Page 2 | Any help with insomnia whenever I stay anywhere?

Pantheon · 2026-05-20T13:47:18+00:00

I'm going away soon and I don't tend to sleep well at all in new places. I often try sleeping pills but even they don't always work. I take magnesium glynciate every night anyway. Just wondered if anyone is in the same boat and what works for you?

DramaAlpaca · 29/05/2026 12:46

I take my own pillowcase so it smells familiar. If I can fit it in I'll take a sheet as well, mainly because I get so hot due to menopause that I can't sleep under a hotel duvet, especially in hot weather. I took a thin bedspread with me on a self-catering break last weekend and slept amazingly well.

Ilmiopinguino · 29/05/2026 12:54

Melatonin has been the only thing to help me with insomnia.

Gloriia · 29/05/2026 13:09

Itsasecretnow · 29/05/2026 12:19

Yup. Tried literally everything. Disabled so the exercise thing can’t be done now. But I’ve had long term insomnia going back about 17 years by now and have tried everything. I take other supplements, melatonin etc and zopiclone isn’t used every night. But my gp knows me and knows my history, obviously including my medical history, as there are other health issues that affect my sleep as well.
so yeah, I’ve tried everything, believe me. My body clock has always been delayed anyway, since I was a kid, so it does add another dimension to insomnia when you have a delayed body clock. I have very regular check ins with my gp re my health issues and medication so it’s all good and safe. The side effects are far less than when I started but it doesn’t mean they’ve gone away. When I’m away (which hasn’t actually happened for years now anyway), I just literally have to deal with no, poor or little sleep, just as I do at home when I’m not taking it or when it’s just not working, such as when my physical health is extra bad. Tbh, asking an insomniac if they’ve tried this, that or the other is quite patronising, like I’ve just gone straight to a gp who has given me strong sleeping tablets 😂 like I said I’ve had very bad insomnia for about 17 years, which has at times gotten really bad, and at others isn’t so bad, so yes, I spent years trying and doing everything. Every single thing. And when I wasn’t so unwell of course it tried exercise - I was very active. Have spent months and months with the whole sleep hygiene routines etc, many times over, and still try to keep to the “rules” anyway, whether they’re working or not. . I agree, it’s a strong drug, but believe me, gps don’t just hand them out the first time you go to them and say you’ve had a few bad nights of sleep. As I say I have many health issues which also affect my sleep massively, (again, very involved gp who has known me for years) but when my insomnia is bad I can go literal days without sleep so it’s unfortunately past the not-sleeping-much stage.
But, if you’ve genuinely got something you think may work that perhaps isn’t something common that is advised I’d honestly be interested to hear. Absolutely no snark there at all, genuine question. Because I will try anything. Well, not anything but you know what I mean!

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I'm sorry, the last thing I want to do is patronise. I've had a serious health issue and believe me my GP was absolutely crap. Many of them seem to dole out sick notes and strong meds and hope for the best without finding a cause or alternative solutions.

I wouldn't routinely approach, say, anyone on the street and ask them if they've tried this or that but when on a chat forum sharing opinions it is to be expected. I was on one chat where 2 or 3 posters were drinking every single night and wondered why they had disordered sleep. We see it on mn all the time people <not you, just generally> asking about sleeping tablets without even trying the basics such as sleeping apps, environmental prep etc.

Even with disabilities and medical conditions physical activity of some description is always possible unless you're a quadriplegic but I think you'd have said.

If your bodyclork is delayed as you say just accept it maybe, sleep during the day and socialise during the evening then at night go online/shop at 24hr supermarkets? Long-term meds aren't the answer as they stop working and then what, but as I said many GPs are irresponsible and crap.

