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Okay, so I've had sleeping problems since I was 11 years old. I've always had to either take an excessive amount of sleep aids or, when I got a little older, had to drink just to fall asleep. Now I'm trying to sleep without EITHER! I had to work a double-shift yesterday, and when I got home at 11:00pm I was EXHAUSTED! I just knew I was going to crash as soon as I layed down in the bed...WRONG! I was up until 4:00am despite how tired I was! It's VERY frustrating! I refuse to be put on prescription sleep aids...I'm afraid I'll be dragging the next day. Anyone have any advice on how I can sleep without meds or alcohol?
I am very sorry to hear you are having such a hard time sleeping. It's pretty tough when you can't turn to some easy "fix" such as alcohol or sleeping pills such as Lunesta or Ambien. And with your busy schedule, it makes it even harder to find alternative ways of getting to sleep and staying asleep.
One of the first things I thought of was exercise. Is there any way you could schedule a brisk walk into your daily activities? It would be best to do it earlier in the day or a few hours before you go to bed.
If you don't have time for exercise, how about a glass of warm milk or tea? Then, there are foods with tryptophan in them, like turkey.
Another option might be a medication that is not meant primarily for sleep, but that has sleepiness as a side effect. Benadryl comes to mind. Also, various anti-depressants and anti-psychotic meds help you sleep. Risperdal used to help me sleep (and it worked for anxiety), and I have heard that Seroquel is helpful to people in getting a good night's rest.
Keep in mind, however, that Risperdal and Seroquel are primarily prescribed as anti-psychotics, and they might be too powerful for someone who is just wanting some sleep. The anti-depressant, amitryptiline, also makes some people sleepy.
I don't know if any of this is helpful to you, but I wanted to at least put out a couple of ideas on getting sleep. I also hear that acupuncture is good for problems, such as not getting enough sleep.
