Sleeping pills

[Marina Azbel]

I have been using prescription sleeping pills for some time now. I started with taking them once or twice a week and now I take them every day.I tried to stop using them two years ago with the help of a homeopathic doctor and it kind of helped. My sleep wasn't deep enough and I would dream all night. I was also seeing accupanturist for the same problem but didn't see any results.I started to take them again because of stress situation in my family. I went to see a doctor recently and he checked my blood and told me my thyroid was underactive and my progesterone was very low. He gave me prescriptions for those problems and told me to continue with my sleeping pills.

One of the reasons I started Whole30 was to improve my sleep but I just cant's stop taking my pills because I wont be able to get any sleep for days (I've been through this already). So can I still be on Whole30 or taking the sleeping pills kills the whole purpose of the program? And do you know any way to get off those pills other than stop taking them cold turkey?

[Tom Denham]

You can do a Whole30 while taking sleeping pills. That said, getting off them should be a priority.

Sleeping pills are meant to be used for short time periods and not life-long. Needing them is a signal that something is wrong. The purpose of sleeping pills is to enable you to rest while you get through a temporary situation or resolve a difficult situation.

General medical practitioners often don't know enough about sleep and life stresses to be helpful. I would recommend finding a competent therapist and a sleep clinic to fully diagnose issues and develop a plan of treatment. My guess is that you have underlying issues that are not being addressed, so your sleep remains disturbed.

A therapist and sleep clinic can recommend a plan for coming off sleeping pills at an appropriate pace. Depending on what you are taking and the dose, cold turkey could be a bad idea, but there are options - reduce the dose, shift to a different drug, etc.

Starting a Whole30 now is a good way to start improving your health, but I would recommend looking around for a sleep clinic to work with too.

[Mellie808]

Im on DAy #26 of my first Whole 30 !  so far is it has been awesome.  However, the last 2 nights i have woken in the middle of the night to anxiety/panic like attacks which last for at least an hour.  I need to take a shower to just calm down.  I have been taking Ambian for quite some time (1/2 pill nightly) and have never had this kind of thing happen before.  I am not sure if it is just because i have a lot going on , or something to do with my new lifestyle.  Any thoughts?  I dont really want to have another one of these nights

[Bet]

Hi Marina, I'm wondering why you think your sleep wasn't deep enough because you were dreaming. I thought  you could only dream during REM sleep. In fact, I have had problems staying asleep and getting enough REM sleep, I rarely had dreams. I was taking a anti-anxiety pill at night that has a drowsiness effect and once I took that I slept better and starting having vivid dreams. I feel so much more rested now when I wake up. I think our brains need dreams to 'unload' all the stuff they go through each day.

 

I could never take Ambien again. It wasn't good for me.

[Ravin]

Not a health professional, but thought I'd throw out there the possibility of trying melatonin along with sun in the morning to help readjust you and wean you off the meds?

I'd make any change like that gradually, stepping down the meds gradually to minimize withdrawal, and check with your doctor first for advice on it.

[praxisproject]

A good doctor will give you lots of information on "sleep hygiene", which helps a lot and will get you drug free if you can stick to it. Some things may seem silly, but it works. Get all your vitamin/mineral levels checked too, I was magnesium deficient and had no idea.

 

There's lots of research on the human body clock, backlit devices (artificial light), timed exposure to sunlight, exposure to nature and sleep rhythms. You'll likely find the list of things to avoid are things you do a lot of.

 

It's worth getting a second or third opinion on any medication, other doctors may recommend non-prescription alternatives. Insomnia is a common side effect in many prescription drugs. Don't stop any drugs without supervision and monitoring.

[ljgallo]

I had sleep problems for several years and tried it all - from Melatonin to Ambien, light exposure during the day, warm baths, low lights, etc. My Dr. had me tested for Sleep Apnea and that was/is the problem. Sleep Apnea has nothing to do with age (babies to elderly), weight (slim to heavy), etc. I now use a CPAP machine to keep me breathing at night.  Just something you might check out. My doctor suspected that it might be the problem since I didn't have other issues that could cause me to wake up so much. Anyway, no one seems to be aware that it can effect anyone at any age. I also understand that sleeping pills become less effective over time and you may have to increase the dose. That and the side effects of the drug should encourage you to look further for answers.