Sleeping supplements
filbo132
Posts: 956 Member
Anyone can reccomend me any good sleeping supplements. I have two major issues, there are some nights I have a very hard time going to sleep and there are nights where I wake up at 3 AM and can't go back to bed. I don't have any anxiety or stress issues, it has more to do with my body just wakes up for absolutely no reason. I googled on the internet and I was thinking of getting a bottle of Magnesium citrate and a bottle of melatonin. I read that magnesium helps with the brain hormone for sleep and I would use Melatonin on nights when I know that I have to wake up very early in the morning the following day (I wake up at 4:30 am to go to the gym, I do this twice a week)...plus I read that taking Melatonin frequently isn't ideal, so that's why I would limit to using it twice per week. Is that a good place to start? Or do you have a better solution. I know many people like ZMA, but the problem I have with those is that I have to take them on an empty stomach at night and that rarely ever happens.
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I think you're on the right path. I was going to recommend melatonin... so I agree with your plan. I don't have personal experience because I am always tired and have no problem going to sleep - but my mom uses it and it seems to work for her.1
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I use magnesium spray and swear by it. Makes me sleep like a baby.
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Yes I love the spray. I'm not much of a pill taker. I started off using it at night right before I go to bed. A few spray pumps on the chest. Now I use it in the morning as I get out of the shower and at night.
Give it a try. I order it from amazon. It's called EASE by Activation products. It also helps with sore muscles after working out.
It won't knock you out like a sleep aid, but you get a good night sleep. You will stay asleep and wake up refreshed.
Let me know if you have more questions. I'll be happy to share.1 -
Try the gentlest over-the-counter stuff first. When my daughter the nurse was using Ambien, she learned of doing things in her sleep that she really didn't want to do, like spend hundreds of dollars buying books on her Kindle.0
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So today I actually spoke to someone about my sleep issues, which are very similar to yours. She told me to make sure I'm not eating 3 hours before bed and sugars and caffeine should be 7 hours before bed... And do low carbs at night because when you metabolize them you're body gets the energy and wants to wake up. Also, Go to bed around the same time every night and they recommend have a bedtime routine that is at least 15 minutes long to train your body to know when it's time to go to bed. And if you find yourself waking up and unable to go back to sleep after twenty minutes get out of bed and redo the routine or get up and read for a few mins to relax, then redo your bedtime routine to tell yourself its bedtime.
I have heard or the don't lay in bed for hours trying to get back to sleep, get up and do something, then try to go to bed.
She also told me, bedrooms should be for sleep and sex only... No TV's or screen time, but so many people have TV's or use phones in their bed before going to sleep, including herself...
I am willing to try anything at this point, maybe it will actually work.
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Unisom sleep tabs is the only I found to help me. Melatonin was habit forming for me and felt groggy the whole day plus you have to cycle with it. I always hear lavender for the bedroom can help for a more natural way for sleeping as it helps with calming. May work for some but not with me. Make sure you're not taking caffeine or any energizing supplements past noon that can make you stay up. Even working out at night before bed can prevent you from falling asleep.0
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I use GABA. It doesn't make me fall asleep and it's not meant to force you to fall asleep. It helps you get to a deeper sleep.0
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sammyjo0218 wrote: »Unisom sleep tabs is the only I found to help me. Melatonin was habit forming for me and felt groggy the whole day plus you have to cycle with it. I always hear lavender for the bedroom can help for a more natural way for sleeping as it helps with calming. May work for some but not with me. Make sure you're not taking caffeine or any energizing supplements past noon that can make you stay up. Even working out at night before bed can prevent you from falling asleep.
"Cycle"? I take melatonin every night. No grogginess, ever. I have no idea what you mean by "cycle".1 -
I wouldn't take melatonin. It's really only useful for when your circadian rhythms are thrown off (ex: jet lag) and it doesn't do much for when you have problems with insomnia. Calming herbs like chamomile, valerian, passionflower, and kava kava work better overall. Personally, l-theanine tablets work really well for me. They increase the body's production of melatonin at night, and a dose usually puts me to sleep in about an hour.
