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Help! I'm afraid I'm going to be addicted to sleeping pills



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Help! I'm afraid I'm going to be addicted to sleeping pills

Old 03-11-2012, 08:36 PM
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Help! I'm afraid I'm going to be addicted to sleeping pills

Hi,

I am new here and I need some help. I have had problems sleeping for as long as I can remember. I am addicted to staying up late at night, then getting up really late in the day. Then when I have to get on good schedule again I just stay up all day and go to sleep at 8/9PM.

That horrible routine somehow got me through college, but now that I'm older I don't feel like I can do it anymore. When I try to stay up all day now, I get diarrhea and I'm very nauseated. I can still stay up, but by the time my ideal time to sleep comes around (8/9PM), I feel extremely exhausted but not sleepy. I'm kept awake by my not feeling well and I end up not going to sleep at all. This has happened several times, and then I had it so I started using OTC sleeping pills on nights before I have to get up early.

For the last month I've been using OTC sleeping pills on and off. I have used Equate sleep aid (which is just Benedryl), Nyquil, Promethazine (which I got prescribed for nausea some time ago) and Advil PM. I use the recommended dosage but I switch it up or just grab whatever is near me. I still have not fixed my schedule. This morning I went to bed at 8am and woke up 3pm. I wanted to go to sleep at 3am but could not sleep, and I did not take a pill.

So I have not taken any pills for 3 days now. But tonight I want to take one again because tomorrow I have to get up at 8. I just don't know what to do. I don't want to become addicted to these sleeping pills and all I want is to get on a good sleeping schedule, going to bed at 11 and wake up at 7 everyday. I have NEVER had luck keeping a solid sleeping schedule for more than a week or two at a time and I need help. Am I already addicted? I feel like that if I do not take one of those sleeping meds now then I'm not going to be able to sleep tonight.



Thank you
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Old 03-12-2012, 06:31 AM
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Welcome to SR! I have to admit, I've never actually heard of anyone becoming addicted to using an OTC sleep aid here and there. I myself have always had sleep issues. Lately I've been using Melatonin - it helps to regulate the chemicals that help us sleep at night and wake during the day. It's natural and already produced by our bodies, but the supplement helps to induce the sleep/wake onset at regular intervals. Maybe it's something you might look into if you're still having trouble.

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melatonin - Just some info on it. Good luck!
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Old 03-12-2012, 06:43 AM
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Hi, there is a section on SR forums that deals specifically with insominia. Here is the link Insomnia/Nightmares - SoberRecovery : Alcoholism Drug Addiction Help and Information

you might want to start by reading the "stickies" at the top of the page. There is one that has a list of ideas.

I have had long bouts of insomnia myself. I use antihistimines sometimes too.
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Old 03-12-2012, 07:50 AM
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runaround, same here. I've had trouble sleeping for as long as I can remember. Not wanting to sound like a broken record, but have you mentioned this to your doctor? There has been a lot of recent research lately in the world of sleep disorders, and one that I'd never heard of is called "Non-24 Hour". Google it when you have a chance. It occurs often in people who are blind, but it also affects sighted people as well. After reading the symptoms, I was pretty convinced I had it.

I agree with stopdrop, it doesn't sound like you have a sleeping pill addiction to otc's, but your sleeping pattern does sound like you may have a sleeping disorder of some sort. The otc sleeping med I take is Unisom, which has doxycilamin (sp?) succinate as the active ingredient. It's just an antihistamine, but somewhat different from benedryl. But only the Unisom tablets have this, their gel caps contain benedryl. But anyhow, I wouldn't worry about taking benedryl for sleep; many allergy sufferers take benedryl on a daily basis.
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Old 03-12-2012, 11:05 AM
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The more you rely on sleep pills, the less you're going to sleep.
Google "Sleep Hygiene" and "circadian rhythm" you'll find a wealth of info.
Besides, I speek from experience that if you just force yourself to stay up for 36 hours... You WILL go to sleep.
Also keep in mind that you need to exercise to get your brain in a better sleep state. If all you do is "hang around", your body is not going to want to sleep when you want to.
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Old 03-12-2012, 12:35 PM
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As Ivan stated, and I can attest firsthand from the past two weeks - exercise does help get the body properly regulated. If you're burning your energy working out and and getting a "healthy tired" you are more likely to be ready to sleep at night and feel more well-rested in the day. It doesn't happen overnight, but I have noticed a significant difference since beginning my health/exercise regimen. Good luck.
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