Trouble Sleeping

I have had the same problems you talk about,I have started taking calcium and magnesium both morning and night that has helped with sleeping and the RLS. If that don't work, I will get up and take SLEEPLESSNESS/QUIETUDE this is a homeopathic, for the RLS I will take RESTFUL LEGS/ HYLAND'S this is also homeopathic. I hope this helps. I don't need the homeopathic as often now that I'm taking the vitamins.

I should tell you I take 300 mg of calcium/550mg Magnesium also 400IU of Vitamin D. The brands are use are Twinlab magnesium and GNLD for the calcium. I'm a distributor for the calcium/Vit D and Mag combo I use.

hello,
I too have always had a little difficulty sleeping what i find that works is taking good care off myself. Exercise is really good for this you don't need to go all crazy with it just some moderate exercise daily. It helps to regulate your body it has been proven to elevate moods and improve sleeping habits. Also you may want to take a look at your diet. Sometimes things you eat can effect your sleep especially eaten too close to bedtime. Also detox methods can help if your body has bilt up toxcity from pollution to preservites. A simple one is to take a soak in a tub with dead sea salts, you can usually find some at your local health food store. I usually also add lavender essential oil to the tub and put some on my pillow or in a essential oil diffuser in my room. Lavender essential oil is a very relaxing oil and you can use it also for bug bites, burns, itchy skin, perfume, etc. And when your at the health food store ask someone there if they know of any good natural sleep aids I know at mine most of the workers are rather knowlegeble of many of there products. Hope this was of some help.

Two things have helped me get to sleep and stay asleep better:
1)Neck/shoulder massage--you can do this on your own, or have your husband give you a quick 5 minute massage each night. It works wonders to destress and calm you for a good night's sleep!
2)Benadryl--my doctor told me to take benadryl, and it helps me stay asleep until the alarm goes off.
Hope this helps!

M., I feel your pain. I have a 10-month old and have struggled with sleep for many months, initially it was because of the constant waking during the early months but even after that got better I'd lay awake for hours. I'd take Tylenol PM, Unisom, wine, anything to avoid a prescription. In November I broke down and went to the doctor and she gave me Ambien. After I read some of the possible side effects (eating and driving!!) I was way to afraid to take it so I had the bottle sitting around for months and continued to struggle with sleep, sometimes getting as little as 3 hours a night. I work full time and am going to school at night to finish my graduate degree. A couple weeks ago I finally broke down from sheer exhaustion both mental and physical and took the Ambien. I am happy I did. No eating, no driving -- that frankly is an amazingly rare side effect. I fall asleep pretty quickly and even if I do wake up I can usually fall back to sleep. My husband is great and gets up in the night if necessary with my daughter, though I never fail to hear her crying. My advice is get the prescription. It won't hurt you. There are other choices too like Lunesta which is not supposed to be habit forming nor have side effects like Ambien. Not everything that is labeled "natural" should automatically considered safe either because their content is unregulated so while I agree with your desire to handle this naturally, that may not always be the best choice, especially if it is not working. I say hide the car keys and give it a go. Good luck! I am so glad I did.

Hi M., Have you ever thought about Chiropractic help rather than the regular M.D.? We go to the Chiropactor for adjustments and it is truley amazing how well your body can function when your spine is in alignment. We have not needed to see our M.D. for quite a while. Our Chiropractor has other alternative was to treat different problems too, which I would prefer to prescription and over counter drugs. Hope this helps!
H.

Hi M.,
Nothing worse than laying there for hours on end! You mention that you tried herbal supplements. Have you tried Reliv? It is a food product used as a supplement-no side affects or warning labels. There is a 30 day money back guarantee so it is worth trying. The key is to be consistent and take correctly. I know many people in which this has helped with sleep patterns and even RLS.
Blessings,
L.
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I also have some sleep issues, so your posting is quite timely. I finally had to break down and get a prescription for generic ambien. Unfortunately, even at the lowest dose, I am having trouble getting off of it. Like you, I lay in bed sleepless despite being exhausted. One thing I tried in the past was melatonin. It is a herbal remedy and you can get without a prescription. Good luck. I totally empathize with you and hope your sleep issues resolve soon!

I've had similar problems before and it is the WORST!! Life is too busy to be so tired. I see a naturopathic/nutritionist/chiropractor for all my healthcare needs. Herbal remedies can work wonderfully. When I have had sleeping problems in the past, it was due to toxic liver and after a detox (very simple to do) my normal sleeping patterns returned. In fact, I started sleeping better within a week. Continue to pursue the natural route and your all-over health will be better.

