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Thread: natural sleep aids?

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    Featured Member Sveta's Avatar
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    Default natural sleep aids?

    Dear SW fountain of all knowledge...I cannot sleep.

    I'm not sure how it started, but I'll go to sleep and wake up at the weirdest times. It makes me feel so out of it, keeps me from being productive at all, and it just won't work when I start school.

    Last night I went to bed at midnight, couldn't sleep, tossed and turned till after 6 am, slept from about 7 to 11 am, and fell back asleep sometime after noon. Now it's 6 pm, I just woke up, and I feel SO out of it. And frustrated that I just pissed the whole day away and couldn't fall asleep last night.

    Ideally I would sleep from 3 am (as soon as I get home from work) to 9 am on weekdays, and from 5 am (again, after work) to 11 am on weekends. 6-7 hours is what makes me feel best...anything less, or more, and I feel groggy and like I'm slogging through jello.

    I think the problem is that I can't fall asleep when I go to bed. So then by the time it's time to get up, THEN I'm finally sleepy and I fall asleep when I should be getting up.

    I know it takes 21-28 days to break a habit and replace it with a new one, so I've just got to train my body to fall asleep around 2-3 am and get up 6-7 hours later.

    I think I need something to help me do that though. Can anyone recommend a natural/herbal sleep aid? I don't want to take chemical sleep meds, even OTC stuff like tylenol PM. I hate taking pills. I tried Valerian, but it didn't do much. Can it be combined with something else to be more effective? Is there anything else I could try?

    Or, if anyone else has successfully trained themselves back onto a regular sleep schedule, how did you do it?
    ~'A Seven Nation Army Couldn't Hold Me Back'~

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    Senior Member cherry2000's Avatar
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    Default Re: natural sleep aids?

    I see you say Valerian didn't work for you...how much did you take? I always have to take three of those suckers, but they do work for me. I find that there is a "sweet spot" with them though. Once I start to feel a little tired, I have to go to bed within 15 minutes or so, or I miss is.

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    God/dess ahmeerah's Avatar
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    Default Re: natural sleep aids?

    Do you drink coffee? smoke? drink alcohol? eat chocolate? drink soda? eat high glycemic stuff/ sugar?

    I'd recommend eliminating all the stimulants you realistically can. Then you can also try taking a small dose of melatonin. You might wake up feeling groggy though. But it tends to work.

    You can also try cutting back on your carbs and increasing your protein intake to give your sympathetic nervous system a break and nourish the autonomic.

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    Banned i.breathe.in's Avatar
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    Default Re: natural sleep aids?

    melatonin-3mg tabs you can buy them at gnc. your body produces it naturally some people do not produce enough for me it works better then tylenol pm.

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    Veteran Member MissDewdrop's Avatar
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    Default Re: natural sleep aids?

    I have the same prob as you. It takes me forever to fall asleep naturally, if I even do. I take a combo of valerian, kava, and melatonin, which usually works well enough so I get 6-7 hours. Sometimes I add generic benadryl, but not often. I also use a face mask, earplugs, and comfy foam cushioning.

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    Featured Member Jeska's Avatar
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    Default Re: natural sleep aids?

    melatonin works good.. I took one about 30 minutes ago and I'm ready for bed now. Lately I don't get tired at all w/out help.


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    Featured Member saphire123456's Avatar
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    Default Re: natural sleep aids?

    There was an article in consumers reports this month about sleep. They also recommended melatonin and root of valerian, but their surprise finding was that white noise helps as much as pills do. They suggested getting a fan or a white noise machine.
    These days I like to count my money. I like to wash it delicately and iron it. Sometimes I dry it with some bounty to make it all nice and cuddly. I love my money... did I say that out loud?

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    Senior Member Sparxxx's Avatar
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    Default Re: natural sleep aids?

    If you use melatonin, I'd suggest getting the kind that dissolve in your mouth, they work waaay faster. btw they're alittle bit harder to find than regular melatonin pills, so ask around.

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    Default Re: natural sleep aids?

    You can also get liquid melatonin, that way you can customize the doseage to exactly what works best for you. As with the pills you can get the liquid is regular form that you swallow, or sublingual that you put under your tongue. The sublingual works faster and gives you the same effect with a smaller doseage. I work lots of weird hours and have had great success with the liquid sublingual for years.

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    Featured Member Sveta's Avatar
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    Default Re: natural sleep aids?

    Quote Originally Posted by ahmeerah View Post
    Do you drink coffee? smoke? drink alcohol? eat chocolate? drink soda? eat high glycemic stuff/ sugar?
    no to all of the above, actually. (Well, I won't say I never drink at all, but I haven't had any alcohol in months.)

    I'd recommend eliminating all the stimulants you realistically can. Then you can also try taking a small dose of melatonin. You might wake up feeling groggy though. But it tends to work.

    You can also try cutting back on your carbs and increasing your protein intake to give your sympathetic nervous system a break and nourish the autonomic.
    Will definitely try the melatonin and less carbs/more protein, and see if either of those things help. Thanks for the suggestions, everyone.

    I tried taking three Valerian tablets last night and lying down right after I took them, and it still didn't do anything. I didn't get any sleep at all...was lying awake from 2 till 9 am. I did make myself get up at 9 though, because I realized something else...

    If I'm strict and consistent about waking up at my intended time every morning (whether I've slept or not), I'll probably be in sleep-deprived cranky zombie hell for several weeks. But eventually my body will realize that if it wants a full 6-7 hours, it will have to start getting it as soon as I hit the pillow...because I won't be wasting my days sleeping to make up for it.