Itsasecretnow · 31/05/2026 08:09

Itsasecretnow · 29/05/2026 12:40

One of the most important tips I’d give you is to not take it until you are in bed and fully ready to go to sleep. That sounds obvious, but what I mean is don’t even take it and then go brush your teeth, have a wee etc. Don’t get up afterwards. This will help in reducing some of the side effects a little. The side effect I’m talking about can cause people to do activities that their body is used to doing - so it isn’t just the possibility of sleep walking, people have been known to get in their cars and drive, cook and eat, just stuff that you’d do as normal activities. And you’d likely not even remember any of it. So if course this is the most dangerously side effect. The others are obviously things like falling down the stairs etc. I recall being so worried about the side effects when I started, and had read about them that I’d even put something in front of my bedroom door etc.
This is why you literally don’t take it u til you are in bed, everything is done, it’s the last thing that you do. If you’re not ready to get into bed and (try) to stay there don’t take it. I got a bit blaze about that at times and I’d take it before I got into bed and sometimes I’d just wake up somewhere else in the house. Those serious side effects are rare, so don’t worry about that overly, just make sure you’re ready to try and sleep and you don’t need to get up to do something, or take it before then. If your gp feels you needed it then there must be a reason. Don’t take it every night if you can help it, but if you’ve not yet had any of the side effects you’ll likely be absolutely fine, it’s just something to be aware of, and if it’s helping you then honestly the benefits of it do outweigh the risk of the rarer side effects, but just remember to always take it when in bed and you’ll be ok. If it’s helping you sleep and is giving you the time and space to reset your sleeping and you’re not relying on it then those benefits do outweigh the risks and the gp wouldn’t have given it to you unless they really thought you needed it and had tried other things. For the vast majority of people it will be just a short term course, to get your sleeping routine back on track and you’re doing ok if you’re not getting the side effects so just be aware but don’t worry overly about them. I just think it’s important that people who do take it are aware of some of the worse side effects because gps often don’t go into detail about them, but that’s why it’s important to read the leaflet before you decide to take them. My first prescription I had for maybe a year before I finally decided to try them, as the side effects terrified me, but eventually I just had to try them as had done literally everything else I could. But I never went for a drive or anything, I might’ve got into a bit of a habit of nighttime baking for a while or stuff like that 😂 but this is why it’s important to be the last thing you don, when you’re all tucked up and ready to sleep.

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@EmailsaysOOO just to add, if your gp decides to up the dose that’s when you’re more likely to get the weird side effects. IIRC I didn’t get them when I was on the lower dose, but they didn’t work for me so the gp did put the dose up. Stick with that dose as long as you can, at least for the length of whatever period they gave them to you for, don’t go up to a higher dose unless/until you need to and are fully aware and understand the side effects plus the fact that it isn’t something you want to take long term.
Read the leaflet that came with yours all the way through and you’ll see the side effects listed.
eta: the next dose is double the original one, which makes sense, right? But they are, I’d say, from my own experience (even though I can’t actually quantify this myself, but there may be stats/studies somewhere) much much stronger and the sedative effect is much stronger (so increases the likelihood of side effects, plus possible accidents) and so it is even more important to never take unless you’re in bed and ready for sleep. If they do prescribe it I’d definitely not go in taking every night to begin with, find out how the side effects are first.

Wishing14 · 31/05/2026 08:10

An audiobook, don’t set a timer and let it play all night

PersephoneParlormaid · 31/05/2026 08:11

Nytol and ear plugs, plus I have a siesta if I need one.

UpsidedownisnowNormal · 31/05/2026 08:20

Im the same and always have been. Would it help to know that this is built into your genes and originates back to early human existence. I kid you not! Back when we were prey and existed in caves a new location was high risk and you had to be alert even when resting as you never knew when you were going to be somethings next meal. I know it isnt a solution but it was a small consolation to understand why it happens!

Itsasecretnow · 31/05/2026 08:21

Itsasecretnow · 31/05/2026 08:09

@EmailsaysOOO just to add, if your gp decides to up the dose that’s when you’re more likely to get the weird side effects. IIRC I didn’t get them when I was on the lower dose, but they didn’t work for me so the gp did put the dose up. Stick with that dose as long as you can, at least for the length of whatever period they gave them to you for, don’t go up to a higher dose unless/until you need to and are fully aware and understand the side effects plus the fact that it isn’t something you want to take long term.
Read the leaflet that came with yours all the way through and you’ll see the side effects listed.
eta: the next dose is double the original one, which makes sense, right? But they are, I’d say, from my own experience (even though I can’t actually quantify this myself, but there may be stats/studies somewhere) much much stronger and the sedative effect is much stronger (so increases the likelihood of side effects, plus possible accidents) and so it is even more important to never take unless you’re in bed and ready for sleep. If they do prescribe it I’d definitely not go in taking every night to begin with, find out how the side effects are first.

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@EmailsaysOOO Also, feel free to dm me about this at any time if you’d like to know more info, or if there’s anything you might be worried about. Obviously I can only base my knowledge on my own experience but I did also do research before and since taking it, as I always like to know as much as possible beforehand. I think I might have mentioned previously, the first prescription I had for them, the low dose, I actually didn’t try them until just under a year of having it as the side effects concerned me, but I do have very long term, chronic insomnia, and tried everything else I possibly could but after such a long time I just needed to try them and see if they worked, so I didn’t go into taking them lightly, even tho my gp thought they were the best option at the time.