Will using sleep aids a few times a week harm me?

I’ve been using doxylamine, melatonin, and occasionally a bit of Trazodone some nights to help me sleep. Will this prevent me from healing? Melatonin doesn’t really do much, but usually a bit of Trazodone or doxylamine can get me 6-7 hours of sleep. Last night I took all 3 and  only got about 2 hours of very broken sleep. But the night before last, I slept for what felt like 4 quality hours without taking anything. This insomnia doesn’t make sense and is really getting to me. I often don’t even want to be alive anymore because of it. I’m worried that now I’m going to get setback because I sometimes use sleep aids — NEVER any benzos, though.

I would resist the urge (IMO) to reach for something to help you get sleep.  I know how bad it is not sleeping, but sleep evens out and according to your signature, you were doing better a few months ago?  I had a month long wave at 18 months off where I got 4 zero nights and weeks of 1-2 hour nights...but it evened out.  I have been averaging 6-8 hours pretty much every night since, without taking anything; although I did have 2 off nights at 30 months off...1 zero night and one 2 hour night, but have been good since.  You can develop a psychological if not physical dependence for what you take.  Granted, they are not anywhere near as bad as a Benzo, but can have their own issues and side effects?  I took a lot of Rx and "natural" things for sleep and nothing worked for me for more than a night or 2 so I had to tough it out.  Trazodone is an AD class drug that can have it's own WD?  Your body will learn to sleep on its own and get all the sleep it needs before anything bad can happen to you.  If you had 5 hours before, you will have that again in the future.  I know it sucks, but lack of sleep will not kill you and there was a point when I was super happy with 3 hours per night.  Hang in there, it WILL even out. 

I was doing so much better a few months ago. But then I drank one tall glass of beer. ONE glass. I’ve been in hell ever since. Im not a drinker, though, so that was enough to give me a light buzz. I’m worried that I’ll never recover from this setback.

I’ve taken otc sleep aids out of desperation a couple times with pretty bad results. They made me feel worse for a few days. But I understand the urge to take them.

I was doing so much better a few months ago. But then I drank one tall glass of beer. ONE glass. I’ve been in hell ever since. Im not a drinker, though, so that was enough to give me a light buzz. I’m worried that I’ll never recover from this setback.

 

Believing you won't recover is a WD symptom.  I was right where you are now a few years back believing I would be stuck for life.  One tall glass of beer will not do "permanent" damage and all Benzo damage is TEMPORARY.  Alcohol works on GABA the same as Benzos, so it's just a setback.  You'll recover for sure.  It will probably take longer than you would like though.  Siggy had two setbacks from drinking and recovered from both of them and he drank a lot more than one tall glass of beer.  You'll cross the finish line soon!

 

I took melatonin for years with no issues. I can’t speak for the other two.

For me, Mirtazapine has been prescribed for me to slow down my ever-active brain so that I can get to sleep - it dissolves on the tongue, and I love it:) Though sleeping aids do have side effects including dry mouth, blurred vision, constipation, confusion, dizziness and urinary retention in men with PROSTRATE problems . More on Canadian Pharmacy

 

I took melatonin for years with no issues. I can’t speak for the other two.

 

My Dad took melatonin for decades when he was a drinker... then when he quit drinking, he stopped taking melatonin and he still sleeps like a baby 11 hours a night sometimes.  That’s why I take it without worries.

 

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I was doing so much better a few months ago. But then I drank one tall glass of beer. ONE glass. I’ve been in hell ever since. Im not a drinker, though, so that was enough to give me a light buzz. I’m worried that I’ll never recover from this setback.

 

Believing you won't recover is a WD symptom.  I was right where you are now a few years back believing I would be stuck for life.  One tall glass of beer will not do "permanent" damage and all Benzo damage is TEMPORARY.  Alcohol works on GABA the same as Benzos, so it's just a setback.  You'll recover for sure.  It will probably take longer than you would like though.  Siggy had two setbacks from drinking and recovered from both of them and he drank a lot more than one tall glass of beer.  You'll cross the finish line soon!

 

Shortly after I posted this, I started sleeping a bit better. In the time since, on the nights that I haven’t used any sleep aids, I’ve gotten: 6 hours, 3.5 hours, just under 5 hours, 4.5 hours, 6.5 hours, and just over 4 hours of sleep. I fell asleep pretty quickly after getting in bed on those nights, too. But now I feel like the window is closing and I’m headed back to the same old 3 hours of lousy sleep a night. Every time I feel like I might be getting better, everything gets worse again. I’m so tired of this. Hopefully I’ll be sleeping at least a little better after this window closes.

Trazadone and melatonin are not addictive and they don't seem to interact with benzo withdrawal symptoms (see the benzo withdrawal syndrome wikipedia page). So, I'd have to say, if they work, it's OK to use them. I use both every night at the moment. Use what works for you.

That’s a little misleading. Trazadone causes physical dependence and therefore carries it’s own withdrawal or as the drug companies like to call it “discontinuation syndrome”. I agree on the melatonin. Although it should be stated that there have been many reports warning about possible harm from taking meltonin because it is a hormone. Therefore taking OTC melatonin supplements are akin to administering your own hormone therapy. From personal experience I feel melatonin is safe. However, I’m just a guy and it needs to be stated that many doctors and scientists would beg to differ.

That’s a little misleading. Trazadone causes physical dependence and therefore carries it’s own withdrawal or as the drug companies like to call it “discontinuation syndrome”. I agree on the melatonin. Although it should be stated that there have been many reports warning about possible harm from taking meltonin because it is a hormone. Therefore taking OTC melatonin supplements are akin to administering your own hormone therapy. From personal experience I feel melatonin is safe. However, I’m just a guy and it needs to be stated that many doctors and scientists would beg to differ.

 

Great post...totally agree!