If you have RLS you may want to ask your Doctor for something to help with that. What is prescribed could likely help you fall asleep. I have leg and foot cramps terribly and was prescribed Gabepentine,,, (I think that is how you spell it) Anyways, It takes a while for it to work on me but it does make my sleeping much better. I just had a sleep study done last week, was prescribed a CPAC and have used it for two nights now. The first night I took a sleeping pill to help me sleep and I did alright. It is going to take some getting used to though, because my face hurt so bad from the mask. Your entire story sounds like me and I wish you luck. If you would like to email me you can. ____@____.com Luck M..

Hi M., When I have that problem I try one of two things. 1. A glass of warm milk with honey and a calcium tablet. I have trouble falling asleep when I have to take a test the next day and my instructor told me to try this. It did work. 2. Celestrail(spelling?)Seasoning Sleepytime Tea that has worked for me also. My daughter said that taking a bath in anything that has Lavender and Camomile helps her to fall asleep. I have also used tapes of soothing sounds. Aroma Therapy candles. I put them in my bedroom and close the door about an hour before I go to bed and the scent helps me to relax. I hope one of these will work for you.

Hi M.,

My son has sleep issues, which in turn means the rest of the house has sleep problems, too. We give him a herbal drink called Sleep Assured. It contains melatonin along with a few other herbal sleep aids. It seems to help. My husband also takes it and likes it because it helps him fall asleep faster and sleep more soundly, yet he can function if he needs to get up in the middle of the night. I found this product on Vitacost, and think it's reasonable at about $9/32oz bottle. (The dosage is 1oz.) I haven't been able to personally take it because of a medical condition that I have, but it has really helped our family. I hope this can help you, too.

I have had a situation that is very similar to yours. I too have RLS and would not get any good sleep at night. What ended up helping me was to sleep in a comfortable recliner. I still will not sleep if I go to my bed but if I lay in the recliner I will. I do not know why this is but it helped me and friends who suggested I try it. It may help you too, and doesn't cost extra money to try it!

M. - I'd highly encourage you to look at your diet and the amount of exercise you are getting every day. Yes, a 2 year old little boy can be exhausting, but what are doing for real, physical exercise? Diet has a lot to do with how well we sleep, look at the amount of caffeine you are consuming and when you drink it. Look at the amount of processed foods you are eating that have lots of sugar or simple carbs that turn to sugar in our body.

Happy dreams,

D.

My daughter uses Melatonin when she's not sleeping. You can also get the extended release tablets so they'll keep working during the night. My advice is to start small though because too much Melatonin can cause nightmares.
Melatonex is a good time-release formula.
All of the brands are different because they aren't very regulated so I'd start with a good brand right off the bat instead of a cheap one that might not work as well.
Good luck,
J.
Mom to 4, soon 5 through another adoption and hopefully more :o)

Hi M.,
I had the exact same issues you are describing. Sometimes I would fall asleep at night, but then I would be up from 1-4. Othertimes I never fell asleep until three or four. It is a nightmare. I know exactly what you are going through. I finally went to the doctor. I hesitated to go on any sleep drugs, so I asked what alternatives I had. She said the most important thing was to establish a nighttime routine. (Just like a baby or toddler). She also suggested I take melatonin. It is an over the counter supplement. Roughly $4.00 for 100 pills. She suggested I take it at least two hours before going to bed, in order to be effective. I started my nighttime routine, put the kids down, have my own time, take my pill at 8:30, shower, clean the house, watch the news with my husband and sleep by 10:45. It worked like a charm. Now, if I don't do my routine it is harder to get to sleep. I eventually taught myself how to sleep again. The doctor said it had to do with being pregnant (up a lot), having kids (again up throughout the night) and teaching my body how to sleep again for long periods of time. I am now off of the melatonin- it took about a month to get on a good schedule. I hope it works for you! Here's to good rest!

try some melatonin. i know you can get it at GNC or i'm sure other herbal/vitamin shops. not sure if you can pick it up at walmart/target. but it really helped me. and it's not very expensive. i think they come in 1mg and 3mg tablets. thanks, and good luck!

You can try Melatonin. It is an vitamin you can find at Walmart.

