sleep aids

[grizzly_]

NyQuil Pure ZZZ (Melatonin and Lavender) works 90% of the time, but if I'm really struggling I take 1/4 tab of Doxylamine Succinate and I'm a goner.

Tylenol PM just has added Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) but the Dox Succ works WAY better for me.

 

[Runnin_Chupacabra]

I don’t mess around. I take 1.5 servings of 10mg melatonin and I’m asleep in 15 minutes.
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I can see why you use Tylenol pm though with all the aches and pains and swelling possible. Tylenol pm seems to put me in a deep sleep and I don’t wake up until morning, but I don’t feel refreshed. When I take melatonin I still wake up if something is making a ruckus in the house like a kid and I feel refreshed in the am.

Believe I’m +3 on melatonin. Good stuff and not groggy

 

[Sytes]

I don’t mess around. I take 1.5 servings of 10mg melatonin and I’m asleep in 15 minutes.

I can see why you use Tylenol pm though with all the aches and pains and swelling possible. Tylenol pm seems to put me in a deep sleep and I don’t wake up until morning, but I don’t feel refreshed. When I take melatonin I still wake up if something is making a ruckus in the house like a kid and I feel refreshed in the am.

Melatonin is great. I agree. I take 2 1mg pills each night. I'm minimal as this is basically convincing the body you create enough melatonin to fall asleep, thus it reduces the creation of natural melatonin.

"They" say between .2 and 10mg is fairly safe.
If you stop taking melatonin or forget or use for camping then stop... your body gets a bit confused... Does it make melatonin or not?

Initially, it will knock you out! Because it tacks onto your body created level. The more you take, the less it makes.

You stop and reverse the setting... can't sleep worth shit because not only did you stop, your body reduced its own build.

 

[Gellar]

Melatonin is great. I agree. I take 2 1mg pills each night. I'm minimal as this is basically convincing the body you create enough melatonin to fall asleep, thus it reduces the creation of natural melatonin.

"They" say between .2 and 10mg is fairly safe.
If you stop taking melatonin or forget or use for camping then stop... your body gets a bit confused... Does it make melatonin or not?

Initially, it will knock you out! Because it tacks onto your body created level. The more you take, the less it makes.

You stop and reverse the setting... can't sleep worth shit because not only did you stop, your body reduced its own build.

Makes sense. I should probably cut back. I don’t need it to initially fall asleep but a lot of times I will wake up in the middle of the night at like 2 or 3 am and not fall back asleep until it’s time to get up for work. My mom has that problem and her dad would sleep the same way too.

 

[BackofBeyond]

I use a combo or melatonin and Benadryl. For whatever reason neither seem work great for me on the 2nd night, so I alternate back and forth between the two.

 

[Jorgy]

As a chronic poor sleeper I have a prescription for trazodone and call in OTC diphenhydramine HCI for backup when needed .

I started using trazodone a few years back. Absolutely changed my life for the better. I've only had a few times since then of staring at my clock wondering why I'm still awake.

 

[bradr]

I went to a prescription sleep aid years ago. Melatonin doesn't even touch me. Tylenol PM will work, but I wake up incredibly groggy. I now take Temazapam, which does the trick for me at home and in the mountains.

 

[Fremont15]

Tylenol pm and melatonin both work pretty well.

 

[Seeleylakehunter]

I could record my wife telling me her work stories/issues . That will surely get you to sleep.

 

[blueridge]

I had to go to a prescription. I have never been a sleeper even at home. I mean a couple hours a night then toss and turn. Nothing over the counter did a thing. My doc who I have known for years finally said look you need to sleep. Game changer for me. Never knew what a good night sleep was. I can even sleep in now!

Do you mind sharing what it is?

Doc prescribed me hydroxyzine for my upcoming backcountry camping. Gave it a test ride this week and had no result other than next morning grogginess, same result as otc PM meds.

Melatonin 10mg makes me wired. 2.5-5 and I do pretty decent.

Will not try Ambien. My wife was on it for a while and turned into a crazy woman at night and didn’t remember a thing the next day. Same with my aunt.

Search continues. T-18 days.

 

[MarvB]

I sleep like crap, have ever since the kids were babies 20+ years ago. I fall asleep literally the second my head hits the pillow but am wide awake within 3-4 hours most the time. Have tried melatonin and most over the counters and either didn’t work, didn’t like how they made me feel, or my body adjusted to them quickly and they no longer were effective. My wife has a somewhat similar problem and her doc first recommended CBD drops (didn’t work) and then the below tincture which works amazing for her.
I take it on occasion and it does work (kind of spendy and tastes like shit) but I’m stubborn and still trying to just deal with it myself “naturally”
I refuse to take prescription meds for it just due to what I witnessed dealing with my ex (ambien, lunrsta, etc) going bat shit crazy when she used them and then didn’t remember dink the next day. Anyway, might be worth a shot for you.

