Anyone found non Pharma things for insomnia.

Had bad sleep for years but didn’t have the anxiety/ intrusive thoughts to deal with . Only getting 3 hours sleep night is killing me. Anxiety goes off scale in the mornings. Unisom was helping but seems to have stopped now. When was forced off the zop think valerian helped, anyone found that or melatonin any good. I’m awake from about 3.30 am but lunchtime wiped out.

The things I found helpful were not cheap.  But check them out:

1.  Alpha-stim is a cranio electro therapy.  Super safe micro current.  I used with with myself and both my kids.  www.alpha-stim.com 

2.  Neurofeedback - super powerful.  Occasionally you can find someone who does it and takes insurance.  There are loads of Neurofeedback "toys" on the market and some of those are less expensive and helpful.  Usually the more powerful (and more effective) types of Neurofeedback are ones where you go to someone's office.  check out www.eeginfo.com

 

I wish I had found these two things before I had gone on a benzo. 

 

Good luck!!!

I haven’t been here for ages but I have found glutamine - which is a precursor to GABA ( what sleeping tablets target) very good.

Hey Sally,

I've been K free for almost 9 years now what I used was suggested, and it's evening primrose oil tablets, other natural things to try is Lavender, with chamomile they have an excellent tea that knocks me out by Traditional medicals or 5 HTP, during the day, but while tapering I did the evening primrose oil tablets.

i know this sounds lame but what helps me to fall asleep is:

 

A: Not sleeping in my bed, i fall asleep while watching tv usually then at some point in night turn it off and stumble off to bed. If i go to bed i will guaranteed lay there because its performance anxiety.

B: I drink two mugs of chamomile and lavendar tea about an hour before bed. Stuff is good and will knock you out.

C: I light a candle and burn incense while drinking the tea and watching tv. Ive set this up so that my mind knows oh ok, hes lighting the candle, the incense and drinking this tea with all lights out and watching tv it must be time to fall asleep.

D: This all works to put me to sleep, theres hardly a time if i do all this that i dont fall right to sleep at some point....now staying alseep is a whole nother ballgame that i havent been able to figure out how to do yet. I fall asleep yes, but wake up usually 2-3 hours later wide awake as if i drank a pot of coffee and cant go back to sleep.

I am working with a Naturopath. I take Valerian Root, phosphatidylserine (PS 100 by Pure), magnesium, and Benedryl. The Benedryl is the next thing to go, I'm down to 1/2 dose. Some people say 5htp helps, also Ashwaganda. I have tried all to end up on the cocktail I am on now. Valerian root was key in helping me taper off of Klonopin.

I have a few that help and alternate them, because I become tolerant very quickly if I don't. 

The non pharma things I use are:

Sodium butyrate

Jujube fruit capsules (Swanson brand)

Valerian

Passionflower

Lemon balm and ashwagandha together

Tart cherry powder along with holy basil

L-theanine

L-ornithine (it quit working.)

Relora (one of my favorites)

Raw honey

Niacinamide, but it only gives me an hour or two of sleep, and after that, there's no getting back to sleep.  But it's helpful when I'm awake too early.

 

I also alternate them with pharma products like gabapentin, doxylamine, and aspirin with calcium.

 

I have good luck with marijuana. But here's the catch, don't believe all the hype. Part of the problem with the plant is that everybody has a different reaction to it. Some people get thrown into waves, some people even get set back into acute withdrawal from it. Others, they get great sleep and feel much better afterwards. So that's the catch 22, either it will help or you will screw yourself.

 

As far as what I was saying about don't believe the hype, some people make it into a miracle cure and say there's no side effects and it will eliminate all your waves and whatever else. Completely false. It will probably intensify your anxiety a little bit, might even throw you into a temporary wave. And if you do it every night to get sleep every single night, then you will get used to the drug like every other drug. And then once you quit the drug, then you're going to experience drug withdrawal along with benzo withdrawal. Am I talking about deadly withdrawal? No, it's a plant. But regardless, it will make you feel worse when you quit it.

 

So that's why I always tell people the full story, I don't just say hey go get some weed and you'll be cured. It's risky, but only during benzo withdrawal.