was a combination cause it didnt work quite well.

problem is what i need is something to get me drowsy but some sleep aids only work as a relaxant (only relax but not drowsy so still not easy to fall/stay asleep) and sometimes it could cause some difficulty breathing problem (worsen OSA too). thats why i have to be careful and kind of worried when trying.
i tried low dosage of melatonin but i only noticed sorta headache.
 

Little Bluestem

All Good Things Must Come to an End
Messages
4,930
How much valerian did you take? I once bought some 500 mg capsules and only took one of them. It left me very groggy the next morning. I am now using a couple of combination products that contain 200 mg valerian and have no problem with them. (I use one or the other, not both at the same time.)
 

heapsreal

iherb 10% discount code OPA989,
Messages
10,089
Location
australia (brisbane)
Kava extract dose of 200 kavalactones(active ingredient) and higher,
tryptophan 2000-4000mg two hours atleast after eating any protein,
taurine 2000-3000mg,
relora 300-600mg,
inositol 2000mg,
zizyphus
active vit b6 called p5p
Withania

It may require a combo of the above. Many sleep formulas with a combination of ingredients generally have too lower doses required so u may find it better to buy the individual ingredients and then take a combo/fist full of pills.

cheers!!!
 
Messages
426
Location
southeast asia
thanks for the response :D :D
heapsreal
i do have taurine (actually for heart health) and tried them on lower dose but didnt feel sleepy. maybe requires higher dose.
isnt b6 gonna make people insomnia instead?
i know tryptophan but read that some of tryptophan supplement could be unsafe.
Little Bluestem i forgot it was long ago though. didit supress breathing? it caused drowsiness not only relaxant?
 

perchance dreamer

Senior Member
Messages
1,691
I do so many things for sleep, but something I've added recently is Tulsi tea (holy basil). Drinking a cup in the evening is really helping.

Another thing I've added lately is spraying Ancient Minerals magnesium oil on either my hands or forearms, 4 sprays. I hate this in a way because it stings a lot, but I rinse it off after 15 minutes, and all the stinging goes away then. It really helps my sleep, too.
 

svetoslav80

Senior Member
Messages
700
Location
Bulgaria
The most effective way for me is to have a large meal just 3 hours before sleep. Works very well. I've tried melatonin, valerian, antidepressants and benzodiazepines but nothing works that well.
 

Hip

Senior Member
Messages
17,824
I find a chewable tablet of calcium 500 mg works wonders for getting me to sleep. I fall off to sleep within 5 or 10 minutes of taking that.
 
Messages
22
I've attempted a few things over the years and right now I'm using a combo of "Calms Forte" and one generic Benadryl right before laying down at night. I then proceed to pick up my Kindle and make an attempt to read. I usually get about one or two pages in and I start feeling the lights out effect. YMMV.
 

heapsreal

iherb 10% discount code OPA989,
Messages
10,089
Location
australia (brisbane)
thanks for the response :D :D
heapsreal
i do have taurine (actually for heart health) and tried them on lower dose but didnt feel sleepy. maybe requires higher dose.
isnt b6 gonna make people insomnia instead?
i know tryptophan but read that some of tryptophan supplement could be unsafe.
Little Bluestem i forgot it was long ago though. didit supress breathing? it caused drowsiness not only relaxant?

The active b6 just helps your body make more serotonin, so showed help calm u down and improve mood. The tryptophan thing was an issues years ago with a dodgy batch from japan i think that was infected with something, so it wasnt the tryptophan as such. anyway those issues are suppose to have been rectified which is why its now sold again as it was pulled from the market when the initial issues were occurring??
 

rosie26

Senior Member
Messages
2,446
Location
NZ
I notice when talking on the phone I start yawning and I just can't stop. I have to tell the person I am talking too that "this always happens to me when talking to anyone, so don't think I am bored by your conversation".

Perhaps I should phone someone before going to bed at night, they could put me to sleep.
 