 

[JEL]

Do you mind sharing what it is?

Doc prescribed me hydroxyzine for my upcoming backcountry camping. Gave it a test ride this week and had no result other than next morning grogginess, same result as otc PM meds.

Melatonin 10mg makes me wired. 2.5-5 and I do pretty decent.

Will not try Ambien. My wife was on it for a while and turned into a crazy woman at night and didn’t remember a thing the next day. Same with my aunt.

Search continues. T-18 days.

Mertazapine

 

[blueridge]

what I witnessed dealing with my ex (ambien, lunrsta, etc) going bat shit crazy when she used them and then didn’t remember dink the next day.

Truth!! Alternates between wondering whether they took PCP or if someone slipped them a roofie. How that stuff got FDA approval I will never know.

 

[MarvB]

Lol... @blueridge I got up one morning to get the kids off to school, decided to make pancakes. Opened the pantry to find a half eaten carton of chocolate ice cream oozing from the shelf into a nasty puddle on the floor. Walked back into the bedroom, the pillow case looked like it had been dipped in it along with her hair... she was asleep though

 

[kansasdad]

Adding pharmaceuticals/naturals to get to sleep can work, but some folks aren’t helping themselves fall asleep/stay asleep with food/drink (caffeine in various forms), drinking extra fluids that require a middle of the night trip to the nearest bush, or a failure to make the ultimate effort to be as comfortable as possible sleeping situation.

Warmth, cushioning, head support, body positioning (head up or down v flat) all make large differences in sleep quality.

Another possible factor in disrupted sleep is the status of the airway for regular inhale/exhale cycling. Obstructions due to increased mucous secretions due to allergy or inflammation can reduce sleep satisfaction. I take a Zyrtec (non drowsy antihistamine) everyday as I am “allergic to Kansas”.

BreathRight nasal strips can help some, while others must use CPAP for sleep apnea. I know my wife sleeps much better when I don’t snore, and I do feel more rested now that I am on the machine at night. This fall will be my first hunting season with CPAP, so it will be interesting to see how my battery power situation pans out.

 

[SO7mm]

I've listened to most of this book on Audio and it's pretty informative.



A lot of information about what does and doesn't actually help with a good night sleep. Some things may help you sleep more but you actually get less quality sleep resulting in a net loss. I'm not a great sleeper in general and it's amplified in a tent. This has helped me at home, we'll see how it goes in the mountains. I skipped forward quite a bit on my first pass through because he gets into a lot of detail on various issues. He was on the Huberman Lab podcast not long ago as well which was good.

 

[MThuntr]

Thanks for all the information so far guys. I'm going to try some of the more natural options and sleep aids without pain medicines. My liver and kidneys work hard enough the way it is () and I'm usually not sore so taking extra meds seems unnecessary. This week we only had 2 nights in the tent and I slept pretty ok...night 1 I woke up around 130 to discover that I was freezing cold and was mostly out of my sleeping bag (temps dropped below freezing). Night 2 was better because I did sneak 2 Double Haul IPAs with dinner which is the benefit of car camping but I was absolutely wiped out from the day.

Observations I've made so far without sleep aids:
1) for me being absolutely wiped out will result in either falling asleep within seconds OR being up all night worrying about being tired
2) I need my head elevated more than I realized and simply bringing more pillows or stuffing my pack with a puffy does help
3) stop drinking water hours before going to sleep so I don't have to get up at 1am (which can result in not falling asleep again)
4) ear plugs do not work for me...I have tinnitus and the plugs just amplify the ringing
5) my frequently used sleeping bag is generally too warm which is hard to plan for sometimes when mountain camping when nights could stay in the 50s or drop into the upper 20s without warning. I may need to consider a 30 degree bag as most of my stuff is designed for mid-late season.
6) the sound of others moving in their tents will prevent me from falling asleep. A lightweight sheet between your sleeping pad and the tent floor reduces noise significantly or for me I need to have my tent very far away from others.

 

[Kearnsie14]

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This stuff. 1-2 of these each night and out cold.

 

[Clearedhot1]

Like others, I have used melatonin and Z quil. Trying to get off that crap now in my 40’s though, and have started falling asleep to meditation noise. Insight Timer is a free download and if you can find the right narrator (I seek a raspy, slow talking woman), she puts me right to bed telling me how great I am. Then I wake up to my wife telling me otherwise lol.

 

[gouch]

I have always found sex to be a great sleep aid. Not always an option though. I can't really be of much help because I have always been able to sleep quit well. I have noticed though, that most of my friends and family that do have trouble sleeping complain about their lack of sleep while they are guzzling coffee or downing an energy drink.