how can i deal with insomnia without medication?

Question

ive lived with a certain degree of insomnia all my life, taking a long time to fall asleep, i used to deal with this problem as best i could but and as ive gotten older (31) and certain pressures have mounted in life, I gradually developed semi serious depression in the last two years. I yearn to better myself to bring me out of depression, but I cannot fall asleep now without Xanax and Alchohol, and this preventing me from reaching my full potential, physically and mentally.
I go to the gym work my butt off thinking it will help me fall asleep naturally, but I end up laying in bed for hours, the only way is to increase my xanax dosage now to nearly 2mg's which I really dont want to do. I can mix alchohol and take 1mg and I know I can fall asleep, but damn, I dont wanna drink everynite either. If I do not take the xanax and just drink to pass out, then I will feel hungover the next day and cant focus on work or excercise. I am at wits end, dont know what to do. Any advice out there?

Answer 1

You shouldn't be drinking--besides all the usual reasons, when you take meds, it's a bad idea and it can interfere with sleep. Don't increase a med dosage without consulting your doctor.

For non-prescription things which help (based on personal experience):

make the room as dark as possible--light interferes with melatonin production, causing sleep problems. Keep a flashlight in your nightstand in case you need to get up in the dark.

don't exercise for 3-6 hours before going to bed.

don't eat before going to bed--at least 4 hours before going to bed

make sure it's quiet

make sure your bed is comfortable--can get a memory foam mattress topper if your bed is not so great and you're short of money

memory foam pillows are also worth getting

lavendar oil sprinkled in the bed can help you relax and sleep. You can get that essential oil at any health food store I've ever seen. That bottle can last the better part of a year, so the $10 or so is worth it.

watch caffeine intake (remember chocolate and tea have caffeine as well as coffee)

you can try VALERIAN ROOT capsules--if you burp them up it's kind of gross, but otherwise, never had a problem with them

get a massager--can be whole body--use on the floor or bed for 15 minutes--or a foot one or such--massage helps you relax

try any of Dr. Weil's relaxation tips:
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/id/ART00536

go to bed at the same time--and get up at the same time even on weekends--and allot 7-9 hours for sleep--phone off, etc.

When you eat dinner you can try some turkey--the tryptophan tends to make folks sleepy

allot some time during the day, perhaps even twice, to "worry" and make your "to do" lists so that you can short circuit some of that PROBLEMS list that gets to running in your mind when you try to sleep

Those should help. When you stop drinking, you probably will have more sleep issues for a couple of weeks or so as your body is detoxing. Just no way around it even when you were not drinking excessively.

warm shower or bath before bed can also help to relax you.

Good luck. Can start any/all suggestions and after a solid 30 days after no more drinking if you're not better off, then you should talk to a doctor about why you're having sleep problems.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

Here are some tips:

-- Don't drink alcohol to get to sleep
-- Turn the TV off at least half an hour before going to bed
-- Turn the lights down lower as bed time approaches
-- Don't work out within 2 hours of your bed time
-- Make sure you have a comfortable bed and pillows
-- Use earplugs or eye covers if you need to

There are some natural remedies you can take to help you sleep, like melatonin, valerian root (with or without hops), and holy basil extract. They're all safe to be taken together, but you should check with your doctor to see if there may be an interaction problem with Xanax.

You may also want to try hypnosis CDs. I know; a lot of people say hypnosis is a load of hooey, but I have a co-worker who did hypnosis to quit smoking, and he hasn't had a cigarette in three years. Definitely worth looking into. Check out the following website: http://www.hyptalk.com/

Finally, you may want to talk to your doctor about a sleep study. If you have clinical insomnia or parasomnia, the doctor can prescribe medications to help you sleep that are not addictive and really can help. You may also find out that you have sleep apnea, which can be corrected through the use of a CPAP machine or surgery.

Good luck!

Answer 4

Don't ever take the sleeping pills route!!

1. They will damage your liver big time and you can get into serious health problems.

2. You will get hooked up on them and you won't be able to have a normal life any more if you don't take your pills everyday.

The sleeping pills industry is damaging our health by capitalizing on our ignorance, and by distracting people from effective and natural ways to deal with this problem. I had been taking prescription sleep medications [Ambien] for over 5 years. It stopped working and I simply took more. Still did not work. Nights were very difficult - medication put me to sleep but I would wake up after 2–3 hours with a strong sympathetic response (fast pulse, pounding heartbeat, wide awake alert). It was a very difficult cycle to break. I was really in bad shape due to lack of sleep.

After years of struggling I was able to cure my insomnia naturally and pretty fast. I followed the Sleep Tracks sleep optimization program, here is their official web -site if you want to take a look: http://www.insomniacure.net

Ohhh..and Good Luck!

Answer 5

Well, it looks like a few people gave you some excellent tips and I don't think I can top them for common sense and strategic suggestions on what to do and how to do it to fall asleep at night. I just have one very teensy addition. I do feel your pain and I have said many times that sleep and me do not mesh well. I have had many problems falling asleep in my past and I am still a very light sleeper. But what works for me, and this is easy to do and free, is I pray. I am not a zealot, I do not go to church but I do pray and I am telling you it never fails. If I am very anxious then I will specifically ask for help with relieving the stress but usually, just going through my prayers, and they take a long time to finish, will completely conk me out. Since I have been doing this, about 2 years now, I have not had 1 night of insomnia. It is just a suggestion for you, and I wish you luck. It is horrible not to be able to fall asleep.

Answer 6

Melatonin is a natural chemical your body discharges into your system when it's time to go to sleep. It usually starts naturally producing once it gets dark, or you've stayed up too long and your brain tells your body you need sleep.
You can buy melatonin in pill form over the counter in any drug store. It claims it's not something you become dependent on.

Make sure you're not over tired. When you get sleepy, go straight to bed, don't try to finish up the work you have left. If you wait and push your body, adrenaline shoots into your system to keep you awake.
Working out produces adrenaline too, don't go to the gym at night, do it in the morning.

Answer 7

I used to have a lot of trouble sleeping, and I started listening to relaxing music before bed. Also, when you haven't slept all night, force yourself to stay up the next day and then go to sleep eight hours before you'd want to get up on a normal schedule. I take Klonopin to help me sleep, and I smoke a little bit to help the Klonopin work, so I don't think I'm the best example...

Answer 8

i have trouble going to sleep too,but i havent been to a doctor in 6 years.there is no reason to.i know i have insomnia because i cant go to sleep and i have a family history of it.i exercise during the day and during sleepytime tea at night.it really helps.

hope this helps!!!!




p.s. the tea doesnt taste as bad if you put milk and sugar in it......

Answer 9

my mind tends to to a hundred miles an hour when I lay down to sleep. I found taking Valarian (found in the herbal section of the grocery/drug store) helps alot.

Answer 10

You have a demon. Seek biblical guidance and pastoral help.