Ways to get sleep. Methods, drugs, everything.

[taniaaust1]

My sleep issues persist (when Im not having issues with hypersomnia). Since I last posted on this thread, Ive ended up getting tollerence once again to the Doxyalmine Succinate so have had to increase my dose.

I also had a trial of amitriptyline.. which turned out to be unsuccessful in helping me to sleep and may of sent me into a slow ME decline?.

I also trialed Valium in the past which was unsuccessful at getting me to sleep. Temazepam still works for me at the same dose as when I last posted, which I take at times.

What Im going to try next, I havent decided yet. I are wondering thou if the POTS was treated better, would that then help me to sleep? (at the moment things for POTS are being trialed). Also in consideration for sleep are cooling caps (thou I dont know where to get one from).

The other day being entirely fed up with the situation, I completely boarded up (wood board I nailed over the window) one of my bedroom windows after having no luck with putting white cardboard over it. Light was still going a bit throu that.
Thou other window has a block out blind on it, Im considering boarding that one up too as light gets around the edges of the blind and the slightest of light in the mornings will awake me.

Ive recently discovered Ive still got some intollerance to light (Id thought I was over that a long time ago), and being in a completely dark place can actually get rid of some of my headaches.

 

[Little Bluestem]

Have you tried a sleep mask? That is simpler than boarding up windows. I do not like flat masks because they put too much pressure on my eyeballs. I have a sleep mask with a convex area over each eye. It is made for Walgreens drugstore. I do not know if you have those in Australia.

 

[heapsreal]

something worth a try is combining meds but at half dose you would normally use on there own eg 1/2 your dose of temaz with 1/2 your dose of doxylamine. Some docs recommend multiple small doses of several things but i would be trying a med on its own first to see how u tolerate it first and find the dose that works for u and then using 1/2 that dose with another item.

Also another antihistamine u can buy over the counter is unisom which has diphenhydramine in it, worth a shot.

cheers!!!

 

[maddietod]

Also another antihistamine u can buy over the counter is unisom which has diphenhydramine in it, worth a shot.

cheers!!!

I take this in the US as benadryl (http://www.benadryl.com/products/allergy/benadryl-ultratab-tablets), 50mg at bedtime (two tablets).

Has anybody experimented with a larger dose, say, 75mg? I'm wondering if there's any harm in testing a larger dose, and if it would be unhealthy long-term if it helps.

 

[perchance dreamer]

Hi, Madietodd. Years ago when I started seeing my sleep doctor, he said not to take Benadryl or other over-the-counter antihistamines regularly for sleep. He said doing that was bad for the neurotransmitters, but unfortunately, I don't remember the reason he gave.

You might google long-term Benadryl use side effects and see what comes up.

 

[maddietod]

Hi, Madietodd. Years ago when I started seeing my sleep doctor, he said not to take Benadryl or other over-the-counter antihistamines regularly for sleep. He said doing that was bad for the neurotransmitters, but unfortunately, I don't remember the reason he gave.

You might google long-term Benadryl use side effects and see what comes up.

Thanks - I'll look into it. And darn. It makes me stay asleep longer.

 

[perchance dreamer]

Here are a couple of things that help me sleep longer.

Gaia Herbs Sleepthru capsules. Amazon has a good description.

I recently discovered a new tea from Yogi. It's Soothing Caramel Bedtime. It has L-Theanine, poppy skullcap, and other calming ingredients. It doesn't taste like caramel at all to me, just a mild spiced flavor.

It's funny: Yogi has another tea called Bedtime, but it has different ingredients and doesn't help me the way the Caramel Bedtime does.

Have you ever heard of Cortisol Manager from Integrative Therapeutics? It really helps if some of your sleep problem is from cortisol spikes during the night.

Good luck. Sleep problems are the pits.

 

[maddietod]

Here are a couple of things that help me sleep longer.

Gaia Herbs Sleepthru capsules. Amazon has a good description.

I recently discovered a new tea from Yogi. It's Soothing Caramel Bedtime. It has L-Theanine, poppy skullcap, and other calming ingredients. It doesn't taste like caramel at all to me, just a mild spiced flavor.

It's funny: Yogi has another tea called Bedtime, but it has different ingredients and doesn't help me the way the Caramel Bedtime does.

Have you ever heard of Cortisol Manager from Integrative Therapeutics? It really helps if some of your sleep problem is from cortisol spikes during the night.

Good luck. Sleep problems are the pits.

Wow, thanks again. I already take theanine, and it helps. How much theanine is in one teabag?

I don't know if I have cortisol spikes; that's an interesting idea. Salivary cortisol is lowest-normal in the morning, and highest-normal at 10pm (the latest I tested).

It feels like I come shooting up out of sleep, like a reverse perfect dive, and then I settle myself and go back to sleep. But this is 3-5 times a night, so I don't feel like I get super-deep sleep.

Easiest way to find out is to try.

