Does Anyone Out There Have Trouble Sleeping at Night?

I had a terrible time on Lunesta... couldn't sleep and had a very bad taste in my mouth. Also, have heard people can wake up with BAD sleepwalking experiences, like wake up driving their car. I am currently on a low dose of trazadone, which will certainly knock you out, but will leave you groggy until you get used to it. Some natural options (esp if breast feeding) are calms forte, a homeopathic remedy, quietude (same) and GABA, a supplement. Try these first. Valerian or Kava Kava are also supplements that people find useful. Good luck! Sometimes, when all else fails, hot milk with nutmeg and honey are just what the doctor orders!!!

Hi,
I've had trouble at various times and I am a proponent of more natural approaches. There are lots of things you need to know about sleep like: In order to make melatonin your sleeping area needs to be dark, not dark with night lights, or equipment lights etc..but dark. If you wake in the night and your eyes pick up light, then your body stops making melatonin and a vicious cycle ensues. If you have babies, obviously you have to do the best you can. You can take melatonin to help in times of poor sleep. You can also take MAGNESIUM, I recommend a product called Natural Calm,(cheapest at Vitacost.com) it is a powder you place in warm water or juice etc. I put a Tblspn, or 650 mg in my at night about 30 minutes before bed. Your whole body needs magnesium and it is very helpful in relaxation, heart beat regulation etc. You can take 5HTP, a percursor to needed sleep hormones. You can take Valerian, a smelly but very useful herb relaxant (works well on cycle cramping too and is useful for anxiety) You can take all of these together (we found out when my daughter had sleep problems and doctor who specialized in sleep and pain problems filled us in) B6 is particulary calming and can help with depression and improved sleep.

Now especially for young women with post partum blues or babies and sleep trouble,.. it is highly likely you have more than one reason for sleep trouble, but progesterone deficiency is very likely, if you know someone with post partum blues, be sure they get to someone like Dr. Sakina Davis in the Woodlands TX area who can prescribe bio identical progesterone and not the pharmaceutical stuff. You can also try an over the counter cream. Progesterone cream, should you use to much can make you a bit sleepy. Lots of women have progesterone imbalances and can benefit from trying a run of the cream. It helps anxiety, palpitations, sleep issues, PMS, all sorts of things. It can help you teenage daughters with terrible cramps and headaches as well.....
You can also have messed up cortisol levels...too low in the morning, too high in the evening and therefore you can't sleep, you can get tested for that as well, but I don't recommend the standard test for one time in the day...you need an all day long test.. again someone like Dr. Davis can help you there, you can order a saliva test online about 100.00 dollars. Cortisol regulation is imperative to handling stress, and sleeping... and tons of women have problems with it especially after they've been pregnant, but it those without kids can be affected as well.

Thyroid is another issue that affects lots of women and goes undiagnosed. Most doctors look at a test called TSH, it can show problems, but it is NOT definitive. There are doctors who are looking at the bigger picture, like how you feel, and whether you are sleeping, gaining weight, having pain and all sorts of other things as a barometer of poss Thyroid trouble.. I know Dr. Davis in the Woodlands will check T3 T4, Free T3 Free T4, Thyroid antibodies and other things that most MD's are not checking. It can change your life and Dr. Davis does not charge an arm and a leg to see you. New patient fee applies, I think it runs $55.00.

If you have trouble with magnesium (it can give you loose bowels past a certain level) there are alternatives, like epsom salts in your bath...read up on this and learn about it, and you can buy magnesium oil online, it is absorbed through the skin, so it bypasses your intestines and you have no bowel problems.

Remember not to drink too much before bed, take a hot bath.. use the scent of ylang ylang on your pillow, that scent helps you sleep.

Perimenopausal women can use the Progesterone big time for sleeping.

Hope this give you some other options...

Yes - only for about 30 yrs. I have tried all the prescription sleep aids. I have been using Valerian (a natural substance) and take 4 or 5 each night. I started with 2 per night about 2 yrs ago.

I'm a 77 yr old great grandmother, raised 7 daughters and have lots to keep me from sleeping....

I've become the girl that never sleeps! I can't get to sleep, and when I do I sometimes wake up at 2am... then I'm up for the day. It was really starting to wear on me and it also drags my immune system down and I keep getting sick. So, I decided to go to my doctor and beg for pills. I thought that I would share this with everyone because what I learned is very interesting.

