Sleep medication: what’s a good first time med for short term sleep issues?

[Bifty]

Hi,

can anyone recommend any sleep medications which the GP might offer for someone who hasn’t used them before? Something for occasional use/to reset a sleep cycle?

Thanks 😊

Good luck with that.

My GP will tell you to have a hot milky drink and a couple of Kalms.

And have you tried lavender?

Actually that's a lie. I can't get an appointment with my GP. I saw him 6 months ago and he prescribed something that did work but I had to stop taking it because of the side effects. And I've not been able to get an appointment since.

You’ve no chance getting anything from my GP either. I think all meds for this are essentially addictive so they don’t like to prescribe them.

Our GP prescribed my daughter what is basically a low dose of phenergan for short term sleep problems

You can buy phenergan over the counter.

I've had zopiclone a few times. The GP recommended it rather than me ask for something.
It did help reset things.

Just buy Nytol. It works. It’s basically an antihistamine.

I'm basically immune to zopiclone. I was so hopeful.

I'd just try nytol or buy some melatonin www.biovea.com/uk/productlist/results?KW=melatonin&FiltersObject=%7B%22SortValue%22:%7B%7D,%22PageSize%22:%2236%22,%22CompareProducts%22:%5B%5D,%22Brands%22:%7B%7D,%22FormValues%22:%7B%7D,%22PriceRanges%22:%7B%7D,%22Categories%22:%5B%5D,%22objects%22:%5B%5D%7D

It's not ideal but I use Nightnurse occasionally. Also Kirkland's Sleep Aid is highly effective.

Amitriptyline - its a type of antidepressant but I was prescribed it at low dose to help with falling asleep and staying asleep - a handy side effect is it can help with sleep. I dont take any where near enough to be a therapeutic anti-depressant dose. its brilliant - and v cheap for GPs to prescribe.

My GPs - I never seem to see the same one twice - went from one extreme to the other.

First GP - after four nights of no sleep at all - nothing, just buy over-the-counter
Second GP - over the counter but don't ever take for more than one night at a time
Third GP - full on anti depressants which take 4-6 weeks to start to work and require medical management to come off.

Gah!

I've since been prescribed melatonin through my Benedon Health membership.

Zopiclone or amitriptyline but gp will doubtless be reluctant to prescribe anything unless it is a very severe problem and there is no other way to help.

Kirkland Sleep Aid or Banophen.

Both work exceptionally well, are non addictive and you can buy them from online pharmacies.

50mg of Sleep Aid from Numark and a large white wine

The active ingredient that makes you sleep in night nurse is promethezone, you can buy it from behind the counter in the pharmacy. I was prescribed it when unable to sleep whilst pregnant. (I had been self medicating with night nurse for years just didn’t know what it was that made me sleep!)

Nytol
If that doesn't work ask for zopiclone. They will only give it short term.
I've started amitriptyline recently and it's transformed me... lifelong insomniac.

Nytol is over the counter and works great for me.

I also use Donormyl sometimes. I only need half a tablet with that though.

Kirkland worked OK too but had to be shipped as I couldn't find in uk

I've had ziplicone which made my sleep worse as it triggered my restless legs more.

Amitriptyline was good, but made me feel out of it the next day.

Phenergern hydrochloride was brilliant, but I used very sparingly (usually a Friday night)

I can't take the purple nytol, because they trigger my restless legs as well.

Currently using the green one, hit and miss as to whether it works.

OP I have had a period of struggling to sleep and was going to contact a GP to ask about sleeping tablets but decided to get back into reading books so I am exhausted completely by the time I put the light out. I also listen to audio books with headphones on and put on Sleeping Forecast on BBC Sounds app. Works wonders. Natural ways are the best. Good luck 🍀

Nytol gave me terrible indigestion. Zopiclone was the best for me . I take it very occasionally and I wake up feeling absolutely fine.

Agree Night Nurse liquid to reset but not if driving/heavy machinery etc. I also have Boots Sleepeaze 50mg in the drawer. Another thing to think about is to not have coffee when you wake up. If I push coffee to 8am I tend to stop waking up at 5am!

Zopiclone is the only thing that has ever really worked for me. My GP has been happy to give it to me before but that was when I was in so much physical pain that I couldn't sleep. I now take an AD that has sedating effect which is okay albeit nothing great.

Get yourself some melatonin. I buy mine from piping rock