I have been a lifetime insomniac , made worse now due to severe pain . I take at least 10 mg . of Melatonin , a natural ingredient already in your body . It isn't perfect but better then most . The scripts all have terrible drawbacks and if you are on pain meds or many other drugs , drs. are reluctant to prescribe them . The ones I have taken previously seem to have odd side effects , but not Melatonin . Start with 3 or 5 mg. and work yourself up slowly just to be safe ! Hope and pray that you finally get restful sleep . Being sleep deprived really robs you of life ..

Thanks for the quick response my sensitiveheart. Only thing i take as needed is ativan. I only take maybe 2 or 3 a week and its a .50mg low dose...is the melatonin a script drug i need to ask my dr about or is it over the counter?

I used to get Melatonin over the counter. I liked it, except if I stayed up after taking it I felt a little weird. I've actually considered getting some recently because I haven't been sleeping well. Sometimes progressive relaxation and guided meditation helps me. I hope you find something that works for you!

I too seem to only get 4-6 hours of sleep some times. (When I'm not having trouble with the insomnia) I try to get back to sleep and sometimes cant, so I figure I am awake for the day. I have tried guided meditation hypnosis, reading, and the melatonin. They say some herbal teas work But I forget to get them when I go to the store.

I have heard good things about Melatonin although not from experience. My suggestion is to consult with a Pharmacist to insure there are no issues with taking the occasional ativan. I would not mix anything OTC with meds without a doctor or pharmacist knowing about both. For example the OTC medication, St. John's Wort, should NOT be used with many types of anxiety/depression medication. Be Safe!

Have you been tested for sleep apnea? There are occasions when people with the condition (and they don't they have it) are woken from sleep. Combine that with known anxiety and it makes sense why your mind won't let your body go back to get enough sleep. What are you doing before bedtime? Sometimes if you do NOTHING for the last hour and just relax (no computer, tv, etc) you will fall asleep. If you find yourself woken by anxiety, keep a pad and pen near the bed and write down the source of anxiety, knowing you can put it to rest the next day.

Of course it's 3:30 in the morning for me so maybe I shouldn't be offering advice on getting enough sleep.

Thanks for the replies guys, gonna talk to.my dr about the melatonin. She told me to take my low dose ativan before bed if i feel like im not gonna get to sleep very well. Gonna maybe try that. Im scripted small dose .05mg ativan once a day as needed, and only take probably 1 every other day for anxiety if that. Gonna keep trying the relaxation music, herbal tea, and if needed...an ativan. Havent been tested for apnea, dont think i have a problem with it since i wake up very calmly and not panting or uncomfortable at all. I will ask my dr next appt though just in case...thanks for all the suggestions guys...thats what keeps us a strong group ;)

Such a challenge for me to quiet my mind. I tried counting backward last night. It took awhile, but, I did get back to sleep. Sleep is so important, I have to not get too stressed about having less than I would like. Sometimes Mindfulness Meditation helps me

There's research about what you do prior to bed i.e if you use technology (tv, phones etc) or bright lights before going to sleep it impacts your sleep due to your body producing more hormones. I have found that from hour before going to bed to have lower lighting, not watch tv and relax. Reading a book really has helped as i struggled sleeping through the night.

Melatonin works great for my son. My daughter, who suffers from anxiety, takes trazodone. We were told that it is non addictive, and she is on a low dose (50 mg). My dad also takes this and it works for him. It is prescription, though, so you would not be able to take the Ativan most likely if you took this. I know I would prefer the more natural approach of melatonin if it were me. It just didn't work for my daughter so we had to go a different route for her. She was not functioning well her sleep was so bad. Good luck and I hope you find something that works!