Over the Counter sleep aids?

[Doc Kelso]

My insomnia has been hitting me like a truck these last few weeks. Luckily I'm WFH until the new year so I'm able to sneak in naps during the day when needed, but I really hate not getting a full 5-8 hours in the first place. So I'm wondering if y'all have any good experiences with some OTC sleep aid?

I'm getting plenty of exercise and eating well--even wearing myself out entirely on occasion throughout the day--but when it comes to sleep time I'm just up for a long time. No screens, lights off; Whole nine yards of what I'm supposed to do. I've tried melatonin supplements and while those help on occasion they never help me feel rested. So it's kind've a crapshoot.

I can always speak to my doctor about supplying me with some prescription sleep aids, but I always feel weird asking for a specific kind of drug unless I can really prove that I need it.

All this said, anyone have suggestions? Your boy is a sack of exhausted misery.

 

[Alek]

If it's an ongoing issue you should speak to your GP. It sounds like you need it. I used to take melatonin and that used to help regulate my sleep a lot. I don't know if it's available over the counter where you are. You should let us know which country you're in because the medicines available over the counter will depend on country/state legislation.

 

[bobeth]

I use benadryl. Cheap, it helps..

 

[Stalker]

Cannabis

 

[Doc Kelso]

If it's an ongoing issue you should speak to your GP. It sounds like you need it. I used to take melatonin and that used to help regulate my sleep a lot. I don't know if it's available over the counter where you are. You should let us know which country you're in because the medicines available over the counter will depend on country/state legislation.

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In New Jersey! Hooray. Melatonin is OTC here.

Cannabis

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God I wish.

 

[hyouko]

I've asked my uncle who is a pilot and sometimes needs to sleep under less-than-ideal circumstances about this before. Your immediate options include benadryl (they sell a sleep aid version as ZZZdryl but you can just get the generic diphenhydramine from Costco for a few bucks) and melatonin, which you have already tried. With melatonin it's important to note how it works - use it ~30min before you want to crash and cut the screens + bright lights. Benadryl works pretty well for inducing sleep in most people; I don't know that I'd take it as a long-term solution but it should help if you're really struggling.

 

[hrœrekr]

Wine

 

[Wag]

I've found most doctors won't prescribe sleep aids for you unless you have a pretty extensive work up.

As far as natural sleep aids go, I know a lot of people swear by melatonin (never worked for me either), but you should probably try to get down to the root of the problem.

You might want to ask your physician to refer you to a sleep study lab.

 

[Enduin]

I've always had trouble falling asleep. Over active mind and what not. I've used a bit of ASMR and mostly just listening to documentaries at night to help occupy my mind to be on in the background which helps me focus on one thing but not too focused which helps me a lot. I've also been taking melatonin recently and it seems to have helped both falling asleep faster and having a more consistent restful sleep. You can get it anywhere, no prescription required.

Weighted blanket also helps a bit.

 

[lunchtoast]

NyQuil
Tylenol PM

 

[Bear]

You could try melatonin, but that's made me very dizzy in the past.

 

[Dark Mantonio]

Benadryl if the allergies are acting up.

Melatonin if they are not.

 

[cameron]

 

[RebelStrike]

Melatonin really helps, I always use it to recover from jet lag.

 

[Mr Jones]

My ad at the bottom of the page is for an anti opioid medication. I'm sure that is coincidental.

 

[hyouko]

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Yes, but just get this version if you can:

https://www.costco.com/kirkland-signature-allergy-medicine-25-mg.%2c-600-minitabs.product.100428084.html

Same exact meds but likely way, way cheaper on a per dose basis.

 

[Teriyaki Blues]

My best bet has been taking valerian and melatonin at the same time. If the melatonin isn't helping much, reducing the amount you're taking can usually help with the side effects, such as nightmares or waking up feeling like someone's been beating you all over with a dirty stick. Chamomile tea is also nice if I can't sleep due to anxiety. The trick for me is that these things only work reliably if I don't use them every night. On the rare occasion that the anxiety is super bad, I'll take some diphenhydramine off label.

In general I'd try also looking up good sleep hygiene strategies, though it seems you have done so. Stuff like cutting out screen time in favor of books, using your bed only for sleeping, certain counting exercises, stretches, etcetera. Reddit is kinda a crapshoot but r/insomnia helped me find a lot of great resources to tackle at least getting to sleep.

It honestly sounds like you've tried a doing a lot of the right things and they haven't helped at all, there's no shame in getting outside help if you need it. Just throwing in the proverbial two cents in case you have to wait to get your much needed medical help, like having to go see specialists and/or for a sleep study, and so on.

 

[Deleted member 11985]

Antihistamines induce drowsiness, but I think you don't want to build a habit of relying on those. I can't remember exactly why, but I remember reading that when I was looking up sleep aids before.

I fixed my sleep problems by buying a new white noise machine. My sleep issue is that I'm kept awake easily by bass sounds, like the thudding sound of people stomping around late at night. Before I was using this DOHM machine, which I think is the most popular white noise machine. It's a mechanical fan in an enclosure basically, which worked alright, but it doesn't work too well at blocking out bass. I switched to this machine, which is a speaker that plays digital white noise sounds, and it works a lot better for me. I set it on the sound with the most bass and crank that shit up to full blast, and it completely blocks out all the bass sounds in my apartment building. I haven't had a single sleep issue since I switched to the digital white noise machines. I usually fall asleep in like a half hour now.

