sleeping pills

[rmendez8]

I have trouble falling asleep and/or staying asleep. If I awake in the middle of the night to use the restroom, I'm sometimes unable to go back to bed. Even if it is at midnight when I awaken. As you can imagine, my next day is horrible. I'm unable to function at work and I'm in a irratible mood all day. I've used every kind of over the counter sleep aid and nothing seems to work on me. I talked to my doctor last week and he perscribed me rozerem and this also does not work. Since I started using the cpap last week, it has made even more difficult for me to sleep. Does anybody else here suffer from insomnia and take sleeping pills? If so, what works?

[bap40]

A lot of people on this board have taken sleeping meds and probably more do not. There is a lot of info floating around about using melentonin for sleep. I am not sure if I spelled it correctly or not. I would expect if you do a search on that, you will find many posts about sleeping meds and cpap therapy.

Good luck!

[irishpeacock]

I've had chronic insomnia for a number of years. I used to take 3mg of Lunesta but it stayed in my system too long - I couldn't sleep 9 hours a night during school - esp if I realized at 4am that I wasn't going to fall asleep. When I started Cpap I was given a few months prescription of 10mg Ambien which drugs me sufficiently, though I'm hopelessly addicted to it after 4 weeks regular use. If you can get through your insomnia, and it isn't regular, I would stay off the drugs. They're only a bother in the end. But if you're suffering, ask your doctor for something stronger.

[krousseau]

I have chronic insomnia, RLS, and OSA. I've used Ambien (and now Ultram for the RLS) for over two years. I've tapered off Ambien and Ultram for "drug vacations" to see how I reacted. There is a rebound insomnia if you go off Ambien abruptly-but not a true addiction. Never had any problems except a return to my usual insomnia. I take blood pressure meds and have the same problem with them-if I forget to take them-I have rebound high blood pressure. I've been able to get off the meds if needed and I've decided it isn't worth it for me to stay off a medication that helps me. I take precautions with alcohol intake (retired so I can have my wine or beer with lunch) and allow 9-10 hours before driving car after I've taken Ambien.

[yorkiemum01]

I also deal with insomnia, and only since the sleep study/OSA diagnosis this year has
it been addressed. My physician placed me on Ambien CR 12.5, and its been
a God-send. Being that I work 4 twelve hour shifts a week, on my 'off' days,
I dont use the ambien, as I truly don't want to become dependent upon it.
Thus far, it's worked well for me.

[OldLincoln]

I have always had a difficult time falling asleep and tried all the above. Most would leave me in a dense fog until midday. My sleep doc put me on Sonata 5mg and it has been wonderful. This is the fastest and shortest lived dosage around. It even states on the bottle that it has a 4 hour life span.

There are times when I am under extra stress and I'll take an Alieve-PM with the Sonata (doc approves). It helps keep me asleep and the morning after effects are mild. I took Tylenol-PM for a while but it's hard on the liver.

[irishpeacock]

I have always had a difficult time falling asleep and tried all the above. Most would leave me in a dense fog until midday. My sleep doc put me on Sonata 5mg and it has been wonderful.

Is Sonata a usual prescription? Or was it a last-resort sort of a drug? I've not heard of it. I also get a bit foggy in the morning on Lunesta and Ambien. I'd like to try that. I'll ask my doctor about it. Does it keep you asleep for the whole night, or do you find you wake up too early?

[OldLincoln]

Sonata is a normal prescription. My problem is getting to sleep and it does that. It usually lasts about the 4 hours it claims and about half the time I'll wake but then go right back to sleep. They make a 10mg that is 8 hours so I have taken 2 pills when wrestling with alligators in my life and I have also taken a second one when the first wore off, but 99% of the time, 1 does the trick.

[OutaSync]

No way I could fall asleep with all this stuff on my face. Even with Melatonin and Ambien, it sometimes takes me and hour to an hour and a half.

[roster]

........ If I awake in the middle of the night to use the restroom, I'm sometimes unable to go back to bed. .......

This is a symptom of apnea. If you have severe enough apneas your adrenalin level rises and this causes an urge to urinate. High adrenalin levels are also a big impediment to falling back to sleep.

Get the software and card reader so you can see if you are still having apneas.