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    Sleep Aids

    I take pills to sleep nearly every night, but I wake up groggy. Are there any natural sleep aids I can try? I've done the whole warm milk thing, but it didn't do anything for me.
    Army of Darkness: Guardians of the Chat

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    #2
    Re: Sleep Aids

    I take valerian and I like it. I've taken pills that are straight mix of valerian, and some pills that are a sleeping mix of valerian and hops. I also have a tea made of valerian and passionflower. They all work.

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      #3
      Re: Sleep Aids

      DanieMarie is right on the mark with the valerian. I've never tried hops or passionflower, but I'd bet she's right about them, too. I'd add in catnip as something to try.

      We have a patch growing outside the door. If I'm having trouble sleeping because I'm nervous or something, I'll grab a handful, stems and all - it seems to be strongest when it's in flower - and toss it in a pot with some water, gently boil for about 15 minutes, cool it and drink it.

      Needs honey.

      Try to keep the cats out of the kitchen (LMAO - good luck with that!).
      Every moment of a life is a horrible tragedy, a slapstick comedy, dark nihilism, golden illumination, or nothing at all; depending on how we write the story we tell ourselves.

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        #4
        Re: Sleep Aids

        Valerian is very good, but if you're inclined to be groggy in the morning you may not like it - valerian is known for its strength. It's worth a try, though.

        I can vouch for passion flower as I use it when my anxiety keeps me awake. I have not taken it as a tisane (I prefer tinctures), but I hear it works perfectly fine.

        If you're into aromatherapy, you might try decaffeinated jasmine tea - the scent of the jasmine oil is supposed to help induce sleep. If you want to try it and can't find it decaffeinated you can make one cup and give it to someone else, then use the same leaves to make a second cup - most of the caffeine will leave the tea with the first infusion.
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          #5
          Re: Sleep Aids

          I like chamomile,for me it works great to calm my nerves,and help me sleep.
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            #6
            Re: Sleep Aids

            Melatonin is considered a 'natural' sleep aide. I used it and it worked for awhile but has recently stopped working.
            Circe

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              #7
              Re: Sleep Aids

              You shouldn't use melatonin if you are prone to depression or SAD....just thought I'd throw that out there.

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                #8
                Re: Sleep Aids

                Originally posted by DanieMarie View Post
                You shouldn't use melatonin if you are prone to depression or SAD....just thought I'd throw that out there.
                This is something my doctor probably should've told me when he recommended it.
                Circe

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                  #9
                  Re: Sleep Aids

                  I'm not sure if it's approved here or not (I think not) but doctors here don't recommend you take it at all. Also, I've read a whackload of academic studies about it. The way it changes your brain chemistry -can- enhance the effects of depression.

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                    #10
                    Re: Sleep Aids

                    If you don't mind me asking, what are you taking now, habbalah? Is it an OTC (usually something that has diphenhydramine) or is it a prescription (Ambien, Lunesta, Rozerem)? If it's a continuous problem, have you had any sleep studies done?

                    I've got terminal insomnia (meaning I wake after about 3 hours of sleep), mixed w/bouts of regular ol' can't-fall-asleep-insomnia, and I've got a REM sleep disorder on top of everything (I wake up when I start to enter REM sleep... it's like dream-apnea). I take Elavil, which is an older tricyclic antidepressant. It lets me sleep through the REM stage. I've messed w/my insomnia a lot over the years. When I first started taking it, it would let me sleep... for like, 18 hours at a time. I can wake up & go back to sleep, which isn't my normal thing. I may have brain damage, but I haven't gotten around to seeing a neurologist. I've also had this problem since I was a little kid - my mother used to dope me so she could go to sleep. I did pick up some Delta Wave sleep CDs - they do work for me, and I find that I have more 'real' dreams instead of replaying my day at work.

                    The thing about melatonin - it's your body's natural sleep-rhythm chemical. As you move into the afternoon, your body begins producing more melatonin, and it gradually increases as it gets dark. It's not based on time, it's based on light. People with winter SADS get hit harder by melatonin - the shorter winter days & spans of days with cloud cover mean you're producing melatonin more continuously. If you take a supplement, all that melatonin is hitting your system all at once (unless you manage to find a time-release variety, which is best). You have to take into account the amount of light outside when you take a melatonin supplement. Some people find that they become early wakers because all that melatonin hits them, they get sleepy... and wake up at like, 2 or 3 am, or if they take it too early, they fight sleep & they're wide awake at their normal bedtime.

                    You should also take your 'sleep hygiene' into consideration - most people sleep better if their room is cooler, the majority of lights are blocked out, there isn't a lot of electronic interference (tvs, computers, radios, phones, beepers - noisy, distracting electronics - turn your ringers off). Your bedroom (or wherever you sleep) should only be used for sleep and sex. No arguing, no debates, no discussing of bills, no eating, nothing that would stir up undue emotional responses. Avoid stimulating activities, too - vigorous exercise, hot showers, cleaning, acrobatic sex for about 3 hours prior to bedtime, and avoid stimulants (including chromium picolinate) and sugar for about 6 hours prior to bedtime. If you know that you're sensitive to caffeine, avoid it for about 8 - 10 hours (which includes guaranine, another name for caffeine). Light stretching, yoga or tai chi is ok, as long as it doesn't get your heart racing. Drinking or eating something cool about an hour before bedtime will help lower your body temperature, which will also help you start to feel sleepy. Try to avoid napping in the evening, or taking long naps in the afternoon, and don't 'sleep in' on your weekends. Try to set up and maintain a constant sleep/rise schedule.
                    The forum member formerly known as perzephone. Or Perze. I've shed a skin.

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                      #11
                      Re: Sleep Aids

                      Originally posted by perzephone View Post
                      If you don't mind me asking, what are you taking now, habbalah? Is it an OTC (usually something that has diphenhydramine) or is it a prescription (Ambien, Lunesta, Rozerem)? If it's a continuous problem, have you had any sleep studies done?
                      I take OTC stuff--usually ibuprofen with diphenhydramine, occasionally NyQuil when I'm sick. I've never had a sleep study done.

                      Honestly, my biggest problem with sleeping is that I can't keep a consistent schedule. I swing between the midnight and morning shift, which really screws with my sleeping. I do sleep with all of my lights off (my phone has to be on because it's my alarm clock) and with a white noise machine. It's largely not being able to sleep at the same time that's killing me.
                      Army of Darkness: Guardians of the Chat

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                        #12
                        Re: Sleep Aids

                        People can build up a tolerance to diphenhydramine. If you don't need the ibuprofen for pain/inflammation, you might want to switch to something like Unisom (doxylamine). Of course, if you're not able to get at least 6 - 7 hours of sleep in after you take either types of OTC pills, you're probably going to wake up still feeling drugged. Valerian's the same way.

                        If you're not able to get a full shift of sleep, and it's available where you live, you might want to try kava kava - it's a little stronger than hops, but has the same generalized effects. It's usually faster-acting in a liquid tincture or extract. It also helps reduce anxiety and minor depression symptoms without causing brain fog like benzodiazepines. However, it has been implicated in liver damage, so getting it can be iffy.
                        The forum member formerly known as perzephone. Or Perze. I've shed a skin.

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                          #13
                          Re: Sleep Aids

                          Originally posted by perzephone View Post
                          People can build up a tolerance to diphenhydramine. If you don't need the ibuprofen for pain/inflammation, you might want to switch to something like Unisom (doxylamine). Of course, if you're not able to get at least 6 - 7 hours of sleep in after you take either types of OTC pills, you're probably going to wake up still feeling drugged. Valerian's the same way.

                          If you're not able to get a full shift of sleep, and it's available where you live, you might want to try kava kava - it's a little stronger than hops, but has the same generalized effects. It's usually faster-acting in a liquid tincture or extract. It also helps reduce anxiety and minor depression symptoms without causing brain fog like benzodiazepines. However, it has been implicated in liver damage, so getting it can be iffy.
                          Thank you. And thank you to everyone else for your suggestions as well. I will see what I can find in my local health store.
                          Army of Darkness: Guardians of the Chat

                          Honorary Nord.

                          Habbalah Vlogs

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                            #14
                            Re: Sleep Aids

                            Originally posted by habbalah View Post
                            I take OTC stuff--usually ibuprofen with diphenhydramine, occasionally NyQuil when I'm sick. I've never had a sleep study done.

                            Honestly, my biggest problem with sleeping is that I can't keep a consistent schedule. I swing between the midnight and morning shift, which really screws with my sleeping. I do sleep with all of my lights off (my phone has to be on because it's my alarm clock) and with a white noise machine. It's largely not being able to sleep at the same time that's killing me.
                            .

                            I have a similar situation. I work at night, from 10pm until 8am, so I sleep through the day much of the time. If I have more than one day off, I switch to night sleeping. So I totally know what it's like. I don't take any sleep aids but I have blacked out windows and sleep with earplugs in. I also use lavander oil if I'm struggling to sleep. I experimented with different sleep times to find what works best for me (oddly, sleeping soon after arriving home from work, then waking early so I have several hours before I leave for work).

                            Maybe the most unusual thing I found, you could probably do too because you also sleep on a futon... I place my futon in a different position if I am sleeping by day or night. I have NO idea why this helps, maybe I can't see the light creeping in around my door in the day time position. All I know is if I have my futon in the wrong place, I sometimes struggle to sleep. Just an alternative suggestion!
                            夕方に急なにわか雨は「夕立」と呼ばれるなら、なぜ朝ににわか雨は「朝立ち」と呼ばれないの? ^^If a sudden rain shower in the evening is referred to as an 'evening stand', then why isn't a shower in the morning called 'morning stand'?

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                              #15
                              Re: Sleep Aids

                              10 hours of work over the night? I'd be exhausted and have trouble sleeping too!

                              I'm tired enough when I work 10 hours in the day.

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