anyone had any luck with Belsomra to put you to sleep

I used 10 mg Zolpidem for quite a while but it left me groggy in the morning. I overcame this by going on a five mile morning walk or a 20 mile bike ride. This really helped (also lost weight and got in better shape). I switched to Belsomra about two months ago. I found it to be less effective and it consistently gave me headaches at night. I switched back to Zolpidem. For me Belsomra did not provide the nighttime sleep I need.

I find that Belsomra, 20 mg helps me get to sleep quickly but doesn’t keep me asleep. I wake up in the middle of the night and can’t get back to sleep. I also take Trazodone, which I have been using for 35 years but the combo isn’t working that well for me. Ambien works better with it for me but my doctor won’t prescribe Ambien and Belsomra. Not sure what I will do. I have been taking sleep meds for so long I have given up the hope that I will ever get off of them. I am 72.

@aethos at 72 now is not the time to try new things. Go with what has worked for you in the past and explain this as calmly and nicely as you can to your physician. If he is not understanding.......find a new one. I tired of these physicians making supercilious decisions for geriatric patients when they have had success with what they have been on for years. He must have not taken that course in Med School.!

@zombiewoof
Thank you for you reply. I too unfortunately had negative experiences eith Belsomra. The 19mg did absolutely nothing. 15 mg not much. Last night a tried 20mg. Fell asleep okay but after 2 hours I was wide awake. Ill try it again tonight. If it doesn't help I'm going back on 12.5 of Ambien Cr and 50 mg Trazidone. That combination worked wonders for me until I became resistant. I have had a long enough break from it so it will likely work again.
Im also practicing CBTI under a doctor's supervision. Shows a lot of promise but hard.

@zombiewoof
Thank you for you reply. I too unfortunately had negative experiences eith Belsomra. The 19mg did absolutely nothing. 15 mg not much. Last night a tried 20mg. Fell asleep okay but after 2 hours I was wide awake. Ill try it again tonight. If it doesn't help I'm going back on 12.5 of Ambien Cr and 50 mg Trazidone. That combination worked wonders for me until I became resistant. I have had a long enough break from it so it will likely work again.
Im also practicing CBTI under a doctor's supervision. Shows a lot of promise but hard.

@gousc they prescribed ambien and trazadone together? seems weird since they both supposedly help with sleep. I know trazadone is mostly an antidepressant but ? Are you able to go to sleep with no problem on these meds? I tried the 12.5 but did not put me to sleep. I don’t have a problem with staying asleep as a rule so was wondering. how does the trazadone fit into this?

@lizjlb Low dose Trazadone. 50 to 150 kg max for sleep. Higher doses are for depression. Generally the lower doses work better. Ambian CR 12.5. Better on an empty stomach. All sleeping meds actually. Preferably 2- 3 hours after your last meal.

I've had trouble with insomnia for many years. Mostly in my youth I relied on antihistamines - which worked because allergies tend to exacerbate the insomnia. I was prescribed Doxepin in the late 70s and have gone of and on it many times over the years. It works very well but if I have to take it for more months it seems to drag me down. I used to take 25 mg, then for a while I was able to sleep with only 10 mg and some melatonin. Lately I've been taking 20-30 mgs and am concerned about what they say about seniors and Doxepin. BTW, I don't have trouble staying asleep - I have trouble falling asleep. Ambien 2.5 mg is like magic for me. But it's habit forming so I try to avoid it. Belsomra is supposed to be safe for seniors. I tried it last weekend (10 mg) and it made me a little groggy but I was up all night - even though tired and groggy - couldn't fall asleep. That said I did not experience any of the horrible side effects some people have mentioned. I'm going to try it again this weekend. Any friendly suggestions are appreciated.