I Have Trouble Sleeping -- Nyquil Helps

The active ingredient in NyQuil is diphenhydramine, the same active ingredient as Benadryl. It is an antihistamine.

Antihistamine use has been associated with dementia and weight gain.

Have you tried melatonin, OP? How about exercise during the day and good sleep hygiene (consistent bedtime, no screens for an hour before bed, dark and cool room)?

Nyquil has a lot of Acetaminophen (Tylenol). Be careful of the dosage, and don't take any additional medication containing Acetaminophen for aches and pain. It can wreck your liver.

I have struggled with insomnia since I was 10 years old. I'm now close to 50.

I have a wonderful psychiatrist who says people in inpatient care who can't sleep are given melatonin now, nothing stronger. 2 mg works for me. Most people take too much—there are 10 mg dosages available, and that can make you drowsy the next day.

I also have a wonderful therapist who is also an insomniac. He told me, "When the body wants to rest, it will rest." That alleviated a lot of my anxiety about being unable to sleep. Do you have a 9-to-5 job, or can you stay up and do something productive until you naturally feel tired and just sleep later?

have an edible an hour or so before bed. I used melatonin for a few weeks back when I worked overnight shifts and it would help me nod off...and then wake up in a panic. Never again with that shit.

R4, I have primary insomnia and so do many of my relatives. Without medication, we do not sleep.

OP, I suggest you consult a neurologist and get a sleep study done. If you have sleep disorders, they will diagnose them.

There's a good percentage of alcohol in NyQuil too.

I took Tylenol PM for over 25 years and I ended up with liver failure so now I have to take melatonin . It gets the job done.

It depends on what kind of Nyquil you're taking. It might be the diphenhydramine helping you sleep, but if you're taking a nighttime formulation, it's probably dextramethorphan. That's what knocks me out. I used to take Benadryl, but switched to a nighttime Nyquil because I like getting knocked out.

You should not take it long term. Try Melatonin.

A blow job before bed helps too.

I have had insomnia all my life.

R4 I wish that worked for me. But I would stay up for up to 48 hours before I slept if I didn't have sleep aids. It sucks. Truly. Melatonin does not work for me.

The only thing that worked for me is taking the very lowest dose of Seroquel (25mg). It's technically an anti-psychotic. At its "normal" doses - I think 400mg or so - it's given to schizophrenics. Which makes sense. It's job is to quite an active mind, not actually put someone to sleep. It just works that way for non schizos.

It works like magic for me. There's no hangover at all - it's not a narcotic. If I don't take it there's no ill feelings. And it's not hard on the liver at all.

Some people gain weight on it, but I haven't.

So does a good jerk off OP

Try melatonin. 1-2 hours tossing and turning isn't critical but it is annoying. Get a sleep study done you might be in beginning stage of apnea.

I've been taking indica CBD gummies. It seems to help but a glass of wine or a martini works as well.

Nyquil has a formulation that contains only the sleep-inducing ingredients and none of the rest. Marketed it as Zzzquil. Since you know Nyquil helps you, you should check this out.

Thanks for the recommendation, r15!

Thank you to everyone for all the information and good advice. I appreciate it.

I hope you sleep tonight, OP. If not, I'll leave the light on for you.

Add Ambien to the NyQuil if you really need some sleep. Just don't do it if you need to be somewhere the next day. And don't do it often.

R7, NyQuil used to be 25% alcohol, back in the 80s.

R8, sorry to hear that. How is your liver now?

I knew about the hepatotoxicity of acetaminophen, but not about the link between diphenhydramine and dementia. That’s troubling because so many people use decongestants regularly.

In France I took a tiny white pill sold at the pharmacies there.i suspect it’s a form of diphenhydramine. I should have looked more carefully at its composition, but I wasn’t so careful at that time in my life.

I tried everything but manage well enough on an old tricyclic antidepressant called amitriptyline. I think it’s a mild antidepressant sometimes given under the name Elavil. I take it for migraine and it’s prescribed by my neurologist. It’s also really inexpensive even without good insurance. $3 or $6 for 90 days on Amazon pharmacy (I know this once because I once tried Amazon’s pharmacy, and my insurance wasn’t registered with them, so they filled the 90 day script at retail cost, and it was less than my insurance copayment).

R15 Zzquil is same drug as Benadryl. Diphenhydramine HCI

I had sleep problems starting around age 50; no real problem going to sleep but would wake often and be unable to fall back asleep. Zzzquil worked well but it was expensive and I was still drowsy in the morning. Now I take Costco's Sleep Aid. This uses doxylamine succinate (the same active ingredient as Unisom). I still wake up in the night but fall back asleep easily. I get 7-8 hours a night now with no residual drowsiness.

Hmm, never realized that, R23. It does, however, have the decongestant and Acetaminophen in regular Nyquil removed.

Try taking a blend of passionflower and valerian, and maybe a *very* small dosage of melatonin (about 0.3mg liquid extract, or small slice of a gummy if it comes in 2mg or whatever) This works wonderfully for me and I have suffered from insomnia all my adult life. Less is more when it comes to melatonin. Also make sure you are getting a sufficient amount of exercise during the day.

Just some natural recommendations to help your sleep.

Try to set a regular sleep routine.

You may be magnesium deficient. Magnesium L Threonate is beneficial to sleep rhythms.

Don't have any caffeine after 3pm.

Don't eat anything heavy after 8pm and avoid snacks.

A good option is to put a red light bulb in a lamp and turn off all lights except for that at least one hour before going to bed.

Your bedroom should be cool.

Have no lights on your room when you go to bed.

Go to bed everyday at about the same time.

If you wake up at night, don't look at clock, it only provides anxiety.

Have an alarm that wakes you up at the same time.

Get natural light in the morning as early as possible. Sunlight would be ideal, but just being outside makes a difference in setting your circadian rhythm.

Go to your dr and ask for sleeping pills

R10- Giving or getting?