My doctor said that my serotonin levels are low (odd to me because I'm always so upbeat and happy) and my brain needs to produce more serotonin. She would not prescribe the typical sleeping pill because she said that it is a serotonin level with me. This would just mask a real cure and I would get addicted to sleeping pills. So, she prescribed a prescription vitamin that has the highest levels. And, I am to take tryptophan and B100 every night as well. She gave me a non-habit forming sleeping pill to take in a few weeks if I don’t notice a difference. I took the tryptophan last night and I slept through the entire night. She said that what I’m experiencing is very common with pregnancy. This started during my pregnancy. I thought that it was just because I was uncomfortable. Then, it continued after my son was born. He is 11 months now. I thought that it was because I was waking up all the time with a baby. My mom said that she went through the same thing after my sister was born and took tryptophan as well. I’m so relieved to know that there is a reason for this and that it is fixable. I never sleep and I’m just so tired. I’m also glad that my doctor won’t prescribe something to just take care of the problem “for now”. I’m interested in fixing this long term. She said that it would take about 2-4 weeks to build up my serotonin levels and that I will also have more energy. Woo hoo! I’ll take that any day!

So, if you can't sleep... you may want to try what my doctor has suggested. The tryptophan and B100 are over the counter things.

Yes, I take Lunesta quite frequently and the only adverse effectst that I have notices is a bad taste in my mouth when I wake up. I don't wake up feeling groggy. There is another more natural product that I take everynight and works most of the time. I purchase it online at webvitamins.com and it is called tranquill sleep by Natural Factors. This is all natural and I feel better about taking it everyday. Hope this helps.Here is a link...http://www.webvitamins.com/product.aspx?id=25408

I have tried Lunesta, Rozerem and the other one (can't remember what it is called". Nothing works for me. I hope you find some relief. I read the other poster who uses benedryl. I have tried it but have an allergic reaction to it and it puts me in hyper mode. I hope you find something that works. Not sleeping is miserable. Take it from a chronic insomniac. I am the only person I know that has been kicked out of 3 sleep studies for not sleeping. lol

Yes I have tried Lunesta and it works for me. Now my daughter has tried that SleepMD and it seems to work ok for her.

I took Lunesta, I thought something was wrong with my teeth, actually went to the dentist. I had a strong metal taste in my mouth that would not go away. Come to find out, it was the Lunesta.
Although, several of my friends take it with no problem.
Gucci

hello there! Yes, i have just started having trouble with sleeping and find myself up in the middle of the night for hours. What started happening is I was so stressed about it, it started affecting the my ability to fall asleep. I talked to my doctor who prescribed an ambien type sleeping aid (generic). The problem was, the dose was 10mg, which for me was way too much. I cut the pill in 1/4's and it really helped. it got me over the hump and now most nights i can sleep on my own. Good luck. (I'm 48...some of the problem might of been hormonal and at the same time was very stressed. Hope this helps. you are not alone.)

I take Benadryl as well. It is non addictive and mild. And I don't feel groggy in the morning. Works great if you don't have severe problems sleeping.

For natural (durg free) help with sleeping try Meletonin. It in not habit forming and has no side effects like OTC medicines. Also try a gentle yoga practice. The breathing exercises really helped me. I use to Never sleep when my kids were small and now with a regular yoga practice I sleep like a baby (no pun intended).
I teach yoga at Main Street Gym in Midlothian if you are interested. www.geocities.com/____@____.com
D.
Mom of 10 yr. old son & 8 yr. old daughter

Hi R.
I wanted to let you know I use Lunesta.....I am 36, 2 kids who are 8 & 9, married 12 yrs.
Life is wonderful....except sleeping....I finally went to my doctor about a year ago and got on lunesta.....before that, I had no memory of a full night sleep---aweful----
But now I do!!!! Try it!!!
Good luck
E.

i dontknow but my husband can't sleep well either so i hope there are some responses

Hi, my name is Rose and yes I have trouble sleeping and have tried lunesta,I slept good with it, I didn't like the fact that with me it left taste in my mouth the following day.I hope it works for you.

Yes, I do and I take Melotonin. I get mine from Whole Foods and very inexpensive. I drift off in about 30 minutes and it's all natural. I love it!

