Falling for sleep

The headline is currently the more evocative "Falling for sleep". The article doesn't describe a cure for insomnia so much as a repudiation of the concept as it's generally understood.

"Not a medication, but a natural neurohormone, melatonin is Nyx in a bottle." So taking a hormone isn't a medication? Not only is it a hormone, but we take it at many times the natural level of that hormone. There are a few new melatonin receptor agonists that are even stronger (but are still super expensive; I haven't tried them).

The main problem with medications may just be that most of the ones we have now are not that good. I suspect in many cases how a person relates with sleep may have an effect, but sometimes it doesn't. And sometimes medications can help a person who has developed bad habits change them. F.Lux or redshift (to reduce the blue light in displays in the evening) are quite helpful also, I find.

Many people do not know that melatonin patches exist. They are harder to find (I only have seen them online). For me they have a different effect: oral melatonin, even extended release, helps me get to sleep but makes it more likely I'll wake up later and not get back to sleep (plus they cause digestive issues) and melatonin patches help me stay asleep but not get to sleep. I haven't tried both oral and patch together. I'm currently using a quarter of a 5mg patch, which is less effective than a half patch (but less bad when I forget to take it off) but I couldn't tell the difference between a half and full patch.

Uridine monophosphate (150mg sublingually) is one that I find helps me feel more rested for the same amount of sleep (I have circadian rhythm issues; this may not happen if you don't). It also seems to help me get to sleep, although it doesn't have such a dramatic effect as some and seems to become more effective over time with regular use. While it seems to have few short term effects, long term effects have not been studied and it might potentially increase cancer growth. So still a high risk medication at this point.

The other one I've been taking lately is baclofen 20mg (phenibut 900mg is similar but I prefer the balofen). While not commonly used, it is the best I've found at keeping me asleep. I need a break of at least two days in a row per week or it looses effectiveness. I've noticed rebound effects for over a week after stopping it so it isn't entirely a positive effect on sleep, however I do get much more sleep with it than without and it doesn't seem like less restful sleep. Baclofen and phenibut can cause withdrawal effects if taken continuously without breaks and phenibut can be addictive. They also seem to conflict with many other drugs (including, it seems, something as mild as L-theanine). So they are higher risk, but not as bad as most sleep drugs.

Going back to non-medical sleep aids, waking up at the same time daily seems to be much more important than going to sleep at a consistant time. Bright light in the morning but avoid it in the evening. Consistent meal times may help. I'm always interested in hearing what other people do to encourage better sleep.

Steve Gibson of GRC.com is a "health hobbyist" and has been experimenting with various Sleep Formulas, with some success, which you might find interesting: https://www.grc.com/health/sleep/healthy_sleep_formula.htm

He may be interested in hearing about your experiences in his forum

I'm only interested if he also sends samples to labs for testing. There's a bunch of "melatonin" in the US that contains no melatonin.

The fact he mentions alcohol as useful for sleep (especially for people who wake early) shows how clueless he is.

I don't think recommending long-term benzo / z-drug usage outright is a good idea. They should be the absolute last resort. I have never met anyone who hasn't used them long term who was aware of their risks. These are some of the most prescribed medicines on earth and even the doctors prescribing them have no idea of their effects, let alone how to get you off them.

This is, most likely but not necessarily, a life-long addiction one enters into where the risk of going without can cost one's life. Also, some people have paradoxical effects: basically, the opposite of sedation / sleep. Getting off them takes at least a couple of months, if you're lucky, up to a year or more during which you can't really do anything like work, etc. They are especially nasty to people suffering from depression, something quite common (if not actually the same underlying condition) in the sleep-deprived.

At the very least, one should exhaust all other possibilities, including much safer sleeping aids like melatonin and cannabis, before making a plunge into what is almost guaranteed to be a life-long dependency.