I think I need to stop depending on alcohol as a sleep aid. It gives me amazing slow wave sleep for 3-4 hours and then I get insomnia, which is a known and recognized phenomenon and is likely due to the fact that alcohol raises cortisol, so once the good gaba fuzzy love is worn off I'm all awake and it's 4 am.
The reason I've been using alcohol is that I'm a nine to fiver, and it can put me to sleep and I'll be fully alert in 4-5 hours. Also, I'm one of those people on this forum whose symptoms drastically improve and feel energized with alcohol intake, which I suspect is because it's a perfect combination of cortisol raise, NMDA antagonism, and gabaergic and ion channel blockage action.
But now I'm getting scared. Because now I'm drinking close to 3/4 of a bottle of wine a night and not even getting drunk or getting sleepy. So I'm developing tolerance and on my way to becoming an alcoholic and I need to stop this.
But I don't know what to take instead. I need a sleep aid that knocks me out no more than 7-8 hours and be able to get up after a night's sleep and not be a zombie. I need to be alert when I wake up. I guess I'm looking for something with a short half life? or what, I don't know. My doc prescribed me mirtazapine and it knocks you out too long. Someone on this forum told me a single doze made them sleep 4 days straight! I can't have that.
I'm leaning on the side of Gabapentin or Pregabalin, because they're mild calcium channel blockers and I'm convinced all my issues to due to an ion channel disorder. But can I take them and feel alert in the morning? How about valium? etc.
Please don't suggest vitamins, B3, l-theanine, melatonin, etc, etc. I'm done with integrative medicine/neuraceudicals for good (discussion for another thread) and these things do not work on me. Pharma all the way baby!
Cheers.
The reason I've been using alcohol is that I'm a nine to fiver, and it can put me to sleep and I'll be fully alert in 4-5 hours. Also, I'm one of those people on this forum whose symptoms drastically improve and feel energized with alcohol intake, which I suspect is because it's a perfect combination of cortisol raise, NMDA antagonism, and gabaergic and ion channel blockage action.
But now I'm getting scared. Because now I'm drinking close to 3/4 of a bottle of wine a night and not even getting drunk or getting sleepy. So I'm developing tolerance and on my way to becoming an alcoholic and I need to stop this.
But I don't know what to take instead. I need a sleep aid that knocks me out no more than 7-8 hours and be able to get up after a night's sleep and not be a zombie. I need to be alert when I wake up. I guess I'm looking for something with a short half life? or what, I don't know. My doc prescribed me mirtazapine and it knocks you out too long. Someone on this forum told me a single doze made them sleep 4 days straight! I can't have that.
I'm leaning on the side of Gabapentin or Pregabalin, because they're mild calcium channel blockers and I'm convinced all my issues to due to an ion channel disorder. But can I take them and feel alert in the morning? How about valium? etc.
Please don't suggest vitamins, B3, l-theanine, melatonin, etc, etc. I'm done with integrative medicine/neuraceudicals for good (discussion for another thread) and these things do not work on me. Pharma all the way baby!
Cheers.
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