Have you tried exercising a few hours before bed maybe an after dinner walk with the fam.

M.,

I feel your pain! Everything you wrote could have been written by me. I want to thank everyone for their advice. I'll be trying it out, believe me!

The only thing I could add to what's already been shared is that sleep problems can also be a sign of menopause. If you haven't been to a doctor for a physical in a while, you might want to do that. Just be up front and let him/her know that you would prefer a less medicinal, more natural approach. Or, find a naturopathic or homeopathic practitioner. And remember, just because a physician prescribes a medicine doesn't mean you have to take it!

Good luck, and God bless!

N.

LifeForce has a product called Sunset that may help you. Here is the description:

"Stress is virtually an epidemic in our modern world leading to many stress-related mental and physical issues. Stress can offset sleep patterns and derail your mental focus. SunSet can be your natural relaxation aid and contains herbs traditionally used to help calm and soothe, and also support healthy mood.

Potential Benefits From Ingredients That:
➤ Support overall wellness.
➤ Support calmness.
➤ Support healthy sleep.
➤ Support healthy mood.
➤ Support healthy relaxation.
➤* Do not promote drowsiness.

I believe there is a 30 day money back guarantee. I emailed my friend to see if I am correct. It runs $34.50 a bottle. The website is www.lifeforce.net/20718417. As soon as I get a response on the money back guarantee, I'll let you know. Hope this helps! J.

Try melitona. It really helps!

I have 2 ideas:

1-restless leg syndrome is caused by a lack of iron. Take 2x the recommended dose for a few days, then down to regular dose, 1 in the morning, one at night. It REALLY helped me!

2-Melatonin (sp?) is a natural sleep remedy that might work for you.

You sound alot like me. I am 40 something, have symptoms of RLS, and have irregular sleep patterns. I've determined that by exercising during the day helps me the most. I have a 3 mile Walking DVD by Leslie Sansone that I do. Hope this helps, hang in there!

Hi there, M.. There are many herbs out there to help you sleep. Valerian root, Melatonin, and many others. I would take a walk the herb section at a grocery store or an herb store if you hsve one near buy. Otherwise so some research of the sleep aide how herbal things works online or find a good book of natural things you can utilize.
I hope that can help you.
S.

Try some Melatonin 2 or 3 mg 30 minutes before you need to go to sleep. It works wonders.

You could also try some valerian root. It may help if the reason you can't sleep is because your brain won't settle down.

Melanoma works really well. Its an herbal supplement but you can find it most anywhere. Probably even Walmart in the vitamin aisle. Its not too expensive either. If you do end up going in for a sleep test, they will give you something to help you fall asleep if you want because the test won't actually start until you are asleep. Otherwise, they will let you toss and turn but it just means you will be in there longer. They do have sleep aids now that are non-addictive and don't have weird side effects, so if you end up getting presribed something, make sure to ask about those.

HI,

I am an owner of a business that specializes in herbal supplements. I do not know, however, what RLS is. But for sleep we have 2 different products ....one is called Prime Dreamz....it's an all natural sleep aid BUT should not be taken for more than 7 days consistently... Our other product which I have heard works better for sleep is called BLISS. It is not a sleep aid but more of an herbal stress releiver. I've had a few customers tell me when they take it at night it helps them relax....doesn't make them sleepy because they will take it uring the day too....it can be taken as needed. I have not tried it because I don't have the problem, but I've heard it "shuts off the mind" at night to help you sleep so yoou don't have all these random thoughts keeping you awake. 60 tablets is $35.00
Please visit my website for more infoo or emaill me.
www.marketamerica.com/livewellvet
____@____.com
hope you can find relief!

Available at all natural food stores (Whole Foods, Wedge, Seward Co-op, Present Moment...) are Moon Drops. They are non-habit forming and not pharmaceutical. These homeopathic tablets - vanilla flavored - will help you to fall into a deep sleep. They are remarkable.

Also, M. I found that if I eat late (after 7pm or even 8pm) it is harder for my body to fall into a deep sleep no matter how tired I am. I've done some reading on this and it appears that the body uses a lot of energy to digest and "assimilate" the food we've eaten. These processes can keep us awake because our organs and brain are too busy to let us sleep.

Also, you may want to check the stimulants you are eating/drinking at dinner. Some people cannot eat chocolate, tea or coffee after their lunch time.

