Cant shut my brain off before bed

[yeahbuddy289]

Anyone else have this problem? I lay in bed for 2, sometimes 3 hours with my mind going 100mph. Would taking a night time sleep aid like z-quil or unisom be an ok thing to use? I've heard it can hinder muscle growth aka "gains" lol. But then again so can not getting a good nights sleep.

[Joco71]

I would say missing the rest is even worse. There is all natural sleep aids ( allterill is otc at any pharmacy ). I would try that and stay off your phone or computer or anything like that b4 bed. Reading sometimes help. Good luck man!!

[Roger11]

Anyone else have this problem? I lay in bed for 2, sometimes 3 hours with my mind going 100mph. Would taking a night time sleep aid like z-quil or unisom be an ok thing to use? I've heard it can hinder muscle growth aka "gains" lol. But then again so can not getting a good nights sleep.

No sleep aids do not hinder gains, not sure where you heard that from, its almost as bad as the same myth that went around, "dont masturbate because you lost testosterone and you will lose gains" haha. Perhaps try doing something that will exhaust you enough to lay down? Have a heavy carb meal that will make you tired?

[austinite]

Anyone else have this problem? I lay in bed for 2, sometimes 3 hours with my mind going 100mph. Would taking a night time sleep aid like z-quil or unisom be an ok thing to use? I've heard it can hinder muscle growth aka "gains" lol. But then again so can not getting a good nights sleep.

Is that you in the AVI?

[Hazard]

Turkey.... Tryptophan

[djgreen]

iv had the same problem and it got to the point I was only getting a couple hours of sleep. so one night I stayed up all night and all the next day with no naps or sleep and the next night I went right to sleep no problem because I was so tired and I haven't had a problem since I guss I reset my bodies sleep schedule is the best way I can explain it

[clarky.]

Is that you in the AVI?

class.

[marcus300]

This happens a lot to me. The inside of my head is fuked.

Now and again I will take a valium which is a muscle relaxer and anti-anxiety which knocks me clean out. I 'll get a good 12 hours deep REM and the dreams are amazing but I wouldn't use these every night Benzo's can be addictive. Once per week if that I will take one other than that I take melatonin 3-6mg

[bdos]

What about good old fashioned "self satisfaction" ? I'm always waking up in the morning getting yelled at for just passing out and not cuddling

[GirlyGymRat]

I do not have this problems and so thankful. I fall asleep before my head hits the pillow.

When I have the occasional "can't shut it off" it's because I am taking some sort of stimulant too late in day.

No gaming, no tv. Reading is good as long as it is something that will put you to sleep.

Someone once told me to read the Bible bc the devil will make you sleepy bc he doesn't want u to read the good word. LoL.

[bdos]

What!? Haha that's gold, you will get yourself into a routine for sleep might take a bit but it happens my sleeping patterns are messed up working nights. Melatonin works for me everytime just otc tablets.

[Igifuno]

12mg of melatonin usually helps me a lot, otherwise, I'll toss and turn as well.

[yeahbuddy289]

Thanks guys... I've tried melatonin with no luck... The only thing that seems to work for me is z-quil. I think the problem is I have one bad night where I can't sleep and then I psych myself out worrying about getting a good nights sleep the next night and the problem just amplifies.

[yeahbuddy289]

Is that you in the AVI?

I take it you watch south park austinite?? Lol

[musclestack]

Z-quil and other similar sleep aids, to my knowledge, has the same active ingredient as benadryl. You're just paying twice the amount for the 'brand name'. If that's the route you want to go, I would save some money and just buy benadryl. I take 10mg Melatonin every night. Start to get sleepy after about 45 minutes of taking it. If I don't take it, there's a good chance I'll be up for hours as well. Good luck, OP! Get some sleep!

[NACH3]

This happens a lot to me. The inside of my head is fuked.

Now and again I will take a valium which is a muscle relaxer and anti-anxiety which knocks me clean out. I 'll get a good 12 hours deep REM and the dreams are amazing but I wouldn't use these every night Benzo's can be addictive. Once per week if that I will take one other than that I take melatonin 3-6mg

I second this - and me too, my mindi just thinks about everything and anything while laying there - but melatonin @ 2.5 - 4mgs does the trick for me!

Edit** anyone get RLS from taking too much melatonin(like 5mgs for me)??

After I ceased my prami(which is used in RLS patients) I've gotten the RLS sides - not on prami tho???

[uhit]

During my exam period I had a messed up sleeping schedule. To fix this I listened to 30mins of classical music which put me calm mind state before bed

[DOSA]

what state are you in?

[lovbyts]

I don't count sheep but basically the same thing. I think about something I would like to do, not need to do and start filling in the details with imagination.

Sometimes I dream or fantasize about winning the lottery and those I would choose to help and how.

Of course like they say no TV or cell phone 30 minutes or more before bed. Turn your phone off. 1mg melatonin.

