Relying on OTC sleeping tablets. What stopped your insomnia without using meds.

[TellySavalashairbrush]

Have had a few very difficult years and experienced a breakdown last year. I’m slowly improving, taking anti d’s and HRT and exercising a lot more. However, I’m still really struggling with sleep. Unless I take sleeping pills (bought over the counter) I wake around 2/3 am and can’t get back to sleep. I work full time and therefore need a good nights sleep, know I can’t take tablets forever , tried the bath, cool room, no tv or phone routine but to no avail. Anyone had similar issues and solved the problem without meds?

@MissSmith1 It's not so much that I get up when I'm awake, although that is what you are meant to do. Instead I listen to a sleep hypnosis, which mostly works.

But I'd really got into the habit of doing work and reading in bed in the daytime (which I love and really miss). When I stopped that - and so in theory convinced my head that my bed was not for awake things - my sleep got a lot better.

I miss doing that so much that I'd like a daybed, but they are insanely expensive .

After 3.5 years of chronic insomnia, having tried everything from quack solutions from Pinterest, herbal teas, OTC medicine, meditation, good sleep hygiene, rains sounds, prescription sleeping tablet, supplements........finally tried a gravity blanket. Last year, I had just one night, where I managed to sleep for 8 hours. Since getting the gravity blanket it’s happening several times a week. I feel like a completely new person.

@kitkat71 you've inspired me, just bought one of these

kudd.ly

DH not impressed though said he won't have it on the bed, will have to be sofa for me then!

Magnesium bath and/or magnesium creams.

Are the weighted blankets really warm ? I like the idea of one for the calming feeling but I worry about my menopausal hot moments.
Also why are weighted blankets different than say a heavy fur throw over the duvet ?
Apologies for derailing but I’m an insomniac too.

@Taddda sounds like Michael Sealey

Only thing that’s been working for me, never get to the end of his sleep hypnosis videos on YouTube

@SeaShell33 after seeing how effective mine was, my husband decided to get one for himself. Good luck, hope it works for you

@Fallsballs yes, they are warm, so I have pretty much abandoned the duvet -and just use the gravity blanket instead. I too am menopausal but with the gravity blanket I don't seem to be woken by the hot flushes anymore.

Also, they're very different to the weight of a heavy throw. The advice is to get one that is approximately 10% of your body weight, so much heavier.

@Trying81 Thank you!! It is Michael Sealey!-

I had insomnia on 50mg but it’s better on 100mg. I think it will pass (hopefully!)

That was for Seashell33 sorry!

@BodenGate Everyday I want to stop taking the Sertraline as I know it's what's given me insomnia. I slept fine before. I tried going up to 75mg but made me too spacey so think 100mg would floor me. I'm quite a petite person.
Had to take another Zopiclone last night and managed 11:30-3 3:15-5:30.
Just so scared of becoming reliant on taking it.

DH and I both not great sleepers, him worse than me. We both wear eye masks to block out the light, I wear ear plugs because he snores. I use lush sleepy cream which I think helps, and DH uses a magnesium lotion which he says has made a massive difference. Interesting that someone above mentioned antihistamines, he took one the other night before bed which he doesn't normally do and he said in the morning that he thought he'd slept better, I didn't realise they could be used for that.

Antihistamines do work, its weird they can be used for alot of things you wouldn't think- was told it's to do with brain receptors- Ive had kidney/bladder problems following dds birth, adhesions from surgery, urologist said try antihistamines as they will take the urgency feeling out from the pressure- worked well!
@SeaShell33 Zopiclone floored me, they worked for a while, then became quite tolerant to them, but stopping them was horrendous, mind overload and bad withdrawal symptoms- I'd really reccomend the YouTube meditation (ty @Trying81 !) From being a total sceptic I never reached the end of one!

@SeaShell33 you take Sertraline also? Your brain could possibly be in a battle there- Sertraline is known to increase activity by serotonin uptake, zopiclone is a knockout drug- I'd personally not want to take both together?

Thanks @kitkat71 that’s good to know. I’ll invest although I’d be scared to find out my actual body weight. Any recommendations would be appreciated re your choice of brand.

Zopliclone is the work of the devil - do not take it for longer than a week.

Exercise works for me - more than 10k steps a day.

I have taken and persevered with sertraline but it made me twitchy and nervous amongst other things - but everyone is different.
I do agree re the magnesium - it stops restless legs and seems to be calming. I take the liquid you get from Tesco/boots that includes calcium and vitamin D.

Dp bought me a gravity blanket for Xmas. Its been the best thing ever and worth every penny.

I sleep through the night now which I hadn't done for years. Hot flushes seem to have subsided too. (Im 50)

Mine is a 10kg one and yes it's heavy but it only goes over me, he has his thin summer tog duvet as he can't stand heavy duvets. We both sleep really well.

Mine is the senso rex blanket.

senso-rex.com/product/senso-rex-gravity-blanket/

@tadda how long did you use Zopiclone for?
If I need it tonight going to just have half a 3mg tablet.

@Taddda how long did you take Zopiclone for? I've taken them the last two nights.

@SeaShell33 7.5mg nightly for 3 months- if you've only taken that dose for a couple of nights then I wouldn't worry about any side effects, did you find that dose helped you?

A combination of

No caffeine after 3 pm
Blue light filter on phone/laptop screens in the evening
No screens in the bedroom
Mindfulness exercises (normally use podcasts to guide)
Other podcasts including one called Sleep With Me

If I wake up I the night I never ever look at the time, as that makes me anxious about getting back to sleep, and therefore more wakeful (I'm blind as a bat which makes it easier not to see it by accident)

@SeaShell33 if I was you I'd knock both the Sertraline and Zopiclone on the head- if you need something that slightly combines the two I'd be asking the Gp about Amitriptyline or a low dose Mirtazipine?

I'm not a fan of Ad's, they didn't work for me (but I think I was wrongly diagnosed them in the first place) - Exercise and meditation worked, but everyone is different, as is the way some meds work wonders for many, others not so much.
I did take Sertraline for a few weeks, before the Zopiclone- as the pp said they also made me anxious and a bit twitchy, which was completely out of character for me and a horrible feeling.
Nothing would compare to how I felt coming of the Zopiclone though- thankfully it was a few years ago now but I can still remember how ill-
I'm sure they work well if taken on a 'when you need to', and if a low dose, but I'd steer well clear!