Anybody take Melatonin for insomnia?

[canuk-gal]

HI:

For several years, I have had insonmnia. Difficulty falling asleep, numerous awakenings during the night and early AM awakenings. Sometime I go back to sleep and sometimes I am awake for ages....

Despite practising good sleep hygiene--I now take Zopiclone. My dose at first was very small, 1/4 of a 7.5mg tab, now I take half a tab.

My sister takes Melatonin 3mg, and it helps her sleep. I have been considering stopping the perscription meds and starting the Melatonin.

Anyone else have insomnia and take Melatonin? Is it helpful--what dose and brand? Please share your experience.

cheers--Sharon

 

[Jas12]

Yes! I took it when i experience insomnia last year. I found it really did work well. My issue was ''falling'' asleep which is what it is intended for, b/c it has a short half-life (it will be out of your system in a few hours so it works to put you to sleep but if u wake up hours after i doubt it will help u fall back asleep)
Also, make sure you take it about 40 mins before bed, b/c it takes a little while to kick in (or so i''ve been told)
I take 3 mg

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I just started...so far it hasn''t helped but I am keeping out hope.

 

[chrono]

I took it briefly in the past. I took 1 pill 1 hour before bedtime and I could tell when it kicked it, I got rather drowsy. I slept very deeply when I took it. I did so to help with jet-lag. It was just a generic brand.

 

[BeachRunner]

I''ve never had to take it, but I work at a community behavioral health center and the psychiatrist recommends Melatonin to a lot of clients before he prescribes a Rx sleep aid.

 

[lulu]

I take about 9 mg. every night and my dr. is fine with that. Apparently there is no toxic dose. Since I don''t take estrogen and I''m post-menopausal I have a lot of trouble sleeping. There are also studies that show it may be protective for breast cancer.

 

[Bia]

I don''t have insomnia but I do take it now and then when I am really tired and want to get some deep-sleep. It works really well for me. The only side-effect I ever experience w/ melatonin is I tend to have very strange and vivid dreams.

I would recommend giving it a try.

 

[vespergirl]

Yes, but I have only found one brand that I like - it can be found at Whole Foods (and probably online) - it''s called Night Rest with Melatonin by Source Naturals. It costs $10 for a bottle with 50 pills. It has 5 mg melatonin and an herbal blend, and it works extremely well. I''ve tried several other brands of melatonin that did nothing for me. In fact, I think that this particular brand works so well for me that I have been able to stop taking Ambien. Now I maybe only use the Ambien about once a week, whereas before I needed it every night.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

How funny, I was thinking I was not taking enough (after reading this thread) so last night I took more (Trader Joe''s are only in 500mcg tablets) and I think it worked a lot better!

Like Jas12 said it helped me fall asleep faster *not* stay asleep but something is better than nothing! I did have strange dreams. Haha.

 

[Efe]

I take 3mg Vitamin Shoppe brand melatonin every night. I have been taking it for about a year and I find that it really helps me get to sleep and I sleep more soundly.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Thanks for all your input so far!

Insomnia--common issue. I went to buy some Melatonin and did not want to get the sublingual form, and they were sold out in many places! I ended up at Planet Organics and they did have a tablet form in 3mg, that I can score if I want. Many people take another pill when they wake up--I'll see how it works for me starting out just taking one. I'll try the switch over next week on spring break, when I have some latitude not having to get up at a set time. I'd really like to stop taking the Rx altogether.

My sister takes the L. Vanderhauge (sp) brand in 3mg. Every pharmaceutical seems to make one, 3mg or 5mg.

P.S. I always have wild dreams--I wonder what could be next!

cheers--Sharon

 

[canuk-gal]

Date: 3/15/2009 9:00:02 PM
Author: Chrono
I took it briefly in the past. I took 1 pill 1 hour before bedtime and I could tell when it kicked it, I got rather drowsy. I slept very deeply when I took it. I did so to help with jet-lag. It was just a generic brand.

HI:

Much of the literature I read on use of Melatonin had to do with jet-lag. Viable aid.

cheers--Sharon

 

[canuk-gal]

Date: 3/16/2009 9:10:13 AM
Author: vespergirl
Yes, but I have only found one brand that I like - it can be found at Whole Foods (and probably online) - it''s called Night Rest with Melatonin by Source Naturals. It costs $10 for a bottle with 50 pills. It has 5 mg melatonin and an herbal blend, and it works extremely well. I''ve tried several other brands of melatonin that did nothing for me. In fact, I think that this particular brand works so well for me that I have been able to stop taking Ambien. Now I maybe only use the Ambien about once a week, whereas before I needed it every night.

HI:

I hope this is the case for me. Did you have any withdrawal from the Ambien? Did you just switch from one tab to the other, one night?

cheers--Sharon

 

[canuk-gal]

Date: 3/16/2009 9:23:57 AM
Author: Tacori E-ring
How funny, I was thinking I was not taking enough (after reading this thread) so last night I took more (Trader Joe''s are only in 500mcg tablets) and I think it worked a lot better!

Like Jas12 said it helped me fall asleep faster *not* stay asleep but something is better than nothing! I did have strange dreams. Haha.

