What do YOU do when you can''t sleep...?

[purrfectpear]

The UCC could put anyone to sleep...LOL, Harriet.

I turn on the TV and tune to Gem Shopping Network. I nap until Kurt starts screaming "I shouldn''t do it, I don''t want to do it, but I will do it"

 

[Tuckins1]

I have horrible sleep patterns.... So I drug myself to go to sleep! Ny-quil, benandryl, tylenol pm... Whatever works.

 

[Bia]

play 'brickbreaker' on my blackberry

That usually does the trick

Unless I make it to level 13 and die...then I just get pi$$ed

 

[FrekeChild]

My favorite is when I''m going to bed before FI, and he''s studying his statistics stuff. Because then I ask him to read it to me, and I''m out within 5 minutes. Nothing puts me to sleep the way statistics does.

 

[musey]

Date: 3/11/2009 6:11:17 PM
Author: Tuckins1
I have horrible sleep patterns.... So I drug myself to go to sleep! Ny-quil, benandryl, tylenol pm... Whatever works.

I went through a tylenol PM phase a few years ago. I'd break off half to help me fall asleep, probably 3 nights out of the week. I did that for almost a month, I think.

 

[packrat]

Is the Tylenol PM habit forming? I''ve had horrible sleep patterns for years. I tried Melatonin and I think the other was Valerian..Valerian Root or something..I can''t remember now. When I started working for Dr 4 1/2 years ago I didn''t really like it b/c the women were (are) so back-stabby, and I started taking Simply Sleep..I think it''s basically Benadryl. I''d take it about an hour before I was going to bed and it worked pretty good. Once I got used to it there, I didn''t need it. Last year I cut back to 1 day a week there and started working 2 days a week for an insurance agency and that''s been stressing me out. I''m an anxious/worrier type to begin with, and then it seems like the slightest bit of job stress takes it''s toll on me. I''m giving them notice tomorrow that I''m looking for a different job, so I can about imagine how much sleep I''ll not be getting tonight!

I had no idea there were so many people with sleep issues!

 

[LtlFirecracker]

Tylenol PM is just tylenol with Benadryl, nothing special about it. NyQuil has Benadryl in it too. Just a marketing gimmick. They use the generic name of Benadryl on the ingrdrents, which no one knows.

 

[AmberGretchen]

Cuddle on of my cats

if that doesn''t work, get up and go read a book

 

[packrat]

Date: 3/11/2009 7:47:12 PM
Author: LtlFirecracker
Tylenol PM is just tylenol with Benadryl, nothing special about it. NyQuil has Benadryl in it too. Just a marketing gimmick. They use the generic name of Benadryl on the ingrdrents, which no one knows.

Ahhh I get it. I might have to check the Tylenol Pm out and give it a whirl.

 

[Harriet]

Date: 3/11/2009 4:27:05 PM
Author: LtlFirecracker
Phoenix,

Sounds like you might metabolize drugs slowly, or you were given too high of a dose and no education about the possible side effects. Yes Ambien is a newer version of the old fashion sleeping pills (valium ect). It has less side effects than the old drugs, but can still cause problems, especially if you overdose on it. It is really for last resort and for short term use. I have only used it twice, and never received more than a few pills with no refills (and I got the lowest dose on the market). And these were for big time things like when my mother died, and when I was having some major work issues. I don''t think blanket statements should be made about any prescription medication. A drug that can cause problems for one person might be the saving grace for another person.

Phoenix,
I think Heath Ledger''s death was not caused by Ambien alone, but by a mixture of meds. That said, I''ve had had hallucinations (I saw two Jon Stewarts!) while on it, as well as what my doc calls "oral perversion" aka nasty taste.

 

[Smurfysmiles]

Date: 3/11/2009 1:01:01 PM
Author: Rock_of_Love
Kava tea seems to relax me. But, I have the problem, too, of getting to sleep then waking up in the night and having a hard time getting back to sleep.

I use kava tea too but I always have weird dreams when I drink it. And I still toss and turn in my sleep so everyday I wake up with sore muscles and it is really irritating because it makes me feel tired for most of the day every day. I definitely stay away from xanax though because it screwed with my sister''s head and it took her forever to get off of it.

I also quit smoking which helped a lot because now I''m not up coughing at night. But still it is really hard for me to fall asleep.

 

[trillionaire]

I drink wine

I''ve also tried Nyquil, but it makes me feel woozy and weird...

