How to sleep without marijuana
 

I've been an insomniac since grade school and the doctors have relied on pills to put me to sleep. Well I stopped pills but take them now and then, but I sometimes will smoke weed to sleep and it allows me to eat because I have IBS and the cramping nausea and diarrhea are too much. I was never hooked on marijuana but used it when nothing else worked. I will be moving soon and plan on applying for a medical card but only for food form not the smoke kind. I know this may be frowned upon but I need some medical relief any ideas that don't involve addicting sleep pills.

Valerian root tea by alvita? 2 bags.

I also read somewhere a half hour before you go to bed shut down all electronics and let your brain rest. Maybe meditate. and just sit and stare.

Also, are you exercising?

Just suggestions. :)
Good luck!

Hi Pinktee

the trouble with taking anything is that sooner or later you'll become dependant on it, or it may even stop working.

Have you considered a sleep clinic or something like that - if I may speak frankly, I think with the trouble you've been having lately the last thing you need is another kind of monkey on your back?

D

I've struggled with insomnia all my life too and have relied on pills, marijuana, etc. to be able to sleep. I am now using diphenhydramine (Benadryl) which I feel is better than what I've used in the past but my goal is to be able to sleep without help at some point.

Some things that have helped me in the past include what story suggested, staying away from anything stimulating, including television, computer, etc. for at least a half hour before bedtime. Also, your sleeping area should be used only for sleep (or sex if that's applicable) and should not be a place where anything else is done, including reading. Keeping that space cool and dark can really help, too.

When I wasn't able to sleep for several weeks what finally cracked it was moving into another room. Doing that took the pressure off of my mind because my bed/room had been associated with insomnia for too long. I told myself I am just lying here (here was my living room floor) and I don't have to sleep. Somehow that finally broke the spell of insomnia.

I've also used supplements and herbs like magnesium, calcium, skullcap, hops, passionflower. I know a lot of people like melatonin which is a hormone our bodies naturally produce to induce sleep. Valerian is another herb people find success with however some people, myself included, get a paradoxical reaction and actually get wired from it. With any of these, seek advice from an trained Herbalist or Naturopath, both of whom rely on non-drug methods of medicine.

I agree with Dee that relying on marijuana, even if medical, may wind up hurting you more in the long run. If you can avoid it it would probably help you more. And his idea of a sleep clinic is a sound one. I will be trying that myself when I can set it up.

Take care.

My issue was I think being medicated so young first with melatonin then with clonodine was not a good idea in the long run because I'm pretty much immune to melatonin.

Melatonin doesn't work for me either but it does for some. I think when we get medicated young it really sets us up for issues later. Is there any chance you could do a sleep study as Dee suggested?