Help for insomnia?????

[Yvette84]

My bf has really bad insomnia, we've tried the usual stuff people say to do. Nothing has helped. His doctor gave him VERY addictive pills and he's trying to get off of them, but they are the only way he can sleep!!! anyone ever beaten insomnia?? if so, how???

[HellFrost666]

Have you tried valerian root? It works pretty well.

[justpaisley]

Earplugs and a sleep mask to reduce distraction and a nightly dose of 3mg of melatonin have all REALLY worked for me. I'm sorry for your boyfriend - insomnia is so frustrating!

[JoeWho]

When I was in college I had it pretty bad for a while. There would be nights where I would just never be able to fall asleep. What really did help me was getting into a more structured routine. Going to bed at pretty much the same time every night and working out not just with weights but also cardio in the afternoon helped.

[jengh]

Has he tried meditation/yoga before bed to relax?

 

Maybe a hot bath?

 

Has he tried Melatonin? When taken a half hour before bed, it helps you to fall asleep. It's an over-the-counter supplement. I took it for quite a while, it was in no way addictive.

[Yvette84]

yeah he tried melatonin, the thing is he keeps waking up during the night and can't fall back to sleep.

[rocketgirl30]

Have your doctor perscribe Trazodone. It is a mild anti-depressent which is often used by sleep specialists to treat insomnia regardless of whether the patient has depression. Traxodone is not addictive and has an anti-histamine effect.

 

See: Jindal et al. (2004). Maintenance Treatment of Insomnia: What Can We Learn From the Depression Literature? American Journal of Psychiatry, 161: 19-24.

[Zaphod]

Why is he trying to sleep if he isn't tired? Perhaps he just doesn't need much sleep, being a young man and all.

 

For the last 5 - 10 years I have been getting between 4 and 6 hours a night - if I have ny more I feel tired the next day.

 

However if he is exhausted and still can't sleep that's a different matter - perhaps he is anxious about something.

 

The broader picture so far as I see it - is he a night owl or a morning lark? People are one or the other naturally, you know.

 

Perhaps it would be best to investigate these thigns before introducing props and drugs?

[Zaphod]

What really did help me was getting into a more structured routine.

 

Although for the majority you're right, I think there's a fair amount of people for whom this is the very reason they CAN't sleep - including me.

 

It's assumed that everyone sleeps the same way - routine isn't necessarily everyone's best friend.

[Zaphod]

His doctor gave him VERY addictive pills

 

For God's sake WHY???

 

Doctors they're just pill dispensing machines nowadays.........

[confused25]

If he's at least 21, I would recommend drinking a glass of wine before bed. It has always helped me . . .

[Batya33]

What has worked for me:

 

 

eye masks.

only getting into bed when I am really tired

reducing the amount of caffeine before bed and even during the day (including chocolate)

and- this really helps - if I can't sleep, I give it 20 minutes to try - if I am not sleeping I get out of bed and I either read or maybe surf the internet a bit - but nothing too stimulating. I find that staying in bed makes it worse and that returning to bed only when I really think I will fall asleep fast is more effective.

 

Good luck.

[RelaxByWater84]

I have found that when I did homework or any type of work on my bed, I couldn't fall asleep since I was associating it with work. Another thing I have found is lighting. When the overhead light is on I can't sleep as well. Maybe have him try to lessen the light as the evening wears on, such as turning the overhead light off at say 9pm and then only having lamps on and then when going to be turn all the lights off. Also I play with my hair and that is a big relaxer for me. Hope this helps.

[frangipani1]

How about acupuncture?

I've had trouble with light sleep... waking often during the night... etc... and after the normal things (regular exercise, avoiding caffeine, drinking plenty of water, getting into a good routine, valerian, camomile etc) I am trying acupuncture. I've only been for a couple of treatments so far but I've noticed even with that, that if I wake during the night, I can fall back asleep more easily. Apparently it works for some people, not for others ... but maybe that's worth a shot?