As for Benadryl, You are probably going to have to experiment to find a balance between enough to sleep and not so much that you can’t get up in the morning. I’d start with one and maybe go up to three.
One thing that needs to be emphasized here is to see a doctor if you are having serious sleep difficulties. There are many, many prescription medications to aid sleep quality. Trazodone, Ambien, the benzodiazepenes (Librium, etc.), and Sonata are some that I’m aware of. Trust me, a good doctor will be aware of many more avenues than you’ll find on a bodybuilding message board, and he will also be able to refer you to a specialist if necessary (e.g., psychiatrist, endocrinologist, etc.).
As far as OTC stuff, when I’m having trouble sleeping, I use 50 mg Diphenhydramine (Sominex is one namebrand, but I buy generic), 6 mg of slow-release melatonin, 400 mg of magnesium, and 200-300 mg of 5-HTP (see this week’s T-Mag column; I buy mine in bulk at Beyond-a-Century). Kava can actually increase alertness along with calmness, so it is probably not a good idea. Also, high-glycemic carbs 30 min. before bedtime can help–maybe 150 calories of grape juice, or a grape juice and whey protein shake.
I frankly don’t believe the post about going 12 days without sleep, but get help if that is true! You must be having psychotic episodes by now.
Fuck you, why would I lie about not sleeping for 12 days!! I hope none of you ever have to go through what I’ve been through. Going on day 14 now.
Sorry. But please read the rest of my message and get some help! You probably need to be hospitalized.
Hey Vince. A few months ago I was having the same problem. Spent several days with no sleep. It wasn’t much fun. Unlike some of these guys I understand that you can function eith no sleep as long as you are at least resting in bed. I know this may sound stupid but if you are desperrate you should try. Listening to or watching parliament or whatever political stuff you can WILL send you to sleep. Bring your TV into your bedroom. Get some warm milk and watch. Keep your window open for fresh air. Try to pay some attention. Then just start to think about sex. Either with someone you know or someone your watching. I hope you try this.
james
Vince B, I hope you have been able to get some sleep by now. This topic has been dormant for a few days, but I was reading today about what can cause certain types of brain abnormalities, and I want to emphasize again that you really, really need to seek medical help. You seemed to be focusing on finding some syptomatic relief for your insomnia, but you need to get at the root cause. What you are suffering from could have a number of causes, but it could be something as severe as a brain tumor, so don’t put off seeking professional help.
Whew!!,
I finally got a decent night sleep. Even though I got up at 4:00 this morning, I decided not to bother trying to go back to sleep and just got up. I’m going to try to get into the gym and do a light routing, hopefully getting my hormone levels back up will get me back into my usual groove and allow me to get another 7 - 8 hours tonight.
Read the 5-HTP article from the weeks mag by Brock S. I have a friend that had trouble getting to sleep for months and the first time he took 5-HTP before bed 25mgs. i think put him to sleep like a baby. Something about haveing your seritonin levels in check seems to help. For me ZMA is the ticket.