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I want to sleep!
#11
RE: I want to sleep!
One more supplement you may want to try: Magnesium Glycinate.
PRS1 Auto & Dreamstation Auto w/ P10 and straight pressure of 8cm
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#12
RE: I want to sleep!
In males, benadryl causes problems with the prostate. I have seasonal allergies and my allergist says to stay away from drugs that contains diphenhydramine. I don't know what side effects it may have on females however.
On occasions, I have taken melatonin to fall asleep. I take about 3 mg and don't feel drowsy in the mornings.
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#13
RE: I want to sleep!
I already take magnesium glycinate for my PVCs.

I am researching the valarian root to see if it will interact with my other medications, especially my anti-depressant.

PaulaO

Take a deep breath and count to zen.




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#14
RE: I want to sleep!
Hi Paula:

For years I have always had a hard time falling asleep due to all the thoughts running through the old noggin.

I found reading at bedtime helped me relax and get sleepy. It wasn't long for that to not work as well as it did at the start so I began taking Gravol at bedtime.

Once again that worked for a while until I switched to Melatonin. I've been doing this now for just over a year and it still works for me.

I take 5 mg. sublingually every night about 1/2 hour before going to bed. That still leaves me a little time to read.

Good Luck
Coffee
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#15
RE: I want to sleep!
(03-04-2015, 12:01 AM)PaulaO2 Wrote: I went to my GP today and one of the things we talked about was my sleeping patterns. I have had insomnia long term but started having problems falling asleep a few months ago. Typically, by the time I know I am ready to sleep, I go to bed, do whatever, lay down, and I am out. But now, I lay down, and my brain is suddenly wide freakin' awake. Not every night, but enough of them that I dread going to bed so am instead up all night and don't go until I am exhausted.

We discussed options and decided to try first Benedryl (diphenhydramine) to see if getting my brain to sleep that way would reset everything. I started it tonight (25mg a few hrs before bed then another a half hour before bed). If that doesn't work, then we'll try melatonin. She doesn't think that will work for me though due to the already existing insomnia. Next up will be Ambien. I hesitate to try that due to the sleep walking/eating/etc that many people experience.

Meanwhile, my AHI is very erratic. It has been driving me nuts trying to figure out how to get it lower.

My questions are:

1 - has anyone tried the Benedryl method of getting to sleep and did it work? how long did you have to use it before you were "reset"?

2 - will Benedryl further mess up my AHI? (I don't think it will)

3 - will getting my sleep time more regulated level out the AHI or is it unrelated?

Well before I started Cpap, I had a very bad case of sleep anxiety, the doctor prescribed Lorazepam to help my anxiety but there were times where that alone wouldn't do it , so I also added a benedryl and that worked I had to do that because the Ambien was too scary for me I didn't like the idea of doing things I didn't know I was doing.
So anyway I also didn't like the Idea of being on the Lorazepam/Benedryl for long periods either, So I tried the natural Somnapure and that actually worked then shortly after that is when I started my Cpap .
Since Cpap I've lost the sleep anxiety and now I enjoy going to sleep again.
I sure hope you can find the right way to go to sleep because believe me I know what your going through and it's terrible !!!
I know you will get over this is a phase that needs to be shaken away!
I'm pulling for you!
Okay
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#16
RE: I want to sleep!
I forgot a couple of things, for me I had sleep troubles for aprox. 6-8 weeks ( ya that was rotten).
The other thing is I wouldn't worry too much about the apnea numbers until you can sleep again, once your able to go down again then start working on your AHI's.
I'm still working on mine, trying to learn how to get them more consistence. anyway there always under 3 so it's better than the 37 before cpap.
Best Wishes
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#17
RE: I want to sleep!
Hey Paula, has that always been your sleep schedule? 2am-10am
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#18
RE: I want to sleep!
(03-04-2015, 04:07 PM)PaulaO2 Wrote: I am researching the valarian root to see if it will interact with my other medications, especially my anti-depressant.

Valerian is a CNS depressant as are benzodiazepines, alcohol and opiates. If you are using one of the older tricyclic antidepressants you might be wise to avoid it and other CNS depressants.


Ed Seedhouse
VA7SDH

Part cow since February 2018.

Trust your mind less and your brain more.


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#19
RE: I want to sleep!
I had been taking 10mg of Ambien for years. I had developed a psychological dependence on it, even though I'm sure that I had become tolerant to it years ago. It isn't designed for long-term use, and based on my experience, I would advise against starting to take it. I'm now successfully tapering off it using a schedule from the University of Montreal that DocWils furnished. I'm down to 2.5mg per day and will soon start further tapering to 1.25mg and then will discontinue completely. I will never take it again after I'm off it for good. Any remaining pills will be tossed. The U of M tapering schedule was a life saver for me, as I had tried to discontinue using a simple full-half-quarter-none schedule, and it never worked. I always found myself back on a full dose within a week or two. The U of M schedule is very gradual and takes 16 weeks, and my own doctor emphatically approved it.

The OTC antihistimine sleep aids only work for me once or twice before I develop a tolerance. It is not a good idea to take these long-term either. As DocWils suggested, I'm "phasing-in" Valerian as a substitute for the Ambien, and it seems to be working. I still have sleepy days, but overall I'm making progress.

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#20
RE: I want to sleep!
@Jim Bronson - that is excellent. I have heard that it takes many weeks for Valerian to make a clinically measurable impact. Sounds like the rate you are phasing it in will make the difference.
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