Do you have any non-medical strategies for relief? Across the years I have sometimes taken 25 mg of diphenhydramine for allergies and have noticed some assistance with sleeping. I would only be willing to take medication as a last resort. Please give me a quick, easy fix. Thank you.

DEAR READER:
Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) is an antihistamine that is sometimes recommended as a non-habit forming sleep aid because it has sedative properties. This is why you experience some relief when taking the product. It is also sold under the trademark, Simply Sleep for those who do not take it for allergies.

Most adults require seven to nine hours of sleep a day. There is no evidence to support the belief that older individuals require less.

There are many reasons for sleep deprivation. Perhaps family concerns, employment issues, health, some medications, fears, or financial obligations can cause stress that may keep us from getting to sleep. Often we will awaken in the middle of the night with a solution to a complex issue, only to have difficulties falling back to sleep.

Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland in the brain. It is stimulated by darkness and suppressed by light. Levels of this hormone are highest just prior to bedtime. Often night lights in a bedroom, a light intentionally left on in a child’s room, or a window with a street light shining in will suppress the production of melatonin and cause wakefulness. Take the necessary steps to sleep in a quiet, comfortable, darkened room. Perhaps this simply means moving the furniture to another wall to avoid light seeping in. Don’t sleep with a television on. The light from the screen is counter-productive in this instance and the sound could add to the problem.

Other suggestions include eating lighter meals in the evening. Don’t go to bed after eating a large meal. Discontinue or substantially reduce smoking and alcohol and caffeine consumption. If you routinely enjoy coffee with or after dinner, switch to a decaffeinated form. Remember that soda and chocolate contain caffeine and should be avoided later in the evening, as well. Exercise as much as possible during the day and go to bed when tired, not necessarily at a specific time of the evening. Some medications have a tendency to cause insomnia. Speak with your physician about any drugs you might be on with this unwanted side effect. He or she can switch you to another product in the same drug class. Synthetic melatonin is an over-the-counter sleep aid that is safe when used according to package directions. Speak with your doctor first, but he will probably recommend a trial basis of this harmless substance to get you back on track.

To give you related information, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report “Sleep/Wake Disorders”. Other readers who would like a copy should send a long, self-addressed, stamped number 10 envelope and $2 to Newsletter, PO Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Be sure to mention the title.

DEAR READER:
Let’s consider the big picture here. You are on a host of medications and supplements for your Parkinson’s, hypothyroidism, depression, anxiety, hypercholesterolemia, and osteoporosis.

I would like to clarify the dosage of Levoxyl you are taking for hypothyroidism. While I left out the dosages of the medications you are on, you stated you take 50 mg daily. This amount is beyond comprehension. Could you have meant to say 50 micrograms (mcg)? Levoxyl should be taken in the morning on an empty stomach and at least four hours apart from other drugs taken that are known to interfere with its absorption. At what time of day are you taking this drug and how often do you follow-up with your other medications?

Side effects include anxiety, nervousness, insomnia, weight loss, heat intolerance, headache, hyperactivity, diarrhea, hair loss, and more. A consequence of over-or-under treatment for women with long-term use includes a decrease in bone mineral density. You don’t indicate whether you are male or female. Could your insomnia and osteoporosis be a consequence of the Levoxyl?

How often do you have blood drawn to test for your hypothyroidism? One consideration you should speak with your physician about is that drugs that have worked well for years can become ineffective for no apparent reason. We anticipate things will not change. Unfortunately, our bodies respond in different ways and what worked in the past simply might not work that way permanently.

Now on to your question of insomnia. Serotonin and melatonin are essentially the same. Serotonin kicks in when light is present and is a naturally-occurring chemical found in the brain and intestines that controls wakefulness and mood. It converts to melatonin when darkness occurs and is a hormone released into the bloodstream by the pineal gland in the brain. Many individuals with depression have low serotonin levels, leading to low melatonin levels and an inability to sleep. In many instances, light is present in the room a person sleeps in — either from a night light or television.

Synthetic melatonin is often used as a sleep aid. It is available in most pharmacies and is one of the safest options offered. Before you consider trying it for your insomnia, ask your physician if one of your medications might be the culprit. Perhaps we can get you sleeping and stop any advancement of the osteoporosis, simply by keeping tighter control on your hypothyroidism.

To give you related information, I am sending you copies of my Health Reports “Parkinson’s Disease” and “Sleep/Wake Disorders”. Other readers who would like copies should send a self-addressed, stamped, number 10 envelope and $2 to Newsletter, PO Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Be sure to mention the title(s).

I found that taking melatonin, GABA and 5 HTP work well for me. I started this treatment based on the theory that serotonin levels decrease in aging brains. I purchase the products from an herbal supply store. They don’t work quickly but I am now three months into treatment and my sleep pattern is nearly normal.

DEAR READER:
I am glad that you found a treatment that works for you. I am passing it on to my other readers who may benefit from it. I also ask that anyone who has tried or tries these products write me with their conclusions. I will print a follow up article with the results.

