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I sleep a few hours but why can’t I sleep all night?

Posted by daleray @daleray, Sep 5 3:36pm

I started using Ambien in 2018 while going through cancer treatment. I cut the pill in half so I only took 5mg. Then I started needing the whole pill. This last year has been miserable. I sleep 3 hours then toss and turn. I actually get mad because I can’t sleep which is counter productive. I’ve tried combining other sleep aids and Delta 8 but nothing works. There has to be something to help with sleep. It’s not herbs either. Looking for that silver bullet success story.

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laura1970 | @laura1970 | Sep 6 7:58pm
In reply to @kndaustin71 "The trouble with Benzodiazapines is that most are short acting, including Ambien. The longer acting one..." + (show)
Profile picture for kdalda75 @kndaustin71

The trouble with Benzodiazapines is that most are short acting, including Ambien. The longer acting one is generic fluorazepam (sp)...it length of action is usually 7-8 hours. I have spent the last 3 months getting 4 1/2- 5 1/2 hours per nite and am about over it! I would like to see more feed back on Belsamra.... I do know its a newer class of hypnotic and works more on orexin...but I'd appreciated personal experiences with potential side effects that people have experienced.

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I take 15 mg of belsomra nightly. It doesn’t really help me get to sleep but I wake up less often. I have a sleep issue due to pain. Pain wakes me up. I’m hesitant to use narcotics regularly so I use sleeping pills with varying degrees of success

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con123 | @con123 | Sep 7 8:07am

Here’s what works for me. I have 3mg Lunezta tablets. I split them and take 1/2. When I wake between 2 and 3, I take the other half. I have no am grogginess or daytime sleepiness. It’s a very brief interruption.

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celia16 | @celia16 | Sep 7 9:48am

I am shocked but ecstatic that I got a full 8 hours of sleep not awakening at all last night! I got up and went to the bathroom then returned to bed and got 2.5 more hours! I didn’t do anything different, except got to bed by 9:00 p.m. I really hope this continues. I must have really been exhausted. Feel great today though.

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barbaradh | @barbaradh | Sep 7 2:30pm

Waking up at 2, 3, or 4 AM may be an issue with a surge in cortisol. Look into what can block that, and you may be on the right track. Delta 8 works for a number of months, but your body builds a tolerance. You need to go off it for 3 months and then restart. Melatonin does not work for me at all, so I save $ nor buying that anymore. Good luck to you. You have a lot of company in the Professional Insomniac League.

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mphaddican | @mphaddican | Sep 7 5:13pm

I too wake up during the night and can’t go back to sleep. It usually is 3 to 4 hours of sleep then I anm exhausted the next day and take a two hour nap. Thank goodness I am retired now!
I have allergies and have taken Zyrtec ( which does not mention drowsiness). It is one tablet in a 24 hour period. Well this dosage allows me to sleep at least 8 hours straight. Only problem I am still drowsy a bit the next day. Don’t recommend taking the night before you are driving on a long trip.
I do not continually recommend it but only occasionally. It works on my allergies too.
I am not a physician and I would take this info with a grain of salt!
Only take it before going to sleep and check if you don’t have other contraindications. I suppose it would not hurt to try one tablet before bedtime.
Read instructions on package. Just use occasionally and NOT every night. Talk to pharmacist.

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2 replies
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gloaming | @gloaming | Sep 7 6:48pm
In reply to @mphaddican "I too wake up during the night and can’t go back to sleep. It usually is..." + (show)
Profile picture for mphaddican @mphaddican

I too wake up during the night and can’t go back to sleep. It usually is 3 to 4 hours of sleep then I anm exhausted the next day and take a two hour nap. Thank goodness I am retired now!
I have allergies and have taken Zyrtec ( which does not mention drowsiness). It is one tablet in a 24 hour period. Well this dosage allows me to sleep at least 8 hours straight. Only problem I am still drowsy a bit the next day. Don’t recommend taking the night before you are driving on a long trip.
I do not continually recommend it but only occasionally. It works on my allergies too.
I am not a physician and I would take this info with a grain of salt!
Only take it before going to sleep and check if you don’t have other contraindications. I suppose it would not hurt to try one tablet before bedtime.
Read instructions on package. Just use occasionally and NOT every night. Talk to pharmacist.

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'...I do not continually recommend it but only occasionally. ..'
This is, I think, a key point, and I have mentioned it myself when replying to questions about how to get better/more sleep. Taking something that works night after night is a recipe for 'habituation', a process where the mind and body can get used to something, adapt to its effects, and leave it completely neutral or useless from then on.

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Profile picture for laura1970
laura1970 | @laura1970 | Sep 7 7:25pm
In reply to @mphaddican "I too wake up during the night and can’t go back to sleep. It usually is..." + (show)
Profile picture for mphaddican @mphaddican

I too wake up during the night and can’t go back to sleep. It usually is 3 to 4 hours of sleep then I anm exhausted the next day and take a two hour nap. Thank goodness I am retired now!
I have allergies and have taken Zyrtec ( which does not mention drowsiness). It is one tablet in a 24 hour period. Well this dosage allows me to sleep at least 8 hours straight. Only problem I am still drowsy a bit the next day. Don’t recommend taking the night before you are driving on a long trip.
I do not continually recommend it but only occasionally. It works on my allergies too.
I am not a physician and I would take this info with a grain of salt!
Only take it before going to sleep and check if you don’t have other contraindications. I suppose it would not hurt to try one tablet before bedtime.
Read instructions on package. Just use occasionally and NOT every night. Talk to pharmacist.

Jump to this post

If it is causing morning drowsiness, perhaps taking it a few hours before bedtime would help?

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