sleep aides and going to bed early

eelamme
eelamme Posts: 1,135 Member
edited October 2024 in Chit-Chat
Do any of you have issues sleeping and therefore find yourself taking sleep aides whether it be melatonin, benedryl or something RX'd by your doc such as ambien? Do you ever find yourself taking said sleep aides earlier than normal on some occaisions simply to avoid late night binge eating?

Replies

  • debbiequack
    debbiequack Posts: 275 Member
    I do take prescribed aids but I don't binge in the late night so I don't use them that way.

    Have you tried adding other rituals in the evenings to distract you from binging?

    Best,

    Debbie
  • mrmarius
    mrmarius Posts: 1,802 Member
    i try to stay away from sleep aids, however on occassion like this morning i took a benadryl to get some sleep. i work third shift and find it very hard to sleep during the day and usually get no more than 5 or 6 hours of sleep and sometimes those hours get broken up so on those cases where maybe the day before i didnt get alot of sleep when i get off work i will. but its rare because i dont want to form a habit
  • sweetsapphire85
    sweetsapphire85 Posts: 386
    I only take sleep aids to get me back on a normal sleep schedule. (ie: like staying up until 2-3 in the mornings but suddenly have to be at work at 6am. I'm a night owl naturally but have trained myself to just avoid the kitchen at all costs at night which helps me avoid snacking.
  • flutatious1
    flutatious1 Posts: 121 Member
    I only take sleep aids to get me back on a normal sleep schedule. (ie: like staying up until 2-3 in the mornings but suddenly have to be at work at 6am. I'm a night owl naturally but have trained myself to just avoid the kitchen at all costs at night which helps me avoid snacking.

    I'm the same way.....total night owl. I've been up 'till 2-3 almost every night this summer (and every summer - I'm a teacher) In fact, I've thought about popping an ambien now to get me back on a normal schedule since 5am tuesday is gonna kill me. Sleeping is supposed to be a huge key to losing weight.... I've always been awful at getting more than 6 hours. I asked the Dr. for something to help me get enough Zzzzz's and he gave me ambien.
  • eelamme
    eelamme Posts: 1,135 Member
    I do take prescribed aids but I don't binge in the late night so I don't use them that way.

    Have you tried adding other rituals in the evenings to distract you from binging?

    Best,

    Debbie

    It isn't so much actual night binge'ing. It is more about being ravenous on my days off. There are times when I want to eat any and everything in the house.
    Thing is, I loooooooove sleep. LOVE it. I work 13 to 14 hrs a day four days a week and am lucky if I get 5 or 6 hours of sleep a night. As a resut I tend to take benedryl or melatonin on days off to help endulge in what I don't normally.
    As I've begun the MFP adventure I've noticed that I eat more on days off. So, because of this I've been thinking of sleep aides to advoid the binge'ing.
    Hopefully all that makes sense for I feel like I've just done a bunch a rambling with no straight train of thought.
  • michedarnd
    michedarnd Posts: 207 Member
    Hmmmmm... Interesting You do know that a good night's sleep will actually encourage weight loss (you probably do)? Is there any way you can even out your sleep schedule, or do you have trouble sleeping, as a general rule (I do -- I keep melatonin as a staple)? When you "binge," are you surpassing your calorie goal? If you are THAT hungry, I have to wonder whether you are getting enough, normally? I've had MUCH more luck with keeping what I eat pretty much even seven days a week. Are you exceeding your recommended calorie deficit on your work days? My suggestion would be to see if you can even out your sleeping and eating schedules -- use the days off to prepare what you will eat ahead of time, if you can, and keep a lot of healthy, low-calorie snacks around. It's quite fine to have a Greek yogurt and a cup of raw broccoli or 10-15 almonds, later in the day, but, what I would do is see if you can eat a touch more -- and maybe higher-fiber and higher-protein so that you feel more satisfied. Personally, I changed my protein/carb./fat balance to 40/30/30, and it has since been easier for me to avoid the "I want to eat my shoes" feeling. I'd play around with it until I was able to be consistent eating and sleeping 7 days a week.
  • McKayMachina
    McKayMachina Posts: 2,670 Member
    I have the most messed up sleep schedule of anyone I've ever known. I'm normally awake for periods of 24-48 hours then asleep for anywhere from 4-12 hours. I wouldn't call it insomnia. I'd call it an out-of-whack circadian rhythm. If the days were 36 hours of daylight and 10 hours of nighttime, I would be able to sleep and wake perfectly on schedule. Alas, the stupid solar system has other plans in store.

    I've only used melatonin a few times and I loved it! But, keep in mind, that was in conjunction with healthy behavior modification. I'm not a big fan of medicines/pills, in general, no matter how safe and natural. Sleep aids affect your brain chemistry and abusing them is a very bad idea. I would, personally, never use a sleep aid (or any other medicine for that matter) as a quick-fix. Look into cognitive behavior therapy, if you'd like to learn a little more. Journal and glass of water on the night stand, as well as always fresh and clean bed linens will make a huge difference! A newly-washed pillow case every night is good for your skin and respiratory function. Computer, cell phone and other electronics ought to be off 30 minutes before bedtime. Books are good. I always fall asleep to BORING books. Try Ayn Rand's 'Atlas Shrugged'. Zzzzzz... I have been reading that book for nearly a decade and I have yet to see if there is a Chapter 2! :laugh:

    Hope these tips help!
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
    I have the most messed up sleep schedule of anyone I've ever known. I'm normally awake for periods of 24-48 hours then asleep for anywhere from 4-12 hours. I wouldn't call it insomnia. I'd call it an out-of-whack circadian rhythm. If the days were 36 hours of daylight and 10 hours of nighttime, I would be able to sleep and wake perfectly on schedule. Alas, the stupid solar system has other plans in store.

    I've only used melatonin a few times and I loved it! But, keep in mind, that was in conjunction with healthy behavior modification. I'm not a big fan of medicines/pills, in general, no matter how safe and natural. Sleep aids affect your brain chemistry and abusing them is a very bad idea. I would, personally, never use a sleep aid (or any other medicine for that matter) as a quick-fix. Look into cognitive behavior therapy, if you'd like to learn a little more. Journal and glass of water on the night stand, as well as always fresh and clean bed linens will make a huge difference! A newly-washed pillow case every night is good for your skin and respiratory function. Computer, cell phone and other electronics ought to be off 30 minutes before bedtime. Books are good. I always fall asleep to BORING books. Try Ayn Rand's 'Atlas Shrugged'. Zzzzzz... I have been reading that book for nearly a decade and I have yet to see if there is a Chapter 2! :laugh:

    Hope these tips help!

    Great tips girl :)
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
    Do any of you have issues sleeping and therefore find yourself taking sleep aides whether it be melatonin, benedryl or something RX'd by your doc such as ambien? Do you ever find yourself taking said sleep aides earlier than normal on some occaisions simply to avoid late night binge eating?

    Be very careful, this behavior can become very addictive. Will you do this the rest of your life to ensure you won't binge at night? Please, for your health, find a better way to ditch the binge! Take care of yourself!
  • debbiequack
    debbiequack Posts: 275 Member
    Hmmm,

    I just read an interesting article about people who do shift work who really have higher health risks because of it.

    I think that anything you can do (that doesn't harm your body) to *normalize* your days off, including not sleeping TOO much and keeping your routine close to what it's like on days when you DO work is helpful.

    Sleep is a huge part of being healthy and weight loss.

    Debbie
This discussion has been closed.

Categories