Sleeping Problems

[alexth]

Having problems sleeping...can't go to sleep before 4 or 5 am and wake up 2 or 3 pm. Any pills you could recommend?

[cclub75]

Having problems sleeping...can't go to sleep before 4 or 5 am and wake up 2 or 3 pm. Any pills you could recommend?

Would it be possible for you to try the.... "natural" pill ?

It means : go to sleep at 5 AM. And put your beeper to wake up at... 8 AM.

Then follow with a crazy day (transportation, work, shopping). Stay awake.

Then you will.... probably be tired enough to go to sleep like a baby at 8 PM.

I mean : you don't have a problem of sleep.

Your problem is only a "jet lag" or "time zone" problem !

[Patsycat]

I have the same problem. For example where I live it is now almost 4 am and I am not tired.

Sometimes I stay up all night and drink lots of coffee and get what I have to do done and then have little naps during the day and then go to bed at around 11 pm.

[Mark L.]

I had sleep problems for years. Food and life style make ALL the difference.

Drinking coffee at night cause you can't sleep isn't gonna teach your body that this is sleep time is it?

I know its hard but sticking to a plan and a schedual and changing some life styles and foods make a HUGE difference.

You can shift bed or wake up tims by 15min a day instead of a big jump.

Caffine has a long half life. If you are going to drink it the not past noonish.

Sugar or high glycemic carbs in evening.

Alcohol in evening.

Bright lights before bed.

exerise close to bed

eating too much too close to bed for most (many westeners do well on a protein/fat snack tho) Some won't-we are NOT all the same.

Anything that causes stress in the body (like above) releases day time (read stay awake hormones-like cortisol). Day time and night time hormones (like melatonin) work on a sea saw...day time hormones need to drop for the night time hormones to rise..

So keeping this in mind you can prepare your body for sleep. consistant timing is BIG. With the sun rise and set is BIG for quality (or a rough guide or 10-6).

Or you can find a doc and fine a pill that will mess with your hormones even more!

IF you MUST take a pill I would suspect melatonin would be relatively safe. That said I would never recommend anyone taking any hormone without testing and working with a proffessional and keeping it all in check (most won't think much of this one).. I use to take it every night (should take at same time every night!!!)

many sights will have loads of tips on sleeping

If you care about health and are willing to change life styels to become healthier then look into it.

If you just want a pill don't

www.mercola.com has some good sleep related articles I recall

p.s. what you eat for breakfast will effect that next nights sleep as will your supper etc.

[Mark L.]

If you want to change your bodies clock then sleeping in the day will effect ability and quality of sleep at night too..

power naps upto 10min (for most) in day.

sleep in day and rinnk coffee at night...that will make it hard to adjust been there

[Mighty Mouse]

Don't go to bed with good looking women, and you won't want to do anything else but sleep.

[Jasmine]

Can you get melatonin in Thailand?

It's only available on prescription in the UK but I think you can buy it over the counter in the US.

Not sure of it's side effects though if taken long term. I'm in the UK and my son is prescribed it, been taking it for 3 years. It sends him off to sleep but doesn't always keep him asleep

[Jockstar]

I too have problems sleeping. It really pisses me off. I sometimes take antihystemine tablets to help with sleep.They are a mild traquiliser. Bloody annoying when you know you got to go to work next day. In the Uk when i had this problem i used to take Natrusleep or similar. Here you just cant seem to get the same thing. I have tried Valian -X but no where good enough.

[thankuverybig]

i too am not a good sleeper.i used to be a real insomniac,but am now sleeping,but i am not a real deep sleeper.i think my cause started when i was an exersise fanatic & my body got used to being over tired,so drugs wouldnt really help me.

i think that has a lot to do with it,what your mind & body are used too,as far as sleep amounts go.

if you take sleeping pills or have a good few drinks,they say that the sleep quality is not so good as normal,& experts equate it as getting a kip in the back of a horse drawn cart on a bumpy track.so you really need to get an early one if sleeping with pills.

i sometimes quite like being overtired,a bit like being slightly drunk.

[Sheryl]

Actually if I read your post right you ae getting plenty of sleep, you just have your body clock out of kilter.

For that, use the gradual approach of forcing yourself to get up earlier than you want to by about an hour more every few days and then going to bed an equivalent amount earlier. Be sure to avoid all caffeine for at least 8 hours befiore you want to fall asleep. Get out in the sunlight during the day and, if you can get it (not officially available in Thailand but on another post said to be readily found in Phuket pharmacies) take melatonin about an hour before your intended bedtime. If you fall asleep and then wake up, you can repeat the mealtonin as long as there is at least 4 more hours of planned sleep time ahead..(Can also get melatonin over the counter in Cambodia, Pharmacie de la Gare or Naga Pharmacy).

