Sleep Aid

[Alathar]

I find exercise helps a lot. When it's not winter, I try to run around 5 miles every other day. It gets you really tired and it burns a ton of calories. If your endurance isn't up to that, try to just run at a challenging yet comfortable pace for 30-40 min.

[Blackice]

Since I've started at my new job which I work from 12am-8:30am, I've been forced to sleep during the day and it's not working out all that well. Anyways, I looked into which sleeping pills and such worked so I could actually get some sleep and I've found Nyquil helps knock me out fairly well but you can't use it everyday, so I found Tylenol: Simply Sleep pills work pretty damn well. They are non-habit forming and I actually wake up refreshed after 7 or so hours.

[ono]

Try Melatonin

You can buy it at GNC or probably at any Walgreens or Rite Aid. It helps you fall asleep, not keep you asleep. It has worked for me when I have problems falling asleep.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melatonin

Riding off of this recommendation.

If you try melatonin, some people recommend buying the 1mg pills, then take 2mg the first night, 1mg the next night, 1/2mg the third night, and 1/4mg the fourth and that should get your sleep schedule back on track. You usually want to take it 30 to 60 minutes before you try to go to sleep, and you also want to avoid taking it every night for more than two weeks. Why, I don't know, but I'm sure there is info out there as to why.

[Fhqwghads]

They do sell over the counter medicine, but it's not nearly as effective as stuff your doctor can give you. I've taken Ambien and Lunesta.

Ambien can have some very strange side effects from what many people have reported, and I've personally experienced them, although after taking Ambien for a week or so the side effects stopped. After the medication started to kick in, it was like I was completely oblivious to anything going on around me, and then I'd be asleep before too long. Personally I thought that was kinda nifty. Anyway, not everyone reacts the same. Many have found that they had sleep walked and done things that they couldn't recall. I've heard of a few cases where people even drove places without knowing it. For me, Ambien stopped working effectively, as I'd wake up after 4 hours of sleep.

Lunesta on the other hand, has no alarming side effects like Ambien. However, it does make people experience a horrible taste in their mouths. Some part of the chemical chain causes this, because the pill is swallowed with liquid, not swished around in the mouth or anything crazy. Lunesta seems a lot more mild about coaxing you to sleep than Ambien with its knock-out punch. I also seem to sleep longer on Lunesta than Ambien, and I don't build a resistance to it as fast.

Your doctor can give you a very small prescription so you don't have to worry about your body getting dependant on pills to go to sleep. All I use them for is to knock my sleeping schedule back in line when it gets all out of whack. (Every few months my body decides it's a good idea to sleep for only 4 or less hours, wake me up, and then in about 5 hours wants to go back to sleep... very disruptive cycle to be in.)

[Nirokun!]

i dunno if this works for other people, but it works for me >_>

get really cold (open windows and have no blankets on)

go microwave some applesauce (yes, i said microwave it so its warm to hot)

get a spoon

sit in front of the tv

take the spoon, and dip it into the warm/hot applesauce, and eat that in your cold room while laying down on your bed

i generally dont make it through a tv show or the bowl of applesauce before im out rofl

i dunno why it works >_> but being cold makes me want to curl up in some sheets, and i guess the warm applesauce makes me feel like a baby or something, idk but it works and my eyes get heavy and im just... ready to sleep lol

[Arvin]

Try Melatonin

You can buy it at GNC or probably at any Walgreens or Rite Aid. It helps you fall asleep, not keep you asleep. It has worked for me when I have problems falling asleep.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melatonin

Riding off of this recommendation.

If you try melatonin, some people recommend buying the 1mg pills, then take 2mg the first night, 1mg the next night, 1/2mg the third night, and 1/4mg the fourth and that should get your sleep schedule back on track. You usually want to take it 30 to 60 minutes before you try to go to sleep, and you also want to avoid taking it every night for more than two weeks. Why, I don't know, but I'm sure there is info out there as to why.

I second the melatonin thing. I take one at night when I wanna sleep. It does work in 30-60 minutes. I only usually take it when my sleep schedule gets knocked off course and I can't afford to miss some early classes.

[Huggo]

On those nights when I can't sleep no matter how many hours I lie there closing my eyes, I clear my head. Yeah, pretty much meditation. And you may not always need sleeping pills, just take 1 or 2 anti-hystemeines (sp?) like Benadryl. That knocks me right out. It's like a tranquilizer, feels kinda funny.

[Altanass]

why would you stay up and make your teddy-bear lonely, OP is a big meanie-weanie

[Stilgar]

Wow. All these pills and shit being recommended are a great part of what's wrong with the modern world these days.

Fuck all that.

Exercise is the primary answer, healthy diet and habits being secondary. That means don't stay up 3 hours reading BG or playing an MMO after your body tells you it's time to sleep. Listen to your body, and don't let your mind override what it tells you so often.

I do like Nirokun's advice, though.

[Fhqwghads]

Wow. All these pills and shit being recommended are a great part of what's wrong with the modern world these days.

Fuck all that.

Exercise is the primary answer, healthy diet and habits being secondary. That means don't stay up 3 hours reading BG or playing an MMO after your body tells you it's time to sleep. Listen to your body, and don't let your mind override what it tells you so often.

I do like Nirokun's advice, though.

Even when I was weight training, running every other day for 5 miles, and eating very healthy I still had infrequent issues falling asleep. Don't think that just because something works for you that it works for everyone.

