Help with sleep
 

Would like to here what folks are doing for sleep, natural or otherwise. Have lots of questions but down to one finger typing, so it's difficult.

i was prescribed .5mg of clonazepam at night, it helped but i discontinued because i was just too drowsy after waking up and just wasn't willing to try to get used to it. guess still in denial that i have an incurable progressive central nervous system disease :mad:

i was prescribed that after a sleep study showed i had very mild REM SLEEP MOVEMENT while sleeping and if that was a major problem i would take the clonazepam for sure.


so when i can't sleep, which isn't very often, i'll take an ibuprofen and 1/4 glass of beer, gets me to sleep at least 2 hours. i tried a herbal mixture called SILENT NIGHT by NATURES way with HOPS, VALERIAN ROOT and LEMON BALM and i did sleep thru the night the 2 times i tried but quit, dreams were just too vivid. tried 3mg melatonin, didn't help. strong cup of brewed chamomille tea has helped but again i don't really need a sleep aide every night so can't say with confidence to use any of these "treatments".

It was many years ago that I was told the following while in the hospitably an intern and it works to this day.

If you sleep alone or with another get yourself a small type headphones and cut one end off. After you have found a station that has more talk than music get thee to bed and leave the phone in your ear as you go to sleep,

Try and stay on the same site every night till you get to know the voices and you will find you can ignore them very easily and drift off. If you move your head the earphone most times will fall out of your ear and that is good for after a few days it doesn't seem to matter if it does or not.

The intern told me that listening is a habit and if you are not interested your mind will drift you off. I assume it is the taking off of the pressure of the day and the worry of both the night coming and what the next day holds, Sort of puts you in a trance I guess.

That was so long ago and still works for me. I have Cancer and now Cellulitis in my leg which is really painful so if it works for me then try it. I wish I was a better writer but language other than my own doesn't help me. If you can't understand me then email me and I will try to clarify myself.

Not sleeping can be horrible so the best to you regards Thelma

I've had a terrible time with disturbed sleep since before I was diagnosed. I go to sleep instantly but can't stay asleep. What has helped the most over the years is exercise outside, preferably in the bright sunshine, and calcium and magnesium supplements. I go to sleep at the same time every night, stay away from screens in the evening (computers, TV etc.), don't drink any caffeine after about 2:00, keep the bedroom dark. The best I've been is on holiday at sea level. I'm usually better in the summer (more time in the sunshine-our winter days only last from about 9:00 to 4:00 and it's pretty cold usually so I'm only outside for an hour's walk or to shovel snow). I also try to stretch a lot sometime I the evening so I'm not so likely to be woken by achey muscles or joints.

I have a prescription for zopiclone that I use sparingly - I save it for when I'm totally exasperated at the thought of another miserable night of constantly having to try to get back to sleep. It can cause addiction and tolerance so I inly use it once or twice a month. A half tablet gives me four continuous hours of sleep.
Hope you find something that works for you.

Cannabis... I sleep like a baby, before, not so much.
You might try straight CBD oil too if you can't partake. CW Botanicals is a good source for CBD.

I also drink herbal tea about an hour before sleep, alternating between chamomille and Relaxing Tea by Triple Leaf which contains the usual valerian, skullcap, passion flower. It has helped me get 4-6 hours at a clip instead of 2-3. Also noticed it helps quiet my mind when I do get up for the bathroom making it easier to fall back asleep. However, there are those nights when I just cannot get comfortable due to stiffness/tremors to fall back asleep.

Eric

ashwagandha

neurotalk.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?p=1130683#post1130683

Perchance to sleep
 

I've had good results from melatonin and 5-HTP (a form of tryptophan). The most effective has been THC as cannabis in the Indica form (not Sativa as it makes the brain more active). I sleep 8 hours and can get up 2-3 times a night for jaunts to the bathroom and fall back asleep easily.

Jon

ps: if all else fails I've recorded a slightly tongue-in-cheek album of lullabies for adults called A Field Guide to Sleep. It's occupationally specific with music for florists, truck drivers, beauticians, tarot readers, entomologists, and many others. May not work as well as THC but it's legal in all states. Listen at www.albertsbicycle.com If you want a copy, email me and I'll give it to you at my cost. If you fall asleep while listening I won't be offended. . . .

This is what I've been using for years. Lately, I'm taking 1 less Inositol capsule close to bed and taking 1 Lemon Balm, otherwise pretty much the same receipe. I may have been taking too much Inositol for a while and think it made me more fatigue during the day.

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread220676.html