"Take 50 mg of Tylenol PM each night before bed. It will take care of the pain, and it will help you sleep. It's perfectly safe; it's non-habit-forming." She told me I could take it as long as I wanted.
That was 19 years ago.
Eventually I didn't need the Tylenol, so I switched to a cheaper brand of "sleep aid tablet," with 50 mg of just Benadryl, which is the sleep agent in Tylenol PM. And for years and years, I took one every night.
I've never slept well or deeply since I started having babies. Hormones at work? Nervous mother? Who knows?
Medicine has changed, and it seems now they don't recommend taking Benadryl every night. They strongly warn against it, saying there are serious connections with Alzheimer's. This is quite alarming, considering I'm finding this out after having taken it so long! But the science hasn't been absolutely conclusive ... and, if the alternative is not sleeping ... I mean, that's not good for one's brain either, right? So I kept taking it, reluctantly.
Recent conversations with new friends in Mississippi prompted me to try ridding myself of the nightly Benadryl once again. Its warning flags are getting "redder." And now that I'm not working and have no kids at home, who cares if I sleep in until 7:00 or 8:00? And if I can't go to sleep until 1:00 (or 3:00), I'll read or paint or spin yarn. I decided to try being Benadryl-free again.
It's been five nights so far. If I'm exhausted beforehand, I sleep well. One night I wasn't exhausted at 10:30, and I didn't go to sleep until 2:00. Last night I simply stayed up -- why lie in bed until I realize I'm not sleepy? But I did go to sleep before midnight and slept until 5:30, without any medication. That may not sound like a good night's sleep to some, but for me it's very good.
Some "rules" I have might help. No chocolate before bed. Absolutely no coffee or caffeine after about 4:00 p.m. No sweets or carbs in the evening -- acid reflux can keep me up too. I drink water with a little lemon juice to combat the acid reflux. And a firm rule of no screens after 10:00 or so. They say screen-watching makes it hard to drift off.
I'm relieved to make this change. Menopause has changed my system subtly, and I wasn't convinced Benadryl was doing anything for me recently anyway. Do any of you take Benadryl or some other sleep aid, as I did? Many take Melatonin. It doesn't help me much and gives me dreams that wake me up ... so that's no good. But lots of folks are helped by it. Perhaps this little post will help someone else who's wanting to break that Benadryl habit. Here's to a good night's sleep!
9 comments:
I know! It's a problem for me, too! I take naps only if my night sleep is rocky. I don't like to get up because I'm afraid it will bother Bill, so I always hope that I won't get too "think-y" and fall right back to sleep.
MK, I would not take Benadryl as a sleep aid. My daughter's little girl has allergies and her specialist told her to never give Benadryl to her (or anyone) due to the brain cell damage it does. Yikes, I didn't know that.
One thing that may help you -- magnesium. I take magnesium citrate as a daily nutrient. There are many benefits from taking it including helping you to relax to sleep. (Google magnesium deficiency and see what it can help with). One thing I like to do is to use a magnesium spray or lotion and rub it into sore muscles or low back. You can rub it in at night to stop leg cramps which some suffer from at our ages. Even the rub-in magnesium has great health benefits especially if you have trouble taking it orally. Epsom baths are another way to get magnesium. My life is so much better since having discovered Mg a few years ago. See what you think.
P.S. Pretty blog banner!
I am lucky and don't have any trouble sleeping. Never did.
I do have benedryl for the occasional time when sinuses are keeping me awake; that post nasal drip can be so bothersome as it causes a constant runny nose and chokes you at the same time. Not a pretty sight and quite noisy when trying to get to sleep. I also have cyclobenzaprene which is a muscle relaxant as I have muscle and joint problems that cause spasms and are quite painful. I rarely reach for this as it zonks me out terribly and I am no good for about 24 hrs. The easier way to relax is a little whiskey in water, sipped while watching a boring TV program. Once my head nods, if I walk to bed with my eyes closed, I'll be good for about 5 hrs. It's tough to be old but I've heard the older you are the less sleep you need. Must have been some crazy person who said that, huh.
Melatonin gives me bad dreams too. Benadryl makes my mouth too dry, which makes it hard for me to sleep, and it also makes me feel like I have a hangover when I wake up. Ambien makes me sleep well with no weird side effects that I know of yet. I take medicine for an underactive thyroid. I wonder if that has something to do with sleep problems.
Jody is right about the magnesium!
Oh my goodness, sleep issues. I could write a book. You're absolutely right about the sleep hygiene "rules." I simply must turn off the screens at least a couple hours before bed.
Love what you're doing here guys, keep it up!.. Sleep Calculator
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