I was on Lunesta for over three years, slept like a baby, drool and everything. I have been off them for 5 years now, taking some herbal/natural sleep aides like Deep Sleep from Whole Foods and suplemented with Tylenol PM.

Deep Sleep worked well for a long time, I would wake up around the same time but not fully awake and could get back to sleep, feeling good in the morning. Same with T-PM.

This is three weeks now that I have been up at 3-4, awake for over an hour before back to bed waking up at 630-7 and feeling like a dog rocket.

Stress is less, eating better, exercising more, traveling more out west, drinking less (gasp) and SLEEPING LESS!

How about some sage advice from you guys?

If you listen to people like James Randi all natural sleep aides are total crap. He takes an entire bottle of them on stage before giving his skeptics speech and has been doing so for years and years.

In the middle of the night

You've got insomnia

Grab a glass of water

Or a cigarette for your insomnia

But I know something that's so much better yet

Just grab the bong and numb your brain with pot

Watch Cal Worthington and his dog Spot

Insomnia, yeah it's so boring

Nothing to do at three o'clock in the morning

You can get dressed, go out for a walk

For your insomnia

But that's just asking for hassles

From your neighborhood cops

You've got insomnia

(by agression)

Drink more.

+1

Poon is the remedy..

don't doubt me..

wheel,

Melatonin is what I use at 3-4 in the morning, I have no trouble going to sleep except after I wake up too darn early.

As to apnea I have not been tested and I have been told I have a slight chance, I guesss I dont think this is the problem as I dont snap awake, i dont wake with a snort or a gasp, I just wake up.

Lets see if I can give you more symptoms...

Bed head

Lines on my face from pillow wrinkles

Freezing if the ac is too low

Sweaty if the ac is too high

TV still on if I forget to put on sleep timer

Have to pee but not urgent, usually not an issue

I do think its always after a dream, I dont have violent, flying, falling dreams and I dream in color.

Hope this helps some Doctors, let me know your prognosis.

ok,

When I quit smoking weed about 20 years ago, I wondered how I would go to sleep at night. A couple bong hits and I'd drift off to sleep. So, I started reading almost every night,I still do. Some nights only a few pages other nights a few chapters. It does relax me and it does help me fall asleep.

give that a try,,

google mindfulness and mindfulness practices. download some practices (like body scan etc). train yourself to breath, and focus on breathing while freeing your mind from all other thought.

sounds wacky but it works. it is also becoming an acceptable treatment for depression etc. mainstream.... although its roots are from buddihsim I beleive.

Another bit of advice. Most of these drugs work even better when washed down with a couple good swigs of some Tennessee sippin whiskey.

I would recommend that you talk to your primary care doc and let him/her decide if you need to be tested for apnea. I was tested in 06 and it was the best thing that has ever happened to me (Maybe not first but in the top ten). I'm pretty sure that your doc will give you a better rec than you will get from this board.

smoke weed

read a book

meditate

take some drugs

and then get some poon...

in that order

wheel,

Great suggestion. Check-out Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. Read several of his books.

Chamomile tea before bed may help. Good luck.