I work a deep night shift 3 nights a week so that I do not have day care, I often can not sleep at night, I normally take 1/2 Advil PM if I am having trouble sleeping or if I know that I slept too much during the day ie because I worked the night before then I play.

A couple of things that I do if I can not sleep is SCRAPBOOK! and cook. I love to scrapbook and my husband has set up the extra room as my scraproom with everything that I need to stay entertained while the family is sleeping. This also means that I am not cleaning in the middle of the night anymore :-)

I also love cooking and putting meals in the freezer for the next 30 days. I get a ton of help from Homemade Gourmet and www.30daygourmet.com Considering that I work nights 3 days a week my husband can pull a meal out of the freezer and put it in the oven with no fuss and be able to eat a normal meal most days of the week.

While these may not work for you it might give you some ideas. My daughter is used to me working nights and she is 11 so if I need to sleep during the day for a couple of hours I can. When Kaela was small she was in day care 3 days a week.

Hope this helps.

Jenny
www.myscraproom.net
for ideas

I am not sure of your age, but as others have advised, before you get dependent on a pill you need to look at other issues. Your sleep disturbance could be hormonal, a thyroid condition, or some other physical problem. A trip to the doctor is in order if you have not had blood work done in a while to check these issues. In the meantime, take a good look at the stressors in your life and find pro active ways to put them in perspective, list them and then on the ones you can do something about make a plan, the ones you can't do anything about but worry - let them go, they are what they are for the time being. Get exercise daily - even if it is just a 30 minute walk, I find yoga class a great benefit over the years, it has taught me alot about my body and about being in tune with my mind and physical interactions. A bedtime ritual is important, different people I know do different things. We no longer have a t.v. or computer in the bedroom, I don't eat anything after about 7:30 pm,I have a hot cup of decaf green tea, I pray/meditate, journal the day, make a plan for the next day, put on lavender body cream, (aroma therapy works!), and I read for 30 minutes, something positive, the point is to do things through out the day that are soothing -- take a time out several times a day and focus on you - relax - but taking pills, relying on alcohol or pot (some people do even other the counter things can be detrimental long term),is to hide from learning to master one's self - to learn really powerful habits to conquer life's situations. Good luck - and take the steps to discover you! happy sleeptime! Sher

There are lots of options out there-others are Sonata-this one is good if you just have trouble falling asleep. It also has a short half life, so if you happen to wake at night and can't fall asleep again, you can take another one.

Some people use Benadryl, which is the active ingredient in the OTC sleep aids.

I also used Lunesta-I did have the taste in my mouth, but it just helped me to remember to drink more water :)

Now I take Trazadone (sp.?)-it has worked the best for me.

I"m also getting ready to schedule a sleep study. You might consider getting evaluated for one before doing any meds-there may be underlying issues keeping you from sleeping

HTH. Blessings~

Yes, I have had insomia for about 18 years and I have tried every pill there is including Lunesta! The only side effect that I noticed with Lunesta was when you wake up in the morning, You have like a metalllic taste in your mouth and I was told by the Pharmacist that this was one of the side effects. I am now taking Temazapin 15 mg! It takes me an hour after I take the pill to fall asleep and when I wake up between 4 to sometimes 5 hours of sleep, I cannot go back to sleep. I feel like I' m wired up!!! But later, I have no energy and I feel tired alot! I also tried over the counter called Simply Sleep and it did work for awhile but now it does not work!! I wish that there was something out there that can make me sleep at least 7 to 8 hours!!!! If you know of something else, Please Advise. Thank you. G.

I do, so I try a couple of different things, such as praying, which always seems to calm my nerves or reading a boring book. If that does not work, try taking tylenol pm, it is not addictive like medication, just be sure you have a minumum of 7 to 8 hours to sleep or you will feel groggy in the am.

Hey R.,
When I can't sleep I pray and thank God for every blessing I can think of. I don't pray about anything else just thanking him for everything he has given me, anything from my husband and kids to my shoes... It gets your mind off of anything hectic or bad going on and puts it on all the things you are thankful for. Counting my blessings, it never fails, I drift right off.

I really feel you. I found that I can't drink any cafiene, not even tea after 4pm. Camomile tea helps too. As well as a hot bath. Winding down at least an hour before turning out the light. Meditating, stretching, but not exercising. Exercising too soon before bed can make it hard to sleep as well. I used to take medication for sleep, but had to go off it when I had my daughter. Since then it has been challenging, to say the least, to help my mind and body to settle down. But it is possible. Hope some of this helps. If you come across any other helpful info on sleep, please post.

