Trouble sleeping...

I've never had problems sleeping in my life, but for the couple weeks it's been a frickin [pun]nightmare[/pun]. It's taking me hours to get to sleep, and I don't stay asleep for more than a couple hours at a time. I'm exhausted, but when I go to bed I suddenly become wide awake. I'm sure I'm also compounding the problem by worrying about it - that's what my wife says anyways. :\ I've been to a psychologist but there don't appear to be any sort of issues I need to deal with.

Friend of mine suggested I try taking melatonin, and from what I read on the net, it sounds promising. My insomniac dad endorses it as well. Wondering if anyone here's tried it, or has any further suggestions. I want to try and stay natural and avoid sedatives, which is what my doctor is recommending.

Bleah. It seems ages ago that I last slept well.....

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Originally Posted by BioMechanic

I've never had problems sleeping in my life, but for the couple weeks it's been a frickin [pun]nightmare[/pun]. It's taking me hours to get to sleep, and I don't stay asleep for more than a couple hours at a time. I'm exhausted, but when I go to bed I suddenly become wide awake. I'm sure I'm also compounding the problem by worrying about it - that's what my wife says anyways. :\ I've been to a psychologist but there don't appear to be any sort of issues I need to deal with.

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Welcome to my life.

Minus the wife...... and the psychologist.

I used to use Ambien, but that would fall into the sedatives.

Maybe you need a sleep study done?

It works well. There are no side effects. It might give you a fitfull/restless sleep at times but it should knock you out. It works by adjusting your body clock, so make sure you don't take it too late or you'll make things worse.

Another recommendation is to avoid the bedroom until bedtime. If you hang out in bed watching TV or playing games or whatever it makes it harder to associate the room with sleep instead of distraction. Good luck.

I'm having some problems like that, first step I take is to sleep in a dark, dark room.

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Originally Posted by sggg

It works well. There are no side effects. It might give you a fitfull/restless sleep at times but it should knock you out. It works by adjusting your body clock, so make sure you don't take it too late or you'll make things worse.

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That's good to hear. Does it work the first night you take it?

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Another recommendation is to avoid the bedroom until bedtime. If you hang out in bed watching TV or playing games or whatever it makes it harder to associate the room with sleep instead of distraction.

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What's happened with me is the bedroom has become a symbol of the failure to sleep. The couple of hours I do manage to get every night have been coming on the couch in the living room. I need to get out of this cycle posthaste. What doesn't help is the wife's a major snorer. ;)

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Originally Posted by BioMechanic

That's good to hear. Does it work the first night you take it?

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Yup. :)

In fact, I never took it habitually. I mainly use it when my sleep pattern gets all messed up and I really need to fall asleep at a reasonable hour. I usually fall asleep within an hour of taking it, get a good night sleep, and then it's easier to get back on track.

A few close relatives have tried it, but only one, my aunt, found it to be of any use. I've never heard of any medical side effects though, so it couldn't really hurt to try (unlike other sedative/drug sleep aids).

Medicine has never done much to help my own sleeping problems. Like sggg said, sleeping conditions may be the factor. I simply cannot sleep when it's warm in the room. In the summer, I leave fans running to the point where I almost shiver. It helps me sleep. Absolute darkness, and even things like certain pillows and blankets can change your ability to sleep well.

Of course, a wife that snores can be killer. Thank you, 38 dB earplugs. My father snores like no other.

Pot. Don't fuck around with prescription medication; way too easy to become dependent.

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Originally Posted by Mode7

Pot. Don't fuck around with prescription medication; way too easy to become dependent.

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It's harder than you'd think.

Before getting a script for anything though, I would try regular Calcium pills, just take a few a couple hours before bed.

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Originally Posted by sggg

Yup. :)

In fact, I never took it habitually. I mainly use it when my sleep pattern gets all messed up and I really need to fall asleep at a reasonable hour. I usually fall asleep within an hour of taking it, get a good night sleep, and then it's easier to get back on track.

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Oh man does that sound nice. I have this aversion to "artificial supplements" - I tend to try and let things work out by themselves - but I could really use some help now.

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Originally Posted by Nomi

Like sggg said, sleeping conditions may be the factor. I simply cannot sleep when it's warm in the room. In the summer, I leave fans running to the point where I almost shiver. It helps me sleep. Absolute darkness, and even things like certain pillows and blankets can change your ability to sleep well.

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Now that you mention it, I could probably use a change of pillow.

You know what helped a little too? I plugged in one of those little electric water-fountains. The trickling sound was soothing and helped get me off the "get to sleep dammit!" mental cycle. My dad has also used a sleep machine, a device which plays looping prerecorded sounds like white noise, the ocean, even the buzzing a fetus hears. My mom ended up sleeping in another room though - it irritated her.

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Of course, a wife that snores can be killer. Thank you, 38 dB earplugs. My father snores like no other.