[Kiro]

"You aren't working hard enough if you have trouble going to sleep."

More active lifestyle okgo?

[Stilgar]

Wow. All these pills and shit being recommended are a great part of what's wrong with the modern world these days.

Fuck all that.

Exercise is the primary answer, healthy diet and habits being secondary. That means don't stay up 3 hours reading BG or playing an MMO after your body tells you it's time to sleep. Listen to your body, and don't let your mind override what it tells you so often.

I do like Nirokun's advice, though.

Even when I was weight training, running every other day for 5 miles, and eating very healthy I still had infrequent issues falling asleep. Don't think that just because something works for you that it works for everyone.

You were probably stressed psychologically. If you were lifting, running, and eating well, that's great. I'll wager whatever infrequent difficulties you had would have been worse by an order of magnitude without all that.

No one and nothing is perfect. You will have trouble falling asleep sometimes if you have the body of a Greek god and a mind like Stephen Hawking. This doesn't mean you should rush off to a Rite-Aid for the latest placebo that's all the rage.

[Fhqwghads]

Wow. All these pills and shit being recommended are a great part of what's wrong with the modern world these days.

Fuck all that.

Exercise is the primary answer, healthy diet and habits being secondary. That means don't stay up 3 hours reading BG or playing an MMO after your body tells you it's time to sleep. Listen to your body, and don't let your mind override what it tells you so often.

I do like Nirokun's advice, though.

Even when I was weight training, running every other day for 5 miles, and eating very healthy I still had infrequent issues falling asleep. Don't think that just because something works for you that it works for everyone.

You were probably stressed psychologically. If you were lifting, running, and eating well, that's great. I'll wager whatever infrequent difficulties you had would have been worse by an order of magnitude without all that.

No one and nothing is perfect. You will have trouble falling asleep sometimes if you have the body of a Greek god and a mind like Stephen Hawking. This doesn't mean you should rush off to a Rite-Aid for the latest placebo that's all the rage.

That wasn't the approach I took at all. I tried lots of different things to try to sleep before I went to the doctor. None of them were effective. Sometimes there's situations that, believe it or not, do require medication.

[Lbelle]

Well I lied down to take a 2 hour nap before a class and ended up sleeping like...7 hours or so, so the whole "stay up for 24 hours" thing didn't exactly work.

Also Stilgar (or should I say more Scientologar) I don't mind taking pills to make myself feel better. Yeah, getting more active is probably the key, but I'd rather take a pill/nyquil, and get to bed with some help.

Anyway, thanks for all your help guys.

[Lauzian]

I've been a problem sleeper all my life. Melatonin works great for getting back on a schedule if you can keep one.

One of my biggest problems I have is staying asleep once I finally fall asleep. It's not uncommon for me to wake up 3-4 times a night for no reason. Magnesium works well to keep me asleep, I haven't really noticed any effect on putting me to sleep but it does help me stay asleep. I take 500 mg of Mg about an hour before I go to sleep.

Other things I've tried over the years, removing all light sources including turning the alarm clock around and making it face the wall, or the one that worked really well, get a new mattress. It is very common for people to sleep on a mattress well past its effective comfort life.

[Stilgar]

Scientology? lol

It's called a basic understanding of how the human body works, available at any hospital, university, or public school near you.

@Fquhaads: There are some times when medication is needed. There are vast planes of existence more times when the need is exaggerated. As a general rule of thumb, people's lifestyles will be at the root of any ailments they have such as this, and can be easily remedied without substance use. Even the doctor will tell you to get more exercise and live better, as he hands you a prescription for sugar cubes.

[Damen]

Try Melatonin

You can buy it at GNC or probably at any Walgreens or Rite Aid. It helps you fall asleep, not keep you asleep. It has worked for me when I have problems falling asleep.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melatonin

This is your best bet. This stuff doesn't make you sleepy unless you are laying down imo. So like if you take it and you are surfing the computer you don't really get drowsy, but if you take it and go lay down it definitely seems to make you fall asleep easier. However, it can also cause vivid dreams.

Also the other nice thing is that smaller doses seem to have the same (if not stronger) effect than high doses. If you can find 300MCG tablets(microgram) you can vary your dosage a lot more.

Edit: Melatonin is basically the bodies natural hormone that helps you fall asleep a lot of good info on the wiki page about it. It's also not addicting and has positive side effects such as (somewhat) buffing the immune system. Just make sure you don't get the "Animal Melatonin" and make sure to get the synthetic stuff.

[Nirokun!]

TRY THE APPLESAUCE LBELLE

TURN ON THE AC AND WEAR PRACTICALLY NOTHING SO YOU GET COLD (NO ROOMMATE PLEASE)

EAT THE APPLESAUCE

ITS CHEAPER THAN PILLS AND IT WORKS :Q

(oh yeah, lay in the bed, but dont pull up the sheets til you're ready to go to sleep [use the bathroom beforehand so you dont get the urge when you're in bed])

i think its worth reiterating because APPLESAUCE HAS NO SIDE EFFECTS

[Devek]

I don't mind taking pills to make myself feel better. Yeah, getting more active is probably the key, but I'd rather take a pill/nyquil, and get to bed with some help.

You're gonna make such a great housewife someday, lol.

[Duckroll]

Foods that will supposedly help you sleep.

http://food.yahoo.com/blog/beautyeat...-night-s-sleep