Before you try Lunesta, try Mellitonin, which you can by at a health food store. Also, Benedryl which is an over the counter antihistimine. Two pills should do it.

No I have never used Lunesta but at times I have struggled with insomnia. My advice to you is to try a product called Melatonin. We all produce Melatonin in our bodies. If you put a little more into your body before bedtime you will doze off faster. You can purchase this at any type of grocery or retail store. BIG HINT: Make sure you get at least 5mg or even 6mg. Any less will do nothing for you. Hope this works for you. It has really helped myself, my husband and even my 12 year old at various times.
A LITTLE ABOUT ME. I am a Mom of three, 12, 10, 8 and a guardian of a foreign student, 17 who lives in our family to attend American Schools. On the go alot with transporting of kids to Private Christian School. Have a great and blessed day!

i do! benedryl is something my sister told me to take (she's a pharmacist) b/c it has the same stuff in it as Tylenol PM, minus the pain reliever. however, i feel that i am too young to start depending on drugs for my sleep. i find that when i read 20+ minutes right before i go to sleep, my mind is clear from the tressors of my day and i have an awesome night sleep, otherwise i let my mind race about nonsense all night. good luck!

oh boy have i had trouble sleeping at night. with my second child, i literally stayed up, waiting for her to wake up so i could feed her. COULD NOT SLEEP. had post partum depression... but before then, and after then, i have had trouble sleeping, due to a pretty high level of anxiety. ambien no longer works for me, and lunesta did not either. i am not a pill pusher, but you really ought to consider seeing a psychiatrist, to tell if your sleeping has to do with deeper issues, and possible chemical imbalances in the brain. do not feel like a failure if you need medicine to help you out. sleep is soooo important. as we all know there are natural methods, a calming nightime routine, get your exercise, chamomile tea... but when you have kids, you can't just do whatever you feel like doing, right? their schedules come first. yes, i definitely would say to see a doctor, and not just any doctor, but get an excellent recommendation. if you live in houston, i have the person for you, just write me back, ok? good luck-

I suffer from insomnia, anxiety, and bad nightmares. My doctor put me on Restoril. Some nights I still have a little trouble going to sleep, but I just get up and do something (like play on the computer) until I am sleepy - it usually takes 30-60 min to kick in. But - once I'm asleep I stay asleep, and the bad nightmares are gone. I've been taking it about 6 months now and have had no side effects from it. No trouble getting up in the morning either. I would recommend it if your doctor thinks its the right fit for you.

I occasionally have a hard time falling asleep. There is an over the counter sleep aid called Melatonin. It is available in several different mgs. and it helps me when I can't sleep.
I don't feel groggy when I wake up the next day. You might want to give it a try.

I didn't read other responses if you've gotten any but I have trouble sleeping often and I've done all these things - they all work on me temporarily (but that's everything with my body - nothing works consistently on me)...Tylenol pm, Melatonin is a herbal thing that gets your body on track, Lunesta is much better than Ambien!! Ambien made me and others I've talked to either dizzy, tired the next day or nauseated! Also, what's working for me lately is WalMarts version of Unisom - it's a small blue pill, not the gel looking one. It's like 4.68 a box and I'm not tired the next morning and usually sleep all night (depending on how loud the snoring next to me is!!) Hope that helps....
Oh yeah, one more thing I don't know if anyone else mentioned...and it sounds bad, but hey, it works - get a King James Version of the Bible and find one of the Old Testament books that has some of the more boring parts - you should get really tired pretty quickly! Unless you enjoy reading Thee's and Thou's and Begats... btw, I enjoy reading a Bible I can understand - if you want to read one just to read, a different version is usually more enjoyable! :0)

First, what time is it happening? What are your habbits before bedtime? Do you drink a lot of caffeine? Have you had any life changing events or are you about to? There are many things that effect our sleep. I know that sometime after kids things were not right for me. I was unable to sleep and became dependent on a sleep aid. I would suggest first trying to get to the root cause before jumping on the med wagon. It is easier to do that but can take a long time to get out of and your body feels like crud for taking it. I have never tried Lunesta but I can't imagine there aren't some side effecs that will effect you in the long run. It is always a good idea to examine what is going on in your life before you jump into something.

