Anything else over the counter I can try to combat insomnia , other than Unisom, or Melatonin

[UndertheOcean]

They do make me drowsy , But I still am unable to sleep.

[Hawkeye-X]

1. Call your doctor and see if he'll prescribe you Zolpidem (generic Ambien)

powerful stuff, you probably only need half. It's not as expensive - probably around 15 cent per pill. Diphenhydramine hydrochloride is just weak, weak stuff.

You can try Benadryl (Allergy medication) - sometimes they have the drowsy stuff that can make you sleepy.

[elleng]

4. OH YEA,

Benadryl will do it!

[NNadir]

17. I am a life long insomniac who has become addicted to Zolpidem.

My doctor says the following: "Don't be Catholic" (his exact words). "If you were in chronic pain you would not care if you are addicted to narcotics."

On one level I like his attitude but...

Zolpidem exhibits tolerance effects. I'm not sure that almost a decade later that I'm a cheerleader for Zolpidem.

I'm not sure this addiction is necessarily acceptable and, in fact, I have episodes of insomnia with Zolpidem.

If I cut myself off, I can literally stay awake for more than 48 hours, sometimes way more than that.

Insomniacs come in two classes as I have observed them, those who simply use the time to work and couldn't care less if they sleep or not, and those who are always tired.

I've felt both ways, but mostly I feel very anxious when I can't sleep because I worry about falling asleep at an inappropriate time. On the other hand, some of my insomnia has lead to interesting late night thinking.

What I actually think is that my circadian rhthym is not actually 24 hour based, but is out of phase with the planet's rotation. I can't say that I remember the last time I slept more than six hours at a stretch though.

[UndertheOcean]

19. Benadryl is Diphendydramine HCL

[JTG of the PRB]

2. Whiskey?

:shrug:

When I had trouble sleeping I took Melatonin, so I don't know much about other sleep medications myself...

[UndertheOcean]

3. yikes , I don't want to destroy my liver

[merh]

5. Bendryl or Dramamine

Benedryl or Dramamine

Both work, benedryl can leave you medicine head in the am - dramanine, doesn't.

[mcar]

6. Get your thyroid checked

I suffered from severe insomnia for 10+ years. Started on thyroid medication (I'm hypothyroid) in February and voila! I sleep almost like a regular human being. Still can't sleep in hotels so I hang on to the sleeping pills for business travel and vacations, but otherwise, I'm sleeping pretty damn soundly.

Thyroid meds and the occasional lunesta. Works for me

Good luck.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

27. check out this website

www.stopthethyroidmadness.com

All about the hell I and millions of others with low thyroid have been through.

[democracyindanger]

7. Sudafed

[cbayer]

8. Just to be clear

Benadryl is diphenhydramine and is the most often used ingredient in OTC sleep aids (like tylenol PM).

Sleep hygiene is really important and you can find lots of info on this if you google it. Also important to look at what might be causing your insominia.

Zolpidem, mentioned above, is really great, especially if you use it only when needed.

Good luck to you.

[Mike03]

9. That is exactly my situation.

I took Unisom last night, and it put me into some realm between sleep and awareness, and it was hell. I also get Restless Legs Syndrom when I get very exhausted and sleep deprived.

It's not your imagination. Sometimes taking mega doses of Folic Acid helps with the restless legs syndrome.

Good luck with your struggle. Please let us know if you find something that can help.

[TexasBushwhacker]

10. Make sure that your bedroom is totally dark

If necessary, use black out curtains. Turn digital clocks away from you so the light isn't shining into your face. Your body makes melatonin when you're in the dark, so any amount of light will make it harder for your body to make it.

If you drink caffeinated beverages at all, try to give them up, or at least don't drink them after noon. Chocolate, especially dark chocolate, can have the same effect on some people.

Give yourself some wind down time. Watch TV in a darkened room. Read with a bedside light, not too bright.

If you don't take anti-depressants, try 100 mcg of 5-HTP, 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime. This is a serotonin precursor. You can increase the amount gradually up to 300 mcg. Be sure and read the bottle for drug interactions before buying any.

You can also try Valerian Root, Hops and Passionflower. Many OTC sleep aids contain these combined with melatonin.

[China_cat]

11. Finnegan's Wake

or the one that always puts me to sleep 7 pages or less in...House of the Seven Gables.

[Fed_Up_Grammy]

12. Warm bath before bed,glass of warm milk.

[Duer 157099]

13. Excedrin PM n/t

[Maine-ah]

14. eh, go under the counter and smoke some pot.

used to work for me. :shrug:

[Hotler]

15. A plate of turkey & dressing with gravy followed by..

laying down on a couch and watching a golf match on the tube. Sweet dreams.

[Robeson]

23. That's coma inducing.

[Merrick]

16. my girlfriend

I'll send her over to tell you one of her stories.

[Iris]

18. I've been using Simply Sleep, which is basically antihistamine

My problem is waking up and not being able to go back to sleep and the Simply Sleep helps with that.

If you can't fall asleep, try listening to a radio program or even the tv at really low volume. I find that works b/c my brain concentrates on trying to hear what is being said and I forget about trying to sleep and drift off.

Also, you could try the herb valerian.

[Stuart G]

20. Try the following, 4 things...

.l Two large Omega Three Capsules

.2.Aceteminophin (Tylenol pm..2 pills.)

3. Warm milk

4. and a large bowl of cereal...(or if you can do it, large bowl of ice cream)

[Juche]

21. valerian root

I signed on to make a post asking the same thing about insomnia.

I have noticed that low doses of thyroid hormone can reset my sleep schedule (12.5 mcg cytomel) but would rather not mess with that.

50mg 5-htp every other morning has helped in the past, but it is hit or miss.

Right now I am trying valerian root. No idea if it'll work or not.

[yellowcanine]

22. Getting laid usually works.

[Miss Carly]

24. Nyquil

It does wonders, clears up the sinuses and helps sleep, use as directed.
Carly

[Skittles]

25. I have found that reading after taking medication works well for me

yes

[Critters2]

26. Tylenol PM....tylenol laced with benadryl. For me,

it works like a chemical sledgehammer. Prescription-wise, ask your doc about trazodone. When I was on it, I had to take it in bed, because I'd get too drowsy to walk from the bathroom to the bedroom.

YMMV.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

28. They don't work for me.

Ambien is crap. Doesn't work.

Benadryl is crap. Doesn't work.

I can't drink alcohol. Lunesta doesn't work either.


:shrug:

[ironflange]

29. Amitriptyline works for me

Not OTC, though, sorry. It's supposed to be for depression, but I just take it occasionally when I need a good sleep (like last night). Cheap, no side effects that I've noticed (I tried Ambien once, knocked me out but good, but I woke feeling like I had been sucking on a galvanized nail all night). I get 25 mg tablets and split them, it's all I need. Special bonus: tastes like licorice!