What have you found useful for sleep problems?

[Angel2fire]

I have had insomnia for 6 years (albeit when I was on quitiapine or risperidone.)

I was wondering what people have been given to help them sleep (even if its part of what a drug does, like quitiapine.)

I'm seeing my psychiatrist on Monday and need my meds changing so I was just looking for ideas.

Thanks

[crazykat]

I take quitiapine and that helps me sleep. Have you tried listening to relaxing music too before you go to sleep?

[Stellata]

Mirtazapine made SO much difference for me.
Ear plugs help too when there's a lot of environmental noise [even internal 'noise' too, strangely].
I have a 'hypnosis' CD which has helped at times.
I also find fantasy helps [imagining myself being held], but I'm supposed to not use that as it blurs reality for me.

[ThinkingofRecovery]

Guided relaxation podcasts are a new discovery for me which help, as do nature sounds, having radio 4 on in the background. A wartm bath before bed and just generally trying to slowly turn off.

[DannieGirl]

i've been on quetiapine for years now for a mixture of things and i am trying to come off it.
benzos like diazepam is supposed to be good... then there's zopiclone and zolpidem... i've tried both and prefer zolpidem..my grandmother gave me some after she was prescribed it and was up all night hallucinating lol but it worked a treat for me.. hadn't felt refereshed after a night sleep like that in yeeeeaaaarrrss!
drugs aside, i find nature sounds cd's very helpful... you can get sounds of the ocean, a rain forent, a thunderstorm... maybe put that on with some insence sticks/candles... i don't know if you have an avon catalouge come to you or not...if you don't they have a website but they do a few bits that have been helpful- look here ... another thing i like to do is put some of that 4head stuff on...don't know why but it's quite helpful =s random

i suffered with severe insomnia through out secondry school and when i started college i was put on quetiapine...and since then i have had a reasonably good sleeping pattern..but am planning to come off it...and have started weening... so am dreading the insomnia nights again...fingers crossed i don't get it again...but hey- i can only hope.

hope this helps xxx

[finding_reason]

I have found that my insomnia just gets stronger with medication regardless of its dosage for the first couple of days the drug would no longer made me sleep rather it would just incapacitate my body but my mind would be awake and then eventually there would be no effect. I have tried several cocktails and methods and nothing really was sustainable so I did turn to more a mindfulness and proper sleep hygiene routine which has proven successful and I am now able to get consecutive hours of sleep each night.

things that I have done include: doing a lot of meditation and grounding techniques about nighttime and sleep (for me my insomnia is a conjunction of both mental health and trauma), I have stopped drinking anything with caffeine and if I do on occassion it will be in the morning hours only. I have created getting ready for bed to be a positive pampering time so things like having a shower and putting lotion on, washing my face etc, I have kept a similar bedtime each night within reason, I stopped reading in bed, I do that before I get ready for bed outside of my room as it gets my mind active, I have removed any LED lights from my room, created a comfortable calming decor in my bedroom, I do try to get up around the same time everyday but again within in reason and I make my bed every morning as a means of creating that postive space for the evening ritual. And for naps, I will have one from time to time but I am conscious of the time of day because any later than 4pm I will not be successful in sleeping well at night.

If I struggle to fall asleep one evening, I have a couple guided meditations on my ipod that I can listen too that work well. I have also found that earplugs do not assist me at all, but others I know have said they work wonders.

Hope it helps have an honest discussion with your doctor about your sleep habits and it may be both a change in medication and a conscious awareness of your sleep hygiene.

take good care, I hope that you get some restful sleep sooner than later.

[hope.is.overrated]

Meds don't help me sleep; but I read a book and imagine the scenarios, the people, the voices, etc, or I talk to myself.

But there are times when I'm having racing thoughts and getting distracted and it's impossible for me to read because I can't focus I listen to music; sometimes it helps too.