Disclaimer: Sleeping with a digital white noise machine at full blast right next to your face is probably bad for your ears.

 

[SwampBastard]

I use benadryl. Cheap, it helps..

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Cannabis

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These both work great for me.

 

[EarlGreyHot]

Medication is a short term solution that won't help you long term. Ever tried to find out why you can't sleep? There must be a reason.

White noise helps me fall asleep sometimes. There are some great apps out there that can help.

 

[LuigiMario]

I've been using Melatonin and it's been working well. Generally take it about an hour before going to bed, helps make sure I fall asleep around the same time every night and keeps me well rested for work.

Medication is a short term solution that won't help you long term. Ever tried to find out why you can't sleep? There must be a reason.

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This is a little insensitive and dismissive to sleep problems, sleep science is no joke and some people legit need medication to get a good nights rest.

 

[Jag]

Liquid melatonin works fast. I take one dropper every night.

Also Simply Sleep is a benadryl based OTC. Pretty strong though.

 

[zyvorg]

Do you have good nights on relaxing days when you are able to take things easy?

A lot of sleep has to do with how you perceive and experience the world around you during the hours you were awake, I know its not easy to take things less seriously but start looking into CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy).

Stop reading the news, maybe start reading some light philosophy books, stuff like "Subtle art of not giving a fuck"

Also if possible, ask someone that has access to you during sleep if you snore a lot, you might need to get a Sleep Study done to detect Sleep Apnea.

Even with all of the above I still suffer with my sleep but less so than before, Cannabis will help to a point but it is really hard to find the Type that actually helps versus inducing Anxiety, also like every other substance, you will develop a resistance to it. Im no expert at Cannabis so I had to stop due to those points, hopefully one day someone can teach me how to do it properly so I can use it to get the sleep and none of the side effects/resistance.

 

[lt519]

If Melatonin didn't work it's probably anxiety related and or the pressure you are putting on yourself to fall asleep not a lack of brain chemicals triggering. CBD oil could help.

Make sure the room is conducive to sleep. No street light leaking through, no digital clock, remove LEDs from TV's etc, no screens an hour before bed, and try reading a paper book (or e-ink device) in dim lighting. Noise machine playing white noise too.

I have chronic sleep issues and have run the gamut of trying everything, my solution ended up being prescribed medication based on a Sleep Study, but my issue was more waking up in the night versus falling asleep.

This is a little insensitive and dismissive to sleep problems, sleep science is no joke and some people legit need medication to get a good nights rest.

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I'll second this, not all disorders are rooted in poor sleep conditions or anxiety. A lot of REM Behavior Disorders are starting to be linked to folks that have Parkinson's later on in their life, etc. It's a hard-wired issue.

 

[gcwy]

Cannabis

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Fuck I'd do anything to get it again. I hate this state.

 

[MrCheezball]

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Thats just expensive liquid benadryl. If pot isn't an option then just take benadryl (which for me makes me too groggy in the morning).

 

[MrCheezball]

Do you have good nights on relaxing days when you are able to take things easy?

A lot of sleep has to do with how you perceive and experience the world around you during the hours you were awake, I know its not easy to take things less seriously but start looking into CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy).

Stop reading the news, maybe start reading some light philosophy books, stuff like "Subtle art of not giving a fuck"

Also if possible, ask someone that has access to you during sleep if you snore a lot, you might need to get a Sleep Study done to detect Sleep Apnea.

Even with all of the above I still suffer with my sleep but less so than before, Cannabis will help to a point but it is really hard to find the Type that actually helps versus inducing Anxiety, also like every other substance, you will develop a resistance to it. Im no expert at Cannabis so I had to stop due to those points, hopefully one day someone can teach me how to do it properly so I can use it to get the sleep and none of the side effects/resistance.

Click to shrink...

I've found that vaping cannabis induces less of an anxiety feeling than burning it.

 

[kyle mechlachlan]

I usually use Advil/Tylenol PM. Whichever.

 

[Kraid]

I use the Olly Restful Sleep gummies on occasion. They have melatonin, plus some chamomile and lemon balm. I find them fairly helpful. I also use the Relax Melodies app to make a mix of relaxing sounds, or put on the Sleep With Me podcast (a guy with a very strange but soothing voice telling rambling stories).

 

[Garp TXB]

I'm not going to shit on those bringing up various drugs and substances, if that is working for you great. I've done pretty much all of those for various lengths of time—and some of them did work.

However, what I started to notice is that they slowly stopped working over time, or the KIND of sleep I was getting wasn't as effective. I didn't get "hangovers" but there was a slight perceptible feeling of fuzziness on occasion that's hard to describe.

Now I rely on my morning workouts and better diet. Massive difference in how I feel overall—especially energy wise.

Some nights I still get amped up with cortisol from particular stressful days, but I just accept I might not sleep well that night and call it a temporary loss.