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Valerian???

R

ROON

Aug 5, 2006
5,029
19
Sydney, Australia
www.myspace.com
#1
Any of you TBers use this stuff?

I've been having a lot of trouble getting to sleep lately, largely due to lots of things being on my mind when I'm trying to snooze. My best friend has the same problem, and his psychiatrist recommended he tried some valerian tablets to help him relax at bed time. So I was talking to my friend and he gave me a few to try. These pills can be found at your local supermarket, so don't worry, I'm not taking someone else's prescription medicine.

Anywho, I've read a bit about it on the internet and I've found that in a few people it can cause these weird things called "night terrors"... which I don't really want to experience. :p It does actually say you should consult a doctor or someone before trying it. Main thing is I can't sleep a lot of the time because I'm in a very negative mood when I go to bed. I'm wondering if my negative mood combined with all the stuff I worry about could have some weird side affect. Like one of these night terror things which sound pretty unpleasant.

So, anyone tried it and got any info to share? :)

Cheers,
Josh
 
#2
Although they are probably mostly harmless, at 16, I would be more inclined to try meditation or relaxation techniques before bedtime than taking tablets to help you sleep. Its a bad habit to get into. The reality is life is stressful and you will find that this sought of thing (a lot of thoughts running through your mind) is a pretty common occurance throughout life. You are better off learning effective habits for dealing with it now, than start down the road of "self-medicating" to help you sleep, whether it be through sleeping tablets, alcohol, dope etc.

I am not anti-sleeping tablets in any way, but it should be a last resort as, at 16, its probably not good to get into taking them.
 
#4
I've used Valerian Root for many years as a sleep aid. I've always been a very light sleeper, getting up every hour throughout the night for a few minutes. I'd use the wake time to just walk through the house to check on the kids, the doors, house, etc. I usually would not have any problem falling asleep, at the beginning of the night nor through the night. I'm just a light sleeper. Well, on visits to my chiropractor, he said that I was not getting enough deep sleep and my body was not renewing itself properly. He started me using a product that contained Valerian Root, but now I just purchase Valerian at the store. I hesitate to give out the dosage that I take because you should check with your own doctor for what is right for you. On nights that something is really on my mind, Valerian does not work effectively. It's just not a drug to knock you out. However, it is very effective as an aid to achieve a deeper sleep. This has never been addictive. I know this because on occasions when I've run out, days might go by before I will have to remind myself that I should get some more. There have never been any symptoms of withdrawal, no shakes, and I've never experienced night terrors. Although, by achieving a deeper sleep, I've experienced what I would call normal dreams. Before Valerian, I rarely recalled having any dreams. Using meditation is good advice. A warm bath before bedtime has helped me. I read a couple of years ago that eating cheese helps in falling asleep. If I've had trouble falling asleep, even after the Valerian Root, I've tried the cheese and it worked, for me.
 
#5
Wasn't that the name of Arnold's girlfriend in Conan the Barbarian?? I loved that movie!

I've taken Valerian Root to try to get to sleep on occasion. Whether or not it actually works or not is something I'm not quite sure about. A shot of Nyquil never fails!
 
#6
Thanks everyone. :)

Mark- I'll definitely look into relaxation/meditation methods first. These pills were a kind of 'last resort' for those really bad nights. I don't really plan on taking them regularly. So I'll research some alternative methods, thanks for the reply. :smug:

Vorago- I've been dealing with the stress for quite some time. It's just the laying in bed for around three hours until my mind is clear enough to sleep that annoys me. Last week I went to bed at 10pm and didn't fall asleep until 6am. :hmm: As I said, I'll look into some alternative methods to solve my problem. :) Thanks for the reply.

KeiBau- I'm what you'd call a regular sleeper. I don't sleep heavily, or lightly. I've always had problems getting to sleep, I noticed at a very young age it'd take me anywhere up to about 5 times longer than my friends for me to fall asleep. They say that it takes the average person 20 minutes to fall asleep, that's certainly not the case with me. But with lots of things on my mind recently it's turned from something I've learnt to live with to something that is incredibly irritating. I'm a bit hesitant to try the pills because once I finally do fall asleep, I don't wake up, I sleep pretty well. I'm a big cheese fan, so I might have to try that. :D
 
#8
ROON said:
Thanks everyone. :)


KeiBau- I'm what you'd call a regular sleeper. I don't sleep heavily, or lightly. I've always had problems getting to sleep, I noticed at a very young age it'd take me anywhere up to about 5 times longer than my friends for me to fall asleep. They say that it takes the average person 20 minutes to fall asleep, that's certainly not the case with me. But with lots of things on my mind recently it's turned from something I've learnt to live with to something that is incredibly irritating. I'm a bit hesitant to try the pills because once I finally do fall asleep, I don't wake up, I sleep pretty well. I'm a big cheese fan, so I might have to try that. :D
Click to expand...



