Any feedback on the FOLLOWING SLEEP SUPPLEMENTS: THEANINE, GLYCINE, 5-HTP..... (Benadryl, doctor)
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It's hard to know what you need without doing some tests, but with your list there are so many different brands with different formulas. You might need one of them but some company's formula might not be right for you specifically. I would do some research on different brands and make sure you are trying these supplements from good brands. I test supplements on people and lots of times people don't realize that they might be doing more harm than good. If it's not helping, I would stop taking it. But I would go to someone who is an applied kinesiologist, or someone who uses CPK (Chiro Plus Kinesiology). I'm not sure where you live, but sometimes there are some sometimes not many. But 5HTP usually is what tests good for most people.
Never used the others but I use theanine when I want to get into the "flow" state while working or when I go to do something that takes concentration, like a form of dance that I do where I need to be present minded the whole time. It really works well for those things but I've never used it for sleep.
I do use melatonin for sleep and if I'm not too jittery it seems to work well. What has really improved the quality of my sleep though is to take my Ca and Mg supplements before bed and I also take my vit C at that time. I will totally sleep thru the night with those and have noticed a real difference. If it's really bad or I'm under a huge amount of stress I'll take an ambien but I save that for rare occasions and only take a half. Oh and never take your B or multi vitamins at night b/c they will keep you up.
I've used the melatonin with some success. My primary care physician recommended a dose of anywhere from 3-6 MG, but from what I've read (and also experienced), less is more. I've gotten better results from using 1 MG than I have from using 5MG. I did get a bottle of 5-HTP, but have since learned that it's not a good idea to take it if you are taking certain anti-depressants. So I stopped taking the 5-HTP.
Melatonin does nothing for me. My regular sleep pattern includes falling asleep easily, sleep 3 or 4 hours and then waking and fitfully sleeping the rest of the night with long periods of wakefulness. Melatonin makes me sleepy, I sleep for 3 or 4 hours and then I sleep fitfully the rest of the night - so no difference between taking Melatonin and not taking it. I also found that it makes me feel hazy the next day which I don't like - so I threw my expensive brand down the toilet.
My son gave me 1 Ambien several years ago and a year ago a friend gave me one of her Lunesta - both medications gave me nightmares and did not help me to sleep.
I cannot take sleep aids of any kind - all PM over-the-counter sleep aids contain Benadryl and Benadryl makes me hyper (which is a side-effect noted by the manufacturers).
Try 5-HTP There are different formulas, but the ones we test are doctor grade so you wouldnt be able to pick it up anywhere. But if you find the right 5HTP it might help you.
Catknap - I have very similar sleep pattern. Easy to sleep, sleep hard for 2-3 hours, awake with some dozing the rest of the night, more and more awake as the night goes on. Never need an alarm clock. haven't tried benadryl type stuff so don't know if it makes me antsy. Advil PM (only 1 pill) seems to help sometimes but not others, I don't use it very often. Melatonin didn't seem to do anything but there is so much conflicting information about dosage; well I didn't try a bunch of different doses, just what the bottle said and then gave up.
I have wondered about trying 5-HTP but there are some serious warnings out there and i'm sort of frightened.
Very weird. First I tried it in the late afternoon, after a hard day, since it is supposed to "relax" you. It was very "relaxing" -- almost too much, my joints felt like they had glue in them. Not a good sensation.
So I then tried it at night before bedtime. Did not get the same "heavy" feeling and in fact I think it made me jittery. (No caffeine or alcohol that day, so T was the only culprit).
Haven't used it since.
Have you tried Magnesium? I started with a small dose (100 mg) and worked up gradually to 400 mg. I recommended doing this because if you start out at 400 mg, it will give you "the runs."
I'm kind of amazed at how well it's been working for me, as I have suffered from insomnia for years.
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