Non-Habit Forming Sleep Aides?

Question

i am a recovering addict and my current doctor knows this - he prescribed me Ambien for my chronic insomnia and told me it is not addictive and he would never give me anything that would jeopardize my sobriety. while doing some research on my own i found MANY cases of Ambien addiction, withdrawal, etc. Does anybody know if there are any non-habit forming sleep medications out there?
I understand that someone with an addictive personality like me can become 'addicted' to anything but i'm trying to be careful and take it only when i really need it. I would like more options to discuss with my doctor. Does anyone have some better suggestions? Thanks!

p.s. i've only taken it twice, it works great but the stuff i read makes me nervous about using it frequently

Answer 1

the best non habit forming sleep aid is rozerem. there are no side effects to it , like being groggy the next morning. ask your doctor about it, you will really like it

Answer 2

He actually gave you Ambien?! Is he licensed?! Sheesh! I can't believe some docs are so stupid. He's probably just thinking about his great commission he's getting on that script. Hell yes the stuff is addictive. It's a freakin' tranquilizer.

Something you might want to try that is non habit forming is the active ingredient in over the counter sleep aids, travel sickness pills, and allergy pills (i.e. unisom, tylenol pm, dramamine, Benadryl etc). It's called dyphenhydramine. You can buy the generic store brand at Walmart or your grocery store. Just look on the back for that active ingredient.
One knocks me out but I know some people who take 2 tablets. The drug makes me feel rather sluggish sometimes in the morning. It all depends on how your body handles it. Try it out. It's not expensive and if it doesn't work then at least you can use it for hayfever allergies later on. :)

Answer 3

Tylenol makes a sleeping aid that is not habit forming, check the drug aisle at your local pharmacy.

If you want a good nights sleep set some goals for tomorrow that have to get done, work yourself to the point of total exhaustion, take a bath, and you'll be asleep before you even hit the sheets.

Answer 4

Ambien is a miracle drug for insomnia, but it DEFINTITELY has addiction potential. If you have a good doc and follow his orders to a tee, I don't think you'll have much of a problem. I've tried everything under the sun, and Ambien is my only hope. Since everyone is different, you might have luck with some OTC drugs and herbs that didn't help my. Here is a few:

Valerian Root
Diphenhydramine (Benadryl)
Melatonin (it takes a while to work)

Prescription - Rezerom - supposidly no risk...not sure if I believe that about any drug!

Answer 5

NewsTarget.com printable article
Originally published April 8 2005
Melatonin works as sleep aid in small doses, study confirms; but commercially available pills have too much of the supplement
by Mike Adams

Many people are skeptical that the dietary supplement melatonin actually helps induce sleep as advertised. But a study at the Massachusetts's Institute of Technology confirms that the substance can actually be a good sleep aid – when taken in small doses.

About 0.3 milligrams of melatonin will help a person fall asleep, and it also makes it easier to return to sleep after waking up.

But researchers found that, in larger amounts -- such as those offered in most commercially available pills -- the supplement works for only a few days. After a person's brain has been exposed to too much melatonin, it quickly becomes immune to the substance's restful effects, the study says.

* Misuse of the hormone had led some to question its efficacy, but the latest work (published in the February issue of Sleep Medicine Reviews) could jump-start interest in the dietary supplement and help more people get a good night's sleep.
* In earlier research, scientists led by Professor Richard Wurtman, principal investigator for the current study, showed that only a small dose of melatonin (about 0.3 milligrams) is necessary for a restful effect.
* The researchers also found, however, that commercially available melatonin pills contain 10 times the effective amount.
* And at that dose, "after a few days it stops working," said Wurtman, director of MIT's Clinical Research Center and the Cecil H. Green Distinguished Professor.
* As a result of these inadvertent overdoses, "many people don't think melatonin works at all," said Wurtman, who is also affiliated with the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences.
* This belief, coupled with potentially serious side effects related to high doses such as hypothermia, has earned the hormone a bad reputation in some quarters--"and something that could be very useful to a lot of people isn't," said Wurtman, who said that he and his wife have been taking melatonin every night for about a year now.
* To determine conclusively whether melatonin works or not, the scientists in the current study analyzed 17 peer-reviewed scientific papers about the hormone.
* "A meta-analysis essentially tells 'yes' or 'no'--that a treatment does or does not have a significant effect," Wurtman said.
* Because the FDA defined the hormone as a dietary supplement, however, manufacturers were free to sell it in much higher dosages, "even though we knew they wouldn't work," Wurtman said.
* "People who knew that small doses were best often bought the high-dose pills, then divided them with a knife," Wurtman said.

Answer 6

ive heard of several natural sleeping aides that work well

the best one probably being warm milk because it is a psychological effect

(as when you were breastfed)

if you think your going to get addicted then you probably will

when you stop viewing medicine as a addictive drug and start viewing it as a way to help you then you will be fine


if you havent realized it ...its all in your mind

Answer 7

It's a little on the expensive side, but the stuff really works. I got it at my local pharmacy and I've been sleeping great ever since. It's called Dormistat, http://www.dormistat.com

Answer 8

Rezerom is good. My dr. gave me samples, but when I filled my prescription, I couldn't believe how expensive they were. Even w/my insurance coverage they wanted $40.00 for just 18 tablets!! I'm sticking w/good old Benadryl, 2 benadryls at bedtime works for me, the also have generic benadryl that is even cheaper.

Answer 9

How about Benadryl? The generic is really cheap and effective.

Answer 10

Try "Simply Sleep." It is non-addictive.