Tart cherry juice is also well-known for increasing melatonin and helping people with insomnia. I'd definitely get the magnesium. Magnesium is good for so many things, and so many people are deficient in it. Just make sure you get a good form. Citrate, glycinate, and the topical varieties are all good. You can also make Epsom salt baths and add different calming essential oils like lavender to help relax you and increase your magnesium levels. Just be aware that the topicals tingle for a while when you apply them, which some people find unpleasant.0 -
You need a routine. If one night you sleep early, one night you sleep real late and vice versa when you wake up. Your sleep will be messed up. Mine is messed too, since I work extremely early in the morning and on my off days I tend to sleep late. I cant sleep that early. Old habits die hard I guess.
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Anyone can reccomend me any good sleeping supplements. I have two major issues, there are some nights I have a very hard time going to sleep and there are nights where I wake up at 3 AM and can't go back to bed. I don't have any anxiety or stress issues, it has more to do with my body just wakes up for absolutely no reason. I googled on the internet and I was thinking of getting a bottle of Magnesium citrate and a bottle of melatonin. I read that magnesium helps with the brain hormone for sleep and I would use Melatonin on nights when I know that I have to wake up very early in the morning the following day (I wake up at 4:30 am to go to the gym, I do this twice a week)...plus I read that taking Melatonin frequently isn't ideal, so that's why I would limit to using it twice per week. Is that a good place to start? Or do you have a better solution. I know many people like ZMA, but the problem I have with those is that I have to take them on an empty stomach at night and that rarely ever happens.
I have that same issue and also don't have stress or anxiety. Melatonin didn't work for me. Sometimes sleep aid pills work and the extra sleepy time tea with valerian root. I ended up really likimg that tea though. I stopped drinking coffee and I didn't notice change. I even bought an aromatherapy humidifier to use with lavendar oil and no luck, but the room smelled nice. Someone recommended taking magnesium, but I haven't tried it yet. Let me know if you find that something works. Good luck!0 -
If you're going to take magnesium ,try the chelated type as magnesium citrate can give you diarrhoea.
I have real difficulties sleeping and recently started a sleep restriction routine. Basically you go to bed at the same time each night and get up at the same time,regardless of how much sleep you've had.
No screens or TV an hour before bed,no alcohol within 3 hours of going to bed and restricted fluids for an hour or two before bed.
Keep your bedroom quiet,dark and not too hot /cold.
No daytime naps
It's been tedious and tough but I'm now sleeping for 6 - 7 hours each night without getting up to pee and then being unable to get back to sleep.
Some people find its best to avoid exercise in the evenings
I've never tried melatonin but my understanding is that it's meant as a short term thing only.0 -
Oops sorry - just realised I've basically repeated @strshllw84 's advice!0
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I drink chamomile tea before bed while trying to relax in the last half hour before I go lie down, and I take a valerian capsule just before I go to bed.
I stop drinking caffeine by about 5 pm.
I also find that exercising right after work, in the early evening, helps a lot too.
I too bought a new bed a few years ago when I was having a lot of trouble sleeping comfortably ... that did help a lot! Love my bed!
I spray my pillows with lavender about once a week ... I've read lavender is supposed to be relaxing and it smells nice, so I figured I'd give it a try.
And I take magnesium every evening, but never really thought about it being helpful for sleep.2 -
My grandmother (a nurse) swore by Benedryl1
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I use a product called "Midnite" contains a small amount of melatonin,lemon balm,chamomile, and lavender, melts under the tongue and no grogginess the next day,also Magnesium Glycinate is a great form of mag for relaxation2
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I'm a life-long insomniac. For me, it's mostly trouble getting to sleep, not staying asleep, although I struggle with that occasionally as well. Identifying anything that wakes you up can be helpful (overheating, headache, having to pee, restless legs, etc.) My husband is on medication for restless leg syndrome (RLS). However, sometimes it's just nothing.
I agree with everyone above about developing sleep-promoting habits and hygiene. I got black out curtains, turn on a fan for white noise, no TV, keep the room cool, spent a pretty penny on a nice mattress, lock the cats in the basement, etc. I don't drink caffeine after 2pm, exercise regularly, use lavender, keep to a schedule... just about everything anyone has ever suggested for helping sleep. My sleep is much improved these days, but I still have bouts of insomnia.