I have tried Lunesta, and the taste that you get in your mouth for the next 24 hours is horrible. I personally like ambien or ambien cr

Hi R.,

I have tried Valerian Root, but you have to be careful with it. I found that it didn't help me get to sleep, it helped me to stay asleep. That being said, I had an extremely hard time waking up when I used it.

My doctors have recommended Unisom. It's supposed to be non habit forming and safe.

Tea is also very good, if you like it. It helps to relax you.

Good luck!

I haven't tried lunesta, but I have taken ambien and it's wonderful. For the best natural night's sleep, get exercise during the day (especially outside when you can), don't eat a heavy dinner, have a glass of wine (if you indulge) early in the evening but limit your alcohol comsumption to that one glass. If you just can't sleep at night and are tossing and turning, get up and read a good book or do some house cleaning. Staying in bed when you can't sleep is not good. If you have been having a lot of trouble sleeping and you don't have ambien or lunesta, take 2 tylenol pm as soon as you are ready for bed. Hope this helps. L. W

I have never tred Lunesta but, have tried ambien. Well, I was just recently taken off of my migrnae medicine and now I can't sleep at night. So what I do is clean my house. I find it better to do at night whle the children are sleeping. Sometimes, I just do mommy time where I spend time just doing what I like to do.
HAve you tried a warm bath, or just relaxing. Sometimes, I can't sleep at all.

Sometimes...
Exercise is a great way to relax as well as reading.
I would recommend something positive. Television is the worst thing to watch if you can't sleep. It seems to just keep you up and up and up!

Yes, I haven't slept since 1999 without medication - Prolonged, Chronic Insomnia. I've been put on a variety of medications. The best thing I've tried is Ambien CR. I hate Lunesta, it gives you a bad taste in your mouth. Whenever you eat, everything tastes like dirt.

I've been thruogh that and before taking a pill I have some home tricks you might want to try, they've worked for me. Before going to bed, go outside and deep breath 7 times, drink a glass of warm milk and leave one of the room's windows slightly open.

I used Lunesta every night for nearly 6 months a couple of years ago and never had the bad taste in my mouth or any of the other side effects some have experienced. For me, it was a wonder drug! They tried Ambien, Ambien CR, and 2-3 other drugs first and none worked for me at the time. I had memory issues with Ambien - it was like I was drunk or something. I also use Simply Sleep from Tylenol or Tylenol PM if I also have a headache or some aches and pains. Additionally, I'm a big believer in the brain dump and brain diversion before bedtime. I "dump" (write) everything on my mind on a piece of paper and let God worry about it during the night. I also do crosswords or read something like Guideposts to get my mind off of my troubles and onto something neutral. Best of luck to you - sleep is vitally important! Make sure you get whatever help you need to get back to sleeping!!

Sometimes when I have trouble sleeping, I drink a cup (or 2) of Celestial Seasonings: Sleepytime Tea Or Sleepytime "Extra" Tea. You can find it in the tea isle at your grocery store.
In a health food store or vitamin section, I would also reccomend the herbal supplement "Valerian Root". It's worked wonders for me...very relaxing.
Check out this link for more info on Valerian: http://www.bulkherbstore.com/VRC?s=valerian
These are great alternatives to try before taking the medicated route!

I took Lunesta on and off while my husband was in Iraq. I liked it better than others on the market because it was not habit forming and I did not feel groggy when I woke up. I had no side effects, but a friend of mine said that it left a metallic taste in their mouth. Before I tried Lunesta though, I would try the over the counter melatonin, its found in plants and is what causes flowers to close at night. It's natural and helps restore sleep patterns. It's cheap and can be found at any drug store or walmart in the suppliment section. Hope this helps, Sweet Dreams.

HI R.,

Seriously, I started taking Reliv nutritional product 4 months ago and I not only sleep great but feel great. I have no troubles falling asleep and I wake up, take my product and feel energized immediately! Please e-mail me at lorik442sbcglobl.net and I will be happy to send you some information!

Thank you and have a great day!

L. Kornely

Me and my husband used to have trouble getting to sleep and when we got to sleep it wasn't restful. I went to a chiropractor for back problems and she old me the my beack was twisted like a twizzler. after three monthes of treatment I was sleeping like a baby. She told me miss alignment othe spine can cause all kinds of little problems that there are drugs for, like constipation, headaches, sleeping problems,stomach problems, restless legs. It's worth a try and it's more long term than taking pills.
K.