[APIs]

x2, Can't shut my business off at night. Unisom & others work fine, but they become less effective over time. Ambien 5 mgs has been a life saver for me. The generic is called Zolpidem Tartrate and 30 tabs @ 5 mgs each costs $3.00 per refill. Only 5 mgs when needed works great for me...

[hawk14dl]

I used to use 1mg melatonin. I found myself not able to sleep without it. So I stopped. One day of sleeplessness, haven't had a problem since

[DOSA]

if your in a legal state this is easy.

marijuana.

you dont have to smoke it, eat or drink it.

[3day]

2 benadryl 2 hours before bed for me. Keeps allergies to a minimum also.

[Honkey_Kong]

Drink some Children's Benedryl (4ml) and then go rub one out. Turn it in to a game where the object is to splooge before you pass out.... I'll give you a hint, you always win.

But then you'll be ready for bed.

[yeahbuddy289]

I will definitely start using the benadryl.... Not a big fan of weed personally but I have nothing against it. Also not in a legal state anyways. Lol

[DrewZ]

Hope you arent sensitive to Benedryl like I am.... Half a flippin pink pill for allergies and I'm out for 16-18 hours!
Im not sure if thats half dose or quarter dose, but whatever it is it will put me out like an elephant tranq! Lol

[thisAngelBites]

I'd be careful using antihistamines for sleep purposes on an ongoing basis.

They shorten REM sleep so that it is not as restorative and affect cognitive function and memory. There is also recent research linking their use to dementia and alzheimer's (and the longer the use, the worse the risk).

Lastly, using benedryl will decrease the effectiveness of tamoxifen.

Obviously occasional use is less of an issue, but be careful of relying on benadryl to sleep on a regular basis.

[yeahbuddy289]

Some weeks I struggle 2-3x, some I don't have a problem at all. I wouldn't use it on a regular basis though

[thisAngelBites]

Some weeks I struggle 2-3x, some I don't have a problem at all. I wouldn't use it on a regular basis though

My point was just to put this info (that I think is relevant for the long term) out there for information and people can decide for themselves.

[< <Samson> >]

Xanax or Weed is my go to for this

I try my best to use neither

Haven't had a Xanax in months & barely touched weed in the last month. Weed sucks & gives me a hangover like feeling. And Xanax I have no interest in forming a dependency on.

But, if you have to use something of the sort. I still say it's better than losing sleep.

[Chauffeur]

I feel your pain man. I've had a borderline crippling sleep disorder for at least 10 years. I've tried every OTC method available to no avail.

I definitely do not recommend the use of prescription sleep aids, but they're the only thing that's ever worked for me. It'll probably end up with Alzheimer's Disease or some crazy shit because of it but hey, at least I can get some sleep.

[< <Samson> >]

I'll probably end up with Alzheimer's Disease or some crazy shit because of it

This is exactly my thought


Or, wind up with dementia of some sort

[thisAngelBites]

I definitely relate to the difficulty of sleep problems. Mostly I've slept well in my life, but when I've had a hard time, I found it torturous for sure.

Awhile ago, when I was waking up too early and not able to go back I decided to implement some changes advocated by a neurosurgeon whose work I read regularly.

It basically involves resetting your circadian rhythms so that light and dark are powerful signals for the brain (as they have been, evolutionarily). After dusk, you dim lights, and slow down and stop screens pretty soon (so that it's not "no screens a half hour before bed" but no screens a couple hours before bed). So, unless you're near the equator, this is going to mean shorter days in the winter and longer in the summer. I've actually changed some of my light bulbs in the rooms I use at night (including bathroom) to red LEDS, so when I am in there, I get no blue or green light telling my brain it is daytime. Your eyes are very sensitive and can detect the presence of a single photon, so I got the best effect with no blue/green light fairly soon after dusk (an hour or so) rather than dimmed lights, but at least substantially dimmed lights are a start.

Eat a large, proper breakfast as soon as you can in the morning (I aim for 30-45 mins of waking), which also signals your brain that it's daytime. Likewise, try and finish your last food several hours before bed.

Within a couple of days I found the effect almost unbelievably miraculous, given that I thought I needed drugs when I was sleeping poorly. I was yawning and utterly ready for bed at 9:30 pm in the winter (our days are very short in the winter in the UK), and waking up at 5:30 and 6:00 feeling totally refreshed and happy to get up.

Circadian rhythms affect almost every process in your body, and a lot of crucial cellular "clean-up" work happens at night, so bad sleep has more effects than just misery. As simple as this is, this is pretty cutting edge thinking in science, and there is a lot of work being done right now to establish the various effects of disrupted circadian signaling.

I admit it's a real psychological hurdle to give up screens like that when we are so habituated and go for a super early bedtime - I was very resistant, and I knew about this thinking a couple of years before I finally bit the bullet - but I think so much is just pattern to humans, and we adapt quickly. Now, if we have to turn a dim white light on at night in my house for some reason, I find it very grating, and instead find the red light soothing, and sleep beautifully. Just thought I would tell this story for the more adventurous and/or desperate of you out there.

[almostgone]

I definitely relate to the difficulty of sleep problems. Mostly I've slept well in my life, but when I've had a hard time, I found it torturous for sure.

