Insomnia! HELP!?

Question

guys i suffer form serious insomnia...like my doc recommanded me to take SOMINEX but i tihnk my body is used to it cause now it doesnt do anything for me...i really prefer natural remedies...any suggestions?FYI: chamomille doesnt do anytihng for me...guys i havent slept in like 2 weeks i really need help and dont suggest me going to a doctor cause i wont

Answer 1

I've been there where I couldn't sleep well for 2 weeks and was ready to murder someone because I felt so irritable.

This requires some changes to your diet, lifestyle and outlook on life. Nothing too major, but it can make you feel so much better and more energized.

DIET:
- Cut out sugar, alchohol and caffeine.
- Don't eat for at least five hours before you go to sleep. Digesting food will wake you up because the liver does not function when you are asleep.
- Wean yourself off of the sleeping pills. They may be interfering with your natural sleep patterns. Besides, they never make you feel really rested, even after you take them.

LIFESTYLE:
- No more computer use for two hours before you go to sleep. The monitor light stimulates your brain.
- Get some moderate exercise each day, preferably in the morning or afternoon. If you exercise late at night, that may keep you up.
- Before going to sleep, mentally go through each part of your body (start from head, eyes, neck, ears, etc. to calf, foot, toes) and relax each body part.

OUTLOOK:
- When you start to think about things, imagine the thoughts are clouds that float away. I heard somewhere that we repeat 95% of the same thoughts today as we did yesterday. With all that repetition, there's no need to rethink things.
- According to Louise Hay, insomnia's psychological component is fear, guilt and not trusting the process of life. She recommends retraining your thought pattern with this mantra: "I lovingly release the day and slip into peaceful sleep, knowing tomorrow will take care of itself". When you can't sleep, have faith that everything will work out so you don't need to worry about it.

OTHER STUFF THAT CAN HELP:
- As mentioned, Valerian root (available in capsules from the health food store) is known to help insomnia. It's recommended to take 1-2 hours before you go to bed.
- Rescue Remedy is a homeopathic tincture that you can also get from the health food store or Whole Foods. Take as directed before you go to bed. Don't consume mint (i.e., toothpaste) or food/drink within 15 minutes of taking it. Rescue Remedy does wonders at helping you to feel calm.

Good luck. I know how you feel and I hope you've reached the point where you're ready to make positive changes in your life to make insomnia a thing of the past.

Answer 2

I feel for you. I recently have had to deal with insomnia too. It started with worrying about other health problems and then it became the problem. I'm no expert but I can tell you what has helped me.

It depends on what the cause of your insomnia is since insomnia is just a symptom of another problem. If it's caused by a serious health problem (such as apnea or restless leg syndrome), then you need to have that taken care of. But for most of us, insomnia is caused by stress. For me, I over-researched stuff and stressed myself out even more by reading horror stories of health problems. The best thing you can do is de-stress yourself. Figure out what is causing you stress and talk or write yourself through it. Pills are only a temporary solution. I don't believe in any of the herbs and other wacky solutions people suggest. I tried them all and they never really did anything. Diet does help and regular exercise has improved my sleep. The biggest thing is just easing your mind, distracting it with positive thoughts instead of focusing on your worries or problems. Prayer always calms me down too. Hope these suggestions help you.

Don't expect perfect sleep. The majority of the world has problems with sleep. Just make the most of what you can get. It will improve with time.

Answer 3

sweetie, you aren't the only one, I have suffered for about 10 years, my mind likes to stay busy untill all hours of the morning, I started off with melatonin , it's in the vitamin section at the walmart, then came the benadryl, in the same section as sominex (which is the same stuff thats in benadryl ,diphenhydramine hydrochloride) is a carton of sleep aids that contains Doxylamine succinate. it will knock you out for sure. they are an antihistimine , so they will dry you up also.
what I take now is 1/3 of an ambien (not all the time) and 3- 25mg benadryl. most other stuff has stopped working for me. I use to eat a peanut butter sandwich and a glass of milk and it would knock me out, but all that fat before bedtime wasn't helping me either. the doxylamine is cheap, about 4 bucks a box.
The ambien will knock you right out, but it's like someone turning a switch off, I took a whole one at first and my cell phone rang the next morning right beside my bed and I didn't hear it, so I scaled that dosage back. you don't want anything from a dr. because it is bad for your body, what do you think all that missed sleep is doing to your body? good luck.......

Answer 4

i've suffered from insomnia for 8 years. whatever you do..do not watch t.v. or get on the computer late at night before going to bed..that will not help you at all. try to eliminate all caffienated drinks. and don't lay around being lazy all day..get up and get active..run, exersice...i would recomend running in the evening or going on a walk in the evening...it will get your body tired. and then when you lay down to sleep..try a few different things..some people like to put some classical slow music on and close there eyes and just relax listening to the music..that however does not work for me...so what i do is before i go to bed in the evening i go walking...then right before i get into bed..i do some pushups and situps..and then i read. exercising gets your body tired so that you will hafta sleep..and reading makes your eyes tired. i lay in the dark completly still with my eyes shut and trying not to think of anything....i'm sorry my answer is sooo long..but i hope this really helps..i fell for you. if nothing helps go to a shrink or something seriusly..they can relax you..the key is getting relaxed and as tired as possible before bed time..good luck and god bless

Answer 5

You may well be right about the sominex.

Have you been to a sleep clinic?

Try a few stretches before you go to bed, And about an hour before you go to sleep, read a good relaxing book.

While chamomile tea by itself may not do anything for you, what about a tea with chamomile and Valerian root? Or the old cure- a glass of milk?

Also- Is the temperature comfortable in your bedroom? Are your mattress and pillow in good shape, or are they trying to break down?

Or is there something else worrying you?

Good luck!

Answer 6

I have suffer from insomnia and the last thing I did was getting some herbals pills, that naturally enhance sleep sometimes they work and other times no but hey u cant judge me for trying

Answer 7

Try going to a holistic nutritionist instead - ie, a nutrionist who uses supplements and dietary changes instead of medication. First do a search in your area. There are many in new york that are great. You should analyze your diet and possible look at supplements. I have great fears of those alternative people but when my best friend became one, i looked to her to help me with my digestive problems. i was a skeptic but she helped me sooo much. Check out

Answer 8

Sorry you will just be miserable if you don't get the meds you need I allot of insomnia aswell

Answer 9

Camameal, rose bud, skull cap, are hurbs that the chines use to help with sleep, they have been useing it for about 2800 years.
just grined up the hurbs and put them in a tea bag, boil water put the tea bag in the water for about 20 mins and then drink you can add pure honey to take away some of the bitter tast. you will feel the efects in about 30 mins.

Answer 10

My girlfriend has difficulty getting to sleep because her mind likes to wander over things. She listens to audiobooks as she falls asleep and it works like a charm. Try downloading some audiobooks onto your iPod or whatever...or play some on a cd.