insomnia

[gs300tx]

Hey guys,
Is there anything natural that I can take that can help me with insomnia? Going to the doctor was pointless because he just wanted to prescribe ambien, which I have taken btw and just don't like the effects that it has on me and frankly caused me to be hooked on those type of pills.
So, if there anything natural that I can take that can help me I would appreciate it
Thanks
Ali

[JoeJustice]

Geeze... Ambien... I use to have bad insomnia and my doctor gave me that and one other kind of sleep pill. I had some pretty wild nightmares and woke up feeling like I hadn't slept in weeks.

Best thing to start off with is melatonin, you can get that just about drugstore. Try taking 5mg before going to bed. If that doesn't do the trick, I'll give you a little recipe I use to help knock myself out. This combination will help you sleep and is also good muscle rebuilding. Take this about 30 minutes before bed:

5 mg - melatonin
5 grams - Gamma Aminobutyric Acid (abbreviated as GABA)
10 grams - Branch Chain Amino Acids (abbreviated as BCAA)

GABA helps calm your central nervous system and BCAAs will help with muscle repair. Along with the melatonin, I've found this combination of supplements to be a great way trigger my body into going to sleep. Just do a Google search for the GABA and BCAA if you can't get them locally. Raw powder is best mixed with a tiny amount of juice, you don't want too much since you're going to bed; too much liquid will make you wake up to go to the bathroom.

Now, on top of that practice good "sleep hygiene" and eat right and you'll probably be able to get rid of the insomnia fairly quickly.

Here's a link from WebMD on sleep hygiene: http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/guide/sleep-hygiene

-Joe

[gs300tx]

Thanks Joe,
I agree with you on the ambien, that thing makes me hallucinate and the next day (exactly 8 hours btw) I just don't feel rested enough.
Thanks for the tip, Im gonna go to my local gnc to see if they carry it.

[Giant Soldier]

Ah, as a night-shift worker, sleep is a subject that's near and dear to my heart!

Before you start messing with Ambien, don't forget about all the simple things for a good night's sleep:
:yawn:
Avoid caffiene before bedtime.
Try a cup of herbal tea
Go to bed at the same time each night.
Avoid exercise right before bed.
If you're going through a period where you're having a lot of problems, do something to distract yourself from them
Have a comfortable bed with good-fitting sheets.
Wear earplugs if there's frequent noise where you sleep, an eyeshade if there's light.
If you suffer from GERD or asthma, a wedge pillow can help.
Don't overeat and, above all, don't eat a full meal before bed.
At the same time, don't go to bed hungry.
Don't wear pajamas all day. Even if you're recuperating from an illness, wear regular clothes during the day and bedclothes at night.
Think about how much time you've slept in the last 24 hours - if it's more than 7 hours do you really need to sleep some more or are you just depressed?
Realize that some people do just fine on 6 hours. Some people like Thomas Edison only slept four hours a day!

And even though this is an exercise-related forum, it's worth stating that getting some form of physical activity during the day helps one sleep.

Don't forget about getting outdoors too.

You can also try a 25 mg tablet of Benadryl that I take once a week when I have to shift between days and nights - but don't do that everyday because then you'll be dependent on it and it'll stop working.

Sweet dreams -
GS

[tom]

I understand the reasoning behind the no exercise before bed, I've heard it a lot, I suppose it is true for most people, but not for me.

A hard workout, or even a not so hard one, will help me sleep sooner and better. My theory is that it is because when I can't sleep, it is because of my mind racing all over my mind. A workout before, and also pushups in the middle of the night when I wake up with my mind racing, puts the mind back into the body, back to basics, calms, and helps me get back to sleep.

We're all diffunt.

Tom

[kenpopaul]

Totally agree with tom!!

Lately (the past month) I've been suffering from Insomnia. I think it's due to being so busy at work. When I sleep (or try to!) my mind is all over the place. After a week or so of this I started getting up and doing some Hindu squats (enough so I can't stand anymore). Then doing half an hours stretching and yoga (or Qi Gung). then I have a hot chocolate (or camomile tea).

That usually does the trick.

I also suffer from Ekboms syndrome which is basically a strange energy feeling that rushes through the body (mainly groin and legs) so I have to keep moving, twitching etc. The hindu squats are the only thing that gets rid of this (Doing Karate also does but this can be a bit rough on your partner if they can hear you haha).

All the best

- Kenpopaul

[gs300tx]

Thanks guys,
I think im gonna try the herbal tea trick at night. Last night I was up till 4.30am. I was very tempted to take some kind of sedative to knock me out(ambien...etc etc, dont even get me started on the names). But some how I managed to fall asleep.
I think I have gotten so dependant on these pills that the idea of sleeping naturally is foreign to me, those who are insomniacs know what i am talking about.
Thanks again guys, I am gonna give the herbal tea a try and let you guys know the results

[Greg Newton]

In Bill Starr's The Strong Shall Survive he recommended calcium and magnesium before bedtime. I have found over the years that this works well. You have to take more than the the recommended dosage and you need to balance the calcium/magnesium 100/50. I prefer taking coral calcium these days because it seems more digestible and seems to work better. You have to shop around for what brand works best. I don't wish insomnia on anyone. There has been some good advise given on this thread that could help.

[Andy62]

If I do active exercise before I go to bed I will have trouble going to sleep. If I do isometrics I go right to sleep with no problem.

[Aaron Hoot]

I have had trouble with insomnia before. Valerian Root helps exceedingly well. Another thing I do is before I go to bed I go down and bridge for about 5 minutes. I can go longer but 5 minutes seem to do the trick. When I get up I am very relaxed. Not trying to pitch a product either but I have been taking Chisel and since then I haven't taken any valerian root and seem to be sleeping well. I only take the Chisel in the morning and have never taken it at night. I hope that helps!

Aaron

[MikeNY]

Andy62/Gordon is so right. I do the M7 before bedtime and Isometric powerflexing, sleep like a baby. Started by accident the first time and it works like a charm! Do your M7 routine before sleep and sleep comes fast and deep, you awake refreshed. This is a no drug way to sleep and there are other threads on this topic.

[Andy62]

I learned that technique from an article by Alois P. Swoboda. His approach was very similar to Tiger Moves.

[Viking Dan]

The best sleep aid I've found is L-Tryptophan. Take a gram or so with some simple carb(fruit juice, for example.) Works like a charm. No dry mouth, etc.

[gs300tx]

Thanks Viking Dan, I am gonna give the L-tryptophan a try tonight and see how that goes.

[M]

One thing no one has mentioned yet is hypnotherapy. Regular use of a hypnotherapy CD can help get you into a more regular sleep pattern.

http://www.amazon.com/Can-Make-Sleep-Book-Paperback/dp/B001R1O6J2/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1249202632&sr=8-7

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=glenn+harrold+sleep&x=0&y=0

[gs300tx]

Hey guys, I have finally found something that has really helped me with my insomnia. I am not sure if i can post what product it is here, but it basically has 1.5 grams of Melatonin and a "propriety blend" which works real well.