Many years taking sleep medications

Stay on the meds at work. Sleep is so important.

My sleep issue is I wake up between 3am and 5am with an extremely dry mouth evrey night. When this happens I drink water which helps, but unable to find cause. Anyone have or had the same issue?

Sheil09

That brings up another question. I constantly read that taking sleep meds cause early dementia. The only alternative that is ever offered is CBT-I. That is well and good. I’ve taken it, and it’s good, but it doesn’t help me go to sleep nor stay asleep without the meds. But I also read that not getting enough sleep causes early dementia too. Well I am 86 and have been taking sleep meds for 24 years. As of yet I don’t have dementia. This is my question:
Which is worse, taking sleep meds and getting sleep, or not taking them and not getting enough sleep?

I’m 75 and I’ve been taking Klonopin for 20 years and I feel like it’s not the best thing for your brain. Sounds to me like you should stay on your meds and enjoy your sleep.

I would recommend staying on your sleep meds. You haven’t had any ill effects from them and you’ve been taking them for 24 years.
After a traumatic health issue a year and a half ago I haven’t been able to sleep without a sleep aid. I would take Ativan every night but my doctor says no to that. I’ve tried all of the usual meds and nothing really works- never did or not very well now. What have you found to help you the most with sleep? Thanks

I took temazapam, a benzodiazepine like Ativan, 3 or 4 nights a week for a number of years. But doctors, have decided that’s a no-no these days. I’ve also taken trazadone, which no longer works and doxepin, which doesn’t work very well. Ambien works but the side effects are terrible. I’ve been taking lunesta for some time. It works fairly well, but it’s also a controlled substance which many doctors don’t like to prescribe.

Of course the best thing to do for sleep is all natural. Get up early and get immediate sunlight in to your eyes for at least 20 minutes which sets your clock. Stay busy but not overworked. Read and mediate. Then try not to sleep as the mind is a spoiled little child that will do the opposite of what you want it to do!
Ok, easier said than done. I received a new medication from some online wack-job site which was advertised on facebook. It combines low dose traz with another very low dose tryciclic and an old antihistamine that makes you sleepy. Yes, 3 drugs but all low dose. Will try it tonight. Some drugs make you sleepy but do not improve the quality of sleep while other increase the quality of sleep without making you sleepy. This combination promises to do both. I tried taking low dos benadryl and 1 mg. clonaz....and it worked great as clonaz keeps me asleep while benadrly makes me sleepy.
The best for me is the clonaz but I want to get off of it and it's very difficult to stop. Thankfully I never went past 1 mg.
I have gone cold turkey before and just read all day until I can sleep....when you awaken, no matter what time, get up. Until I'm back to "normal" and then live like a monk and sleep is fine. But who wants to live like a monk?

I too wake up with dry mouth, something as we age to look forward to.
I take a small amount of Biotine Dry Moth Oral Rinse. Take a small amount, rinse for 20-30 seconds, spit out. It helps!

Thank you I will try Biotine Dry Mouth Oral Rinse.

Only a monk wants to live like a monk. But I hope that new medication you’re taking works for you. Let us know.