I started having them about five years ago and it got to be that I was having them almost every night. Some nights I would have several. Mine weren’t as severe as others I had seen on TV but they were bad enough that to make me jump out of bed and practically leave the room to escape the spiders on the bed, the collapsing ceiling or whatever I believed was about to take my life. I lived with this for a while, thinking I was just losing my mind. I didn’t know what else to do. Even my primary care physician couldn’t suggest anything.

Then, I discovered melatonin. I started taking 1 mg before bed and soon the night terrors started to diminish. It’s been a few years now and I have had to increase the dosage to 3 mg a night. As long as I continue to take the melatonin, I don’t have any terrors.

A few months ago, I ran out and didn’t buy more for a couple of days. The night terrors came back. Now I am careful not to run out. It is safe and inexpensive. I thought you might find this interesting and possibly would recommend it to those with this very frustrating affliction.

DEAR READER:
I am glad to hear that you have resolved your problem in an easy, inexpensive and safe way. I am passing your experience on to my readers.

Night terrors are a form of nightmare which causes the sufferer to cry out in fright and awake in panic. They are more common in male children ages three to five but can occur in anyone of any age. The major differences between a nightmare and a night terror are the time and stage of sleep in which it occurs. Nightmares generally happen during the REM (rapid eye movement) period of sleep and in the early morning hours. Night terrors occurs during stage 3 (deep sleep) and stage 4 (deepest sleep). They also generally occur within the first 60 minutes of falling asleep.

Symptoms of a night terror include sudden awakening from sleep, sweating, confusion, rapid heart rate (usually between 160-170 beats per minute), screaming, persistent fear that occurs at night, difficult to comfort, and an inability to wake up fully (but eyes may be open). One of the most characteristic symptoms is not remembering the night terror. Some individuals remember parts of the “dream”; some may even be able to remember the whole thing, but in general there is no recollection. Once the night terror occurs, the person may sit up and appear to be awake; however, this is not always the case. The sufferer may still be in the midst of the terror, be unable to explain what is happening and usually is difficult to comfort. Physical contact occasionally worsens the experience.

Often times the night terrors are about people or animals. Most sufferers, who can remember the terrors, describe the person or animal as dark, shadowy and threatening. They feel that it is going to cause them harm.

Night terrors can be troublesome in the least. There is no test for diagnosis and medical treatment is not generally used or recommended. For severe cases, therapy and counseling may be helpful. Minimizing risk factors, such as stress, and obtaining appropriate amounts of sleep can reduce the frequency, diminish severity and may cause the night terrors to stop.

For my readers who are interested in this subject or believe they may suffer from these episodes, I recommend the website www.NightTerrors.org. This website was created by a gentleman who suffers night terrors and started researching the subject. I should mention that he is not (to my knowledge) a physician or scientific researcher. He, however, has done fairly extensive research using well-known medical publications such as the Journal of American Medicine and the British Medical Journal. I also recommend that you speak to your primary care physician, a psychiatrist or psychologist or ask for a sleep study if you have the episodes nightly; continue the melatonin therapy.

Readers, if you suffer from night terrors, please let me know if melatonin is successful or not for you.

To give you related information, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report “Sleep/Wake Disorders”. Other readers who would like a copy should send a self-addressed, stamped envelope and $2 to Newsletter, PO Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Be sure to mention the title.

DEAR READER:
Your husband, like the reader above, would probably benefit from the use of melatonin. It is safe, inexpensive and non-habit forming. It is available over-the-counter in the vitamin and supplement section. Good luck.

DEAR READER:
Adjusting to time changes can be a challenging problem because it requires a re-setting of our biological clocks. There are some solutions but one of the most common is used by many pilots who fly internationally.

Melatonin is a naturally occurring compound. It is manufactured in our brains when it is dark, which causes us to feel sleepy and, therefore, go to bed. However, for this to be effective, it must be completely dark because once our eyes, even if they’re closed, are exposed to light, the melatonin production stops, causing us to wake up. Be sure to speak to your physician before taking melatonin so he or she is aware of your sleep problems and can then be prepared should you decide the melatonin is not for you.
Simply take the melatonin one hour before you plan to go to bed. Be sure not to expose yourself to unnecessary light during this one hour period. One hour later, go to bed in your dark bedroom. You should have no problem falling asleep. If you do, try taking a slightly higher dose until you find the one that is right for you but do not exceed the package’s direction unless your physician has told you its okay.

Melatonin, unlike sleeping aids, is safe, inexpensive and non-habit forming.

As far as changing Day Light Savings time, I don’t know what could be done other than moving to Arizona which, to the best of my knowledge, does not observe it.

To give you related information, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report “Sleep/Wake Disorders”. Other readers who would like a copy should send a self-addressed, stamped number 10 envelope and $2 to Newsletter, PO Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Be sure to mention the title.