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Originally Posted by Craven Morehead
Jewels, I've tried OTC sleeping pills (even started at thread here to find out what worked for others) but they never worked for me. Ambien on the other hand is a wonder drug to me.
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Working 4 pm - 1 am really messes with my head and natural cycle. I'm a habitual early riser but due to schedule I now go to bed around 3 and wake up between 7 and 8 unless I take an Advil PM. I'm not sure if it's the antihistamine that puts me to sleep and have actually found I sometimes get a similar result with 2 - 4 Alleve before bed. Much of my sleep issues are due to sleep apnea and chronic pain, so I think that may be what helps, depending on the day.
I have no idea what will happen when I find out how my shift bid goes. I'll have a new schedule beginning early January, so that should be interesting.
I've never investigated Ambien, though. I'm scared to commit to a solid 8 and tend to have an obsessive paranoia of pharmaceuticals due to some prior experiences. Those butterflies are scary!
You should go for the sleep test. Most insurances cover it and it will help target the culprit. I found out I stop breathing something crazy like every 5 minutes for a minute at each interval. (I took the test several times over a 2-year period, but this was 5 - 7 years ago.) Lots of things definitely impact your sleep, sanity, memory and everything else.