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 😊

Wow thank you all so much! So many options to consider.

Magnesium tablets!

Mirtazapine is an antidepressant that helps with sleep. I take 7.5mg and it works a treat.

It does but it gave me horrible backache!!! No one seems to know why but it's on the side effects list.

Thank you for the tip. Anything that's non addictive can only be a good thing to have in the cupboard for emergencies.

Zopiclone is amazing.

I buy melatonin from piping rock for one of my sons, who has asd and struggles with sleep. It really helps him.
I also now keep low dose phenergan tablets for emergencies for my DD. I sleep better if I rub my legs with magnesium oil.

Please make sure it’s safe for you to use melatonin as it can be nasty with some pre-existing conditions

personally I use a coop antihistamine , work well but I’m not knocked out too much

Another vote for Amitriptyline, I’ve been on a lost dose (25mg) for insomnia for 5 years and it’s been life changing.

Sominex has worked well for me. My go-to would be Kalms One-a-Night, I also have zopiclone and amitryptiline but use them very infrequently.

Duloxetine is an snri which controls adrenaline reuptake, really helps me to fall asleep as soon as I'm tired.

Sleepease. It's a Boots own brand tablet.

Lifelong insomniac here too- but recently forked out for 6 sessions of hypnotherapy, as I realised my non sleeping was part of more like ocd symptoms, where I obsessed about sleeping, and then didn't sleep as a result.

It worked a treat.

I now listen to positive life therapies- sleep hypnosis on Spotify via my Alexa as I nod off. Great for me and for partner- we both conk out and sleep pretty well. If I wake up, I just put it back on again (my partner is very patient!!!)

I've tried phernegan, nytol and night nurse but none worked and I wasn't sleeping for 3 or sometimes 4 nights in a row and was barely able to function.

After trying for over a month to get an appointment with the gp they gave me 7 days worth zopiclone which also didn't send me to sleep but left me feeling very drowsy the next day to the point it wasn't safe for me to work.

I'm now on mirtazipine and I slept on and off all day and night for the first few days, I was too drowsy to get out of bed. Thankfully that wore off, and I've been taking them for over 2 months now and I fall asleep easily every night. The only side effect I have noticed is weight gain - I've gained 1.5 stone in 2 months and my gp has said this is extremely common. My face also feels puffy and bloated but it's better than not sleeping!

Thanks so much to everyone, loads of really helpful suggestions 🙏🏼

I didn’t have restless legs until I started taking Nytol. I’ve got to choose between sleeping or that horrid trying to get to sleep with restless legs. Interesting, I didn’t realise anyone else had this.

Buy phenergen from the pharmacy

Melatonin is not regulated in the UK.

Yes to magnesium tablets. My sleep is much better since I started on these

NICE have just approved a new medication and it’s to be tried before zopiclone for insomnia, give it a Google.

Do you know what the medication is called?

My gp gave me phenergan when I switched away from mirtazipine which I think is the ingredient in night nurse. I have to say it works pretty well, not 100% but better than something addictive. It says to take 1-2 tablets, the one time I tried 2 I was pretty zonked the next day, so 1 is plenty.

Mirtazipine was also pretty good although I found there was a short window where I felt sleepy, if I didn't fall asleep within it, then that was it.

Zopiclone helped me but they're really reluctant to give it
I got 3 tablets when my mum died and I did ask who had to die to get a weeks worth

I'd recommend magnesium, then Biovea online for Melatonin, then Zopiclone, although your doctor is highly unlikely to give you this!

Mirtazipine is an appetite stimulant for anorexia hence the mammoth weight gain.