Everyone has a different level of sleep needs, it varies from 4-5 hours to 6-10 hours , there is no RIGHT or WRONG amount a person has to have. In general, older people requires lesser and 8 hours of sleep nightly on average individual.
People can't sleep due to many reasons, it could be simply due to pain or discomfort. Stress from work, argued with your partner, loneliness or boredom, sleeping in a room that is too bright,noisy (a snoring partner or construction work outside of your house) , sleeping on a new bed that you are not use to, jet-lag from travelling across different time zone ( if i am on holiday i would forget about sleeping if i have insomnia , just have fun 24/7 LOL ) or being over stimulated from drinking too much tea, coffee or other caffeinated drinks, some medicine is known to keep patient awake too. WELL, i am sure there are many more reason why ones can't sleep in this stressful environment that we all live in, the point here is don't worry too much about going through all the reasons i have just listed and finding yours being listed so you know you are normal, there is nothing wrong with you, insomnia is common and most people would find it hard to go to sleep at some point of you life ..
Read on , here is your cure .
Melatonin ( pronounce :meh-la-toe-nin)
A kind of hormones your body produces at night or when it's dark, level goes up when evening comes, and drops when sun comes in . It's a natural hormone in your body, but sometimes production decrease when you get older or some people just simply don't produce enough of it. Melatonin tablets are not a popular sleep supplement in Malaysia and Australia, it's mainly found in Europe countries or the USA. The closest you could find them sold in a retail pharmacy is Singapore. The dose is usually from 0.2mg to 20mg depending on the use and individual. The tablets shown in the last picture is a brand i got from Canada. There is no personal preference on the brand itself. The instructions on the pack is to place the tablets under the tongue so it's directly absorb into the body 30 minutes before bedtime, but the tablets are really bitter, so i swallow them whole, i am glad it still works *phew*. Melatonin is known to be safe as it is simply replacing a natural hormone your body produce, but studies were not done beyond 2 years of continual taking.
And no clinical trials were done on pregnant woman.
Magnesium tablets
Magnesium tablets are not easily found in Malaysia. The magnesium supplement we have here are the ones we combined with calcium for bones and muscles, NOT the same as the ones i am talking about to help with sleeps. The one in the picture below , are found in a spice market in Spain , Barcelona. In Europe it is readily available everywhere. Magnesium tablets are known to help with muscle cramps. Taking high doses works as a muscle relaxant, and when taken too much, your body gets rid of it by giving you diarrhoea. It's particularly good for people who are constipated and can't sleep due to anxiousness at the same time.It works by relaxing the organs and muscle in your body, helping you feel more relax in general, making it easier to fall asleep. The tablets are not to be taken right before bedtime , unlike melatonin, it can keep you awake if taken too close to bedtime. 400-600mg a day taken in separate doses and the last dose not later than 4 pm of the day. Gradually you will find improvement in your sleeps and less constipation problem .
Doxylamine ( pronounce : dox-seal-a-min ) or other drowsy antihistamines
Restavit ( main ingredient is doxylamine ) was a popular over the counter drug back when i was working in Australia, but it is NOT available in Malaysia ). Many would ask why ????? it's just simply not registered in Malaysia yet. They come in tablets form and are not particularly hard to get hold of, mainly incorporated in a pain remedy ( together with paracetamol and codeine ). If you sleeplessness is due to pain /discomfort then this would be something suitable for you. Doxylamine has not shown to have addictive effect , only significant side effects are vivid dreams and in some people it can make them not feeling refreshed from sleep. Since doxylamine is not available in Malaysia, what we could recommend here is a drowsy antihistamines such as chlorpheniramine (pronounce :klor-fen-nir-a-min) or hydroxyzine (pronounce : hai-droxy-zin) which are old cold and flu remedies which are slowly phase out when the newer generation antihistamines are in the market (because they don't cause drowsiness). This is particularly useful for people having difficulties falling asleep, and the good side is it is readily available in ordinary pharmacy ( no need to go through making appointment , seeing a psychiatrist and getting a prescription for xanax- yes ! it is really hard to get hold of it in M'sia ) and you don't get dependent on it.
More HERBAL/HOMEOPATHIC ways
The Collagen nite uses brown rice and manuka honey to help makes you sleep better. Brown Rice are known for high vitamin B and magnesium content (compare to white rice ), both helps in relaxing the muscle , promoting relaxation. Manuka honey helps your brain to release more melatonin (read above ).
So if you are concern about anti-aging, taking collagen supplements and have sleeping problems, this one kills two birds with one stone. Other things such as taking a warm bath prior to bed and drinking some warm milk with honey , lavender scented candles to give a more relaxing and peaceful sleep environment helps too !
IF all above fail , then opt for sleeping tablets but they are best used for short periods .Side effects are abundant , but if your need them then aim for the lowest dose for the lowest possible time .
Sleep tight tonight sleeping beauties ! xoxo
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