The problem with most sleep aids, even natural ones, is that they may leave you groggy in the morning. So start with lower doses. Also, timing matters, so be open to experimentation. I've found melatonin to be helpful to get to sleep, but not necessarily to stay asleep. I take 200 grams of magnesium citrate every night about 45 minutes before I go to sleep and I think it helps to fall asleep and stay asleep. I started off taking it with dinner (several hours before bed and it didn't do anything for me taking it that long before bed). Benadryl works too but it may cause restless legs (if you're prone to RLS). It also leaves me kind of dried out (throat sore), so I don't take it unless I'm also having allergy problems.
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I normally take melatonin, but due to all the rain (MUCH needed--yay!) in SoCal you can literally see the pollen in the air. My car is not silver, it's yellow. So I take two Zyrtec before going to bed to keep allergies from waking me up.
Is there something waking you up at that time that you might not consciously realize? I live near a freeway overpass and I love the sound of the cars, I find it oddly comforting. Except for the late-night street racers with the large mufflers.
Bedroom dark with no ambient light? Eating right before bed, especially certain foods, can disrupt sleep. Any signs of sleep apnea?
I wake up between 3-4am for my nightly pee. Then I take my thyroid meds and fall back asleep. One thing I do to help me relax is listen to a comedy movie or tv show on my phone. I have the volume low and put the phone facedown so I can just listen. I use things I've seen over and over again so there's comfort in the familiar and I don't find myself paying attention to see what happens next.
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I have had serious issues with sleep all my life, just found this https://www.amazon.com/DRIFTOFF-Natural-Sleep-Valerian-Melatonin/dp/B015QGJ98G called driftoff on Amazon, it helps me. I think most people with our issue would do well to take it. Hope you find something that works for you. Good luck1
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I've taken melatonin almost every night for years. Lately I haven't needed it, but would go back to taking it if I did. Nothing wrong with taking it every night. Just a suggestion. Start with the lowest dose possible (I think it is 1mg) and go from there. Made the mistake of taking a higher dose and slept for almost 20 hours lol.0
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JeromeBarry1 wrote: »Try the gentlest over-the-counter stuff first. When my daughter the nurse was using Ambien, she learned of doing things in her sleep that she really didn't want to do, like spend hundreds of dollars buying books on her Kindle.
Yeah, that scares me. I've made little purchases on Percocet after surgery, and sometimes sleep eat with nothing. I don't sleep well, but I'm avoiding ambien.2 -
Melatonin makes me weepy. I will take Benadryl (and it also helps my eczema).0
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sammyjo0218 wrote: »Unisom sleep tabs is the only I found to help me. Melatonin was habit forming for me and felt groggy the whole day plus you have to cycle with it. I always hear lavender for the bedroom can help for a more natural way for sleeping as it helps with calming. May work for some but not with me. Make sure you're not taking caffeine or any energizing supplements past noon that can make you stay up. Even working out at night before bed can prevent you from falling asleep.
Melatonin is not habit forming. It's a naturally occurring hormone that's released every night. Some people just need a bit extra to help them sleep. There is no need to "cycle".2 -
Oh-good sleep/bed time hygiene habits are also really important. My doctor suggested these when I was having trouble sleeping.
-do not watch tv an hour before bed or in bed
-keep bedroom a few degrees cooler than rest of house
-keep the bed to bedroom activities only (i.e. No reading in bed, no watching tv in bed, only using bed to sleep and intimacy)
-do not allow yourself to fall asleep someplace else (like couch)
-try not to nap in the afternoon
-no caffeine 6-8hrs before bed
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My doctor-sister was telling me about a new sleep therapy where the client works out how much sleep they need a night and go to bed later for the minimum sleep. For this to work the client must get up at the same time every day.
Latest research on sedative sleep aids is that they affect the person long in to the next day. Mor potential for accidents.0 -
I use Melatonin 10 mg extended release. I have had trouble sleeping since I was a kid. I only woke up at 3:00 AM if I drank any type of alcohol before bed. I stopped drinking and started taking that and boom sleeping sooooo wonderfully Good luck! 0
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