Taking nyquil every night

[InchoateHand]

Working out before bed is a great way to stay up later.

[Klepton]

there is something else that is making you not sleep at night. figure it out.

join a gym, that'll help somethin.

I had chronic insomnia and was prescribed Trazadone. It'll knock you flat unconscious the first couple times you take it. I was on it for about 2 years and can now sleep normally without it. It's non-habit-forming as far as my experience. I was taking 75mg at first, and later stepped down all the way to 25mg.

Good luck, not sleeping sucks.

[Blarg]

I mean take valerian root for a few days, and then back off for a few days. You'll get the hang of it according to your own individual biochemistry. A mild word of warning: take too much of it and you will feel groggy for an hour after you wake up. Not a big deal or a bad dangerous thing, just don't be one of those knuckleheads who always thinks more is better and pound the crap down your gullet. Some days it'll help more than others, that's all, so don't push it.

Melatonin is also a great one. I find this can work very well sometimes. As I recall, it can reset your biological clock, so you don't want to take it before a daytime nap, or at a time that isn't around your regular bedtime. Take it, then go to sleep soon after. Another side note: melatonin supposedly has a number of beneficial effects on the system, too. Can't say I remember what they are, though.

Both of these tend to wear out their effect a bit after a while, at least on me. Then I need some time off before they start kicking in at their full strength again.

[InchoateHand]

Melatonin acts on your light/dark cycles.

Taking it before a daytime nap will not in anyway "reset" your system.

[Voltron87]

youre a human encyclopedia. thats really helpful. im usually more conservative in terms of medication/what i put in my body so im good there. thanks.

[Rhone]

[ QUOTE ]
I have heard that the Nyquil thing is a bad idea. Supposedly habit forming.

I also have sleep problems. I usually take Melatonin. It helps a little bit, but is not nearly as effective as the Nyquil. Other than that, a little weed seems to help.

[/ QUOTE ]

I took melatonin once for about a week a few years ago, when I was trying to reset my clock before a working trip to Europe. IIRC, the optimal dose was something like 1/10 what was typically sold. Each night I opened up the capsule and emptied about 90% of the powder out, and took the rest--worked like a charm.

[InchoateHand]

Voltron87,

It may be really helpful, but its all entirely erroneous information. Fun anecdotal stuff, but melatonin will do absolutely nothing for an insomniac. Might help with jetlag, but as occurs disturbingly frequently --no offense Blarg--- Blarg speaks very quickly and "fluently" about something he clearly knows very little/just finished googling.

[Aytumious]

[ QUOTE ]
Voltron87,

It may be really helpful, but its all entirely erroneous information. Fun anecdotal stuff, but melatonin will do absolutely nothing for an insomniac. Might help with jetlag, but as occurs disturbingly frequently --no offense Blarg--- Blarg speaks very quickly and "fluently" about something he clearly knows very little/just finished googling.

[/ QUOTE ]

I've never used melatonin, but valerian is quite effective.

[Blarg]

[ QUOTE ]
Voltron87,

It may be really helpful, but its all entirely erroneous information. Fun anecdotal stuff, but melatonin will do absolutely nothing for an insomniac. Might help with jetlag, but as occurs disturbingly frequently --no offense Blarg--- Blarg speaks very quickly and "fluently" about something he clearly knows very little/just finished googling.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's more than a little glib and unfair, as well as untrue. I've used melatonin as a sleep aid successfully many times, as have I'm sure millions of others. Clearly personal experience is something quite removed from googling. As to resetting the clock with it, as I noted in my original post, I'm not sure exactly how melatonin resets the clock, but there is plenty of credible writing that it does. I don't read up about melatonin every day, so I gave my recollection on that, but never claimed expertise. I'll stand by its helpfulness as a sleep aid. And without the aid of googling.