One last suggestion: corn syrup and corn starch also affect the nervous system and keep people awake who are sensitive to them. Avoid: Chinese food, pie, Dairy Queen-type desserts, or cakes made with corn starch. Read the labels for the foods you are eating or avoid places like Baker's Square at dinner time. You may find after you pay attention to these two foods that you have been eating them sporadically without know it and that they are affecting, not just your sleep, but a myriad of other things you suffer from as well (skin problems, digestion, etc.).

MSG is also one of these foods that cause sleeplessness - another reason to avoid Chinese food.

M., I had the same sleep issues as you described and was sleep-deprived for years. About three years ago, I cut way back on sugar and acid to help ease my eczema outbreaks. A pleasant side-effect was that I started sleeping very well. Now when I am tired, I can actually fall asleep! Cutting back on sugar means no (or very little) white flour and white rice, raisins and other dried fruit, juice and that sort of thing. White potatoes and tomatoes are very acidic.
(Sorry no experience with RLS.)
Good luck.

Oh M.... your story could be mine. I'll bet you'll get a million responses because sleeping is SUCH a common problem with us women! I too have had many a sleepless night because I can't fall asleep. What works for me is routine, routine, routine and a nightly glass of red wine (and it's good for you, too!). I have to settle in with a book or some good tv after I put the kids to bed at night (no later than 9:00). I have to be done with all projects and especially anything on the computer. If I have to be out late for some reason I'll have an off night. I esp. have problems if I'm not sleeping at home. For these times, I take Ambien. I don't like to rely on a perscription either -- which is why I take it as infrequently as possible. But, trying to get by on little to no sleep is MUCH more dangerous than the Ambien. In the meantime, try a glass of wine each evening about an hour before you plan to go to bed.
Good luck!

M., just a thought and good experience i witnessed, once i attended a two week school, of where we had about 4 hours of homework a night, after about one week in that school one gentleman raised his hand, and commentented, that he really appreciated the course, and that its the first time he really slept good, and he could not figureout why, well, the wise teacher, said have you ever put forth an effort to study that hard before, ? the student said, no, the teacher said, well you might want to try! well however, the point is... if you cant sleep do some deep study, it dont have to be 4 hours, who has that kind of time, ive kept that in my head and tried it myself, it did work, i would keep like a bible handy or bible publications that could be studied, or any subject really, when i could not sleep i would have a book , and i would underline main points in paragraphs, and its funny how making your mind think can wear you out, well any way , thats my advice, take it or leave it, but deep study and things to get your mind going, can tire you out, D. s

Hi M., I'm sorry to hear about your sleep troubles. I am not sure if you have already tried essential oils, but lavender works wonderfully to relax and calm the mind and body. I always put a few drops in my daughters bath before bed, it helps her to unwind. I also put a few drops on my pillow, or around my neck to help me sleep better. I have a friend who also uses lavender. She puts in on her pillow every night and if she doens't she will have nightmares...interesting huh? Anyways, I don't know if you drink wine or like wine, but a glass before bed may help you sleep better as well. Good Luck!!

RLS (restless leg syndrome) is also treatable by using neurofeedback, and with the right type of clinician showing you how, you can do it at night by yourself before you go to bed. I would look for a clinical psychologist to guide you. Stress manifests itself physically sometimes, so you get RLS. You just might be working too much and need to take more time to yourself. It is very difficult to be a SAHM because you work where you live and your work is (supposed to be-at all times) it's own reward.

Read up on insomnia and how asanas can help: http://www.theholisticcare.com/cure%20diseases/Insomnia.htm

A little yoga goes a long way. I would suggest you lay on your back and turn your legs up so they are going along the wall, straight up, with your butt up against the wall and your arms rested on the floor. Stay this way for 10 minutes breathing continuously (stomach rising with inhale, not the chest) and do it right before bed. It is a good sleep aid and I like it when I am having trouble settling down (I tend to get antsy any time of the day and need to calm myself sometimes by doing this).

If you consume any amount of alcohol prior to bedtime, this could also be giving you sleep problems.

You sound like you should be going in for a sleep study. My husband had restless legs and felt like he never got enough sleep. He has sleep apnea. Has your husband noticed you stop breathing for a few seconds?
This is a problem I would take to your doctor because you can't be your best if you're always sleepy.
B.

I would think you've spent more money on alternative sleep aids than it would have cost you to go to the dr. for your RLS in the first place. Suck it up and see your doc!