Hi R.,

I haven't slept for years, oh, I do a couple hours then up again. I have only tried over the counter sleep aids and they don't work very well. What I have found to do is gonna make you laugh. Eat a handful of walnuts before bed. It's surprising how they have worked for me. No side effects, either. Hope it works for you.

L.

I had trouble getting my mind to stop thinking of everything and I found out my adrenal glands were weak. I take Nature's Sunshine Products and am a distributor for the best tasting health drink called Original Limu.
www.discoverlimu.com/jcarden.
J.

get a new mattress. you would be suprised! also try exercizing.

Hi R.,

I couldn't sleep very well for two monthes and i was getting very sick. My doc gave me 10 mg of doxepin hcl which is an anti anxiety/anti depressant but i only need to take it at night. I also can take it if i need so i dont have to take it every night. You have to drink lots of water with it though because it can tend to cause constipation.

When my brain is racing in the evening and I KNOW I won't be able to sleep, I take Benedryl. I have horrible allergies anyhow, but for some reason one Benedryl knocks me out and gives me a great night's sleep. I don't think it is addictive and it works for me. Plus, I think it is safe since I only need it about once a week or so.

You may want to try some magnesium. Not sure where you are located, but I would visit a reputable health store in your area (Healthy Approach, Sunflower Shoppe) and talk to them. Anytime I have a health issue I visit my local store and try what they recommend first before using medication and so far we have had much success a more natural way. Good luck!

I tried Lunesta and I now refer to it as Lu-nasty....I had a horrible taste in my mouth the whole next day. But it did put me to sleep. I was happier with Ambien CR although I still would wake-up after like 3 hours. But I found that if I took it for 3 days in a row, I got a whole night's sleep on the 4th day. I haven't taken either in a while...I turn down the lights and read a book for an hour or so and I am able to relax enough to fall asleep. I still don't sleep the whole night...but I will grab my book if I am really awake in the middle of the night and read until I can go to sleep. I just keep a pen light next to my bed so I don't have to turn on the light and bother my husband.

Hi R.,
I am a night owl and have a really hard time sleeping. However, I am allergic to almost all medication and usually work myself into a panic attack when I take anything that makes me sleepy. I have found that reading before bed really helps. Also, there is a tea called Yogi tea and they make a tea specifically to help you sleep. It is awesome. Also stretching before bed releases endorphins which help you to relax.

Used to! Don't know your age or circumstances, but I'd get my hormone level checked. Also, depression could be the enemy.

Good Luck!

PST

One of the first signs of dehydration is difficulty sleeping. Rather than try medicine, become very diligent about getting 90 oz. of water daily. Avoid caffeine after the noon. Keep a big glass of water by your bed, if you wake up take another drink. Small doses of melatonin can also help, and a little natural sunlight every day. K.

Every now and then I can't sleep. I think it is hormonal. I take a 1/2 a Lunesta and it really helps. Or sometimes I fall asleep and wake up at 1am and take 1/2 a Lunesta at that time. Other sleep aides gave me headaches.
Also, when I have trouble sleeping I cut back on coffee and exercise more.
Hope this helps!
Good luck!
E.

My dad and step mom both take lunesta and like it alot. My dad has also taken the herbal supplement melatonin at bedtime which helps you sleep but is natural and not a prescription.

I know you got a lot of responses, but I wanted to give you my experience. I have kids 2,4, and 6 who often need me in the night so I can't be too doped up... my DR recommended Tylenol PM...it just keeps my mind from going a mile a minute and lets me relax enough to fall asleep...usually I have muscle aches associated with stress...the reason I can't sleep and it helps with that too.

I have had insomia since I was a child. I have tried several things to help: buying a memory foam pillow ($100), finding a bed that was perfect for me (which is very soft), exersice before and hot bath before bed. I then went to sleeping pills (ambien) but didnt like how it made me feel the next day. If I didnt go to bed as soon as I took it I did things I didnt remember the next day. I apparently called people and had conversations and didnt even recall it. I started getting "Stupid" it was just hard to remember clearly.