I'm dropping the benadryl. I've had strange new memory problems lately, which apparently can be caused by daily antihistamine use. Who knew?

Madie

 

[Dreambirdie]

THANKS for your info, perchance dreamer.

Here is a link with the ingredient list for Yogi Soothing Caramel Bedtime tea:
http://shop.yogiproducts.com/Soothing-Caramel-Bedtime/p/YOG-076950203532&c=Yogi@HerbalTea

The ingredients for Gaia Sleep Thru are here: http://www.gaiaherbs.com/products/detail/745/SleepThru
Ashwagandha root (certified organic), Magnolia bark, Passionflower vine (certified organic), Jujube date seed

Amazing that neither contains valerian, which I can't tolerate.

 

[kurt]

Some unusual things that have helped me sleep are antioxidants (esp. Goji juice and Ester-C), natural anti-microbials, particularly olive leaf extract, and Klamath Lake blue-green algae. And cinnamon really helps (a natural vasodilator). And, I use magnets sometimes (over the abdomen) which trigger natural sleep chemicals after about 20 minutes. For this I use a north-pole magnet pad and a large brick magnet over that (From LyonLegacy.com). Probably the most surprising was that a rehydration drink helps me sleep better, I use a rice-based formula from the World Health Organization that is used with dehydration from enteric infections. As I said, somewhat unconventional but it works well. Also, a distraction before bedtime helps, something from Netflix usually.

 

[taniaaust1]

Have you tried a sleep mask? That is simpler than boarding up windows. I do not like flat masks because they put too much pressure on my eyeballs. I have a sleep mask with a convex area over each eye. It is made for Walgreens drugstore. I do not know if you have those in Australia.

Ive actuallly spent quite a lot of money on different kinds of sleep masks. The last one I brought and still do use is a Hibermate one which also has ear muffs on it too http://www.hibermate.com/index.php/sleep-mask.html

it did block out light completely from reaching my eyes when I first brought it but its now like compressed to my face and lets light slightly in by my nose.

I actually seem to be sensitive to any light hitting my skin.. not just eyes, slightest light in morning has me awake and has me going in and out of sleep constantly.

 

[taniaaust1]

something worth a try is combining meds but at half dose you would normally use on there own eg 1/2 your dose of temaz with 1/2 your dose of doxylamine. Some docs recommend multiple small doses of several things but i would be trying a med on its own first to see how u tolerate it first and find the dose that works for u and then using 1/2 that dose with another item.

Also another antihistamine u can buy over the counter is unisom which has diphenhydramine in it, worth a shot.

cheers!!!

thanks... I love all the different ideas you are giving me.

Ive decided Im going to try B2 next as a couple of people today told me it helps them to sleep and some things indicate that I may possibly be helped by it.
(B multivitamins dont help me sleep but Ive been told just taking B2 alone could help).

 

[maddietod]

Some unusual things that have helped me sleep are antioxidants (esp. Goji juice and Ester-C), natural anti-microbials, particularly olive leaf extract, and Klamath Lake blue-green algae. And cinnamon really helps (a natural vasodilator). And, I use magnets sometimes (over the abdomen) which trigger natural sleep chemicals after about 20 minutes. For this I use a north-pole magnet pad and a large brick magnet over that (From LyonLegacy.com). Probably the most surprising was that a rehydration drink helps me sleep better, I use a rice-based formula from the World Health Organization that is used with dehydration from enteric infections. As I said, somewhat unconventional but it works well. Also, a distraction before bedtime helps, something from Netflix usually.

Kurt, do you have any idea which type of sleep problem is helped by which intervention? I can get to sleep - years of meditation training put to good use! But I wake multiple times each night, and without the benadryl I can't get back to sleep after 6-7 hours in bed.

I would love to hear more about how much you take of these various things. Also, re magnets, I have a nice collection of 1-1/2" flat round magnets. How would I experiment with this? North or south on the skin?

For others with allergy issues - I can't tolerate chamomile, which is in the Yogi tea. It's in the ragweed family.

Madie

 

[penny]

The other day being entirely fed up with the situation, I completely boarded up (wood board I nailed over the window) one of my bedroom windows after having no luck with putting white cardboard over it. Light was still going a bit throu that.
Thou other window has a block out blind on it, Im considering boarding that one up too as light gets around the edges of the blind and the slightest of light in the mornings will awake me.

You might want to try the blackout blind combined with a heavy dark colored curtain (lined is better I think for light). And hang the curtain rod so the curtain goes past all the edges of the window to minimize light leaking around the edges. We have dark unlined curtains and blackout blinds in our bedroom and it keeps out all light in evening/night and almost all light in the daytime (full california sunshine). If I was redoing them, I'd hang the curtain rods a little higher and wider and get lined curtains. But I think they probably actually block out more light than boards (which will have lots of cracks and edges) and are generally easier to manage and less destructive.

Good luck!