I guess this is where each of us is different, have unique experiences and needs. I usually fall asleep within a few minutes, way less than the twenty mentioned. It's just that I sleep very lightly, waking up every hour, then falling back to sleep. I've had numerous occasions through life, when I was younger, where friends would try to disprove my extremely light sleeping. They would try to discreetly do something to me at night, but I would always catch them so quickly that they thought I slept with my eyes open, or never slept at all. I always thought that was a neat thing, but now realize the value of a sound night's sleep. My wife always felt more secure at night, knowing that I was "on guard" for the family at night, better than the dog was. Even the dog slept more soundly than I did.
 
#9
ROON said:
Vorago- I've been dealing with the stress for quite some time. It's just the laying in bed for around three hours until my mind is clear enough to sleep that annoys me. Last week I went to bed at 10pm and didn't fall asleep until 6am. :hmm: As I said, I'll look into some alternative methods to solve my problem. :) Thanks for the reply.
Click to expand...

I experience this when I have a big exam the next day, I've passed exams with 16/20 with only 2 or 3 hours of sleep. The problem is that you crash completely once the exam is over, so if you have another exam the next day, you're screwed.

One thing I do when I can't sleep because of stress, is close my eyes, focus on my breathing and repeat the word 'rust' (rest) on every exhale (in my mind obviously). It works sometimes, not always, but it's worth a shot.
 
#13
Mark Latimour said:
Although they are probably mostly harmless, at 16, I would be more inclined to try meditation or relaxation techniques before bedtime than taking tablets to help you sleep. Its a bad habit to get into. The reality is life is stressful and you will find that this sought of thing (a lot of thoughts running through your mind) is a pretty common occurance throughout life. You are better off learning effective habits for dealing with it now, than start down the road of "self-medicating" to help you sleep, whether it be through sleeping tablets, alcohol, dope etc.
Click to expand...


+1

This is really great advice.
 
#14
ROON said:
Any of you TBers use this stuff?

I've been having a lot of trouble getting to sleep lately, largely due to lots of things being on my mind when I'm trying to snooze. My best friend has the same problem, and his psychiatrist recommended he tried some valerian tablets to help him relax at bed time. So I was talking to my friend and he gave me a few to try. These pills can be found at your local supermarket, so don't worry, I'm not taking someone else's prescription medicine.

Anywho, I've read a bit about it on the internet and I've found that in a few people it can cause these weird things called "night terrors"... which I don't really want to experience. :p It does actually say you should consult a doctor or someone before trying it. Main thing is I can't sleep a lot of the time because I'm in a very negative mood when I go to bed. I'm wondering if my negative mood combined with all the stuff I worry about could have some weird side affect. Like one of these night terror things which sound pretty unpleasant.

So, anyone tried it and got any info to share? :)

Cheers,
Josh
Click to expand...

Let me ask you this. Are you on the computer right up until you go to bed?
 
#16
Mark Latimour said:
Although they are probably mostly harmless, at 16, I would be more inclined to try meditation or relaxation techniques before bedtime than taking tablets to help you sleep. Its a bad habit to get into. The reality is life is stressful and you will find that this sought of thing (a lot of thoughts running through your mind) is a pretty common occurance throughout life. You are better off learning effective habits for dealing with it now, than start down the road of "self-medicating" to help you sleep, whether it be through sleeping tablets, alcohol, dope etc.

I am not anti-sleeping tablets in any way, but it should be a last resort as, at 16, its probably not good to get into taking them.
Click to expand...

A great, big, fat +1 to that.

The other thing to remember is that sleeping tabs will often effect you the day after you take them. If you take them the before you go to sleep, the effects usually lasts through the night as well as some/much of the following day.

Personally, I really think you are better off learning to relax yourself before bed.
 
#18
Valerian helps me relax enough to get to sleep.

Have you ever researched Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome? Your symptoms sounds exactly like mine and a sleep specialist diagnosed me with that.

Melatonin made me feel very drowsy the next day. It also caused lab rats to go sterile, but hasn't been studied enough to prove if it has similar effects on humans. It is also very habit forming. I formed a dependancy on it to get to sleep.

A nice hot bath/shower, relaxation of some sort, or, as Maki said, some porn and "rubbing one out" before bed could help.

I have had the same problem for as long as I can remember, even when I was a kid. Valerian helps me, but I can't say what it will do for you.

Also, I took some over the counter sleep aids (not natural like melatonin and valerian) and I heard people knocking on my walls, so stay away from those.

Hope this helps.
 
#20
PrimusNut said:
Have you ever researched Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome? Your symptoms sounds exactly like mine and a sleep specialist diagnosed me with that.
Click to expand...

Hi PrimusNut,

Thanks for mentioning that, I read up on the syndrome and it sounds very likely that I might actually have it. Then again it could just be a teenage thing. I'll speak to my parents about it!

Thanks again, :)
 

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