Had some? sleeping issues for about 12 months now.
I work shifts and for my 2 day shifts I have to be up at 4am. As such I struggle with sleeping before these shifts which has led to other health issues.
Tried natural tablets/ breathing techniques etc all no good.
Went to Drs who will not give me sleeping tablets as these are addictive.
So tried Atarax ( old type anti-histaminic) which didn’t work.
So now on 10mg Amitriptyline which is an Anti-Depressant but which may help me sleep.
Anybody been on these?

Have you tried melatonin (can’t buy from UK health shops, not illegal but can order online)? They aren’t sleeping tablets but can readjust you into a healthy natural circadian rhythm.

5-htp tablets (avoid the ones with any b-vitamin additives or valerian root) have also helped me in the past. Nature’s Best / Lamberts brand are the best.

From experience I’d avoid synthetic antidepressants but if you’ve already tried the above then maybe worth a shot.

Melatonin +1 (unless it is one of the natural tablets that you already tried.)

but can readjust you into a healthy natural circadian rhythm.

Possibly not the answer for someone doing shift work

I was prescribed them for nerve pain, had a glorious night’s sleep but I only took one because I felt so woolly headed the next day – which was a big ride in the Lakes.

Saying that, I did about 2,500m ascent/descent without flagging – so maybe I should take them more often.

Massive bowl of pasta before bed. It’s not a long-term solution, but it is a tasty solution.

Used to have crazy sleep problems, and nothing really worked that well. It’s all about getting used to the same routines (circadian rhythm), but in your case with shift work that’s not gonna be easy.

Diphenhydramine can work sometimes, but real sleeping tablets (Benzo’s) are a road to hell and best avoided imho.

I got sleeping tablets from the doc for 4months or so, but then he stopped them.
Anti histamines never did anything for my sleep,
I sleep better now than I ever have, but if I had to change my sleeping pattern every few days I’m fairly sure it would completely mess things up
I cant see you getting addicted to sleeping pills on 2 days a week.

Melatonin and 5HTP did nothing for me either.

The anti depressant doses are much higher than what you are being prescribed. I was initially given these for my back and neck muscle problems, but they didnt like me much so the doc put me on Gabapentin.

These work fine, I sleep better when taking them and my muscles problems are easier to manage through my physio/stretching/yoga tricks. I much better for it. I dont take them every day, I tend to go through stages of using them when my body starts to scream and stop me sleeping. I will get about 3 weeks worth from the doc and this does me fine, maybe 2-3 times a year

@chakaping getting up at 4am after taking one worries me a touch. Need to try one when I am not in work to see how i feel afterwards.
Tried the melatonin but had no effect. 🙁
TBH i would prefer a natural solution

I cant see you getting addicted to sleeping pills on 2 days a week

The thing is though: they’re nice and they work. So I’d agree, provided the OP has self control.

That sounds positive, cheers white101.

Gabapentin was interesting, it put me in a relaxed state, so even if I didnt sleep I didnt care.
There are new kind of sleeping pills like Ramelteon which work in a different way, more like melatonin.
My doctor/s had never heard of them and I’ve no idea where to get them

I was using Amitriptyline as a sleep aid after having a few major shoulder operations and having major trouble sleeping.
I found they didn’t help a great deal in getting to sleep, but once asleep slept very deeply, but woke up feeling terrible and very groggy, I really didn’t want to get out of bed the morning after taking them.
I. certainly wouldn’t want to be getting up early, or even at any specific time the morning after taking them, definitely try them out on a day you don’t have to be up early

Just how I felt. Like I couldn’t wake up properly.

Maybe a side effect in certain people? Mine was after a shoulder op too, funny enough.

Tried the melatonin but had no effect.

What dose? I’ve seen 1 mg, 3 mg, 5 mg, and 10 mg pills. They all say to take a single pill!!! But it seems that you can take up to 10 mg no matter what the pill size.

So if you weren’t at the top end of the dose, try a higher one.

some places say the right melatonin dose can be low- like 0.7mg

now on 10mg Amitriptyline which is an Anti-Depressant but which may help me sleep.

Not been on them myself, but a few people I know have and say they get the best night’s sleep ever on it.

You may have to take them quite early (hours before you sleep) as they can have a delayed effect.

Been on that for years. No problems with waking up in the morning or groggyness at all, i still wake occasionally around 0330 though which is a pain. But mine isn’t for sleeping help.

I was on them as a nerve blocker and didn’t get on with them as they made me feel like shit 24/7. Was meant to get to 50mg but only managed 30mg before asking to come off them.

A recent episode of Trust me I’m a doctor had some advice for shift workers. Not specifically for sleeping but general health tips which would probably help with sleep. There is a Trust me… website where they summarise the content of the TV programmes. I can’t remember all of the advice but it included getting fresh air and natural daylight every day, and advice on what to eat and when to eat it in relation to shifts.