 

[kurt]

Kurt, do you have any idea which type of sleep problem is helped by which intervention? I can get to sleep - years of meditation training put to good use! But I wake multiple times each night, and without the benadryl I can't get back to sleep after 6-7 hours in bed.

I would love to hear more about how much you take of these various things. Also, re magnets, I have a nice collection of 1-1/2" flat round magnets. How would I experiment with this? North or south on the skin?

For others with allergy issues - I can't tolerate chamomile, which is in the Yogi tea. It's in the ragweed family.

Madie

I had the night-time waking also for years, that was solved by the rehydration drink (PM me if you want that recipe). I literally slept soundly through the night and felt refreshed almost immediately when I started on a rehydration protocol for building blood volume. The pathology that suggests to me is that low blood volume may lead to higher adrenal output, to stimulate the heart and keep adequate circulation, and so if you get and stay rehydrated during the night the adrenals can rest better.

For magnets, north only on the skin, the north pole is calming, south is agitating (usually). I don't know how you would use a collection, I guess try placing them in a type of grid pattern. I use a pad that has a collection of flat square magnets sewn in (from Lyon), plus one large brick magnet. I think the brick has much more power, but the smaller magnets might help. I can actually hear a pop just before the calming effect, and have wondered if that is when the pineal starts to release melatonin.

The Goji supports mitochondria activity and is an antioxidant, so probably would help most people, but don't use too much since it can cause a detox reaction. But a little (1-3 tsp) seems to really help.

Klamath Lake Blue-green algae is used for ADD and is both a supernutrient and detoxifier of neurotoxins. Also seems to help with brain balance, I suspect it helps with bloodflow in the brain.

Olive leaf extract is anti-viral and an antioxidant. I believe the anti-viral effect is what helps me sleep, calming some chronic immune response a bit perhaps.

The Netflix just before bedtime, that actually helps stop any adrenal looping from the thoughts of the day, takes me to a different place, puts life in a different perspective, gets me out of my own head, so to speak. Usually one 45 minute show is enough, nothing ultra-violent, just something that takes me to another place (sci-fi, fantasy, drama, adventure, romance, they all work).

 

[Little Bluestem]

Jarrow Sleep Optimizer

I live in a small town and have to get all of my supplements, and a lot of other things, out-of-town. These trips are tiring at best and exhausting at worst. I try to get through each store as quickly as possible.

On a recent trip, the health food store did not have the sleep aid I wanted. I took a quick look at what they did have. I saw product made by Jarrow, which is a company whose other supplements have been satisfactory. It said promotes relaxation & a healthy sleep cycle. I have a sleep cycle problem, so I grabbed it.

It wasnt until I got home that I looked at the label and saw that it contains melatonin, a hormone that I have had trouble with in the past. There is only 0.3 mg in a two capsule dose, so I decided to try one capsule. I have been taking it for the past week and it seems to help my sleep without causing problems.

 

[*GG*]

I live in a small town and have to get all of my supplements, and a lot of other things, out-of-town. These trips are tiring at best and exhausting at worst. I try to get through each store as quickly as possible.

On a recent trip, the health food store did not have the sleep aid I wanted. I took a quick look at what they did have. I saw product made by Jarrow, which is a company whose other supplements have been satisfactory. It said promotes relaxation & a healthy sleep cycle. I have a sleep cycle problem, so I grabbed it.

It wasnt until I got home that I looked at the label and saw that it contains melatonin, a hormone that I have had trouble with in the past. There is only 0.3 mg in a two capsule dose, so I decided to try one capsule. I have been taking it for the past week and it seems to help my sleep without causing problems.

could you buy some of the supplements online, and for less money?

GG

 

[taniaaust1]

The Goji supports mitochondria activity and is an antioxidant, so probably would help most people, but don't use too much since it can cause a detox reaction. But a little (1-3 tsp) seems to really help.

Ive had no luck with Goji, they didnt help anything in my case. (Ive tried both it with the juice and also with pigging out on the dried berries). Interestingly I do find other some other forms of antioxidents useful eg Vitamin C and Selenium (but not for sleep).

 

[taniaaust1]

On a recent trip, the health food store did not have the sleep aid I wanted. I took a quick look at what they did have. I saw product made by Jarrow, which is a company whose other supplements have been satisfactory. It said promotes relaxation & a healthy sleep cycle. I have a sleep cycle problem, so I grabbed it.

It wasnt until I got home that I looked at the label and saw that it contains melatonin, a hormone that I have had trouble with in the past. There is only 0.3 mg in a two capsule dose, so I decided to try one capsule. I have been taking it for the past week and it seems to help my sleep without causing problems.

That's a tiny dose. Has it also got other things in it too?

 

[Little Bluestem]

could you buy some of the supplements online, and for less money?

GG

Probably, but I do not believe there is such a thing as a secure online database. I do not do online shopping. I did read something once that sounded like it would be possible to set a safe paypal account. I havent had the time/energy to pursue it further.