 

[chiquitapet]

I would be careful with Ambien (called Stilnox or Zolpidem in Australia). We`ve had quite a few reports of potentially dangerous side effects, such as sleep driving (!!).


http://www.tga.health.gov.au/alerts/stilnox2.htm

"Zolpidem may be associated with potentially dangerous complex sleep-related behaviours which may include sleep walking, sleep driving and other bizarre behaviours. Zolpidem is not to be taken with alcohol. Caution is needed with other CNS depressant drugs. Limit use to four weeks maximum under close medical supervision."

Up to 4 January 2008, 1032 Australian reports of suspected reactions to zolpidem products have been entered into the TGA''s Adverse Reactions database. More than two thirds of these reports (687) have been received in the last twelve months. 394 of the 1032 reports included mention of abnormal sleep related events including sleep-walking, sleep-eating and sleep driving. 103 reports (10% of all reports) included mention of sleep driving.

The very marked increase in reporting followed the publication of the February 2007 Australian Adverse Drug Reactions Bulletin /www.tga.gov.au/adr/aadrb/aadr0702.htm]http://www.tga.gov.au/adr/aadrb/aadr0702.htm[/url]"> which reminded prescribers of an association found between zolpidem and adverse neurological and psychiatric reactions, including changes in behaviour and mental state as well as specific effects such as sleep walking, and undertaking strange and potentially dangerous behaviours while apparently asleep. These effects are not limited to initial doses and can manifest for the first time after periods of apparently uneventful use.

 

[LtlFirecracker]

I remember hearing about that :-0.

I just want to clarify, I don''t think Ambien should be used routinely, but for certain situations, when used correctly (right dose, short burst, not mixed with aolchol or other drugs), it can be helpful. Unless you have some sort of chronic illness with severe pain associated with it, I don''t think sleeping meds should be used long term for insomnia. All the sleep hygiene stuff we have been talking about should be used for that.

I find that Benadryl give me funny dreams :-0, and am not really a fan. But it works great for some people.

 

[CNOS128]

It actually makes me feel better that I have so much company in my insomnia. I generally sleep fine, but every once in awhile I just can''t. Most of the time if it''s been a few sleepless days, I''ll have some nyquil or warm milk, or a glass of wine -- just to help me get started.

My fiance can sleep anytime and anywhere, so it''s extra frustrating when I can''t!! My most effective solution is to get a lot of exercise during the day, so I''m too tired to keep my eyes open!

 

[Harriet]

I''ve read about that report, or a similar one. I''ve also read a report contradicting it, claiming that the subjects had not used Ambien as directed. But, I''m no scientist or doctor.

 

[Bia]

Date: 3/11/2009 10:34:33 PM
Author: TheBigT
It actually makes me feel better that I have so much company in my insomnia. I generally sleep fine, but every once in awhile I just can''t. Most of the time if it''s been a few sleepless days, I''ll have some nyquil or warm milk, or a glass of wine -- just to help me get started.


My fiance can sleep anytime and anywhere, so it''s extra frustrating when I can''t!! My most effective solution is to get a lot of exercise during the day, so I''m too tired to keep my eyes open!

30 Day Shred BigT.

I''ll sleep like a baby tonight thanks to that sadist Jillian.

 

[CNOS128]

Date: 3/11/2009 10:36:51 PM
Author: Bia

Date: 3/11/2009 10:34:33 PM

Author: TheBigT

It actually makes me feel better that I have so much company in my insomnia. I generally sleep fine, but every once in awhile I just can''t. Most of the time if it''s been a few sleepless days, I''ll have some nyquil or warm milk, or a glass of wine -- just to help me get started.



My fiance can sleep anytime and anywhere, so it''s extra frustrating when I can''t!! My most effective solution is to get a lot of exercise during the day, so I''m too tired to keep my eyes open!

30 Day Shred BigT.


I''ll sleep like a baby tonight thanks to that sadist Jillian.

LOL, Bia. You''re so right - Jillian is a tough woman! I''ve been meaning to get back to my shred. Still haven''t lost those 20 lbs.

 

[Loves Vintage]

I do deep breathing, along with progressive muscle relaxation, starting with the muscles that feel the most tension -- my shoulders and upper back. When I exhale, I "feel" my breath go through my tense muscles allowing them to open and allowing me to let go of whatever is keeping them tense. I''m usually asleep in a minute or so.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Get Tylenol Simply Sleep, which is just the diphenhydramine (Benadryl). Otherwise you''ll kill your liver taking Tylenol regularly over time....

I think you can become mentally addicted to anything, even if there aren''t physiological/chemical reasons for it....When I was out of work my sleep schedule got really out of wack. I took a lot of TSS and I''m just now getting back to my normal sleep pattern...

