Over the counter sleep medicine use - good or no?

[gabnina96]

HI,
I am fairly new member here on this forum- I am SO glad I stumbled upon it! I have learned a lot from perusing the various postings already- Hope to have the SH installed by tomorrow evening and look fwd to receiveing feedback and advice once I can post a graph!
i use APAP and am working with my sleep dr experiementing w diff pressures to see if my AHI improves. AHI avg for last 30 days is about 5.5.
Goal is to get it down lower of course! I have used APAP for about 2.5 yrs and have recently gotten serious about delving in to what all of these terms mean- I've been VEEEEERRRRY ignorant!!
min press 9 max pressure 15 is setting . most days I have daytime fatigue and I do not enjoy that at all. Very motivated to improve!

QUESTION: for YEARS i've used Unisom (Doxylamine qty: 2) to help me fall asleep. it usually takes 30 min approx for me to fall asleep at that dose.

Dr recommends cutting it down to 1 pill. does anyone have advice???

ThANK YOU!!!

[D.H.]

I assume that you're relatively new to CPAP. Don't assume that you need this pill; see if you can fall asleep without it. You might be pleasantly surprised. If that doesn't work, try one pill.

[chunkyfrog]

OTC is not necessarily safer than Rx.
Heeding your doctor's advice is probably worth a try.
Once you are settled in with your treatment, you may find it easier
to fall/stay asleep, even without chemistry.

[mrcrayola]

I take one ibuprofen before bed a few times a week. It apparently reduces inflammation that interferes with my sleep quality. The one pill enables me to sustain longer periods in deeper sleep and, oddly, usually eliminates the need to hit the bathroom during the night. I also use a CPAP.

I've talked with my GP and with a neurologist about the benefits I derive from the ibuprofen, and neither one had a clue why it helps me sleep. They both mentioned the health risks of prolonged use of NSAIDs, which is why I don't take it every night, but I suspect there are also health risks with prolonged use of sleep meds and even antihistamines. Plus, if I've had a few drinks that day, I skip the ibuprofen that night.

Not recommending this as treatment, mind you. I am certainly not a physician!

Happy sleeping,

MC

[dreamingofdreaming]

I use to take an over the counter sleeping pill when I was first getting use to CPAP therapy. I have allergies and take a benedryl before bed and that makes me sleepy. My GP told me it was fine to take an over the counter sleep aid.

[jipavl]

I take one ibuprofen before bed a few times a week. It apparently reduces inflammation that interferes with my sleep quality. The one pill enables me to sustain longer periods in deeper sleep and, oddly, usually eliminates the need to hit the bathroom during the night. I also use a CPAP.

As your doctor says, NSAIDs have many side effects.
There are better choices for anti inflammatory medications that I'd try first: aescin, omega 3 acids

[chunkyfrog]

When anxiety prevents me from sleeping, (once or twice a year)
I take a half of a .5 mg. alprazolam.
I needed one a couple weeks ago, when a copper thief broke into a house
we were working on and stole power tools, building materials, and small appliances,
cutting water pipes, and yanking out antique light fixtures.
Luckily, insurance coverage . . .and some of the stuff has already been recovered,
along with fingerprints and the nasty perp.