Sleeping aids

[Blackbird]

I'm having trouble falling asleep since my trauma recovery started. I have tapered off my benzos in the past, but recently went back on them only to help me fall asleep. One pill makes me fall asleep, but I don't want to rely on benzos since they're very addictive.

I read online that melatonin is good, anyone has any experience with it? I only have an appointment with my psychiatrist in July, I can't wait until then, this is really bothering me.

My old psychiatrist prescribed me Zolpidem, but I didn't like the sleep I had on it, seemed fake and troubled so I didn't take it.

Any advice is welcomed.
Thanks guys.

[sorrygirl]

I hear you, I'm in the same boat. Melatonin didn't work for me but works for my friend 

I tried a few months ago to take magnesium pills at night with some valerian and after 2 weeks it helped a lot.

[Three Roses]

I've used melatonin before and would again. I take half the dosage tho, to reduce the morning grogginess. Also it makes my dreams more vivid but not in a disturbing way, although for some this is an unpleasant side effect. Good luck! 

[Elphanigh]

I tried melatonin, and unlike Three Roses I had my dreams worsen a lot if I took it more often. Thank being said everyone is different and it is certainly worth a try in your case.

When you see your Psych (this is advice only don't take my word for it), you might talk about Prazosin. I have been taking it when my dreams get bad and it has been the first thing to truly help. I have to take a half dose because of grogginess but that is unusual in most people.

[Candid]

I just heard today that if you eat two kiwifruit before going to bed, you'll sleep like a baby. I didn't believe it, but there you are.

When I turn out the light I become aware of the screaming in my head (tinnitus). It's there all day but gets really bad when I want to switch off, like a great clanging alarm. Some nights I truly believe nothing short of a house brick to the forehead would overcome the diabolical thoughts I have...

[Blackbird]

Thanks for all the suggestions, guys. I did buy the melatonin and will reduce my benzo dose tonight and try it.

[Blackbird]

Well, I tried the melatonin with a smaller dose of my benzo. In 10 minutes I was asleep  Had two vivid dreams, but not nightmares, nothing out of the ordinary for me. Not sure if it was because of the melatonin or my dear self.

[sanmagic7]

i'm glad you brought this up.  i'm going to look for melatonin, see if it helps.  that would be great.  in the meantime, i do have magnesium, but have never taken it before bed, just as a general supplement.  we'll see if anything happens.  thanks for all the suggestions.

[Bee123]

I tried ambien (prescribed), melatonin, and over the counter sleeping aid, but nothing worked...until I found a generic night time cough syrup I found at a supermarket that works like magic to me. My juicy juice 

[Blackbird]

Ehehe

[silentrhino]

ambien to me is like poison, it works great for sleep but I am half asleep the next day or two with blackouts and memory lapses for sure.  If I've gone more than two weeks without sleeping more than three hours I'll take one in order to catch up but I really limit it  don't get me started on the ambien nightmares, intense.
I've tried magnesium, valerian and melatonin to no effect.  Once in a while I make a valerian chamomile tea combo and that helps a tiny bit. 
A small dose of xanax helps, however what helps the most is feeling genuinely relaxed through working through my multitude issues in talk therapy, feeling safe at times is the best sleep aid. also being genuinely physically tired, not just emotionally stressed out and feeling like crap.

[Dee]

I take trazadone to help me fall asleep.  I also take clonadine to help with nightmares and I get better rest on it.  Every once in awhile I think I am fine and don't take anything and then I appreciate my meds so much more.

[sanmagic7]

i took melatonin last night with my full dose of benzo.  i slept nearly all afternoon.  i don't know if it was because of what i took or because i was exhausted from all the doc stuff yesterday.  i'm going to use it again tonite, but with 1/2 the benzo, see what happens.  no dreams at all.  so much of this stuff is experimental.  i'd like to get off the benzos cuz of my liver (i'm worried that it's already been damaged due to lots of meds).  plus, i've been taking this stuff for 20 yrs.  don't know what that's done to my brain, either.

i know that i'm physically addicted to them, but not psychologically, so i'm not worried about that.  it's always possible to slowly wean off them.  we'll see what happens tonite and tomorrow. 

[texannurse]

I too have been on benzos for over 10 years and tried other options. I'm on a new one (10 days) and can't stand it. It's called Belsomra (in the US) and i'm having horrible vivid dreams - not nightmares exactly - but disconcerting. And I'm waking up every 2 hours all night. No wonder I'm not in a good place emotionally today.  I called my psych today to let her know.

I think it's just a really tricky thing to find the right med - at least from my perspective.

Texannurse