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I didn't think of that - good idea. Lately, even the smallest sound outside will jolt me awake.

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Originally Posted by Mode7

Don't fuck around with prescription medication; way too easy to become dependent.

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I definitely agree. You can get melatonin over-the-counter.

I'm feeling a bit more confident. I think I'm gonna try melatonin tonight....plus earplugs.

Unisom Sleepgels 32 - +-8 bucks.

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Originally Posted by BioMechanic

...plus earplugs.

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If you've never used earplugs before, you may find them weird at first. But I find they help me sleep a lot. Not just to keep noise out, but they place a pressure in your ear that's almost like a constant, but desirable, white noise type effect.

Just hope they fall out when you do get to sleep, I've missed my alarm several times due to earplugs.

Smoke pot.

Works for me... and I used to stay awake for days at a time.

I used to take melatonin when I had school, as it'd be hard to go to sleep some nights due to a combination of loud neighbors and other stuff. It worked pretty well for me, except that it seemed to make waking up quite a challenge.

I take 4 sleeping pills per night, were horse tranqs out, I would take them.

An ant farts in Africa and that shit wakes me up. Sucks.

melatonin is good to get your natural clock back in sync, i usually use it when traveling overseas and getting your time zones all screwed up.

however, A.) it gives you some funky dreams B.)it doesnt work on everyone C.) if it does work, constant use will make your body immune to it


best way to go, non-prescription, grab a big bottle of nyquil and just take the standard dose, you'll be out within 30 mins

I've been using Melatonin since I was a teenager and it's always worked fine with me, no problems, no side effects, delivers on all its promises. Just take one and relax for about a good thirty minutes. After that, you should be feeling teh tired.

I had this problem a while back. So I started drinking a big glass of milk everynight before bed. There are things in there that naturally put you to sleep, just like how most babys, human or otherwise, fall asleep nursing.

Get a hot chicks breast milk for extra super bonus points.

Still breast feeding, eh? That's got to be some sort of record.

I'm a tit vampire.

Better than an ass vampire.

Theres lots of those around here.

if it gets to be really really bad, you can always try poison. you'll be sleeping like you've never slept before.

Oh, hell's no, Josh. No more fucking fudgesickle stories.

Yeah. Were not talking about that anymore.

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Originally Posted by Opaque

I had this problem a while back. So I started drinking a big glass of milk everynight before bed. There are things in there that naturally put you to sleep, just like how most babys, human or otherwise, fall asleep nursing.

Get a hot chicks breast milk for extra super bonus points.

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Nuking the milk for maybe half a minute makes it work even better.

When I was little I had trouble sleeping due to cronic nightmares. I usally went to bed watching TV. That may work for you as it would take your mind off of trying to get to sleep.

If that doesn't work, drink some beer or something else with alcohal in it. That always seems to work for me.

Where can I get some good earplugs? It's hard for me to sleep during the summer because of all the thunderstorms we get down here. If there's one that's good enough to snuff out the sound of lightning in your backyard then I'd be in heaven.

Not a fan of melatonin though I advocate using it in the manner sggg described if you're going to try it. I also have problems sleeping, but a few drags off a one-hitter and 2000mg of Valerian Root usually gets me on track to conk out for 5-6 hours.

TNL is great, one of the few places where if you ask for advice on something, you will end up stoned, drunk, and with shit in your ears.

Sleeping pills can be a blessing, as long as you don't abuse
them, or take them every night. You will need a script tho.

Isn't Melatonin just the stuff your body uses naturally to go asleep anyway?

Catnip tea/herb helps me.

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Originally Posted by Green

Where can I get some good earplugs? It's hard for me to sleep during the summer because of all the thunderstorms we get down here. If there's one that's good enough to snuff out the sound of lightning in your backyard then I'd be in heaven.

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Walgreens, if you have one nearby. They have the fleshy colored Hearos brand that work quite well, and they're soft enough to not irritate your ears. I also like the glow in the dark yellow and pink swirl variety, for the sole reason that I can locate them if they fall out in the middle of the night without having to get up and turn my light on. If you lack a Walgreens, try similar drug stores. They're often stocked by either toothpaste or chapstick and other odd-end hygiene products.

Also, I would like to add to the batch who warn of getting addicted to sleeping medications. The meds I take for my back also knock me out, and I found it impossible to sleep without them for a time. It was hideous, learning how to sleep naturally again. Be very careful when putting anything into your system to help you sleep.

And it may not be the item itself. I had more of a mental addiction; feeling as though I was incapable of sleep without them. It's hard to wean yourself from that kind of thing. Talk to a doctor, if you can, there are lots of options out there.


