Frequently. Sometimes I can tell myself I'm just resting and will be aware of being awake for a long time. Sometimes I'll get up and read or sit and watch the night sky, which is beautiful here when there isn't a cloud cover.

When I feel I really need to sleep, I'll take Sonata. It's called a sleep inducer. It seems that if you stay asleep OK, this might work for you. I tried Ambien and it gave me a hangover, no matter what the advertising says. Some doctors prescribe Trazadone, which happens to be a tri-cyclic anti-depressant.

***Just sharing from my own personal experiences and not suggesting my route is the correct one for everyone or that what I experience is the same as anyone else...***

Yes. I have trouble falling asleep. In fact, that trouble is at the core of my compliance problems. Since lying there with the contraption strapped to my face when I am not sleepy only makes me agitated, learned behavior and conditioning find me waiting until I actually get the sleepies before I even go to my bedroom - meaning, I have to have already nodded off for a second (or longer). Unfortunately, what often happens to me - at least once a week at best and sometimes for several nights in a row for me - I fall asleep in my studio while waiting for sleep to come because, for some reason, when it hits it is like getting clubbed.

I see twofold, contributing problems here...One is the lack of getting sleepy at a reasonable hour. The other, is trying to time my regimen so that I can gracefully transition from wake to sleep ritual.

For the first problem - getting sleepy when I want...After I did months of research, i settled on trying out medical cannabis and it has really helped. I have tried "brain chemistry" drugs and I do not fare well. Even the old school amyltriptayline - even at 25% dosage - made me feel so odd and out of it that I would rather not sleep. I did not even want to deal with stuff like Lunesta/Ambien because I am fairly sure I will be one of those who has more pronounced side effects. However, I do know it really works well with others so I am knocking it. Medical cannabis works for me because after about 1-1.5 hours or taking a dose, I get quite sleepy which actually can make my second problem of getting to bed gracefully harder sometimes. But, i have no hangover, no bad side effects. And, because the effects are pleasurable and relaxing, I tolerate my mask much more. In fact, that is the benefit I most appreciate - I am claustrophobic and that mask used to really piss me off. I even busted on hucking it across the bedroom.

I also tried Rozerem because it is much different than Lunesta/Ambien. It actually worked very well but again, I felt like I was in a haze for most of the next day so I dropped that. Rozerem does work differently as all it does it act as a melatonin agonist (pro-melatonin) to helpe the sleepies come on but beyond that, it does not neccesarily help people stay asleep like Lunesta/Ambien.

As far as staying asleep for me...The cannabis really helps - added about 2 hours to my sleep. But, I am happy if I get 5 hours in the end. :(

So, for me, in order of preference:
- Medical Cannabis
- Rozerem
- The rest...

If you just problems getting to sleep, Rozerem might be something to consider. If it doesn't make you foggy the next day, it might be a great one.


Good luck!
MC