 

[Phoenix]

Date: 3/11/2009 8:51:57 PM
Author: Harriet

Date: 3/11/2009 4:27:05 PM
Author: LtlFirecracker
Phoenix,

Sounds like you might metabolize drugs slowly, or you were given too high of a dose and no education about the possible side effects. Yes Ambien is a newer version of the old fashion sleeping pills (valium ect). It has less side effects than the old drugs, but can still cause problems, especially if you overdose on it. It is really for last resort and for short term use. I have only used it twice, and never received more than a few pills with no refills (and I got the lowest dose on the market). And these were for big time things like when my mother died, and when I was having some major work issues. I don''t think blanket statements should be made about any prescription medication. A drug that can cause problems for one person might be the saving grace for another person.

Phoenix,
I think Heath Ledger''s death was not caused by Ambien alone, but by a mixture of meds. That said, I''ve had had hallucinations (I saw two Jon Stewarts!) while on it, as well as what my doc calls ''oral perversion'' aka nasty taste.

LtFirecracker, you''re right. I should not have made a blanket statement about Ambien. Also, I lost my mom too just under two years ago and have also recently undergone some mjor stressful times in my life, when I couldn''t sleep a wink. However, I only took a small portion of the Ambien (like a third of a tablet each time) and the tablets were 10mg. Do you still consider that "too high of a dose"?

Harriet, all I know is that Ambien was somehow involved and that scares me!

. Plus, I also read the article that chiquitapet quoted plus some other articles. Let''s just say that all this infor combined, together with my problem of shortness of breathe (which I am still experiencing, even several months after giving it up) were enough for me not to ever touch that stuff again!

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Date: 3/11/2009 11:25:15 PM
Author: Phoenix

Date: 3/11/2009 8:51:57 PM

Author: Harriet

Date: 3/11/2009 4:27:05 PM

Author: LtlFirecracker

Phoenix,


Sounds like you might metabolize drugs slowly, or you were given too high of a dose and no education about the possible side effects. Yes Ambien is a newer version of the old fashion sleeping pills (valium ect). It has less side effects than the old drugs, but can still cause problems, especially if you overdose on it. It is really for last resort and for short term use. I have only used it twice, and never received more than a few pills with no refills (and I got the lowest dose on the market). And these were for big time things like when my mother died, and when I was having some major work issues. I don''t think blanket statements should be made about any prescription medication. A drug that can cause problems for one person might be the saving grace for another person.

Phoenix,

I think Heath Ledger''s death was not caused by Ambien alone, but by a mixture of meds. That said, I''ve had had hallucinations (I saw two Jon Stewarts!) while on it, as well as what my doc calls ''oral perversion'' aka nasty taste.

LtFirecracker, you''re right. I should not have made a blanket statement about Ambien. Also, I lost my mom too just under two years ago and have also recently undergone some mjor stressful times in my life, when I couldn''t sleep a wink. However, I only took a small portion of the Ambien (like a third of a tablet each time) and the tablets were 10mg. Do you still consider that ''too high of a dose''?


Harriet, all I know is that Ambien was somehow involved and that scares me!

. Plus, I also read the article that chiquitapet quoted plus some other articles. Let''s just say that all this infor combined, together with my problem of shortness of breathe (which I am still experiencing, even several months after giving it up) were enough for me not to ever touch that stuff again!

I witnessed someone having side effects from Ambien and it was so frightening that I''ve vowed to never take it! I stayed at a friend''s house the night before her daughter''s christening and I was asleep on the couch when I heard her FIL come upstairs from the guest room and start going through the fridge. He came into the living room with an ENTIRE TURKEY CARCASS and proceeded to almost sit down on me. He was sleep walking/eating. My friend woke up the next day to the turkey in the living room (I was too scared to get up after he left) and all of the dishes in the fridge on the counter! LOL it was a trip!

 

[Phoenix]

Date: 3/11/2009 11:28:49 PM
Author: Hudson_Hawk

Date: 3/11/2009 11:25:15 PM
Author: Phoenix

Date: 3/11/2009 8:51:57 PM

Author: Harriet

Date: 3/11/2009 4:27:05 PM

Author: LtlFirecracker

Phoenix,


Sounds like you might metabolize drugs slowly, or you were given too high of a dose and no education about the possible side effects. Yes Ambien is a newer version of the old fashion sleeping pills (valium ect). It has less side effects than the old drugs, but can still cause problems, especially if you overdose on it. It is really for last resort and for short term use. I have only used it twice, and never received more than a few pills with no refills (and I got the lowest dose on the market). And these were for big time things like when my mother died, and when I was having some major work issues. I don''t think blanket statements should be made about any prescription medication. A drug that can cause problems for one person might be the saving grace for another person.

Phoenix,

I think Heath Ledger''s death was not caused by Ambien alone, but by a mixture of meds. That said, I''ve had had hallucinations (I saw two Jon Stewarts!) while on it, as well as what my doc calls ''oral perversion'' aka nasty taste.

