Sleep aids - what works best for you?

[elektra]

I am trying to develop healthier sleep habits and I'm wondering what works for everyone.
I know a consistent routine will help, but with the travel I do I can't always stick to that. I've never tried melatonin. Should I start there?
My home routine often includes a few alcoholic drinks which despite info I've read about alcohol leading to worse sleep, I do not find that to be the case for me! A few drinks and I am sleepy and sleep great throughout the night.
But I don't usually drink alcohol on the road and would rather not have that be my "solution" or relied upon routine.
I did try tart cherry juice recently and maybe noticed a slight difference?

I think I read that magnesium can cause some stomach issues. I don't want anything that could mess with my stomach.

I have also tried one of the guided sleep meditations on the Calm app. That works on the road but not at home with DH trying to sleep next to me.

What works for you all?

[mom2binsd]

If you try magnesium, make sure you get magnesium glycinate NOT citrate.

Good Ole nyquil or the sleep aids are what I used to use, but am happy to report I'm able to fall asleep better on my own. I used to use melatonin but didn't feel it worked well. It's a bit of trial and error too.

Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk

[MSWR0319]

DH uses melatonin when he travels at the recommendation of his dr. He needs a little more when he's crossing more than one time zone, especially if he's been on the West coast and is coming home. It was kind of a trial and error trying to figure out the right dose. I think his dr told him to start at 1mg but never go above 5mg.

[gatorsmom]

Try melatonin. Dh and ds1 have adhd and have a horrible time falling sleep. Ds1’s pediatrician recommends he take melatonin each night. She said to start as low as possible but never go above 10mg in one night. He’s been taking 10mg now for several years and it really helps.

It’s not enough for Dh though when he’s traveling. He will take a couple Advilpm to get to sleep when crossing a couple of time zones in the US. But for international travel his doctor prescribed him ambien. He won’t take it on the plane unless it’s a long flight like to Australia (because he really does need 8 hours to sleep in order to feel fully awake the next day). I don’t usually have trouble sleeping but I do find that I sleep much more deeply and am better relaxed when I take a muscle relaxer before bed. Milk makes me sleepy too.

[mommytoalyssa]

I went through a rough patch with sleep that I can now look back on was related to perimenopause and resulting anxiety. Once I finally got into see my doctor and she upped my progesterone script, I didn't struggle to sleep. My saving grace was the following from BrainMD: Put Me to Sleep Naturally; Gaba Calming Support; Chewable Magnesium. Now I just take the Put Me to Sleep Naturally as needed.

https://brainmd.com/put-me-to-sleep-naturally
https://brainmd.com/gaba-calming-support
https://brainmd.com/magnesium-chewables

I tried so many various supplement sleep aids and this combo finally worked. I think just one of the above would probably work for the average person. I needed something drastic at the time.

[georgiegirl]

I have major sleep issues too. And like you, I found that alcohol really helps. I know that is so bad!!! I can’t do Benadryl or any PM type drug since it gives me heart palpitations. Melatonin isn’t very helpful either. I went through a phase last week where I tried to stay away from alcohol and I could hardly sleep for days and it was really, really bad. Listening to certain podcasts did help. I know I’m extra stressed with college stuff and other crap that is really stressful.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[cvanbrunt]

5mg of melatonin

[klwa]

Have you tried using a sleep mask? I've been using one recently & it really does seem to help some. (Although, I appear to remove it in my sleep. Every single night.) https://www.cnet.com/health/sleep/tu...sleep-quality/

[jgenie]

For those that use melatonin, do you have a brand rec I can get through Target or Amazon?

[wendibird22]

Loop ear plugs. They block enough noise (like DH and the dog snoring!) that I fall sound asleep. But they are not so noise cancelling that I wouldn't hear if there were an emergency. I travel with my Loops now too. This past weekend in a hotel with DD2 and the AC unit was obnoxiously loud and our room was next to the elevator so I could hear the mechanics of that. Loops saved me!