Not sleeping!

[leeshor]

I have periodic sleep problems for no traceable reason. But I know what JenJen would say if she were here. Reduce your NIC level a couple hours before bed or stop vaping at least 1.5 hours before. At least I'm pretty sure I'm close to what she would say.

 

[sawlight]

Problem with the meds, I am a chemical conundrum. People that don't know me, and even some that do, swear I am an alcoholic due to the large qauntitties I injest. I am a VERY heavy drinker and have been for years! Typical sleep meds either don't work, or make me feel like I am grogy all day after taking them the night before.
When my back hurts I can drink and eat Lortabs like candy, not a good thing.
I would really much rather not get into my less than spectacular journey with antidepressants! In my less than humble opinion, the Doctors can shove them where the sun doesn't shine! I'd much rather deal with the effects of depression than the side effects of the drugs that are supposed to make it better

 

[Adrenalynn]

If I get within fifteen feet of a bed I'm asleep. Sometimes my momentum lands me in the bed, sometimes it doesn't. I don't sleep for more than two or three hours in that period - but that seems to be all I need to go another day or two or three - as long as I stay away from things that appear bed-like.

 

[paso]

I agree with sawlight I drank alot and people thought I was a acoholic and I said I am not a alcoholic I am a drunk I do not drink because i have to I drink becacue I want to. I proved this by only drinking one beer a day. I have now done this for over 2 months. Meds do not help me I broke my feamer over 10 years ago and they never could give me a pain kill that would work on me.

 

[Drozd]

I get bouts of the insomnia too and alot of meds don't work on me or I'd rather not take too many meds..
Some people caffiene can have the opposite effect on a person and make them more tired I wonder if the same hods true with nic..

Sometimes I can reboot my sleep routine by staying awake through a solid 24 hour cycle and then head to bed and be ok for a few days..
But I generally like trying herbal remedies first before any drugs myself..
Lavender scents will help too.. chamamile (spelling) and other sleepy time teas help..
When I'm particularly bad off I combine a few things and it generraly straightens me out for a few months...lavender aroma therapy oils in the bedroom...and I spend a little time meditating while on an inversion table (decompresses the spine and helps relax me), followed up by some valerian root (actually I use a few different things) and a bit of sleepy time tea to wash it down..and a nice cold bed..
*disclaimer* I actually mix 95% valerian root, 4.5% mandrake, and .5% belladonna together and put the mix in geltab casings but I highly recommend others DON'T include the belladonna.
That generally will knock me out for about 12 hours into REM sleep...

As a side note toward antidepressants and such ..zyban is nothing more than welbutrin...and welbutrin is refined st. John's wort...which you can get in a health food store in powdered form but tastes like crap...

 

[jlmanno]

Melatonin as stated is a big help, I suffer debilitating back pain from injury and surgery. I have prescribed sleeping meds but they don't solve the problem. I take 2 25mg benadryls when the melatonin doesn't work. Stress is a big factor! When my cycle is completely off I'll stay awake 24-48 hours and use the melatonin to try to get back on schedule.

 

[Sauromir]

I've worked the graveyard and overnight shift for the better part of 3 years. Ambien is a wonder drug to me. I get severe cases of insomnia and Ambien is the only thing that has ever worked to put me to sleep.

I usually stop vaping 1 or so before I go to bed. If I didn't the nicotine would keep me awake.

 

[sawlight]

Sounds like I need MAD doses of Belladona!
I've always been a mess, but my last job really messed me up! 4am to noon, straight eight, then on call 24/7, work eight or more hours, home for two and go back in four three. Got my shift moved all the time, 7am-10pm for two weeks, second shift out of the blue, third shift for two months out of the blue, and on call the entire time. My work phone rang all the time, 6am Saturday, then again at 10pm Saturday night. It was hard on a person that was already screwed up!

 

[dopeless-hopefiend]

Is nicotine not a stimulant???

Nicotine is absolutely a stimulant.

 

[mwa102464]

Interesting thread here, personaly I'm vaping all day at about a 28-31 mg about 5-6 ml a day, at 7pm I cut my mg to 12-14 take an ambien around 10:30 and hit the hey around 11:30 found that this works for me in a big big way. Hope to be able to cut out the Ambien some day but sleep has always been an issue for me in the last 10 yrs. the cutting of the Nic in half after my dinner vape has found to help a great deal, when I first started Vaping I was hitting the same strong MG all day and night then I experimented with the cutting of the mg in half and caboommmmm fell asleep !!!

 

[crashtestjeep]

Honestly, I have the same issues....Ive ALWAYS been an insomniac but since vaping I AM AWAKE more...Between the entertainment of this forum and my vaping non-stop, I find I sleep about 6 during the week and by weekend Im pooped! Sunday I sleep all day thats the only real sleep I get!