LtFirecracker, you''re right. I should not have made a blanket statement about Ambien. Also, I lost my mom too just under two years ago and have also recently undergone some mjor stressful times in my life, when I couldn''t sleep a wink. However, I only took a small portion of the Ambien (like a third of a tablet each time) and the tablets were 10mg. Do you still consider that ''too high of a dose''?


Harriet, all I know is that Ambien was somehow involved and that scares me!

. Plus, I also read the article that chiquitapet quoted plus some other articles. Let''s just say that all this infor combined, together with my problem of shortness of breathe (which I am still experiencing, even several months after giving it up) were enough for me not to ever touch that stuff again!

I witnessed someone having side effects from Ambien and it was so frightening that I''ve vowed to never take it! I stayed at a friend''s house the night before her daughter''s christening and I was asleep on the couch when I heard her FIL come upstairs from the guest room and start going through the fridge. He came into the living room with an ENTIRE TURKEY CARCASS and proceeded to almost sit down on me. He was sleep walking/eating. My friend woke up the next day to the turkey in the living room (I was too scared to get up after he left) and all of the dishes in the fridge on the counter! LOL it was a trip!

HH, that''s freaking scary!!

 

[Harriet]

Date: 3/11/2009 11:25:15 PM
Author: Phoenix

Harriet, all I know is that Ambien was somehow involved and that scares me!

. Plus, I also read the article that chiquitapet quoted plus some other articles. Let''s just say that all this infor combined, together with my problem of shortness of breathe (which I am still experiencing, even several months after giving it up) were enough for me not to ever touch that stuff again!

You know what''s best for yourself!

 

[Gailey]

Date: 3/11/2009 2:33:06 AM
Author: FrekeChild
Post on PS.
Read something of the genre ''Chick Lit''.
Lie in bed and try to not think.
Go in the living room and watch a movie.
Go take a Tylenol PM. This one doesn''t happen that often though.

Oh, it''s late, long day and I''m very tired. I daren''t begin to tell you what I thought your first line item read as Freke, it would get me banned for life!!

But I gotta read the rest of this thread, I need the inspiration. Alphabetically listing all the countries on the African continent and then running through Abba''s greatest hits just isn''t doing for me these days!

 

[Gailey]

Date: 3/11/2009 2:06:29 AM
Author: Harriet
Read the UCC.

What''s the UCC? Does it work?

 

[Gailey]

Date: 3/11/2009 4:36:08 AM
Author: Phoenix
Drink my new tea!

Can I buy it in bulk and will you ship it to Calgary?

 

[Gailey]

OK, I was serious about the countries and the Abba thing, even though it was funny. It has varying degrees of success. Alphabetically going through all the gem species is my current fave.

I''ve taken Zopiclone before now, although my doctor is not happy to prescribe it. Seems it''s in the same family as the Ambien that you are all talking about, so I am strictly saving my stash for the overnight 9 hour flight from Calgary to London in future.

A herbal remedy that has worked really well for me is called Sleep+ This has worked really well for wakeful sleep patterns, although it doesn''t necessarily send me to sleep, it keeps me asleep all night.

I have found over the last 5 years since I started my gardening business that I don''t have the same problems in the summer when I am working, unless my body hurts like hell because I''ve over done it. So I can highly recommend gardening. Bit difficult if you live in an appartment, I''m guessing a window box won''t be quite as effective!

 

[Harriet]

Date: 3/12/2009 12:06:36 AM
Author: Gailey

Date: 3/11/2009 2:06:29 AM
Author: Harriet
Read the UCC.

What''s the UCC? Does it work?

It''s the Uniform Commercial Code, a model contract law system. I threw my copy away, but I''ll bet it''ll work.
Btw, I''m a fan of Abba too, and the BeeGees, and Peter Allen. Good golly!

 

[LtlFirecracker]

Phoenix,

Sounds like ambien is not a good drug for you, or any drug in the benzo class. No that is not too high of a dose, I only used the 5 mg tabs, that puts me to sleep without giving me the kind of problems you are describing. For whatever reason, Ambien and your body are a bad combo. But different drugs react differently with different people''s bodies. I know people who have similar things happen with common drugs like antibiotics, and won''t go near the antibiotic that caused that problem (like amoxicillin). But it works great for other people who don''t have that kind of reaction. No medical treatment is without risk. You use a treatment when the benefits out weigh the risk, and you try to find an alternative when the risks outweigh the benefits. It is hard to know in an individual weather a drug will work with minimal side effects until you try it. Still, if I were you, I would run far away from a drug that caused breathing problems.