Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
For people over 60 it is not recommended........much.
BUT, let me give a few hints and personal experiences. With this type of sleep aid as well as some others, dose is unimportant. There is somewhat of a placebo effect in addition to the actual drug.
I can take 1/4 of one and 1/2 of a 3mg Melatonin and be out like a light.
The answer to the basic question is Yes - there is a problem with taking the full dosage (1 or 2) on a regular basis, especially for those over 60. Cognitive decline and stuff like that isn't worth it.
Benadryl and all of the anticholinergic drugs are getting an increasing amount of attention, including a large, published study by the JAMA medical journal. A few years ago, they were suspect and many stated there 'might' be an association. The latest research studies point to a 50% greater risk - that's huge!
Here are a few more recent articles on the issue. Beyond Benadryl, there is a whole list of other drugs in this class to be aware of and avoided if at all possible.
Here's my current natural regime. I say current because, over time, natural remedies need to be adjusted and changed out as the body gets used to them and effectiveness can diminish.
400 mgs of Magnesium Citrate (Glycinate is fine too)
2 Calms Forte homeopathic sleep tabs
1 - 2.5 mg tab of Melatonin lozenge
Also, for those of you taking Melatonin, do you find that its effect on you varies by dosage? I occasionally take melatonin 1 mg after a co-worker suggested it over 20 years ago, but I can only take the 1 mg (I get it at GNC). Once or twice, I ran out, and could only find the 3 mg and higher at the drugstore, and the 3 mg left me feeling edgy and anxious, almost nauseated. Quite the opposite of what you want in melatonin, LOL.
Yes, some people experience unpleasant side effects with larger doses of melatonin. One-half to one mg. should be all you need.
Another thing about the anticholinergics, iirc, the memory issues with these drugs are primarily in the elderly population. I could be wrong about that, though. I think we had a thread on it a few months ago.
Also, for those of you taking Melatonin, do you find that its effect on you varies by dosage? I occasionally take melatonin 1 mg after a co-worker suggested it over 20 years ago, but I can only take the 1 mg (I get it at GNC). Once or twice, I ran out, and could only find the 3 mg and higher at the drugstore, and the 3 mg left me feeling edgy and anxious, almost nauseated. Quite the opposite of what you want in melatonin, LOL.
I have gotten the same exact symptoms from too much melatonin but my dosage needs change from time to time so it's good to stay flexible if you find it's not working as well as in the past. I also have noticed that certain brands and types make a difference. For a while, gummies worked wonderfully, then they didn't. I also believe that the lozenge varieties are much more effective than a tablet you swallow. 3 mg is the 'standard' dose but that is too high for many people and, surprisingly, low for others.
I take two Kirkland Sleep Aid pills every night (for 15-20 years). The active ingredient is Doxylamine Succinate like Unisom Sleeptabs. They give me adequate sleep whereas Benedryl doesn't make me sleepy and melatonin gives me nightmares.
I worry about cognitive slippage at 65 years old but I don't seem any worse than my friends who don't take sleeping pills.
Tough to have to decide between sleep and possible memory loss. Lack of sleep can't be good for memory either.
I used to take it but my Dr. advised against it when I told her. I recently started taking Ashwagandha and it works well and I'm alert in the morning. I've also had good results with Passion Flower drops.
I took generic Benadryl at night for sleep for a lot of years. It always worked well for me for sleep, but then I learned it was making my restless legs worse, so I stopped taking it.
I tried melatonin -- didn't work at all. I tried magnesium -- diarrhea.
So now I just drink chamomile tea after dinner, and that seems to help with sleep. Yes, I do have to get up once during the night to go to the bathroom, but I almost always go right back to sleep.
I took Benadryl for itchy skin for years, so it doesn’t really make me sleepy unless I take 2. Usually my main issues are unbearable allergies or itchy skin, so I can take prescription hydroxyzine 10-20mg for that, which also helps with sleep/anxiety issues. I don’t take that very often, usually a few times a month at worst.
Otherwise, I tend to rely primarily on teas like chamomile/sleep time/relaxation teas. I usually have to get up to go to the bathroom once at night regardless and the tea does not change this.
One thing that seems strange is that so many people feel they have insomnia as they age. Perhaps we just need less sleep as we get older?
I have always been quickly able to fall asleep, but I often wake up at 3:30 to 4:30 and then can't fall back asleep. Now I just get up and read. If I get sleepy, great, I lay down and sleep. If I don't, great, I get my reading for the day done early and I don't seem to suffer from the loss of sleep during the day. If I have a very bad night where I get way too little sleep, the next night I am out like a light and sleep all the way through. I've found that stressing about not sleeping is just worse for me then simply getting up and starting my day at 4 am.
If I simply MUST sleep, such as before a long trip or something where I know I'll need to be at my well-rested best, I will take the occasional Benadryl (or two) and ask Alexa to play "Ocean sounds" using the sleep sounds skill, and then ask it to set a one hour sleep timer. I will be out in about 25 minutes and sleep through. I do find it best to make sure that my room and bed are comfortable temps (cool room, warm bed for me), and that I stay off electronic devices before bed, and don't drink a lot of water or alcohol for 3 hours before bed (one makes me wake up to pee, the other just wakes me up after the first couple hours).
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.