HI:

Cute avatar! Glad it is working....there is nothing like insomnia

cheers--Sharon

 

[vespergirl]

Date: 3/16/2009 10:01:55 AM
Author: canuk-gal

Date: 3/16/2009 9:10:13 AM
Author: vespergirl
Yes, but I have only found one brand that I like - it can be found at Whole Foods (and probably online) - it''s called Night Rest with Melatonin by Source Naturals. It costs $10 for a bottle with 50 pills. It has 5 mg melatonin and an herbal blend, and it works extremely well. I''ve tried several other brands of melatonin that did nothing for me. In fact, I think that this particular brand works so well for me that I have been able to stop taking Ambien. Now I maybe only use the Ambien about once a week, whereas before I needed it every night.

HI:

I hope this is the case for me. Did you have any withdrawal from the Ambien? Did you just switch from one tab to the other, one night?

cheers--Sharon

Yes - if I take Ambien for more than one night at a time, I become dependent on it to fall asleep. It was OK when I used to go to another doctor who gave me as many as I wanted, but I moved & switched doctors, and my new dr. really didn''t want me taking it every night. It took about a week of not being able to fall asleep until I was weaned from the Ambien. I was trying melatonin, but the brand I got at Costco wasn''t doing anything.

Then I spoke to one of my friends who recommended the Night Rest pills from Whole Foods (melatonin & herbal blend), and it''s made a world of difference. Now I rarely take Ambien - usually only about once a week (if that) instead of nightly.

Melatonin is not Ambien (for instance, if I have coffee before bed, melatonin won''t cut it) but I really prefer taking it to the Ambien, where I would start stressing out if I only had a few pills left. It''s awful to be so dependent on something for sleep. The melatonin really works without the dependency issues - I recommend it.

 

[fleur-de-lis]

Canuk-girl, I know this might seem like a thread-jack, but here goes: (1) what do you have for breakfast each morning, (2) how soon after waking do you eat it, and (3) how many times a week do you skip breakfast?

 

[janinegirly]

it works very well as a natural sleep aid. You''ll feel drowsy (but can fight it) and won''t leave you groggy in the AM. I used to take 3mg religiously (thanks to DH who has taken it forever). Then I got preggo and stopped it and never picked it back up. I''m tired all the time now, so no probs going to sleep. DH however still cannot sleep without it..evey night. I think he is dependent on it and that it''s all in his head since I seemed ok once forced off of it, but who knows. Hoping there are no long term side effects.

 

[canuk-gal]

Date: 3/16/2009 3:09:05 PM
Author: fleur-de-lis
Canuk-girl, I know this might seem like a thread-jack, but here goes: (1) what do you have for breakfast each morning, (2) how soon after waking do you eat it, and (3) how many times a week do you skip breakfast?

HI:

Oh, it depends. If I am exercising, I ususally do not eat before, but do so immediately after. My diet varies, but I eat/need quality protein (eggs, meat, yougert) and add some carbs--sometimes cereal or sometimes just toast. I really cannot skip breakfast--I feel sick; but depending on what I am doing the timing varies. I no longer drink coffee and rarely take soda or chocolate--so I don''t get a lot of added caffine in my diet either.
Do you have a theory about diet and insomnia?

cheers--Sharon

 

[canuk-gal]

Date: 3/16/2009 1:20:34 PM
Author: vespergirl

Date: 3/16/2009 10:01:55 AM
Author: canuk-gal

Date: 3/16/2009 9:10:13 AM
Author: vespergirl
Yes, but I have only found one brand that I like - it can be found at Whole Foods (and probably online) - it''s called Night Rest with Melatonin by Source Naturals. It costs $10 for a bottle with 50 pills. It has 5 mg melatonin and an herbal blend, and it works extremely well. I''ve tried several other brands of melatonin that did nothing for me. In fact, I think that this particular brand works so well for me that I have been able to stop taking Ambien. Now I maybe only use the Ambien about once a week, whereas before I needed it every night.

HI:

I hope this is the case for me. Did you have any withdrawal from the Ambien? Did you just switch from one tab to the other, one night?

cheers--Sharon

Yes - if I take Ambien for more than one night at a time, I become dependent on it to fall asleep. It was OK when I used to go to another doctor who gave me as many as I wanted, but I moved & switched doctors, and my new dr. really didn''t want me taking it every night. It took about a week of not being able to fall asleep until I was weaned from the Ambien. I was trying melatonin, but the brand I got at Costco wasn''t doing anything.

Then I spoke to one of my friends who recommended the Night Rest pills from Whole Foods (melatonin & herbal blend), and it''s made a world of difference. Now I rarely take Ambien - usually only about once a week (if that) instead of nightly.

Melatonin is not Ambien (for instance, if I have coffee before bed, melatonin won''t cut it) but I really prefer taking it to the Ambien, where I would start stressing out if I only had a few pills left. It''s awful to be so dependent on something for sleep. The melatonin really works without the dependency issues - I recommend it.

HI:

Thanks for the tips. I''ll try next week when I can afford to be "tired"!

cheers--Sharon