Sleep Aids?

jlbattin · Post by **jlbattin** » Sat Jun 25, 2016 9:54 am

Ok, I've been taking either a 1/2 benadryl or a whole one since last summer. I need to figure out something else to help me sleep. I still take 1 Budesonide every 3 or 4 days. Budesonide really messes with your sleep.

What has helped you? I looked up Melatonin and found a safe one, but it comes in different mg. 3, 10 and 20. What would work best? Any one have any other suggestions? I have rubbed on Magnesium gel and lotion and use my essential oil diffuser, but it doesn't always help me get to sleep.

Lilja · Post by **Lilja** » Sat Jun 25, 2016 10:18 am

Hi Jari,

I sometimes take one tablet of 2 mg melatonin. It helps fall asleep, but sometimes I wake up after only 3-4 hours.
Magnesium oil used to help me, but not anymore.

I wonder if the inability to fall asleep has something to do with my thyroid or other hormones, but I never had it checked.

Lilj

brandy · Post by **brandy** » Sat Jun 25, 2016 11:47 am

Hi Jari,

I've tried a number of things. For awhile I struggled with the waking up at 2:00 am then waking up at 4:00 am on the dot every night.

I use a combination of the following: 600 mg of magnesium glycinate taken in the evening after dinner. This is my daily dose of mag. 100 mg of L theanine taken at same time.
The magnesium glycinate keeps me asleep. The L theanine rests my mind but not in a drugged way so that I can sleep. L theanine is naturally found in teas.
If I am highly stressed out about something then I add Jarrow PS 100 phosphatydyl serine 100 mg soy free taken at same time in evening. This also prevents me from waking up during the night. I don't use this regularly, only if I am highly stressed.

If I want to be asleep at 10:00 I take everything at 9:00 pm with a very small snack.

If I trend towards constipation (rare) I replace the mag glycinate with 400 mg of mag citrate taken in the evening.

I tried 5HTP but had an extreme reaction to it. I could not go to work the next day and ended up curled up on my bed like a wooly worm until 5:00 pm the next day. (This was with a 1/4 or 1/2 dose, can't remember.)

Integrative doctor is big on 200 mg L theanine but I find 100 mg clears my mind and works fine.

To conclude, I always take my oral mag every night to keep me asleep. I can get by without taking the L theanine but it helps to clear my mind so I can sleep. When highly stressed I add the Jarrow PS 100 to the mix.

I've tried melatonin in the past but I get much better results with the above.

brandy · Post by **brandy** » Sat Jun 25, 2016 11:54 am

Jari,

Before adopting the above regimen I used benadryl for a number of months after getting off of Entocort. The problem with long term use of benadryl is it is in the class of drugs linked to Alzheimers and I'm at risk for that. http://www.agingbraincare.org/uploads/p ... l_size.pdf

brandy · Post by **brandy** » Sat Jun 25, 2016 11:59 am

Hi Jari,

According to the paleo folks I should be cutting off the electronics after 6:00 pm to help with sleep but I find that tough to do.

Gabes-Apg · Post by **Gabes-Apg** » Sat Jun 25, 2016 1:45 pm

in line with Brandy's response,
I dont watch any TV etc for 2 hours before my bed time - I play audio books / podcasts, etc
(reduction in stimulation, more relaxing etc)

my evening meal is the smallest of the day, and i have it, at least 2 hours before bed time.

I dont have an issue falling asleep, moreso it is when i wake through the night and need to return to sleep. I use audiobooks / relaxation tracks to help me return to sleep. ( if sharing the bed, there are headband type earphones that you can wear for this purpose. so it does not disturb anyone else)

higher dose of magnesium of a night works for many (quite a few people on non MC forums have found this - especially for children)

jlbattin · Post by **jlbattin** » Sat Jun 25, 2016 4:34 pm

Thanks all for the suggestions. I will try a few new things over the next couple of weeks and see what happens.

Gabes-Apg · Post by **Gabes-Apg** » Sat Jun 25, 2016 7:22 pm

Jari
bulletproof radio have done quite a few podcasts about better sleep

https://www.bulletproofexec.com/?s=sleep

Martha · Post by **Martha** » Sat Jun 25, 2016 7:48 pm

Jari, I use Melatonin. I buy the 300 mcg tablets, and take 3 of them. I go straight to bed and read on my Kindle for half an hour, and by then I'm so sleepy that I keep dropping the Kindle. My Kindle is not lighted, so it doesn't seem to have the same electronic effect on my brain that they say is bad for sleep.

Martha

Gabes-Apg · Post by **Gabes-Apg** » Sat Jun 25, 2016 7:57 pm

that is why i like audio books, and you can use the sleep function that it turns off after set time
quite a lot of tablet devices /ipad etc have a setting or an app that you can use night time setting..
"eye care blue light filter" or night mode etc.

(this is why avoiding TV before bed also helps)
http://www.scientificamerican.com/artic ... for-sleep/

Marcia K · Post by **Marcia K** » Sat Jun 25, 2016 9:09 pm

Hi, Jari. I took 3mg of Melatonin before I had LC but I had to stop because it gave me crazy nightmares. I also took a product called MidNite which I could take up if I woke in the middle of the night but that made my eyes very hard to focus in the morning (I don't know if the ingredients are safe for us.) I guess I'm just not supposed to take Melatonin. Once I started to put magnesium gel on my thighs at bedtime I found that I slept much longer and now that I take magnesium tablets each day (along with the gel) I have been sleeping for 6/7 hours straight.