In my opinion, do not higher the dosage of xanax or swap it for another benzo to sleep. I would look into herbal methods, meditation, sleeping techniques on the net and at a last resort sleeping pills. If you do have to come to sleeping pills, just use them until you want for xanax dissipates.
Best of luck
Everyone needs to find the 'bridge' med that will work the best for them. I had to switch to valium then eventually to seroquel then taper off of that gradually. It's not easy because all these chemicals displace our body's own natural chemicals which control functions such as appetite, sleep/wake cycle, etc. When you try to taper down, there's a lag period until your brain senses that it needs to once again produce its own natural ones. That period causes the insomnia and other withdrawal symptoms.
Go to your pdoc and tell him/her about it... You need to taper off of it slowly under doctor's supervision...
HI most of the otc stuff has antihistamine in them these wire a lot of people out for most it makes you tired but there are many who have complained about the same thnig xanex is ruff to come off off even in low doses your just going to have to tuff it out for a few nights ....there are some pritty good natural sleep aids valarian root works for a lot of our members as does melatonin if you use the melatonin the room needs to be completely dark for it to work it works off hormones try about 3 to 6mg of it it is all natural and you will not build up a dependency
hang in there with some persistence you can get off the stuff good luck and God bless.....Gnarly