Sleeping pill - any advice please?

That was to Nonnie

When your present prescription comes to an end, try using a pillow spray.
I don't have a sleep problem but use a pillow spray which was a Christmas advent calendar. Called 'This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray' I spritz a small amount and, even though I try to stay awake to read, I can't.
It really does work and I feel rested after a good 6-8 hours.
Taking sleeping pills also affects the way you think about sleep.
Being anxious as to how or whether they will make your sleep any more restful, means that you are disadvantaged from the start.
A cool bedroom, sleeping on your own and a calm hour before bedtime (no iPad or phone) are essential if you are a poor sleeper.
Try it.
Best wishes and relax.

In my early 70s and have insomnia any advice would be welcome I've. Been taking promethazine 25 mgs every night but seems to have stopped working any one got advice would much appreciate it

I would advise you to Pay attention to what you eat and drink, Stick to a sleep schedule, Include physical activity in your daily routine, and Manage your worries.
As most of the medication like Lunesta, Sonata, and Ambien, Edluar, and Zolpimist have various side effect, which may cause lot of problem in doing day-to-day activity FDA says there are harrowing incidents like falls, burns, near drowning, exposure to extreme cold temperatures leading to loss of limb, carbon monoxide poisoning, drowning, hypothermia, motor vehicle collisions with the patient driving, and self-injuries such as gunshot wounds and apparent suicide attempts were reported by people who were on sleeping pills.

Source:- www.myhealthyclick.com/people-on-sleep-medications-are-killing-themselves-while-asleep-says-fda/

My brother had a life threatening disease. He learnt how to hypnotise people more to pass the time until he died . He found that he could hypnotise himself to sleep when he got into a depressed not being able to sleep state. Is it worth trying?

If you or a friend goes to Spain on holiday, you can buy Dormidina (doxilamina) over the counter in any pharmacy. It comes in two strengths 25mg & 12.5mg, and if you are susceptible the weaker one may even need to be cut in half! It's the same as the Kirkland SleepAid you can buy in North America.

I agree that diabetes can make you feel tired, but it's a vicious circle. If you can't sleep, you're tired, so you don't get much exercise and find it difficult to eat regularly, so you get more tired and so it goes on.

I don't particularly like taking sleeping tablets, but sometimes they're necessary.

This just popped up on my Facebook. Interesting.

www.nhs.uk/Livewell/tiredness-and-fatigue/Pages/why-am-I-tired.aspx

Amitriptyline hasn't ever worked for me either.

I do understand that GPs are reluctant to prescribe sleeping tablets long-term, but lack of sleep has affected my whole adult life and I feel as though I've usually been fobbed off.

I used zopiclone (7.5) post knee replacement - the 3.75 had no effect at all - I do truly think every drug works differently with different people. Anatryptaline never had any effect at all. I keep a stash of the zoplicone just as a crutch because I sleep really badly at the moment and it is just nice to know it is there if I really think I need it. I used to have temezapam for long plane journeys which were brilliant but seemingly unavailable now.

@Coolgran

Zopiclone. My GP won't give me more than 7, but I manage to make them last 6-8 weeks. I take one when I've been like you describe with just a couple of hours sleep over three days and I'm so exhausted that I can't do anything or think properly. Zopiclone sends me to sleep after 20-30 minutes and I then sleep for about six hours and I can start to follow a 'normal' routine. It's especially important for my eating patterns, because I'm diabetic. I work hard to try to keep to a routine and to keep moving, but then sleeplessness takes over again. I also take Mirtazipine for depression, which is supposed to help with sleep, but doesn't (although I think it helps with depression).

I used to take amitryptaline for sleep because of pain issues, but eventually it didn't work. So I moved to another drug that made me really fat, really fast (can't recall the name offhand) and I now take Mirtazipine. My normal drugs include Lyrica and Keppra which are also a help to sleep. I feel fine the next day (except today, when I am in agony)

daphnedill what are the 'few tablets' that you have at present that are helping? Just wondering if it's anything different from what I have already tried.

Thanks Lewlew

And I should have added... it's not an SSRI but being used as an antidepressant, it's not its first use. Cheers.

