I am having some trouble getting enough sleep...trying Melatonin. Has anyone else tried using it?

Paco Dennis

Paco Dennis

SF VIP
Location
Mid-Missouri
I have been using 5mg of melatonin for about 2 months. The past week or so I have getting less sleep and now I am getting about 4 hours. They say it can interrupt our natural sleep cycle. The instructions on using it also vary quite a bit. I have stopped using it for now, hoping that my sleep cycle will return. Maybe someone has some experience with using it?
 

I stopped using it because it made me feel weird the next day. Kind of "heavy." Anyway, I read that the dosages they sell are way too high and can actually backfire and keep you awake.

You could experiment with cutting the pills in eighths or quarters and figure out what dosage works for you.

Good luck. Insomnia can be awful. I had it all my life, but I'm able to fall asleep nowadays.
 

I don't use melatonin. As far as sleep aids go, you might like to do some research on passionflower, valerian, and lemon balm teas. I use both. You can find blends that contain sleepy teas. Most of them taste fine, although Valerian kinda smells like socks, lol. No matter, it isn't too bad and does the trick.

The thing that I've found is that while melatonin and herbal teas will help you to fall asleep, they might not keep you asleep for as long as you'd like. I remember the days when I could hit the sheets and wake up eight to ten hours later. That's a fond memory. 🥴

https://www.sleepfoundation.org/best-tea-for-sleep

The Pukka teas below are my favorites, but I also like Nighty Night.🙂

Pukka night time > https://www.amazon.com/Pukka-Night-Organic-Herbal-Valerian/dp/B07CCVYF2X?asc_campaign=&asc_source=&asc_refurl=https://www.bonappetit.com/story/best-sleepytime-tea-brands&tag=bonappsite-20&ascsubtag=58b6ee18d9a24d7e3222dfe2

Pukka Relax > https://www.amazon.com/Pukka-Organic-Chamomile-Cardamon-Perfect/dp/B09XJL1J1W/ref=sr_1_5?crid=21SLBYKC2VWYS&keywords=Pukka+Organic+Tea+Bags,+Relax&qid=1665967877&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIxLjUyIiwicXNhIjoiMC4wMCIsInFzcCI6IjAuMDAifQ==&s=grocery&sprefix=pukka+organic+tea+bags,+relax,grocery,72&sr=1-5

Traditional Medicinals Organic Nighty Night Extra > https://www.amazon.com/Traditional-Medicinals-Organic-Valerian-Relaxation/dp/B007IW25FQ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=24TP57ZFXJSQ5&keywords=nighty+night+extra&qid=1665967991&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIxLjcwIiwicXNhIjoiMS43MiIsInFzcCI6IjEuNjkifQ==&s=grocery&sprefix=Night+Night+Extrs,grocery,105&sr=1-1

You also might want to look into a magnesium supplement, as plalides suggested. I take magnesium capsules.

How Magnesium Can Help You Sleep > https://www.sleepfoundation.org/magnesium

I wish you sweet dreams, my friend. :sleep:

Bella✌️
 
I just tried it again recently, still did not work. Have to go back to the doctor and get a sleeping pill. Right now I am getting 5 or 6 hours but during the day. I want to have a normal sleep schedule. When I was just a few years younger a normal night for me would be 9 or 10 hours at night.
 
I have been using it for many years. I once was taking 10 mg a day but quit for some time and now back to taking it at 2 mg. I take other meds at sleep time too ( Risperidone, Gabapentin). I think now it's the entire combination that puts me to sleep. I still don't get a perfect night sleep much of the time.
 
I take a bunch of things at night to try to get to sleep. In fact I'm glad you brought the subject up because I've been staying up way too late and now I realize I used to take 5mg melatonin an hour before bedtime to encourage me to want to go to bed, and I haven't been doing that for a while.

The plain melatonin is what I like an hour before bedtime, then when I'm really ready to sleep I take the melatonin that includes l-theanine. I buy it from Amazon.
Some of the melatonin types sold in the grocery store have different added ingredients and didn't work for me.

