Natural sleep supplements?

[ariley13]

I'm on day 4 and feeling ok. Just exhausted and my back is killing me. I,ve been doing the valerian root but not getting much help from that. Any other natural supplements good for sleep and relaxation? I really don't want to take any Benadryl or anything like that. Just make me more exhausted and still unable to sleep. Any thoughts are greatly appreciated!

[OpenMind24hours]

Lot's of good information above for you. Hyland's Calms Forte is a good one for anxiety and It helped me with sleeping. Hylands also makes Calm and Restless Legs. To be completely honest, not much helped me with sleep when my system decided I should be awake. So, I learned not to fight it too much because that would just launch anxiety, and I still wouldn't sleep. Stopping Opiate is like stopping a sleep med, takes some time to get our systems sleeping on their own. Promise!...One night very soon, you're going to get 5 to 6 hours of sleep and feel fantastic the next day. And then It will quickly begin to get better and better from there. When that happened for me, I was elated to say the least.

I know what you mean with your back, I have lower back problems. I walk to bring down the swelling. The more I move the better it gets. Walking also builds trunk strength. Stretching prior to walking, like bending over forward in a chair  (unless an injury prevents it!) really loosens you up in a very simple way. And then the hot baths with Epsome salts, they were the key to making my WD tolerable.

Best of luck!

[ariley13]

Thank u. I will try that for sure. Right after my massage!

[weaver71]

Oh yeah, I remember counting backwards from 100 over and over again. I found myself skipping numbers and losing track, that's when I would relax and then wake up. I didn't sleep long hours, but the laying and resting with the little sleep I did get made a difference. Sweet dreams.

[ariley13]

sounds like a wonderful plan!

[EvolverU]

Hey, me again. I just thought of something. If you have someone to give you a rubdown after a hot bath, that would be magic. Also, long foot rubs (reflexology) really helps w/ detox. (At least it did for me!) Weaver's suggestion - a sauna - sounds really good, too - maybe, followed by a massage, eh?

[ariley13]

Thank you. I appreciate all of the help and support.

[EvolverU]

Clonodine will take the edge off but unfortunately, besides pharmaceuticals, there's not really anything 'natural' that will really keep you asleep until you're out of the acute w/d's. I know it's rough, rough, rough but try to ride it out. Get what sleep you can. I promise it will get better.
The more time you put between you and your DOC, the more effective natural remedies like plant-based liquid Melatonin, 'Natural Calm', Magnesium, 5-HTP, GABA and B-6 will be. I'd also recommend a good raw 'food-based' liquid vitamin/mineral supplement (Garden of Life makes a good one.) Failing this, a good B-Complex, for sure.
Please, be careful w/ the Valerian as it's hard on the liver. You might want to switch to Passionflower tincture.
Please, stay well hydrated ( 2 to 3 litres of water per day.) Hot salt baths help as does exercise (even if it's just walking at a good clip.) Staying busy and decoupling from your symptoms also helps. Listen to your favorite music w/ headphones to get those endorphins firing. Watch funny movies, read, stay online, whatever helps. Try not to stress. Just take it minute by minute. Treat yourself well. You deserve it! Congrats on your 4 days. Wishing you all good things and  the determination, strength & clarity you need to punch through this! We're here. Hold fast...

[weaver71]

St. John's Wart helped me relax. Skullcap, lemon balm, chamomile, lotus root, and kava are a few more. I found that nothing really worked in acute detox. Cal/Mag/Zinc helps a lot with the cramping and restlessness. A good multivitamin, minerals, and amino acids give your body the building blocks to repair itself. You seem to wanting the natural route, so eat lots of fresh veggies and whole grains. Kale, sea veggies, and fish are really good. I agree about the Benadryl, hangover every time. I swam and did a sauna in the evening, and that helped also. It kinda felt like most my symptoms would go away in the sauna, maybe I just cooked my brain, but it helped. Cardo exercise really helps detox the body and stimulate natural brain chemistry. I hope you sleep soon. Just remember, this will all go away, and you will wake up feeling refreshed. I remember the first time I woke up and just laid there feeling cozy and relaxed. It dawned on me how long it had been since I had done that. No more running for the wakeup pills. You're doing great, time heals all things.