What Sleep aid?..Non-respiratory depressant

[needingu]

Do you have knowledge of a good sleep aid that does not depress the respiratory process. If I don't take something, I lie awake so much of the night.I now take 1/2 xanax with 1 tylenol. I really would rather take
something else. Tried not to take anything but miss so much good sleep, usually giving up about 3 oclock and take something. I've tried Melatoin it does not help or leaves me feeling groggy in A.M. What is your solution?
For clear nostrils you can't beat saline solution. (for another post)

[Sleepy Boy]

Hi needingu: I tried melatonin,Ambien, and still not able to sleep good 2-3 hrs a night. My Dr put me on Ambien CR. For the last 2 nights I have only gotten up once all night. Going to bed at 10:30 or 11:00 and waking up at 7:00am. Its really working good for me, and I feel good when I get up. Hope this helps you, terrible when you can't sleep..Larry...

[slacker361]

for me melatonin was a GOD send, it works for me , others get an oposite effect. I dont really need it anymore but I still take it most nights as it is also a great antioxidant

[ritakj]

I use to take Ambien and Ambien CR but started having side effects after the year I was on them. Such as not remembering what I did that night or with hubby etc. Hubby had to tell me what happened the night before after taking it otherwise I didn't know what happened. They both worked well for a while but in the end I ended up with the side effects. I have severe insomnia and even with my cpap machine I still have problems getting and staying asleep. Right now though I am taking simply sleep from tylenol and it is not working well for me at all. I take 3 of them the dosage says take 2 but 2 doesn't work for me. Sometimes neither does the 3. The other doctor I"m seeing gave me Restrol but that only gives me migraines when I get up in the am.

Sorry can't be of much help here especially when I'm having the same problem as you. This will be a thread I will keep an eye on.
I guess ultimately you should see a dr and find out if there is something he/she can give you. Cause if you are like me nothing over the counter is gonna work.

[mindy]

Up until about a month ago I took Ambien (for about 15 years). It finally wasn't working well enough even though I skipped 2 nights per week. Then my doc had me add 100-200 mg of 5-HTP (over-the-counter) at bedtime and it helped but not enough. A couple of months ago my doc also put me on Deplin at my request (prescription for a "medical food" - it is a pill but is l-methylfolate rather than a drug). After about 1 1/2 months I found I didn't need Ambien anymore and haven't had any in over a month and sleep well.

Mindy

[kteague]

I used to have a signature line that said "My pursuit of sleep reminds me of a greased pig chase at the county fair - I keep grabbing it but it keeps slipping away." For me, getting my cpap treatment tweaked was a big part of the puzzle, but the limb movements continued to fracture my sleep.

Quite a long time ago it was discussed on here how the brain tends to follow patterns, and it sounded reasonable to me that the brain may have to relearn how to sleep properly. I guess mine is still learning, or else the limb movements are still there. I did break down a few months ago and started using TylenolPM. Unfortunately I have still had difficulty sustaining any length of sleep without that help. I am happy to report that remarkably I was in bed for 8 hours last nght and I don't remember waking once. It's probably been a year or two since that happened. My norm lately has been back up to 2-4 hours.

I just want to say that when effective cpap treatment doesn't over time help with sleep, consider if something else could be going on that needs treatment. My heart goes out to those with insomnia that is not due to anther cause. That has to be the most frustrating of all. I wonder if we'll ever see a time when unrelenting insomnia is treated with inpatient therapy (rehab) designed to retrain the brain to sleep. Hmmm.

[Sleepy Boy]

I also switched back the the Comfort Gel mask. I've never worn it, I didn't like anything on my face. After not sleeping for so long, I was ready to try anything. I couldn't get used to the tape thing, because I am a mouth breather. With the Comfort Gel I can breath good enough through my nose to stand the tape, so for 2 nights slept good. I've tried the Tylanol, Goodies Powder, etc. with no help. For now the Ambien's working. At some point in time, going to try sleeping without taking anything. Good Luck with it...

[tinkerbell]

Is your sleep issue partly due to having a stuffed-up nose? I have trouble with this whenever I lay down. I do use a saline solution & sometimes
cleanse with a Netti-Pot, but during the night it stuffs back up! I don't like using Afrin very often either because it can be habit forming. Does anyone know of
a product, non-habit-forming that works for this problem?