Awhile ago, when I was waking up too early and not able to go back I decided to implement some changes advocated by a neurosurgeon whose work I read regularly.

It basically involves resetting your circadian rhythms so that light and dark are powerful signals for the brain (as they have been, evolutionarily). After dusk, you dim lights, and slow down and stop screens pretty soon (so that it's not "no screens a half hour before bed" but no screens a couple hours before bed). So, unless you're near the equator, this is going to mean shorter days in the winter and longer in the summer. I've actually changed some of my light bulbs in the rooms I use at night (including bathroom) to red LEDS, so when I am in there, I get no blue or green light telling my brain it is daytime. Your eyes are very sensitive and can detect the presence of a single photon, so I got the best effect with no blue/green light fairly soon after dusk (an hour or so) rather than dimmed lights, but at least substantially dimmed lights are a start.

Eat a large, proper breakfast as soon as you can in the morning (I aim for 30-45 mins of waking), which also signals your brain that it's daytime. Likewise, try and finish your last food several hours before bed.

Within a couple of days I found the effect almost unbelievably miraculous, given that I thought I needed drugs when I was sleeping poorly. I was yawning and utterly ready for bed at 9:30 pm in the winter (our days are very short in the winter in the UK), and waking up at 5:30 and 6:00 feeling totally refreshed and happy to get up.

Circadian rhythms affect almost every process in your body, and a lot of crucial cellular "clean-up" work happens at night, so bad sleep has more effects than just misery. As simple as this is, this is pretty cutting edge thinking in science, and there is a lot of work being done right now to establish the various effects of disrupted circadian signaling.

I admit it's a real psychological hurdle to give up screens like that when we are so habituated and go for a super early bedtime - I was very resistant, and I knew about this thinking a couple of years before I finally bit the bullet - but I think so much is just pattern to humans, and we adapt quickly. Now, if we have to turn a dim white light on at night in my house for some reason, I find it very grating, and instead find the red light soothing, and sleep beautifully. Just thought I would tell this story for the more adventurous and/or desperate of you out there.

Hmm, adventurous and desperate, that's me. Seriously, I may give this a try. I'm a night shift worker, but my sleep is very erratic. We already keep the bedroom, bathroom. and kitchen windows virtually blacked out, so red LEDs may be the next step. I may have to "sell" the red light idea to the wife, but she is generally a good sport.

[RaginCajun]

I'd be careful using antihistamines for sleep purposes on an ongoing basis. They shorten REM sleep so that it is not as restorative and affect cognitive function and memory. There is also recent research linking their use to dementia and alzheimer's (and the longer the use, the worse the risk). Lastly, using benedryl will decrease the effectiveness of tamoxifen. Obviously occasional use is less of an issue, but be careful of relying on benadryl to sleep on a regular basis.

I never knew there was a relationship with benedryl and dementia/Alzheimer's

[thisAngelBites]

Here's a nice write up about benadryl/anticholinergics and a recent study:

Common anticholinergic drugs like Benadryl linked to increased dementia risk - Harvard Health Blog - Harvard Health Publications

(FYI there have been other studies, and this discusses the most recent one I have seen. As with most medical studies, no one study is conclusive or perfect, but evidence seems to be mounting in this direction.)

[RaginCajun]

Here's a nice write up about benadryl/anticholinergics and a recent study: Common anticholinergic drugs like Benadryl linked to increased dementia risk - Harvard Health Blog - Harvard Health Publications (FYI there have been other studies, and this discusses the most recent one I have seen. As with most medical studies, no one study is conclusive or perfect, but evidence seems to be mounting in this direction.)

Thanks!

Also interesting about the REM sleep part

[thisAngelBites]

Hmm, adventurous and desperate, that's me. Seriously, I may give this a try. I'm a night shift worker, but my sleep is very erratic. We already keep the bedroom, bathroom. and kitchen windows virtually blacked out, so red LEDs may be the next step. I may have to "sell" the red light idea to the wife, but she is generally a good sport.

Those skewed sleeping and working hours are awful! I don't know how you do it.

What we did with red lights worked well for us, because somehow we seemed to have more than one light source in most of the rooms, and I added a lamp to a room that had only one and then we set it up such that one light source had white light and one had red light - so you always had a choice of which light you wanted, whereas I think only having red light in a room would be annoying (unless it was your partying room, man ).

[almostgone]

Those skewed sleeping and working hours are awful! I don't know how you do it.

What we did with red lights worked well for us, because somehow we seemed to have more than one light source in most of the rooms, and I added a lamp to a room that had only one and then we set it up such that one light source had white light and one had red light - so you always had a choice of which light you wanted, whereas I think only having red light in a room would be annoying (unless it was your partying room, man :smoking.

LMAO @ Angel!!

[thisAngelBites]

Thanks!

Also interesting about the REM sleep part

Yeah, REM sleep is where so much of the restorative part of sleep happens, so the fact that antihistamine interferes with it is not good news. Terrible for the people who struggle to get good sleep.