And that said, I still lay in bed for several hours before falling asleep and never feel too refreshed no matter how long I can stay asleep. I'll be trying some of this advice once I'm moved into my new room.

try wanking off before bed.

come on people, thats the obvious one.

masterbation: puts you to sleep, cures headaches, cures what ails yah

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Originally Posted by BioMechanic

I plugged in one of those little electric water-fountains. The trickling sound was soothing and helped get me off the "get to sleep dammit!" mental cycle.

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I had to sleep on a couch after prom at a friends house who had one of those things. Because of it I had an awful time getting to sleep. In fact I didn't. So I got up and looked out the window for a few hours while everyone else was asleep, getting weird looks whenever somone got up to go to the bathroom.

I take that Tylonol Simply Sleep stuff now whenever I have trouble getting to sleep. It's pretty weak though if you're having serious problems, but it gets the job done for me recently.

I've had trouble sleeping since I was a kid, it got pretty bad at points this year where on more than a few nights I just gave up and didn't go to sleep at all.

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Originally Posted by M

masterbation: puts you to sleep, cures headaches, cures what ails yah

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Helps me write English papers.

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Originally Posted by M

try wanking off before bed.

come on people, thats the obvious one.

masterbation: puts you to sleep, cures headaches, cures what ails yah

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Crude monster.

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Originally Posted by M

try wanking off before bed.

come on people, thats the obvious one.

masterbation: puts you to sleep, cures headaches, cures what ails yah

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so it fixes colds? You're going to make a weird mother, you know that?

I'm a really bad sleeper. I wake up all the time at night, and often can't sleep for hours. I don't mind it much though, you get lots of thinking time, and its in that awesome dazed state, where you drop in and out of dreams while remaining fairly concious.

The worst is when you start dreaming that you can't sleep. Its probably the most annoying thing in the world.

You should count sheep arjue. or fuck them. either one.

I prefer to fuck deers.

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Originally Posted by IronPlant

You're going to make a weird mother, you know that?

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Oh... Johnny do you have a cold? Cough Syrup? No way! Here's your Hulster and tube of KY.

I was so exhausted last night that I didn't think I needed melatonin - I did the warm milk thing and that seemed to help. Since it appears your body develops a resistance to melatonin over time, I think I'll save it for if things get really bad. In the meantime I've got some earplugs (actually had some leftover in my concert-supply kit), chamomile tea, milk, and heavier drapes on the windows.

Thanks everyone. I suppose knowing how to deal with this stuff eases the mind, as does the knowledge that you got through it and were still able to function (maybe not well, but function). Mental tension was the main reason I was staying up anyways....

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Originally Posted by BioMechanic

earplugs ... had some leftover in my concert-supply kit...

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Pussy.

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Originally Posted by M

try wanking off before bed.

come on people, thats the obvious one.

masterbation: puts you to sleep, cures headaches, cures what ails yah

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Not for women, from what I hear.

And...I've been sleeping like a baby lately.

Thanks masturbation!

Took melatonin the last couple of nights, and it's worked great.

Me = relieved.

I usually just take some allergy medicine (for sleeping purposes only). I had a stint over the summer where I couldn't sleep for more then 2 hours, but if I loaded up on antihistimine I was fine. I also take it when I wake up real late in the day but need to go to sleep at a reasonable hour, it's cheap and effective.

mmmmm......Tylenol PM

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Originally Posted by BioMechanic

What doesn't help is the wife's a major snorer. ;)

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Touchy issue, but you might do well to sleep in a different room until you're doing better.

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Originally Posted by Gooch

Not a fan of melatonin though I advocate using it in the manner sggg described if you're going to try it. I also have problems sleeping, but a few drags off a one-hitter and 2000mg of Valerian Root usually gets me on track to conk out for 5-6 hours.

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I found the valerian root to be a lot more useful than the melatonin. Then again, I took both, and they knocked the shit out of me.

Valerian root smells and tastes about twice as bad as ass, though.

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Originally Posted by M

try wanking off before bed.

come on people, thats the obvious one.

masterbation: puts you to sleep, cures headaches, cures what ails yah

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Sometimes a good Jay-O does wonders- or at least it helps if it doesn't immediately work.

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Originally Posted by AstroBlue

Isn't Melatonin just the stuff your body uses naturally to go asleep anyway?

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Yep. You have to be in the dark to make enough on your own to KO you- if the moon's too bright on a given evening, I close the blinds.

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Originally Posted by M

try wanking off before bed.

come on people, thats the obvious one.

masterbation: puts you to sleep, cures headaches, cures what ails yah

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Doesn't work for everyone.

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Originally Posted by burgundy

I found the valerian root to be a lot more useful than the melatonin. Then again, I took both, and they knocked the shit out of me.

Valerian root smells and tastes about twice as bad as ass, though.

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Yes. I tried valerian this weekend, and it worked very well. Nasty, but effective.

Pot makes me feel tired but doesn't actually put me to sleep. I recommend lots and lots of tequila.