I don't know if they make things worse. All I know is they don't work for my CFS/ME insomnia and I have tried a number of them.

I chose to take meletonin.

This might sound totally crazy but when I was going through the not sleeping phase ( as opposed to the fall asleep the minute I sit down - like I do now) and was sent to hospital . They suggested i get a red light bulb for a lamp in my room and only have this light for two hours before I went to sleep - I don't know the science behind it but its something to do with the 'blue' light that is in normal lighting, tv's , phones, laptops etc . This was prior to my diagnosis and I don't know if it helped or I simply became so exhausted I slept but for the sake of a lightbulb it might be worth a try :)

Citalopram is good for sleep but may double your weight.

It's not an rx sleeping pill but I find the only thing that really helps is a product made with dipenhydramine. Benadryl, Sominex, Tylenol PM.
I just use 25 mg as 50 makes me walk into walls the next day.
If it's really bad and I just gotta sleep I add .25mg of xanax. (rx, of course) but that is rare. Usually benadryl does it.

And I agree about blue light. I have pink bulbs in my bedroom. I do use my tablet to read but have an anti blue screen protector on it.
Even the blue lights on my cable box are covered and I sleep wearing an eye mask. I think because we might have oversensitive brains and any light at all messes with our sleep cycles. So on top of meds maybe get it as dark as you possibly can in the room?

Benadryl worked for me for a while, but then I became accustomed to it. So, it doesn't really work now for me. Sometimes I still take it, hoping against hope that something will happen, but it really doesn't. I just had a sleep study last night. Didn't sleep much, but I think the study is important. So, I would suggest that maybe you get a study before deciding which med you want to go with. Best of luck. I know the feeling of not sleeping for years on end. It's a bugger! I'm glad you are here with us. Many blessings.

Should have mentioned the sleep study found moderate to severe sleep apnea and I now use a cpap machine. Pain to get used to but now that I am I sleep MUCH better than ever before.....

I've taken doxepin (Seroquel's cousin) for 20 years and it has worked great. It certainly didn't worsen my condition, gave me sleep I needed.

I've had terrible reactions to SSRI antidepressants, and benzos are sometimes helpful.

That being said, I am now tapering off doxepin because it made me too fat.

hi, I am new also, I was on ambien for quite a while, I do not recommend it- yes it helps u sleep, but it also made me lethargic next day- very unmotivated etc, your body builds a tolerance and u have to keep increasing it- u can respond to msgs while on it and completely not know what u did the next day.
Which brings me to my latest 'solution' I take 1 Vistaril 50 mg and 1 remeron 15 mg before bed- *please note the remeron will increase your appetite substantially the first month (which in my case was good/ as lack of sleep and constant exhaustion made me lose my appetite and I was underweight) I started these 2 meds nov 2014, and so far so good- also, I play youtube videos for deep sleep/ delta waves-
I have tried melatonin in the past, but had very restless sleep and nightmares.
Obviously everyones body chemistry is different, Ive suffered insomnia for years/ panic attacks in sleep etc- right now Im in a good place, sleeping better.
I wish u all the best and hope u sleep well :)

**ps) one last thing, I sleep with a pillow covering my eyes, and sheets over windows (and a heavy comforter covering the door- to prevent light and unwanted noise- I used earplugs for years and now I have tinnitus, whether that's a result or not- I don't know- but ear plugs makes the ringing so much more unbearable) u may want a fan or ac noise on as well/ having a body pillow on top of your body also helps prevent anxiety attacks)**

I know you are maybe way past this but listening to guided meditation cds at bedtime have helped. I use a pillow speaker (goes under the pillow and the music/meditation goes through to your ear but doesn't bother a partner), my favorite is Beth Freschi "A time for relaxation", but there are 100s out there.

thank u Nina, I will look for that cd, speaker under the pillow is a great idea too :)

Hi, I just noticed that my reply didn't "stick" when I thought I posted it. Thank you all so much for the advice - I've learned some new tips!

Welcome hearandnow. Four years ago I was put on 20mg Melatonin every night to help prevent breast cancer recurrence. That is a whopping dose compared to what most people take for sleep, but it is the dose that has proven most effective in preventing recurrence. Since I've been taking it, I have had no trouble sleeping. I had a sleep study a few months ago which showed I have sleep apnea, but I was not aware of it. Now that I use the CPAP, the quality of my sleep has improved significantly. Good Luck to you.

Welcome hereandnow and cachetteen :)

As far as I understand, for long term insomnia relief, z drugs and benzodiazepines distort sleep architecture. I forget what stage they omit or skimp on. I believe Lyrica promotes restful sleep for those having difficulty sustaining deep sleep?

I take tizanadine and Lyrica at night. Tizanadine is very sedating... not sure about its affect on sleep....

I usually sleep with headphones listening to rain/thunderstorms or music. I'll look into the Delta wave Nina. Also, can pillow speakers be used while sleeping with a partner?

The amber light thing is interesting. I think there are rods and cones in our eyes, and also a light sensor that senses blue light. It's quite primitive in structure, and if there's blue light, it is sensed as sunlight/wake time. I hope I got that right. I think it's kinda cool.

I need a blue screen filter....

Oops, cachetteen, you mentioned delta waves. Thanks :)