Natural sleep aids

[shadowknight]

Hello everyone.

I would like to know a bit about herbs which can help a person recover. My father is addicted to Ambien (zolpidem) 10 mg. He has been taking it from the past 5 years. He is down to 5 mg now but that took him 6 months. Now he is stuck at 5 mg and says if he tries taking a smaller dose, he is experiencing what I would describe as withdrawals. He is unable to sleep (insomnia), he feels something bad is going to happen (anxiety) etc

So I thought I would ask him to try a herb. Please let me know if anyone here knows any good herbs that are considered effective? I was thinking valerian or melatonin but I am not sure because I have no experience with herbs.

Thank you.

Best Regards,
-- N

[AJWS6]

Hi,
Chamomile tea, distributed by Celestial seasonings, worked really well for me.  Helped me relax and sleep, during insomnia spells of withdrawals from Klonopin.  But I was completly off the medication.  Chamomile tea is a natural sedative.

I would not recommend, drinking the tea, while still taking any type of sleeping aid.

Your father is experiencing withdrawals symptoms, and yes it's tough, but he can get through it.  He has to be absolutely sure he wants to quit, then try natural remedies, to get him through the rough times.  I haven't taken a Klonopin in 22 months.  

But good luck to you & father !!  

          

[posteman]

i to share you fathers pain [ i go to bed at 10.30 pm and am up at 3.15 am after taking temazepam ., also after reducing my intake. it was not until after my doctor told my that quiting benzo's was harder to quit than any type of narcotic that reality set in...to all those that are tring to quit their narcotic habit ...let me give you a reality check...there is nothing and i mean nothing worse than than the need for sleep and not getting any...if you think that your withdrawls are bad from narcotics...try living with the fact that after working all day and are  beat you have to look forward to is 3 to 4 hours sleep[no matter how tired you are ]... try getting up at 3.00 in the morning after going to bed at 1100 and stumbling around the house because your eyes are not open because your to freaking tired to open them and groggy but you can't go back to bed due to the fact that your head is wide awake even though your eyes are not...the need for sleep is stronger than any urge for narcotics..so if you want more sleep ...and who doesn't after 4 hours of sleep ...you reach for more sleeping pills...the body's craving for sleep far out weighs the need for narcotics...where taking narcotics is an artificial addiction dependance...the need for sleep is a natual addiction...so in closing i share your fathers pain..it is extremely difficult to quit..because you are constantly fighting the need to quit for the need to sleep ..what a dilema,, so give him some patience

[jt808]

if u read the side of the site has amino acis protocals and the thomas recesipe on the bottom rite of this site dont know if that will help him but look and read it and see i am also not very familiar with what he is taking sorry but that mite work. good luck 2 u and him

[kim715]

Valerian and melatonin do help some.The anxiety and the insomnia are a normal part of w/ds.Have you discussed this with his doctor?I don't have any knowledge of Ambien.I believe lady67 does though.I will send her a pm and ask her to take a look at your post when she gets here......Peace...Kim