Also, I found I don't like taking L-theanine separately because the higher dose is unpleasant to me. But the tiny amount in the 'Calm Sleep' variety of melatonin is just perfect to cause me to have lots of dreams, I even keep a spare one next to the bed so that if I wake up too early I can take it and go back to sleep and have lots of fun dreams (no, not that kind).

I also take a 'sleep-aid' pill from Walmart that I think is a half-dose of benedryl. It used to zonk me out but I think I've adapted to it, I should probably stop taking it and save it for special times.

Another thing that helps me get to sleep is listening to lectures on Youtube as I go to sleep. They have to be just right, not too interesting but not too boring. And I have to like the lecturer's voice and style. Also I have to make sure I don't have auto-play on because it will drive me nuts if the lecture doesn't stop soon after I fall asleep.

Sapolsky lectures usually work for me (but NOT the one about zebras not getting ulcers!). Once I bought a lecture about classical music because I figured the music would be soporific and the lecture would be boring, but instead the lecture caused me to laugh so much it woke me all up. You wouldn't believe how impassioned the lecturer was about some famous piece of music whose composer purposely used a b-sharp where everyone knew the note should have been a b-flat (or some such thing like that).
 
Paco Dennis said:
I have been using 5mg of melatonin for about 2 months. The past week or so I have getting less sleep and now I am getting about 4 hours. They say it can interrupt our natural sleep cycle. The instructions on using it also vary quite a bit. I have stopped using it for now, hoping that my sleep cycle will return. Maybe someone has some experience with using it?
Click to expand...
I also sometimes get only 4 hours of sleep but then I take a kip during the day. I think my problem is eating too late in the evening (after 6 PM) or watching upsetting TV programs just before I lie down. I don't take drugs or tablets (unless absolutely necessary) but if I am having trouble getting a decent night's sleep I take a thimble full of alcohol such as liquor or whiskey before I go to bed. But it's all about mind and body. Excite or accost them just before going to bed and you can forget about sleeping well.
 
I tried the time release melatonin. You’d think it would take you through the middle of the night wake up hours; it doesn’t for me.

Paco, how about some CBD, if it’s legal in your state.

Boring, but not too boring podcasts help me. At least they take my mind off whatever I’m stressing about. I set the sleep timer on them for 30 minutes. If it’s rainforest sounds, I turn it on for an hour.
 
I have tried Melatonin many times. It puts me to sleep, but then I wake up a few hours later feeling fidgety and wide awake. It just doesn't work for me. I use Trazadone, which is non-narcotic and doesn't require a visit to the doctor for refills. It was prescribed as an anti-depressant in the 80's but is now prescribed for sleep. I discovered it when it was prescribed for my mother in assisted living, and it works great for me. This and a bottle of red wine. ;)
 
I have taken melatonin in the past, but do not take it anymore. When I took it the next day, I would have the slight feeling of being drugged up. Also, I would feel that the sleep I had was not good sleep but poor-quality sleep.
 
Thank you all for the posts!!! I have stopped using it for now. Dealing with a rather high level of pain makes finding the right sleep aid difficult, and as many have said , it will last at most a few hours. I have tried many different teas and they do help, and boring youtube videos ( not too boring ). I use too use a little alcohol but it burns my stomach too much. I need to do more research on any drugs because I am hypersensitive to them. I have been reading about both sleep aids and pain relief aids quite a bit lately.
It is somewhat miraculous that us old folks have a community with an appliance!! :) The computer and phones now, have made our world much smaller. Letters have been written for centuries and communicated the human experience. Take this change in "Life" chapter I am writing in my world now. When we are suffering it is helpful to "let it out". Even if we are feeling good, and have a rather happy life, some of us need a place to air our difficulties. Self pity is nasty. But we all know what it is. Sometimes airing our grievances releases a lot of stressful energy. We are all at different phases of disappearing from the earth.
Keep the info coming if you find something that works for you. Sleep is essential. When and how we get it remains a chore for some. :)
 
Nathan said:
5mg might be too much, I had used 3 mg with better results. Btw, no sleep aid will help you stay asleep, particularly beyond 4 hours.
Click to expand...
That’s my problem Nathan. Sleep good for 3-4 hours and can’t get back to sleep. I take Trazodone once in awhile and seems to help a little. Melatonin never worked for me a all. This morning, up at 3 am. :mad:
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top