A couple of hours before your intended bedtime, start winding down, avoiding stimulating activities. Try reading or other introverted pastimes which you find relaxing. When the appointed time comes, take a hot bath then get into bed, turn off the light and doing some light meditation if you know how.

With perserverance this will work, altho you'll have to rough out a period of reduced sleep and tiredness (resist the urge to deal with that with caffeine as much as posisble)

[belidofan]

Having problems sleeping...can't go to sleep before 4 or 5 am and wake up 2 or 3 pm. Any pills you could recommend?

Don't know if it will help you, but is sure has been helping me : make your own cocoa. Heat up 1 litre, use a good powder cocoa, not too much because to much chocolate gives you energy,mix and add 2 coffee spoons of fresh cinamon powder + sugar and some dried chili powder according to taste. One half mug does the thing for me, gives me a really deep sleep. The rest you cool down and keep refrigerated for the next couple of nights.Go to bed immediately after consuming the cocoa. Give it a try

[Krupnik]

Having problems sleeping...can't go to sleep before 4 or 5 am and wake up 2 or 3 pm. Any pills you could recommend?

Hydroxyzine Hydrocholride - also known as brand names 'Drozine' and 'Atarax' and there's probably others. I think they are the antihistamine mild tranquiliser ones that Jockstar is talking about. They work wonders for me. When I am in Thailand I just can't sleep at all without them. For me, I get exactly 7-8 hours sleep on them and don't feel at all tired the next day. You can get them in any chemist all over Thailand. Take one or two each night, 25mg.

Definitely try all the natural options people have suggested first though, to check whether they work.

Another one to add to that list, is Lavender Oil. I use it when I am back home. Few drops on my pillow at night works wonders. I had terrible trouble with insomnia until I discovered it and I would almost go as far as to say it changed my life! I seem to need something a bit stronger in Thailand though.

Hope you find these recommendations useful - let us know.

Dee

[thomas3940]

Valuume They work great all you need is 1 tablet of 5mg sleep like a baby

Having problems sleeping...can't go to sleep before 4 or 5 am and wake up 2 or 3 pm. Any pills you could recommend?

[tutsiwarrior]

do you have a snoring problem? If so then there is apnoea to consider...hard to do much about anything if you have this condition.

A pre-bedtime routine is effective...limit intake of food and drinks other than water 2-3 hours before sleep. Take a shower and get under the sheets with a book and force yer brain waves to suitably accomodate. Waking up 2-3 hours later is a drag...happens to me alla time and cannot get back to sleep later.

Sleeping problems are serious. If you are highly paid and in a senior position you are expected to stay awake, alert and effective...bosses and clients don't buy the sleep disorder angle and re-evaluate your consulting fee (and your existence) when seen dozing mid afternoon.

Makes one want to give it up and sleep inna tent in Big Sur for as long as one pleases...

[Orion76]

Valuume They work great all you need is 1 tablet of 5mg sleep like a baby

Yes for a few months and then you need something stronger

What works best for me is getting up early and doing a heavy work out at the gym and avoiding work related and aggrevating issues later in the evening. If you have a hard time sleeping then it's best to avoid caffeine period, even one cup of coffee in the early morning can make it harder to get to sleep late at night.

[Padrino]

I have immense trouble sleeping, and like someone said above pills are only temporary and you end up needing something stronger. I started looking into hollistic stuff like Skullcap, I did a search and came accross this article on the net which let me to buy a really good sleep book. It gives loads of techniques and advice for sleeping in different circumstances, it is all based around alligning your body back to natural sleep. I still don't sleep perfectly every night but it really helped...but then who does sleep well all the time?

www.goodsleephygiene.com

steer clear of caffeine

all the best...

Edited May 9, 2010 by Padrino

[samtam]

I have had sleeping problems all my life. It is hereditary, as my mother was the same. Two months ago I gave up alcohol, and now I sleep very deeply, and usually have to go to bed at 11 pm because I am tired enough. I never sleep the whole night through, but the quality of the sleep I get feels much much better. In fact, I enjoy sleeping so much, it is a great substitute for the mythical "high" from alcohol!

[thaimusic]

How about some valium?

Edited May 9, 2010 by thaimusic

[JSixpack]

Hydroxyzine Hydrocholride - also known as brand names 'Drozine' and 'Atarax' and there's probably others.

Tried that, but seems to make me pee. Might give it another go sometime.

Amitriptyline, OTC in Thailand, non-addictive, works well. Learned about it on this forum. Read up on it first.

Quiet ambient music (or white noise) helps a lot. Put on Brian Eno's Music For Airports, for example, and you won't remember any track after the 1st.