I've had insomnia off and on for what feels like forever. What works best for me is Sleepytime Extra tea by Celestial Seasonings. I use two teabags in a slightly larger than standard mug, a little milk, and I'm right out maybe half an hour later.
Hmm. The problem isn't so much feeling tired, because I'm easily able to get my body to that state. I just can't seem to shut off my brain, which is what's keeping me awake. I'll try the tea, though. :)
If your insurance will cover it, you might try a sleep study. Persistent insomnia is definitely not good, and if it's throwing you off that badly, they might be able to see if there's something else going on.
The sleep study does sound like a good idea. I wonder if it's something about my new apartment, since the problems started when I moved last month. Hmm.
I've got high-sensivity towards most types of sleep-inducing drugs [they either knock me out for 20+ hours or get me hyperhyperHYPER], so I usually try anti-histamines instead -- Dramamine works like a charm.
Also, have you tried alternatives to milk? It only makes you sleepy because it has tryptophan in it, but several other types of food have it too. I particularly go with cheese and yogurt, because I can't stand milk on its own.
And I don't know if you can find passion fruit easily, but it's the best natural sedative in the world. Even the fake concentrated stuff will make me sleepy when nothing else does.
serotonin works for me...and i've had trouble sleeping for as long as i can remember. there's a theory that if you lack enough serotonin, which is a natural sleep chemical, you'll have problems. you can get it pretty cheaply anywhere you find supplements.
You might talk to your psychiatrist about switching your ADD meds. Insomnia is a common side effect for most psych meds, and can develop over time even if you've been taking the med for a while. I know switching would be annoying, but it might help. Adding a second medication (like Xanax) might be another possibility. (My mom takes Xanax to sleep.)
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Also, have you tried alternatives to milk? It only makes you sleepy because it has tryptophan in it, but several other types of food have it too. I particularly go with cheese and yogurt, because I can't stand milk on its own.
And I don't know if you can find passion fruit easily, but it's the best natural sedative in the world. Even the fake concentrated stuff will make me sleepy when nothing else does.
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