Little Bluestem

All Good Things Must Come to an End
Messages
4,930
didit supress breathing? it caused drowsiness not only relaxant?
It did not suppress my breathing. The 500 mg dose made me so drowsy that I could hardly get out of bed the next morning. If it suppresses your breathing, I do not recommend that you take it in any dose.
 
Messages
426
Location
southeast asia
Little Bluestem well im very sensitive to muscle relaxant so i have to be more careful of the breathing surppressor effect. im thinking of giving it a try again
perchance dreamer Hip i take calcium 1000mg&500mg magnesium every 2 days but never noticed it makes me sleepy
rosie26 interesting, i guess its because of the magnetic, signal, or something..that reminds me i yawn when i change position and when yawning feel kinda sleepy but that only last for a second. i wonder if thats got anything to do with some nerve
Grampus ive used benadryl too long ago lol
heapsreal k ill try to check on that and see if i can get that
lol i didnt expect the joke i thought youre being serious i also feel like banging my head whenever i cant sleep if only i could just do that and itll work.
 

Hip

Senior Member
Messages
17,824
i take calcium 1000mg&500mg magnesium every 2 days but never noticed it makes me sleepy

It only works if you take calcium when you go to bed, not during the day. I have a jar of chewable calcium tablets on by bedside table, and as I get into bed, I take a 500 mg tablet. Try taking your regular daily calcium/magnesium tablet just before bed.
 

maryb

iherb code TAK122
Messages
3,602
Location
UK
A goog friend on here told me off an insomnia cure.
You need a big iron pot and boil some chamomile tea in it for an hour, then pour the tea into a cup or jug. then take the iron pot and hit yourself across the head. :lol::lol::lol:


Still funny the second time around:)
 

Little Bluestem

All Good Things Must Come to an End
Messages
4,930
well im very sensitive to muscle relaxant so i have to be more careful of the breathing surppressor effect. im thinking of giving it a try again
You can get valerian tea if you want a really low dose trial.

i take calcium 1000mg&500mg magnesium every 2 days but never noticed it makes me sleepy
There is a powdered magnesium that you dissolve in hot water called Peter Gillham's Natural Calm that makes a good bedtime drink. I see on the bottle that they also make a Ca/Mg combination called Osteo Calm.
 
Messages
426
Location
southeast asia
i tried xanax last night (well its not natural so sort of off topic) when its bed time for sleep lab at home. ive tried xanax too before a couple of times.
last night i feel kind of dizzy/fly/heavy similiar to melatonin but melatonin more like heavy headache feeling.
but i still didnt feel that sleepy. and didnt keep me asleep well too ,still get woken up easy.

Little Bluestem Hip i see. i think it was the magnesium that supposed to help but its a muscle relaxant and i hear diff review about it. im interested in valerian too.
 

heapsreal

iherb 10% discount code OPA989,
Messages
10,089
Location
australia (brisbane)
i tried xanax last night (well its not natural so sort of off topic) when its bed time for sleep lab at home. ive tried xanax too before a couple of times.
last night i feel kind of dizzy/fly/heavy similiar to melatonin but melatonin more like heavy headache feeling.
but i still didnt feel that sleepy. and didnt keep me asleep well too ,still get woken up easy.

Little Bluestem Hip i see. i think it was the magnesium that supposed to help but its a muscle relaxant and i hear diff review about it. im interested in valerian too.

I dont have any experience with xanax but from what i have read is that its indicated more for anxiety then as a treatment for sleep, so maybe it isnt as sedating as benzos indicated for insomnia??

My opinion is very different some others but i think if one is getting very little sleep then one isnt going to get any better. In general its said that sleep meds reduce the quality of sleep but when you arent sleeping much then that arguement doesnt mean much but i think meds can help increase quantity which can help us to function better even if quality isnt good. To avoid issues with sleep meds, stay with the current dose that works for u and if it stops working dont increase the dose but either look for an alternative or take a break from the meds for awhile, also its wise to use say maybe only 2-3 nights a week??

I feel for you as its one of my worst symptoms, i hope u find some natural treatments for sleep soon.

cheers!!!
 
Messages
426
Location
southeast asia
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.