Coolgran65, Lyrica has been given licence in UK to treat anxiety for quite some time.

Reading your post about symptoms... that's ME almost all my life. Thanks for posting.

@Coolgran

I'm the same. I haven't slept well since I was a teenager and there is nothing I haven't tried. I used to be prescribed zopiclone, which I took occasionally when I just couldn't function, because I was so tired. A new GP stopped the prescription and gave me all sorts of advice which didn't work. Another new GP has agreed to prescribe me a few tablets and I'm already finding that getting a good night's sleep every few days is making me feel better. I don't wake up tired or groggy. I have enough energy to do chores, which help me sleep a little better, keep things on track and help me to feel in control.

Go on You Tube and learn to meditate. I do it for 10 mins before bed and it works.

Lewlew just to say that Lyrica isn't an antidepressant. It is an anti seizure medication which is indeed also useful as a sleep aid.

Emilyharburn I already do what your list says as I said I have two dr s who prescribe zopiclone small dose and are happy to they both no what I have been through and that I only take them occasionally I usually manage on little sleep and use mindfulness a lot but occasionally nothing works ??

NemosMum """Don't get started on sleeping pills of any kind. It's a slippery slope! I know it's awful, but just tolerate the sleeplessness; it will sort itself out in the end."""

My insomnia/sleeplessness has been going on for 20+ years. At best I get about 4 hours, usually it's 2 or 3 hours. Very often I don't sleep at all. For 13 of these 20 years I was working full time - often going to work not having slept.

I have tried, zopiclone, zolpidem, amytriptiline (sp?), an antihistamine, melatonin and now clonazepam. All of these have been prescribed by my GP.

On Friday night past I slept from 1am - 2am. Got up and pottered about planning to go back to bed when I felt sleepy, sleepiness didn't happen. I stayed up, dgc arrived on Saturday morning for a sleepover and I eventually went to bed at 12 midnight Saturday night. Slept for 2 hours. Got up from 2.30 - 5.30am. Went back to bed around 6am and slept for an hour. That was it.

There is nothing that I don't know about sleep hygiene, it makes no beneficial difference to me.

I do understand what you are saying, the slippery slope of medication etc, and that you speak from the heart.

But honestly, when night after night, week after week.... for many years, there is no respite to be found in a good night's sleep, I can confidently say that it doesn't always sort itself out.

It is pretty miserable wandering the house alone every night, exhausted but not sleepy.
I would take pretty much anything that I thought would help me sleep.

Glad you found the replies helpful, Nonnie.
Re-reading your OP, you say you always slept well. I remembered that I've had problems since I was a teenager . During O levels I couldn't sleep and went for a walk on the beach during the night. We lived by the sea. Fell asleep the next day during the Latin exam. So no hope for me! It's complicated.

Thanks Lewlew. The terrible things that have been happening are over now, thank goodness. I accepted not sleeping while it was all going on but when it came to an end I expected to be able to sleep again eventually but it hasn't happened.

I think some of the alternative medical ideas may be good but I have to leave it to my GP because he knows the other meds I am taking and have to take for the rest of my life. They have some peculiar interactions with other meds so I expect he has taken that into consideration. I can't even take ibuprofen!

Thank you everyone who has offered such helpful advice, it is reassuring to know I am not alone and hear how you deal with it yourselves.

Nonnie... is there any way you can take control of some of the things that have changed in your life? If they are the root of your anxiety, perhaps the doctor should be treating that and not just trying to treat your insomnia.

EG, pregabalin (Lyrica) is a antidepressant that if taken at night gives sleep without waking up to that adrenaline rush of fear that says... oh no, can't sleep, and why can't I stop thinking about ---! They come in a starting dose of 75mg which is a very low dose and might be enough to help.

Maybe a new way of looking at your health issues is needed.

Good luck.. and sending healing thoughts, too!

EmilyHarburn when you have done 1-9 for most of your adult life and always slept well, how long should you go without sleep for?

I do understand why some of you are so anti sleeping pills but what else is there when your life is so badly affected by lack of sleep? It is especially hard when you have always slept well. It is not physical pain which keeps me awake, my brain is not racing away and I feel so exhausted I can't even read in bed as all the words swim about.