Sleep Aides

[AlaynaJ]

Does anyone know of any good natural sleep aides that I could possibly use to help me sleep better? I work nights at a hotel, and many days I have trouble sleeping. I have tried perscription sleep aides, and they work great, but, because of the risk of me becoming dependant on them, I'm only allowed two 30 pill refills per year.

I have also tried many over the counter products such as Simply Sleep and Unisom, but because sleep aides are narcotics, my body usually doesn't react well to them at first, and I end up taking extra time falling asleep instead.

I have tried Peppermint and Sleepy time tea before bd, and while it helps me relax, it doesn't fully put me to sleep.

I also had problems with waking up multiple times during the day. I am afraid I have sleep Apnea like my father, but short of paying for a sleep study, I don't think there is a way to tell.

I use a black eye mask, ear plugs and nasal strips all to help me sleep easier, and listen to soft music when I go to bed. Lots of ocean sounds, flutes, rainstorms and gentle piano music, but I still end up taking sometimes an hour or more to finally fall asleep most days.

If you have any suggestions, it would be greatly appreciated.

[LynnJ]

A glass of warm milk and honey does it for me. Reading also makes me sleepy, so I keep a book on my nightstand for those times when I can't sleep.

[Missy]

Alayna,
Melatonin is a natural sleep aid. Get it at the health food store. Also, chamomile tea. Maybe the 2 together would be enough to zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

God Bless!

[carpetmanswife]

i take the malatonin and valerian root ,both bought from walmart

[christiancollegegirl]

I'll let you borrow some of my schoolbooks. You'll be out in minutes!

[AlaynaJ]

Lol. Thanks, CCG. I'm sure those would probably knock me out for a little while.

I will check out the Melatonin and Velerian root at Walmart...

And Merry, Yeah, I know how hard it is with the night shift... After working it for so long, you would think my body would be somewhat accustomed to it, and for the most part it is, but sometimes, I just have those days where I just can't sleep, and then it messes up my whole week. Bleh!

i go as soon as i feel myself getting tired - and put headphones in and fall asleep

Walmart carries a generic form of tylenol p.m.(inexpensive) I was told they are not addictive. I was on a prescribed sleeping pill, and had to come off of it due to my blood pressure, and feeling lethargic. I dont take anything now, but wish I did. I dont get but maybe 3 or 4 hours of sleep a night. Hope the walmart brand will bring you some relief, or maybe something else you can find.God bless

I have some audit reports that will knock you out for weeks. In lieu of that, whiskey?

Originally Posted by zeromantic

I have some audit reports that will knock you out for weeks. In lieu of that, whiskey?

Or you could try to PM Zero... works for me.

[AlaynaJ]

Lol. I am an auditor myself at a hotel.. I fthe reports I work with nightly don't knock me out, I'm not sure if yours will either... And I would rather not have to resort to alcohol.

The Tylenol PM and PM Zero are just like the Simply Sleep and Unisom that I've tried, but neither of them are strong enough for me anymore.

I think the best thing right now would be plenty of prayer.

Thanks for your suggestions though.

You know, I wonder how many auditors are on this site, praying for the End Times...

By the way, have I told you my life story? I was born in a small town in New Jersey, the eldest son of a toxic waste site and faery queen...zzzzzzzzzz...oh wait, there's more...

BTW I was advised in a recent physical that Tylenol PM etc. contains Benadril (sp), which essentially demolishes short term memory and reflex time for 36 hours, which is why pilots and truckers are prohibited from taking the stuff. So the old Irish solution of whiskey in the middle of the night is actually the better idea. Or better yet look up
GGD-91-43 Mail Management: Labor Programs Run by States Could Reduce Postage Costs GGD-91-43, March 20, 1991 A true masterpiece of Spielberg proportions, starring yours truly, with a cast the size of Monty Python! Plus you can kill practically any size cockroach if you print it out!

And I suppose plenty of prayer would work too, though that approach is profoundly not Irish.

marijuana is a natural sleep aid

Triptophan is a natural sleep aid and cinammon will also make you sleepy

alayna! i used to be a total insomniac... never sleeping for more than 1-3 hours a night and being totally exhausted the next day. It's rough not getting that sleep! I have an addictive personality, so sleep-aids were pretty much out of the question in my mind BUT after a bit of research and talking to my boss/doctor :P haha and she told me this... there are certain lights that activate the brain (sunlight being one of them) and you should stay away from those for a good 1-2 hours before bed. (i cant be bothered to remember what they're called lol certain rays or whatever) anyways... they are in flourecent (sp?) bulbs, computers (*sigh* i know), tv's, and the like. so my advice to you would be to stay away from the computer, tv, and any light that's not a "soft" light (regular lightbulb)... black out your window with a dark sheet, and maybe read for a bit in soft light in your room, put on some music, and just try to settle down. it worked for me (altho the boredom in those 2 hours was pretty much excrutiating :P haha). it definitely takes some getting used to. but maybe you could give it a try? also! make sure the temp in your room is what you prefer! (i cant sleep when it's hot... so i have my window open and make sure it's about 60 degrees in there at night when i sleep). find your comfort zone!

[AlaynaJ]

Thanks for the advice Jenni... Unfortunately, with my job, I have to be near a computer and flouresent bulbs the whole time. And since I get off of work just after the sun has come up, there is no way I can avoid it on the drive home. I will have to try reading for a couple hours before I go to bed once I get home in order to have the time where I'm not near computers, lights or sunlight.

Most days, that isn't a problem, but on the nights when I deliver, and have to wake up at 4 pm, waiting the 2 hours before trying to sleep would makie it so if I do sleep decenty that day, I'd only end up with 5 hours of sleep total, if I am lucky.

I do wear a sleep mask, so that helps, but I need to work on trying to block out my windows more.

And as for the reply from Pocky, FORGET IT!!! I will NOT pollute my body with Marijuana, ESPECIALLY since it's an ILLEGAL substance.

I know about the tyiptophan being a good thing to help you sleep, but the only thing I know that happens to have a dcent about
of it is turkey, and I don't think I want to eat a bunch of turkey right before I go to bed. At least, not on days it's not Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Interesting ideas from Minnesota on this topic, though ganja would not be a good idea for the same reasons as tylenol PM. I never had much luck with tryptophan either, but maybe results vary by person. However, I'm going to try some of this stuff and see if I can avoid the midnight Irish solution.

Praying that you can solve this, BTW, alayna. I know it's hard to do the kind of detailed work you need to do as an auditor on an inadequate amount of sleep.

[AlaynaJ]

Thanks Zero... I'll be prayin for you too. Hope you can find something that isn't alcohol... Even if i was willing to try that option, I wouldn't be able to do it. I still live my parents, and they are absolutely 100% against alcohol in any form. Having any in the house would be pretty much asking for them to kick me out. (And I'd perfer not to be kicked out, because I don't have any money saved up, and they don't charge me rent. )

Yeah, alcohol obvously isn't an alternative for you. If you can get the time, I have found that exercise in a decent amount of sunlight can help with having a deeper and more prolonged sleep. Maybe mow your parents lawn or some other kind of yardwork while also scoring brownie points? For me, jogging or tennis or something lets you pretty much go at your own pace with exercise--start slow, build up. you still get to the same level of fatigue at the end of the day (or night), you'll just need progressively more exercise while you're working out. Plus exercise helps your skull function better at work. Or, as I'm finding out now, typing out really long posts can knock you out. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz