Has anyone tried Melatonin, light treatment, etc. in order to sleep better. Did you have success ? Any sugestions.

I tried melatonin once long ago. It made my sleep strange - I would have the same odd dream over and over all night. I'd wake up briefly, then fall asleep into the same dream, again and again. I didn't like it.

Yes I have. Melatonin works for me. So does valerian or Kava Kava.
I sometimes have a little lethargy the following morning when I use melatonin. My preference is a bit of valerian.

From what I've read this is a side effect if you use too high a dose. They suggest starting with .03 mg every other night. Which is 1/3 of the dosage usually sold.

I exercise. By the end of the day, I am wiped out.

I've used 3mg of melatonin for many years. I also wear a sleep mask, sometimes ear plugs. You also might want to try this DVD:

Yoga in Bed articles, clips

Melatonin. But I need to watch the fillers and other additions to the formula - they may cause headaches, or other symptoms of hypersensitivity/allergy.

I can't tolerate Valerian over a longer period of time, nor any other herbal supplements for that matter. I do take a host of supplements, but isolated high potency herbal ones as a rule make me either hyper and agitated or dizzy and fatigued, and may cause headaches and bloating in the face.

However, without 45 minutes of a medium speed workout (anywhere between 5 and 7 miles an hour, on a '3' incline) on the treadmill daily, I just don't sleep sound.

I would also like to recommend vigorous daily or near-daily cardio exercise. There's nothing better for deep healthy regular sleep, plus a host of other benefits.



Interesting! I'd never heard of that being a common side effect and I didn't know a reduction in dosage may solve that weird repetitive dream side-effect. Maybe at some point in the future I'll give the ol' melatonin another try.

I won't mess around with melatonin because our own bodies make it...and even the companies making the melatonin and doctors don't know what the proper dosage should be.
I've taken Valerian Root, and contrary to what people may thing...it has nothing to do with Valium and isn't an ingredient. It also smells like a dirty, wet dog.
My husband had a bad reaction to Kava....so I'm not messin' with it.

I bought a 'virtual aquarium' DVD. Pop it in the box and it loops all night long. Works wonders.
You can get these DVDs in all sorts of 'sounds' -- ocean waves, babbling brooks, forest sounds -- you name it.
Cheap, won't pollute my internal workings...and it works for me, most of the time.

On the rare occasion I may drink chamomille tea or pop a couple of chamo capsules. Sometimes this helps, sometimes it doesn't. :-\

I use melatonin. It is usually sold in either 1mg or 3mg tablets. Start with the 1mg. You can always take more than one at a time if you find that you tolerate it well.

I will also occasionally use any of the otc PM analgesics like Tylenol or Advil PM - but not along with melatonin. One or the other.

Anything you take brings risks: I prefer natural remedies - such as melatonin, which happens to be a potent antioxidant as well - over pharmaceutica. In terms of side effects, herbs and vitamins don't begin to compare to regular medication.

Warm milk.

That's the reason I take it, to replenish the natural melatonin that diminishes after forty. They have given rats massive doses, proportionately much more than a human would ever take, with no ill effects. You can't say that about OTC or Rx drugs.

I tried melatonin after someone here mentioned using it. I take 3 mg and have noticed that I dream a lot more. I take it because they say it naturally decreases with age and that may be why us older peeps (over 35) have sleep problems and stop dreaming as much. I also sometimes take a half-dose of an otc sleep aid, benedril stuff. I only need a half-dose of it when I take it with the melatonin.

But I do notice that when I've gotten some good exercise that day I sleep a lot better. Problem is, I don't exercise enough.

I used to use some kava back when I was riding horses, to help my nerves and also sometimes valerian. I heard something bad about kava a few years ago and stopped using it

I exercise everyday, but I still need melatonin.

Melatonin is hit and miss with me. Even Ambien CR is hit and miss with me. I have been known at times to take up to 6 mg of melatonin and still not be able to fall asleep/sleep soundly.

I should probably mention that I have struggled with sleep problems for my entire adult life. I really envy those that can just lay down every night and actually fall asleep. What a wonderful blessing that must be!

Melatonin helped me sleep, but it does make me dream a lot more. I don't take it now. I guess it depends upon the person and their reaction to it. It works for some and not others. If it worked for me without those crazy dreams, I'd take it.

Brenda:)

I've read (maybe on this board) that if one brand of Melatonin doesn't work, try another. I've had good luck with Nature's Harmony brand - one tablet and I'm asleep on my pillow within 20 minutes. Although, I do sleep deeply on the tablets, I have strange dreams and wake groggy and somewhat irritable.

It makes me nervous taking this stuff - it's effective - but what exactly is it doing to my brain? (Then again, I drank Diet Coke for years and never thought twice.)


Some more natural remedies - Celestial Seasonings' Sleepytime tea - the chamomile is soothing and helps lull me to sleep.

A boring book really helps. A microeconomics text can send me to sleep in seconds.

Regular exercise especially yoga helps. But if I do the yoga before bed, I can't sleep!

nubka - I feel for you! I have periods in my life where anxiety causes sleep difficulties. And I'm a light sleeper and also have a young toddler that wakes frequently each night. But, these issues are not ongoing - it must be rough if you're dealing with chronic sleep deprivation!

My daughter is home (still!) on vacation from college and has had a terrible time sleeping. She was either awake all night long and slept all day, or could fall asleep and stay asleep for maybe an hour, and then be awake..... She had a bottle of herbal sleep remedy from the GNC store full of valerian and kava kava. (I tried it, and it made me sleepy enough. But the second time I tried it - disaster! It didn't kick in until the next day and I was a walking zombie! Never again!)... She had a bottle of melatonin. (I've tried this in the past and may try it again - it makes you drowsy, but whether you can actually go to sleep is hit or miss.)... She tried Benadryl and an occasional swig of Nyquil. (Same deal as melatonin - drowsy but you may or may not fall asleep.).... She went out walking for an hour, at least, every day, never touched caffeine, still had problems with sleep....So, reading another thread from POL about getting a short-term prescription for Ambien CR, she went to the doctor and he gave her a one-time prescription for Rozerem. (This is the pill in the commercial featuring a guy talking to Abe Lincoln and the beaver.) She said it works like a charm and she sleeps soundly most nights, though the dreams are INTENSE!

I occasionally use melatonin although long term use or using more than the 3mg seems to make me a little "testy" the next day. Also I agree that the dreams are more frequent and bizarre.
I have heard very good reports about Rozerem which was prescribed for my mother.
I also find that taking my daily supplemental calcium at night helps greatly. Similar to Twitchly's warm milk solution.

That's right; forgot about that one. Since taking my calcium supplements right before bed, I have definitely slept better.

The boring book is another good one.