Help me sleep without ambien

Melatonin works well for my father's sleeping disorder. He started with 5mg, waited 2 weeks and increased to 10mg. I think he's up to 12mg. He has some daytime drowsiness, but he has a number of issues that could be a factor in that.

Here is the link to the earlier discussion that @emmabell, started:
- Ambien stopped working: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/ambien-stopped-working/

Emma, you might find helpful tips in this similar discussion:
- Ambien: How can I sleep without it? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/ambien/

I had RF ablation to my pulmonary veins in late July to stop atrial fibrillation. I began to sleep very poorly thereafter. My GP offered me a whopping 5 tablets of Zopiclone. Long story short, when he accepted my claim that I had only been using 1/4 tablet about every third or fourth night, he immediately offered another 14. That was mid-September. I have used five tablets since then. My point is, yes, you will habituate to almost any interference with any behavior, but you can introduce new interferences and get mostly good results. You must, unfortunately, constantly and diligently 'fight' yourself and what you're doing to yourself at the same time. I am now about a week between 0.25 tablet remnants and improving all the time. You can do the same. You have a goal to improve a behavior, and you work at that assiduously until you have it beaten into submission.
I offer hope and encouragement. By wisely manipulating your daily routine to make it more normalized, by practicing good bedtime hygiene, by being reasonably well hydrated most of the day, by controlling weight, by mastering intrusive events and worries (usually by dealing with them constructively), and by weaning yourself slowly off of any kind of dependencies, I think you'll succeed. Try other drugs, but be very stingy about them, and be prepared to suffer some long nights where you must not resort to any 'aids'. That is what I have done, and I'm well on my way to night-time success.

I weaned my self off Ambien after taking it for at least a decade, maybe longer but I also take Trazodone….was starting to be somewhat successful weaning myself off that as well and then my calendar started getting busier and I am now taking Trazodone again nightly 😕. Gloaming is correct in that you must accept some sleepless nights…I am not good at that. I am an avid cyclist and ride with several clubs…I also freak out when I gain a few pounds….probably also have an eating disorder of some kind…I’m a mess! I put lots of pressure on myself. I found when I took it one day at a time and didn’t focus on what was happening the following day I was more successful at staying off the sleep meds…sigh

How much Trazodone are you taking and does it always help you sleep? I fall asleep okay, so take one 50mg tablet when I wake up usually at 2:00 AM, and sometimes another 50mg at 4:00-4:30 AM if I wake up again at that time. Sometimes it helps me fall back asleep and sometimes not. Seems to work about 50% of the time. I've been taking it now for about a month. I took it earlier this year for a couple months and weaned off successfully after a few weeks of tapering. Sleep seemed to be improving for a while and then insomnia again so I'm back on it. Thanks.

I have been using Trazodone for 32 years. I take 50 mg before bed but that will increase to 100-150 mg if I continue to take it nightly. I never have taken it in the middle of the night, afraid I will feel too groggy the next day. After taking it for awhile without breaks it won’t work very well.

I have taken Ambien for 10 years. Occasionally insomnia would hit but not more than one night. For the past 43 nights I am not falling asleep until 4 am or so. Nothing has changed in my life. I also suffer chronic illness with pain but am not on medication at this time. Completely baffled and frustrated. Hoping to see doctor next week. Following and praying for us all....

I was in the same boat. My rheumatoid suggested that I add three muscle relaxers (Flexeril/Tizanidine) to my nightly sleep meds, and they really helped.

I have been in a similar situation to yours, so I feel for you and the understand how frustrating it is. The sleep specialist that I saw told me that my body clock might be out of kilter. The way to reset it is to set the alarm for the same time every day and get up then no matter what time you went to bed. As soon as possible after getting up, go outside to get some light on your eyeballs. Hope things come right for you soon!

I cannot go to sleep without Ambien and/or diazepam since I had covid, did what your sleep expert told you work.