Wake up strategies for sleepless nights

:laugh2: Maybe there's a "Noodlers Monthly" audio magazine... Ha-ha, no! That would DEFINITELY keep me up. Ha-ha.

Avoid milk, but try lemon barley water. What is lemon barley water?

Melatonin. You can get it at a health food store or Trader Joe's. It comes in different strengths--2, 3, and 5. I take the 5 (mg?) strength. Melatonin. Melatonin. Melatonin. Have any of you touting the benefits of melatonin ever had any significant side effects? I bought some for the next time I'm having a bad night but the label is scaring me off a bit. I'm in the 10% of people who have a stimulant effect when I take decongestants. Most people get drowsy. My heart races and I feel like I've taken speed or something. The label on my melatonin mentions one side effect being abnormal heart rhythms.

Have any of you touting the benefits of melatonin ever had any significant side effects? I bought some for the next time I'm having a bad night but the label is scaring me off a bit. I'm in the 10% of people who have a stimulant effect when I take decongestants. Most people get drowsy. My heart races and I feel like I've taken speed or something. The label on my melatonin mentions one side effect being abnormal heart rhythms. :confused: I thought decongestants were uppers and antihistamines were downers. Decongestants don't make me sleepy. Allergy meds do though ... Melatonin does absolutely nothing for me. I must have a wretchedly guilty conscience ...

:confused: I thought decongestants were uppers and antihistamines were downers. Decongestants don't make me sleepy. Allergy meds do though ... Melatonin does absolutely nothing for me. I must have a wretchedly guilty conscience ... I think I'm thinking of the correct thing (though, admittedly, that doesn't mean much anymore). Perhaps I'm thinking of things that are a combo of the two? Cold medicines that get rid of stuffiness are great for letting me breathe but rotten in that they make it so I can't sleep. The WORST is Benadryl. I've never been more miserable in my life than when I took Benadryl. I was sooo freakin' tired I wanted to lay in a heap but my heart was racing like I was in the middle of a sprint so relaxing was impossible. Maybe that's more normal than I thought--but whenever the label warns you not to drive because the medicine might make you drowsy I seem to have the opposite effect.

Have any of you touting the benefits of melatonin ever had any significant side effects? I have taken it for about 10 years in the rare instances that I can't sleep and have not had any side effects at all. I actually only take 1/2 of a 3 mg pill and it is enough to knock me on my butt. If you are going to take it, I would suggest that it be when you don't have to do any driving first thing in the AM. Of course, having a totally clear conscience - as I do - is the best way to assure sleep. -LBJ

Have any of you touting the benefits of melatonin ever had any significant side effects? No, but everyone reacts differently to herbs and drugs. I take a high dose because the medication I'm on gives me insomnia so I need a big whallop to overcome the issue. Melatonin is the only thing I have found that helps--works much better than Tylenol PM and the like. My neurologist said that many of his patients take it. That said, not every remedy works for everyone.

Have any of you touting the benefits of melatonin ever had any significant side effects? No significant side effects for me ... but .. Melatonin does absolutely nothing for me. I must have a wretchedly guilty conscience ... ... no primary effect either. If the warm milk, meditation, etc. don't work, I skip over melatonin (have tried it though) and go to the pharmacy meds. Again, OTC stuff like Simply Sleep seems to work.

A nice sip of Jack Daniels works pretty dang well.

Melatonin. You can get it at a health food store or Trader Joe's. It comes in different strengths--2, 3, and 5. I take the 5 (mg?) strength. Melatonin. Melatonin. Melatonin.