Getting a good sleep!

I was prescribed it about a year ago. It didn''t help me very much. it also seemed to give me a nasty taste in the mouth. My GP switched me to Zolpidem, which doesn''t work brilliantly either but has no side effects for me.

My problem is not so much getting off to sleep, but I find I wake up with a racing heart and drenched in sweat after an hour or so. Every night. For over a year. It can then take minutes or hours for me to get back to sleep again, if at all. And then I can''t bear to get up in the mornings.

I have tried everything, and have posted a few times here about it. From hot baths to milky drinks, alcohol, no alcohol, every herbal product available, amino acids, baking soda, dolphin sounds, pan pipes, waves crashing, meditation tapes, relaxation tapes, classical music, radio etc etc. Like you, I can nod off no problem in front of the telly if my kids are around.

This may be a key as the only night I slept more than 2 hours at a stretch was last summer when the three children and I went away for one night and all slept together in a family room. I had been dreading it, thinking I wouldn''t get a wink.

The only thing I have taken which helps at all is something I got from amazon that is from the US - it''s by Kirkland (costco own brand) and is called sleep-aid. Active ingredient is Doxylamine Succinate. Only problem with this is I then feel run over by a truck the following day, so I avoid taking it unless I know I can stay in bed, which actually never happens except in the holidays.

Good luck, and if you hear of anything please let me know!

Babyhanna,I was prescribed Zopiclone in the initial stages of my breakup.
In my case they worked,they knocked me out cold for at least 2 to 3 hours,which enabled me to exist at least...

I work in the Nhs and we use this drug on most of our patients,due to the nature of their illnesses,they cannot differantiate between day and night,and this works,well most of the time anyway:blink:

It maybe a case of trial and error though,but all I can say in my humble opinion,they work..

AfonXxx

I haven''t taken sleeping pills before. I used to work in psychiatry and was put off sleeping pills by one of the consultants who was regarded as the "founding father" of evidence based sleep research in the UK. He preferred psychological therapies such as cognitive therapy or sleep restriction and published a book which may be of interest, if you can still find a copy. The book was "Get a Better Nights Sleep" by Prof Ian Oswald

My understanding is Zopiclone/Zolpidem have many of the same drawbacks as the older drugs, such as Nitrazepam, Temazepam and Diazepam and the Royal College of Psychiatrists recommend sleeping tablets should only normally be used for short periods (less than 2 weeks) – for instance, if you are so distressed that you cannot sleep at all.

I am a pharmacist , my advice is that the sleeping tablets beginning with a Z all are fine for occasional use , but if you use them on a regular basis you become dependent on them for sleeping. I would say max 2 weeks use or no more than 2 or 3 nights a week.
Eliza the product you are using is not available in the U K but is a sedating antihistamine similar to the one in products like Nytol.

Thanks xargle. I have tried nytol without success, maybe there''s an element of placebo about it. But although poss not available over the counter here, I did buy it from amazon.co.uk without any issues.

The z drugs I know should not be used long term. My GP has continues to supply me with them for all this time but I use them v rarely and do not feel that I am psychologically or chemically dependent. I try to vary the things I try and usually avoid any kind of drugs to see how it''s going. But truth is, I haven''t been able to stretch out periods of unbroken sleep for more than two hours for almost 18 months.

Today I cried off sick and stayed in bed dozing until 3pm which was a real treat and I feel better for it. Early morning tomorrow though.

I would say the key to sound sleep is peace of mind.
Sadly that''s in rather short supply when we go through upheavals like divorce.
My friends (2 out of 3 insomniac) found sleep deprivation to be the most helpful.

Hi all,

The best sleep you will get is after any form of physical exercise, even walking for an hour a day will clear your head as well as helping exhaust you, you should sleep like a baby.

It doesn''t have to be a fancy gym, fresh air and a good pair of trainers is all you need.

Take care for now FoS x