I can't sleep! Any tips?

Question

I have a hard time falling asleep! takes me on average 45min-2hours depending on how im feeling, my mind just does not shut off, im always thinking about something. I have taken sleeping pills in the past, but they just dont work to well. I have been told by my moms friends about "LUNESTA' but does it really work?

UPDATE:

Sorry i don't think i was completey clear, i do alot of exercise, im in Grade 12, i am in Health and Fitness, i am 6'1 190Lbs and i do over 2hours of exercise a day.

I do everything i can to fall asleep, but nothing prevails.

Are there any Sleeping Pills/Drugs that would help me get back to a regular sleeping pattern?

UPDATE 2:

I do wake up alot during the night, and yes sometimes i wake up and feel like im having a heart attack, or sometimes i'll wake up and can't breathe, kinda like sometimes i dream im swimming and im running out of breathe, i'll suddenly wake up and just start having hard time breathing and ill cough a few times.

UPDATE 3:

I don't drink anything before bed, jsut water.

Answer 1

Smoke a doob

Answer 2

Your to young to be having such problems. And at such a young age well any age it is bad to depend upon sleeping pills. Try warm milk maybe some hot coco.. no TV on in your bedroom... soft music I read when I cant fall asleep occasionally I take a benadryl its an antihistamine and it makes me very sleepy... you mentioned drinking that you did not do this good don't.. alcohol is a depressant and wont do anything positive it will leave you with a nasty taste in your mouth can cause ulcers, cirrhosis of the liver .. Any way It sounds like your having panic attacks or sever stress... If you were my child I would be taking you to a counselor or a Dr who specializes in sleep disorders and or one who is a psychiatrist.. I am pretty sleepy right now myself ... If your parents wont help or your not comfortable try a School counselor or trusted teacher.. It is a stressful yr so many things and change on the horizon... calm down and stop stressing out...

Answer 3

I used Ambien for a while, and it worked really well. I have never tried Lunesta. I hear the new Ambien works great too. It helps you fall asleep and stay asleep all night. You may also want to lay off of caffeine. Try drinking some non-caffienated hot tea before bed or even a glass of milk. Is your sleep cycle off. Sometimes going to bed around the same time very night will help. Good luck!

Answer 4

I am the queen of insomnia, trust me. I have struggled with it my whole life. There are all sorts of tips of things that are supposed to help, but for me nothing seems to work. The best medication I have tried is Ambien CR. But you have to be careful because it is a hypnotic and can cause amnesia. Lunesta also works pretty well, but for me it is more expensive and leaves a bad taste in the mouth. The latest I have tried is Rozarem...it did not work for me although it made me awfully tired the next day. Sometimes it is helpful to take some Benadryl. I suggest you go to the doctor to see if you have any underlying problems causing your sleeplessness, anything from depression to sleep apnea. Good luck!

Answer 5

Try to avopid any caffiene at least 2 hours before bedtime.
I have problems falling asleep and staying asleep also.
I have used ambien and lunesta. I didn't get much help from the lunesta.
Ambien helped, but after a while I was unble to sleep at all without it, so i quit taking it and let my body re-adjust.

I now use a benadryl at night. I works better that anytihng else I've tried without the habit forming side efftects

Answer 6

ok, I can relate. I usually read in bed, until I catch myself drifting off. I do take generic benedryl and tylenol if I think I might need it. I don't like to go to bed hungry, so I eat a bowl of cereal sometimes. Oh yeah, maybe try eating a turkey sandwich, the tryptophan is a natural sleeping pill! Also you may want to try taking time to write down your thoughts, blog, journalling...to get all that stuff off your mind and onto paper. Schedule a half hour each evening before bedtime to do it.
Another thing that you may want to try is praying, give your troubles to the Lord and leave them there.
Bible reading is known to make some folks sleepy.
You also might want to make an appointment to see your DR. Some people have sleep aphnea that causes them to struggle getting a good night's sleep.

Answer 7

If you think you have a hard time breathing you might have sleep apnea. I have it, it sucks, leads to heart disease. Basically your throat relaxes enough to cut off the air path and you quit breathing. The only thing your brain has to do is to wake you up some how, some have been known to have hard time going to sleep because the brain knows its not healthy this way. If you have health insurance I would ask your doc for a sleep study if you suspect this problem. Its serious, my first wife died at 28 from it.
SLEEP APNEA SUCKS

I have a C-PAP machine and I sleep on a wedge.

Answer 8

I prefer melatonin, but ginseng will work as well for stress related insomnia. A little relaxes you enough to rest, too much will stimulate you. Valerian root got me through my father's funeral and helps me sleep, too. Read Letha Hadady's book on Asian Health secrets. She recommends the Siberian ginseng called Wu Cha Seng and I buy it from Asiachi.com

If you can't sleep tonight and can't go to stores, warm milk sometimes helps because a warm tummy helps us sleep. Milk used to have tryptophan in it, but homogenization kills all the good stuff in milk rendering it useless as a dietary health aid... the only vitamins, etc. in milk are added in after it is heated. You are just going to use it to warm your tummy! Camomile tea will do better for you. If you don't have that, just find a decaffeinated tea! Avoid sugar.. use only honey to sweeten it. Avoid lemon too, that is a stimulant.

Watch out for products like 5-htp.. they give some people very vivid dreams. I get nightmares with it. You can try that, but be careful.

A spoonful of Raw Honey will relax you, too.

Answer 9

Don't drink anything with caffeine in it at least 2 hours before going to bed. Also don't watch TV in bed. About an hour before you go to bed try clearing your mind. Try not to be stressing over anything. If this doesn't help then talk to your doctor. You might have insomnia or a sleep apnea.

Answer 10

I have suffered with insomnia my whole life. I take 2 Benadryl and 1 5HTP about an hour before I want to go to bed. Helps me be able to fall asleep even if I don't feel particularly sleepy. Works great for me.

Answer 11

Tips to Sleep Well
http://tips-to-sleep.blogspot.com/2006/09/tips-to-sleep-well.html