Posted by Lao Tzu on April 21, 2011, at 5:54:25
I know it isn't easy to get quality sleep all the time. Some nights, it's just difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep. I have schizophrenia. No one knows this better than me. I think proper nutrition is essential for better sleep, as well as exercise, and as a last resort medication. I have discovered that 50mg of Benadryl can help with sleep if you are desperate, but I've noticed that after a few days it tends to wear off and you're back to square one. That's why they say it should be taken occasionally for sleeplessness. That doesn't do chronic insomniacs any good. It's not the final solution. Zolpidem is supposed to be good for insomnia, but I haven't had to take it yet. I think my doctor didn't want to prescribe that to me, but I don't know why exactly. Instead, he tried trazodone, and older antidepressant with sedating qualities. It didn't work for me, but it may work for other people without the risk of dependency that other sleep medications carry. I know one person, my hair stylist, who takes a low dosage of Xanax at night to help her sleep. Tryptophan is another nutrient that supposedly helps you sleep. I have used a cocktail of vitamins to help me sleep. The following is a bedtime regimen I use:
500 mg Magnesium citrate
500mg Calcium citrate
50mg Riboflavin (B2)
400IU of vitamin E
1mg of melatonin
100mg of vitamin B1
100 micrograms of selenium (yeast)This seems to help as I have not had much success with herbs. I also think that you should make sure you're getting enough B6 and essential fatty acids during the day as well, as these may also promote better rest. And avoid too much caffeine late in the day.
Lao
poster:Lao Tzu
thread:983407
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20110214/msgs/983407.html