Drew from Nhaler sent me a sample of "sleepy time green tea" lung juice. Its amazing. It has Valerian root in it and after vaping a cart my eyes get very heavy. If I fill a second, I wake up with my Chuck in the bed when I get up for work. The stuff works miracles on me. You could get a sampler bottle for like $4 and try it out. I found NOT vaping at night wasnt gonna fly w me and the sleepy time worked!

Now, this forum is a whole other issue!
<----Addicted to ECF

EDIT-I JUST realized this was a V4L sub forum, if anyone wishes to remove my post please feel free, I promise I wasnt trying to steer people away from V4L at all...Im a HUGE V4L fan myself!!!!

 

[sawlight]

I'll have to look into that, thank you CTJ!

 

[donnellyk]

Hi CTJ! You've never steered me wrong, I have the same "insomniac-ecf addiction-vape-too-much-at-night" issues and will check out Drew's Sleepy-Time Lung Juice tonight! Hey, it's 1am...I'm a member of the "I meant to to go to bed early but once again it's
1am" fan club!

 

[Drozd]

Sounds like I need MAD doses of Belladona!
I've always been a mess, but my last job really messed me up! 4am to noon, straight eight, then on call 24/7, work eight or more hours, home for two and go back in four three. Got my shift moved all the time, 7am-10pm for two weeks, second shift out of the blue, third shift for two months out of the blue, and on call the entire time. My work phone rang all the time, 6am Saturday, then again at 10pm Saturday night. It was hard on a person that was already screwed up!

noooo, hence the disclaimer and why I advised against it for 99% of the people out there... other name for belladonna is deadly nightshade and well it's poisonous...you can get away with the very occasional very very small bit..thank gods it's really hard to get your hands on...
ever see Practical Magick ? it's the stuff that nicole kidmans character slips her abusive boyfriend to make him pass out but they accidentally OD him on and kill him..
So..unless you have alot of experience working with herbs..or know a really good pagan or kitchen witch or someone into the shaman thing..it's a baaad idea.. the recipe I got was froma pagan who was really into the out of body experience and dreams thing..and that's what it does ...it kicks your ... and knocks you out for a long time into REM sleep...VERY vivid dreams as a side effect..

 

[mpetva]

Melatonin:


If you are under medical supervision or using any tranquilizers or sedatives seek the advice of your health practitioner prior to using.

Consult your physician before using if you have an autoimmune condition, depressive disorderor, or endocrine disorder, or are pregnant or lactating.

Not for use by children under 12 years of age. Do not take when operating machinery or driving a vehicle.

 

[sawlight]

OK then, no belladonna for sure! Sounds like flashbacks from MOIA's! I have a knack for creating my own bad dreams, I don't need any help!

The melatonin is out from the start, I've had more prescription sleeping aids, and bought more over the counter sleeping aids than I care to recall. IF they do work, I wake feeling groggy like I spent all night at the bar and slept for four hours then try and function for the day. I can go to the bar, have more fun, know what I am injesting, understand what it is doing to my system, and sleep the same. Or I can take a drug that once again the doctors don't really understand what it does or does to you or why, and feel like crap. One version I get to have some fun, one version I get to feel like I should have had some fun but didn't, easy choice for me!
Sorry, I am a cynic, I was a "test bed" of "experemental" drugs for years as the attempted to "fix" me. As far as I am concerned not only did they fail, they developed my chemical tolerance to the point that I am lucky to function.
Paxil, Efexxor, Welbutrin and Trazodone are but a few that come to mind.

 

[drumkicks]

While all the advice has been diverse and good-natured I have to chime in and suggest that you seek medical advice.

Sleep Science is relatively new and it is a thriving field. Ofcourse, it helps to avoid stimulants (yes nicotine among others), and yes melatonin is a natural occurring chemical (so is adrenaline but you wouldn't want to inject that straight into your vains...or would you, Hunter S.?)

Anyways, sleep is probably the most important thing you do in the course of the day (in terms of health) so don't f$#& with it and get a doctor to tell you whats up

 

[sawlight]

While I appreciate your advise, and I know it was well meant drumkicks, I can assure you I have spent more time with Doctors over numerous things, this included, than you can imagine!
Right now I have to go every six months to have my liver tested, I have two General Practicioners working with me, and don't get me started on the others!
I've "seeked help" just to find out I was more informed Googling information and asking my Doctors if this would work for me, they were quite perplexed and had to research what I already knew.
Insomnia isn't anything new in my life, I've battled it all my life in fact, but the sleep patterns I have developed of late are very new and discerning to me.

 

[Drozd]

it sounds weird but the whole inversion table thing really did help me too..akin to the old days of gravity boots...you hang upside down for a bit and it decompresses your spine and helps stretch you out..and it's just fun...well besides looking like a wackjob hanging upside down..

 

[just-cass]

im just gonna write about kr8's question about nicotine being a stimulant...

i thought more people would know this as we are all addicted to the stuff but...Depending on the Dosage, Nicotine is can be either a Depressant and Stimulant. With a low dosage it is a stimulant, where as with higher dosages it becomes a depressant.


kinda like alcohol