I found that because i have anxiety that my brain never stops thinking and is hard for me to fall asleep. What works for me is the movie Apollo 13 one of my fav movies that I have seen so many times that I just put it in and close my eyes and my brain replays the movie in my head which stops me from thinking of other things within 15 min I am alseep. Other day's melatonin works great for me it calms me down and helps me relax and fall asleep with no grawgy (sp?) feeling the next day.

Happy ZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzz.........

Yes, I take 1/2 an ambien...and if I don't have that I take a tylenol pm...works pretty good too. I have not tried Lunesta, since ambien works for me.

I have tried Lunesta and it did not work for me, it also leaves a metal after taste in your mouth. I now use Ambien and get eight hours of sleep and feel well rested in the morning. It is addictive, I only take it on those nights I am having alot of trouble going to sleep.

Lunesta did not work for me at all and it had an ugly aftertaste in your mouth and throat all night too. I take Melatonin now for sleep and its natural, a component that our bodies makes at night for sleep process. It really works. I take 2 3mg tablets and that'll do it for me. Some nights I do not have to take anything.

I have taken Tylenol PM for 2 years on the nights I cannot sleep. I do not ever have the "hangover". You will wake up feeling great!

I've had trouble sleeping since birth, so have my kids.
When we lay down our minds start racing. Not really sure what your cause is.
Here is some of my causes & solutions:
Box Fan - works and is still necessary for continious sleeo.
No lights on-now. when I was a kid my sister had convulsions so I got to sleep with her with a light in our faces. From there I picked up the no movement or i'll wake habit.
No outside sound. Turn off all water sources mute the TV. I used to wake up to the neighbors alarm clock across the street(I figured it out when I realized the husband was leaving for work at 3:30am just after I was startled awake.)
Tylenol PM is addictive I've been on it for 16.5 yrs, but only the caplets work well for me.
I've tried Amitriptolen (not sure of the spelling)- made my heart race.
Ambien worked for a while, but slowly wore off.
Trazadone was amazing, but I started having a side affect I didn't like.
I haven't tried Lunesta, without insurance it's expensive.
I now take Flexaril a mild muscle relaxer, and 2 Tylenol PM's. I sleep between 11Pm-6Am. Rarely disturbed.

Good luck

You can actually go to Whole Foods & get natural sleep aids, if you are worried about side affects and such. I have taken the time released Melatonin, as well as they have numerous other vitamins for sleep aids. The people there are super nice they will help you find what you need.
What is great about them if you buy it and it doesn't work you can take it back and get a full refund...Good luck.

Hi R.,
I am 30 years old and I have trouble steeping. My boyfriends mom had some lunesta and for me I didn't like it I felt like my heart was going to jump out. I felt dizzy. She has no problem with it. I know all people are different. But, what I do is take 2 sleeping pills take a hot bath and with an hour I am sleepy and I go right to sleep. I don't take them everyday. So some days I lie in bed and watch Tv for about an hour and I go right to sleep.

B.

I take the lowest dose of melatonin and it relaxes me enough to where I can get a good night sleep. The only reason I have it in the house is because my doctor recommended it for my 3 year old who has horrible sleep problems. So, if he thinks it is safe enough for her, than I know it is safe enough for me.

I didn't like it because you start to depend on it and it leaves a bad taste in your mouth. I would suggest trying melatonin that you can buy at the grocery store

I use Melatonin pills and they work great for me. You can find them in the supplement/vitamin aisle in most grocery stores.

Yes! I have not slept completely through the night for the past ten years or so. I always wake up around 2:00 and rarely get back into a good sound sleep afterwards! I've heard that at my age - mid 40's - that it can be a sign of perimenopause, but it can be exhausting. I don't want to take pills because I'm afraid that I won't be able to sleep EVER without popping one every night. If I can't sleep, it helps to read till my eyes get tired...or I just lay there. Let us know if you decide to go for the Lunesta. I'll be interested in hearing how it works for you! Sweet dreams - C.

I did for 8 years...then I was introduced to Simply Sleep by Tylenol. It is great! It's just over the counter, so I would try it before any of the perscriptions. In fact, I only take 1 pill (1/2 the dose)and I am able to wake up with the kids when needed and be able to fall back asleep quickly. I am a much happier person now! Hope you find something that works for you soon.

