What should I do?

Many of you gave me advice several weeks ago regarding getting to sleep and getting through my exams--I am now at a point where I truly have a terrible time getting to sleep without taking a high dose of melatonin and magnesium or ativan. However, when i take melatonin and magnesium I wake up with a panic attack at like 5am and I actually feel worse the next day than I might feel just staying up all night. Only when I take the ativan do I get a passable amount asleep although I still feel like hell the next day.

I have an appointment to see a sleep doctor at a major clinic in 16 days--what do you suggest I do until then? Should I wean the ativan? I am taking 1mg to get to sleep at night. I have been thinking of taking .5 and supplementing it with Valerian root but I am not sure if that will work. I am terrified of being on the benzo but arguably more terrified about not sleeping

What do you suggest I do?

[Lucy]

Which magnesium are you taking? Magnesium glycinate causes sleep problems for me. Magnesium malate or magnesium (epsom salts) in the bathwater works better for me.

I've been taking magnesium citrate.

Please help me...I feel doomed.

[kathleen2]

You're not doomed! You're dealing with genuinely hard options--sleep deprivation or ativan. There are other options, but I totally understand that they're hard to do during the middle of the semester. I'm guessing that when break comes you'll be able to wean the ativan dose and restore natural sleep patterns.

I remember taking benadryl during grad school for sleep. I hated needing it, but hated not sleeping more.

[ray34iyf]

From what I've heard and experienced, magnesium oxide and citrate suck. Try magnesium orotate or malate and you should notice a big difference.

I guess the biggest problem is that the ativan is not working well either--would you recommend trying benadryl? I think I have a bit of that in my dorm--I'm just afraid things like benadryl require you to sleep them off (ie 9 hours of sleep) and if i only get 5 or 6 hours its going to be even worse.

[kathleen2]

Oh, gosh--I hate recommending anybody take anything, but it does seem like a milder solution. The trouble w/ benzos isn't just the addiction but the rebound anxiety, which sucks. Maybe try half a benadryl, if you're going to try it?

I assume you've tried other solutions--exercise, relaxation exercises (songbird's really good at these), no laptop or tv in bed, warm bath or shower an hour or so before sleeep, really dark cool room, etc?

I do sympathize. Have had insomnia since really little, and for me it's my #1 anxiety trigger.

Thanks Kathleen for your support and sympathy. I think i will try 1 benadryl tonight at 10pm (i dont think half will do it for me esp considering that I will not be taking ativan) and shut lights out by 1045 and then listen to my relaxation mp3. Do you have any further suggestions? Anyone else have any ideas?

[Songbird]

You could try valerian and/or passionflower, you can also combine them with melatonin. The panic at 5 a.m. sounds like cortisol increase. When this happens you can try another dose of valerian/passionflower.

You would recommend against the benadryl? I have tried valerian before by itself but it never seemed to do anything for me. What about both together?

[JessG]

When you say high dose of melatonin and magnesium, what doses are you talking about? I have heard that too high melatonin can have the opposite effect you want it to. I have also been taking a combo of melatonin and magnesium glycinate the past few nights and it seems to be working alright. I only take 0.25mg of melatonin and 50mg of magnesium. When I was having bad sleeping problems recently, NOTHING would knock me out for more than 2 hours. Not even Trazadone. I haven't tried Valerian, but I have taken melatonin and Benadryl at the same time, as well as Passion Flower, so I don't see why it would be a problem to take Valerian and Benadryl at the same time. I hate the way Benadryl makes me feel though, it gives me zaps and stuff. I hear they have time-release melatonin, maybe you could try that to keep you asleep? A nice hot bath with Epsom salts before bed seemed to help as well. I hope they are able to help you at the sleep center. I know how frustrating lack of sleep can be. Hope you feel better.

I had been taking 2.5-5mg melatonin because that is the dosage size on the supplements I have--maybe its just too much melatonin. Someone also pointed out that the magnesium I've been taking, citrate, is useless.

I am worried about mixing valerian/benadryl because of the potential grogginess in the morning, provided I can sleep at all, so I figured it would be better to take just one. I've tried valerian by itself but it has not been effective.

[Sonika]

I took benadryl for a while and it was a God send. But still, NOTHING helped with the morning anxiety that would wake me up around seven... still today. So... make sure you go to sleep early so that you do your hours. You should be sleeping 8 hours for sure no matter what!!

In my opinion, sleep is the only thing that can genuinely help heal. So, do not compromise on it! If you need the ativan... well... you need it for now. One step at a time. Once you solve your sleeping problems, you can start your strategy for going off ativan.

[JessG]

I found this on a website:

If you take too much melatonin, you may experience the following effects:

* Drowsiness upon arising
* Wild, not just vivid, dreams
* An excess of the thyroid hormone (T3), resulting in waking up nervous, sweating, and with palpitations

It doesn't say what "too much" melatonin is though, and the doses you are taking sound within reason.

I think trying one Benadryl sounds good. If not, maybe try a smaller dosage of time-released melatonin and see if that works. I read it is better for people who can fall asleep okay, but have trouble staying asleep for the whole night.

[Healing]

GSW -- You are taking way too much melatonin, and it WILL have a paradoxical effect at that dose. It' s not your fault. I don't know why the vast majority of melatonin supplements on the market are way too high in dosage.

You might want to search pp for people's dosages of melatonin. My impression is that people do well at 0.25 - 0.75 mg. There is a liquid tincture by Source Naturals which makes it easy to take that small an amount. You can take a second small dose up to some point in the middle of the night if you need it, but don't take it after it's light outside. You don't want to confuse your circadian rhythms. People have also had success with the time-release formula.

[Songbird]

I usually take 0.25mg up to 1mg melatonin. I tried 2mg and it had a paradoxical effect. It seems to be very individual though, someone here posted that 3mg was the dose that was effective for them.

The magnesium is also a very individual thing. I don't think citrate is useless per se, it has been useful for some people, different types seem to agree with different people. Personally I've never experienced the calming effect of magnesium and it hasn't helped me with sleep. It only seemed to help me with palpitations.