    Does melatonin have any nasty side effects? Is it habit-forming? (i.e. will I be able to wean myself off of it after awhile and eventually be able to sleep without it?)
    ~'A Seven Nation Army Couldn't Hold Me Back'~

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    Default Re: natural sleep aids?

    The only side effect I'm aware of is grogginess from melatonin. I don't believe it's addicting.

    Anothre tip is to keep your room pitch dark when it's time for bed.

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    Default Re: natural sleep aids?

    another thing... dont lay down in bed till you're ready to really sleep. if you lay in bed for liek 15 minutes and still cant sleep, get up and do something. then try to lay in bed again... ig uess this'll help associate your bed with sleep.. so you should be able to just feel tired as soon as you hit the sheets...i dont know =/ i cant sleep either

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    Senior Member pheonixkarma's Avatar
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    Default Re: natural sleep aids?

    all of these are good suggestions. I also have had this problem, especially when I know I have to get up, alot of time being stressed about wanting to sleep is whats keeping you up. Before you take a bunch of melatonin 3mg is a relatively high dose start on 1mg and up untill it works. Sometimes 1mg doesn't work at all for me and 3mg always does, but I feel groggy after getting even 10 hours of sleep. I think melatonin is supposed to work for 8 hours (don't quote me on that) so a knock out dose may leave you groggy in the morning. If melatonin by itself doesn't work I also suggest trying it with valerian like others have said. Also I wouldn't recomend benydrl, I used to take it, but if you don't fall asleep after about 45min- 1 hour it can have the opposite effect onsome people and keep you up.

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    Default Re: natural sleep aids?

    Masterbate! Works like a charm.

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    Default Re: natural sleep aids?

    ZMA is a good sleep aid. I think I heard about it on SW. It helps me get to bed just as quickly as melatonin without having the groggy hangover. I also feel like I have to sleep at least 10 hours when I take melatonin. I feel well rested with like 7 on ZMA.
    "I will not be just a tourist in the world of images, just watching images passing by which I cannot live in, make love to, possess as permanent sources of joy and ecstasy. -Anais Nin"

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    Featured Member thechaosfairy's Avatar
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    Default Re: natural sleep aids?

    Quote Originally Posted by stripperella1957 View Post
    Masterbate! Works like a charm.
    Yep!

    Of all the things mentioned in this thread the wanking and the white noise have worked best for me.

    Cheaper than a white noise machine: a mini fan. Does about the same thing.

    There's a thread in Stripping General about winding down where I posted a bunch more about getting to sleep after work.
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    Featured Member Sveta's Avatar
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    Default Re: natural sleep aids?

    More good suggestions to try; yay, thanks!

    PuertoRicanPinup, what is ZMA? And where can you find it?

    About the noise...I actually have a harder time falling asleep in total quiet. I got some of my consistently best sleep ever in college dorms, where I could always hear activity and people bustling around somewhere. I find it soothing. The few nights that I've drifted off to sleep pretty well were the nights my frat-boy neighbors were partying on their deck, which is right outside my window.

    Maybe I'm strange. Will try keeping the room totally dark though...maybe the glowing laptop screen is helping to keep me awake?

    Whatever it is, I feel like crap. I refuse to sleep all day to make up for not being able to at night, so I've gotten like 5 hours in the past 3 days. ick.
    ~'A Seven Nation Army Couldn't Hold Me Back'~

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    Default Re: natural sleep aids?

    ZMA is supposed to help boost testosterone and repair muscles at rest. It's also supposed to increase your sex drive but I don't know since I'm always horny anyway! I get it online.
    "I will not be just a tourist in the world of images, just watching images passing by which I cannot live in, make love to, possess as permanent sources of joy and ecstasy. -Anais Nin"

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    Default Re: natural sleep aids?

    If you drink milk I'd recommend warming a glass in the microwave and having it prior to bedtime.

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    Featured Member Perry's Avatar
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    Default Re: natural sleep aids?

    ^^ I so do that! It knocks me out. But it doesn't REALLY work without a cookie.

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    Default Re: natural sleep aids?

    I'm with the 3 mg melatonin. I've had lifelong insomnia and I have found that this is the only natural remedy that helps, and I have been on it all for sleep; Ambien, Zoloft, over the counter, etc.

    I started with 2 and now take 3 Schiff Melatonin Plus (3 mg Melatonin with 25mg Theanine) a night. If you try to go to sleep right after work like I do, I would recommend that you do your nighttime washing up before you even take them.

    I feel for you! Good luck and sleep well!

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    Default Re: natural sleep aids?

    I just restocked ZMA on http://www.vitapal.com. For now I have been taking half of a melatonin but I still wake up kind of groggy.
    "I will not be just a tourist in the world of images, just watching images passing by which I cannot live in, make love to, possess as permanent sources of joy and ecstasy. -Anais Nin"

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    Default Re: natural sleep aids?

    Quote Originally Posted by Irelynx View Post
    I never woke up groggy. Always woke up feeling great because I actually got to sleep when I needed to.
    That's good. But I've known other people who've felt groggy after taking melatonin too.

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    Default Re: natural sleep aids?

    I'm reviving this thread because I'm looking into Melatonin. Anyone active taking it? what's this I read about it causing eye issues/pressure? What dosage do you take and why? xx
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    Default Re: natural sleep aids?

    I have the 3MG pills but I usually only take half of it when I need to go to sleep RIGHT after work.

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