[One Tired Puppy]

Is your sleep issue partly due to having a stuffed-up nose? I have trouble with this whenever I lay down. I do use a saline solution & sometimes
cleanse with a Netti-Pot, but during the night it stuffs back up! I don't like using Afrin very often either because it can be habit forming. Does anyone know of
a product, non-habit-forming that works for this problem?

Hi Tinkerbell,

I also get a stuffed up nose when I sleep and usually use a non-medicated product called "Secaris". It's a lubricating gel. Sometimes it is not enough, though.

What I have found most helpful is the "Breathe Rite" strips. They are very good but unfortunately very expensive. I only use them when I am really desparate as they work out to 1.00 each plus 13% tax + 1.13 each night. (Canadian) It is nice to have a box of them in your night table drawer for those most frustrating times.

I'm sure others have good suggestions on what works for them.

Anne

[jda1000]

I'm only three weeks into treatment with CPAP, and have yet to fall asleep with the mask on without 12.5 mg of AmbienCR. It works, and in the short term, I don't think I'm having any side effects. I have been experiencing a good bit of anger and frustration, but life beyond CPAP has been unusually challenging, so for now I think my reactions normal. And I haven't been tempted to smash my Resmed since the first few nights. Needing the pill just to dose off is unpleasant, and I do NOT want to take it over a long period, but am desperate for sleep. I agree the brain (and mind, and body) may have to relearn to sleep, and consider the AmbienCR a step in that direction.

Most of my adult life, I seemed to thrive on about six hours of sleep most nights, until the last few years when 12 left me a shipwreck, and so did 4, 8, and 10. Hence the investigation and all. What it means is part of my treatment simply involves good sleep hygiene.

I have noticed if I retire at 9 or 10, I can count on 6-8 hours of steady sleep with the mask ON.

If I retire much later, I wear the mask for an hour or two, remove it without waking, can't get up in the morning even 9 hours later, and feel awful.

Someone mentioned a neti pot, and using it occasionally. That helps, but I've got congestion problems predating CPAP by a decade or more, and get my best neti effects with daily or more often use, and still use Afrin now and again. I have no other cold or sinus symptoms - but am researching the issue and will bring it up at my next MD visit.

[needingu]

I have taken a whole 0.5 mg. xanax , occasionally ,but I find that I tend to mouth breathe more, which defeats by loosing pressure. My mouth will become dry and I KNOW I have been mouth breathing, I feel tingily and different , you know the feeling you wake with after an episode and if you took your BP it would be up. With the 1/2 mg. I am O"K with the nasal Comfortgel Mask( my very favorite), It comes down over the upper lip enough to discourage opening my lips. I did use tape , marine glue for some time but that was trying. I continued trying to keep my tongue behind my front teeth,to roof of mouth I suppose I have trained myself to not mouth breathe now.

However, I do believe the taking of any sedative tends to relax muscle more and makes apnea worse, thus mouth breathing. For you newbies remember staying with this treatment is crucial. Untreated it can lead to enlarged heart and the many farreaching problems as you age. I am now 76 and a retired RN. Hang in there and lets be sure this is kept under control. I feel we are in the horse and buggy days of this treatment and something will be discovered that will make it much easier. Just my HO

[mindy]

When I had my PSG, they let me take Ambien to avoid a sleepless night but the sleep doc said I needed to get off it (not in a rush) since that could make the apnea worse (same for other sedatives). We discussed it some further and I gather that they encourage people to avoid sedatives but realize that we can't just stop and expect to sleep.

There is cognitive behavioral therapy that is supposed to help with problems sleeping (haven't tried it).

Mindy

[tinkerbell]

Thanks Anne. I am going to look for that product, Secaris today! Let you know how it works for me.

[jules]

Secaris is a Canadian product.

Secaris Nasal Gel contains mixture of polyethylene glycol 15% and propylene glycol 20% in a gel adjusted to pH 5.5 - not sure I want that up my nose.

I would suggest looking for Ayr gel or even aloe in the states. I think there are other gels like Ayr you might find in the cold area of the drug store.

[Babbie]

I had insomnia before ever being diagnosed but just lived with it. After starting cpap therapy, I found I couldn't tolerate the mask at all without a little help. I take 2 mgs of Lunesta every night and it works great for me. I know I shouldn't take anything but I figure it this way----either I take something to sleep or not use the cpap. No brainer for me. May not work for all folks but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.....