Drugs and Behavioral Sciences

Any information on Ambien or other sleeping aids?

Every over the counter sleep aid is really just Benadryl. So in essence you are pretty much wasting your money if you buy anything other than just Benadryl, such as Nitequil, Tylenol PM (Two active ingredients are Tylenol and Benadryl) and basically everything over the counter. There are no sleep aids without a prescription that are not just that.

Ambien and such are basically benzodiazepines, which is pretty much like medications such as Xanax and Valium. It's just an anxiety medication marketed as a sleep aid. Only I think that Ambien is a stronger dose then normal as to induce sleepy time.

Also I have to mention that benzodiazepines are suppressants and effect the brain stem in the same way that opiates and alcohol does. By that I mean they slow the function of the brain stem thus slowing breathing.
When you overdose on alcohol, opiates, or benzodiazepines you are basically dying from lack of oxygen because your body is pretty much forgetting how to breath on it's own. But then again you'd be passed out if you took that much and you wouldn't feel it happen.

Benzodiazepines are also used in many surgeries as an anesthetic such as in Doctor's offices and in other minor surgeries.

Also benzodiazepines are considered sedatives.

Thank you! So why do the commercial for Ambien repeat that a person should make sure that they have time for a full eight hours sleep. Is it like being in a coma for eight hours? Will I sleep through my alarm or an air raid if I take it??

You'll be sedated is what you'll be. It's not natural sleep but it's marketed as such. If you take it and don't give yourself six to eight hours for it to wear out of your system there is a good chance that you could possibly sleep through your alarm clock.

It's not necessarily a coma but it's close. The problem with being sedated, being drunk, or passing out from opiates is that you never get to stage three or four sleep, which is where the major brain and body repair takes place.

I hate to say bad things about something that has helped me through many a sleepless night but it's really not something you should be taking all the time. You'll just wind up even more fatigued then you were before if you rely on it as the sole way to fall asleep.

I hate to be one of these people but I can offer a few suggestions...

Sleepy time tea is a good choice because it normally has valarian root in it among other good things. In large doses valarian root can be a sedative so look out!

Don't watch TV or really spend too much time in your bedroom. After a while if you associate it with more than just sleep and sex you'll begin to subconsciously see it as a rec room or something. It's important to train your brain to know that when you get into bed you mean business.

Don't eat protein four to six hours before bed because this can cause stomach cramps or general discomfort. If you want something to get you sleepy then I'd suggest a light carb snack. Carbs make you sleepy but it doesn't mean you should take on an entire pasta dish just before bed.
Maybe a nice little bowl of rice or maybe a small bowl of egg noodles or something. Be creative!

For the love of God do not have a night cap! Again it's not real sleep and you just wake up more tired than you were. Same with opiates and sedatives (Like I said don't depend on them!)

A glass of warm milk is a myth and should be avoided as well.

Exercise is an awesome aid to restful sleep but make sure you don't do it for at least four hours before going to bed. The reason being that your body is still very very active and hot during the cool down time and it will just make you too jumpy to really get to sleep.

An conflicting idea is to speed up the cooling down process by exercising then taking a cool shower two hours before bedtime. Or even just taking a cool shower / bath without exercising because when your body gets cold you get tired.

Get cold but not uncomfortably so. Have a good blanket over you while the AC blares or the cool night breeze whisks you off to dream land.

If you can't sleep then I'd suggest going out into the living room or something and do a little lite reading. Don't watch TV or do anything that really stimulates your mind because the last thing you want to be is stimulated.

I really hope I'm being helpful because I too am an insomniatic mess, ha ha!

But yeah, use things like Ambien sparingly and if at all possible try and go for the Benadryl route.

If you have a primary care doctor maybe you can also ask to be prescribed some Trazadone. It's an anti depressant but it does wonders for good sleep patterns. It's non addictive and not a sedative and works with your serotonin to help you get to rest.
In fact that's why it's prescribed like 99% of the time these days so don't be afraid to ask for it. You just gotta know what you're talking about when you speak with your doctor.

I'll ask my doctor about Trazadone, thanks!

I liked your answer TP, but one thing I kinda disagree with is your suggestions of what to eat before bed.

Fast digesting proteins are the ones that can upset your stomach or give you discomfort before bed. Not all proteins are the same. Remember that you are going 8 hours (hopefully) without food. Your body starts breaking down muscle when going that long - even if you are sleeping. Getting a slow digesting protein in your body is a good thing. Something like cottage cheese works.

Just like protein, there are different kinds of carbs. The carbs that will make you sleepy do so because they give you an insulin spike. This equals bad for you especially before bed. The carbs that give you an insulin spike are fast digesting carbs (most obvious is pure sugar or pretty much anything white). Eating this before bed might make you sleepy, but it's also giving you an overdose of energy that you're not going to use and are only going to store as fat - especially so when eaten right before bed.

If you must eat a carb before bed I would go with brown rice. But I'm not sure that it will get you sleepy anyway so...