Hi R.,

With all the press about drug overdoses I would steer away from prescription and most over-the-counter medications which often lead to dependency. I find it best to try a combination of techniques to help get to sleep. First, do not use any electronics before bed including computers or television viewing (especially avoid the news which is usually disturbing these days). Try an aromatherapy diffuser in a relaxing scent such as lavender or vanilla. If you know how to meditate, try that or if you don't know how, learn! If something is weighing on your mind, try writing in a journal before going to bed. Sometimes the act of getting it out helps put things into perspective. Finally, the hormone melatonin can be very helpful to some people and doesn't have side effects. When needed I use 1 mg and my favorite brand is Kirkman tablets (they dissolve in your mouth).
Good luck and good night. ;)

A more natural approach would be highlands "calm forte" found at walmart or any health store or swanson's catalogue. It is all natural with no side effects and does not leave you with that drugged feeling in the morning.

Yes, I do, I have tried Lunesta, it works, it might leave a bad taste in your mouth, sometimes I would wake up with a headache. A good natural thing to try is called Sleepytime Tea, it tastes like spearmint tea, it works. Also watch how much sugar and caffine you have, that will keep you up. Hope this helps.

One thing that helped me sleep better was to put together my To Do List the night before. That way, when I went to bed, I wouldn't have to worry about all the things I had to do the next day. Also, no caffiene after 12 noon. Also, are you exercising? If not, even a short walk a few times a week can make a differrence. Good Luck!

I have been taking Lunesta for quite some time. I have not noticed any side effects. And I do get a good night's sleep, something that I had been missing for years. The only thing with it that you need to get 7 - 8 hours sleep or you will be groggy. Sometimes, I can take 1/2 a pill and that works good too

I took Lunesta a few years ago. I also take Adderall and if you don't know how it works, it can make it very hard to fall asleep. The level of focus it puts in your brain, sometimes I just couldn't stop it. Lunesta was great. Really great. I went through Ambien first and was hooked on it almost instantly- could NOT sleep without it. Lunesta, I was able to take as needed because I didn't need it everyday. Ambien, I HAD TO HAVE. I quit taking it because there isn't a generic for it and my copay for it was $50! I'm now on Restoril and love it maybe even more than Lunesta. If you're looking for cost efficiency, I'd go with the Restoril. If not, Lunesta is awesome. Hope that helps! M.

I have used Lunesta and it worked I just had a bad taste in my mouth the next day. I couldn't handle that because food just didn't taste good after taking it. I believe that is a side affect. You can always try it and see it you may not have that side affect. I did like it better than Ambien. Ambiem makes me loopy! Good luck I how how frustrating it can be not sleeping.

After six years of trouble sleeping I recently started using ear plugs from the drugstore. Now I can't hear the husband snore or the dog pacing all night or the noisy A/C unit cycling off and on. They have changed my life!

I take Lunesta and have had great results. I sleep 7-8 hours and when I was up I don't feel sluggish. I fell like I've gotten a good nights sleep. My doctor did not prescribe it for daily use. I've added in yoga classes 4x a week and have found this helps me sleep better at night so I don't have to take the Lunesta every night.

Yes, I do have trouble sleeping at night and have for years. I have tried Lunesta and have really liked it. I have just recently found out that I have OSA and that has been alot of my problem that and teenagers. Just keep at it and don't let it get to the point that it effects everything you do. Mine did and I have paid a high price for it. Had a sleep study done and then CT scan and they found that there is a medical reason for my problems and was beginning to thing it was all in my head.Good Luck

Try magnesium. It's a natural muscle relaxant. Take with calcium (always good for women) at night with some soy milk or water, whatever and I think it'll improve your sleep! haha Stacy K. beat me to it but it helps really!!

I never had problems sleeping until I started having night sweats, and now my nights have become like a Dr. Pepper advertisement, 10 2 and 4, up and awake. After becoming dangerously sleep deprived, I tried Lunesta and it made me feel like I had a hangover the next day. The butterfly was more like a rhinoceros. But then, I am sensitive to drugs. I think I would try Melatonin from the health food store first.

The worst thing I have found is to lay there and think. It is best to get up, make a hot drink, and read. Sudoku or crossword has to be out, because it stimulates your brain awake.

Good luck! And if it gets worse, well, too bad we're not neighbors. We could play gin rummy until someone passed out.

Look into Melatonin. Does wonders for some people. You can pick it up for $5 at GNC. Good luck!

Tylenol PM works great and doesn't leave you feeling groggy in the morning. It also helps with aches and pains!