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the link to the product is http://www.deltasleeper.com/
I had an allergic reaction to the plastic (which is medical grade, so go figure!) Only used it a short while before having to send it back. I believe it was starting to have some effect, too. Nothing but praise for the company and how they treat you. The device is first class as well. Not some garage made toy. Maybe someone will have better luck than I did.
I figured I'd give them a try and although they do a fantastic job of getting the melatonin moving and making me sometimes fall asleep earlier than I intend, my main issue is middle of the night wakenings and it unfortunately is not helping with that. The best thing I have been working with is raw unprocessed honey right before bed. Apparently it does something with the blood sugar levels changing during the night and I have noticed a pretty good difference, but not getting a full 7-8 yet. My latest is using blue light in the morning and afternoon to wake up and totally stop melatonin, and then the glasses 2-3 hrs before bed along with the honey right at bedtime. Too early to say if it is working, but my mood is awesome. I can't cite the refereces, but if you look just a bit you can find studies done on blue light and depression.
Working on this every night and not endorsing any specific product.
I know this originally started as a melatonin thread but I just wanted to mention that even though I had short term luck with melatonin, it seemed to poop out on me after a day or two as I believe I stated before.
Anyway, I am now using biofeedback during the day to calm my nerves and relax (as well as a bit before bed) and then I take a tablespoon of raw, unpasturized honey right before hitting the sheets. Google raw honey and sleep and you can read about the perfect glycemic index of honey and how it is stored in the liver and releases itself through the night and stops the body from releasing stress hormones and such. I've been getting close to an extra 90 minutes on nights that I don't wake real early or have to use the bathroom, and if I do have to get up for that, I fall back asleep quickly and my brain does not kick into high gear like before. Just something to think about or try. Regular honey sort of works, but if you read up on it, most “regular” store honey has been processed too much. I'm not sure I mentioned it before but I will again. I also used a pinch of Celtic Sea salt in a tiny bit of water and that worked as well, but I didn't want the extra sodium. There are articles around about salt and sugar mixed to make “sleep powder” with explanations as to why it works. From my experience, the salt alone seemed to do quite a bit and I suppose if your sodium is not high, it's worth a shot since you only use a pinch in like a shot of water. I normally fall asleep without much hassle but only sleep a few hours, so I'm not I guess what you call “typical” but I wake WAY too early. Check out honey and sleep, though…everyone. It's worth a shot if you think you tried it all.
'vydehi.arisetty' wrote:I am using melatonin and it helps me to get into sleep but after 2 to 3 hours I wake up and then even If I take melatonin it won't help. I get very minimal amount of sleep and that is not deep either 🙁
Regular melatonin did that to me. If you are not taking the extended release, give it a try. You might get close to 6 hours out of it, but it seems like our bodies get used to it or something. It doesn't quit working, just not as good as when you start. Oh, and you do not need a high dose at all.
For what it's worth.
Ok I have been using ces since late October and it is making a difference. So far I'm sleeping an hour longer on the average…and yeah I track this all in a sleep log. The sleep is very good, too. It feels like the cumulative effect is not some sales pitch, but that it does get better the longer you use a device. By the way, I'm not endorsing any of them or affiliated with any of the companies. Just giving my experiences. Stress levels are way lower and my depression is fading away slowly. My anxiety was improved really fast. I have two different devices I'm using now trying to figure out which I like best. All I can say is in my opinion and from my experience, these are not a scam as long as you get an FDA approved device via prescription and actually use it. Figuring out what works best for youmisnthe biggest challenge. I started by an hour a day all at once. Now I do two 20 minute sessions. One in morning and one in evening.
Oh, I also read an interesting thing about people who can't stay asleep. It involved blood sugar dropping through the night and apparently taking a spoon of honey at bedtime fixes the imbalance. I figured since a doc showed that to me and I didn't know about it, I'd go ahead and share it here. We need all the info we can get.
All for now.
I have seen improvements. I am not waking during the night at all and when I wake early, I am yawning and tired where I used to be fully awake. My overall sleep time has increased as well. Like medicine, using this has to be tweaked to work for each person though, so I'm not through experimenting. We are all different. The lady who introduced me to ces only uses it once a day in the evening for 30 minutes and was sleeping better in two weeks. After two months she sleeps through the night every night.
I would not consider myself an expert on this by far, but all the sleep specialists as well as MD's, psychologists, psychiatrists all say only to switch one variable at a time with sleep. That said, it is probably a trick to get an adequate assessment when you are tapering off a benzo and an AD while using the device.
From my experience so far, using the device twice a day for 30 mins each is working best for me. Also, you want your evening session to be no less than three hours before you try to sleep since your seratonin is raised and that will keep you awake. It does also raise your natural melatonin 25% which is better than a pill as we all know. These numbers and others are all on the stress.org site under a study from 2011 using a liss ces device. Not what I am using but I am happy so far with the results. They are cumulative and I'm giving it 60 days before a real opinion. I am a total skeptic though, but changes are happening. Sleep is a minor change so far but everyone I'm friends with are seeing me as less depressed as well as far less anxious.
I don't work for any of the ces companies or am trying to sell anything to anyone. I'm presenting this for information only. If this helps me sleep even a bit better, it's worth it to me. So far so good.
'Grambo' wrote:I havent heard of this kind of thing before. Is it specifically for curing insomnia? How does it work?
Gegatso, was your neighbor using this for their sleep? Does it work long term?
I forgot to answer all of this. I have done a load of research on these things lately and they are mainly for insomnia, with depression and anxiety secondary. It works by stimulating a nerve near the brain stem with a mild current of electricity that promotes chemical changes. One parer I read shows it increases serotonin as well as melatonin significantly, as well as a bunch of other good chemical changes. You use the device twice daily for starters, then as it works more, you can back off to just a couple of times a week. It is extremely easy to use, not uncomfortable – no feeling of being shocked or anything. I fell asleep a few times using it. You can not use it too much, and there are no contraindications with meds. I believe one of the papers I read has cautions if you have any electrical implants like a pacemaker, though.
Sorry for the double post.
My neighbor uses it for insomnia only. They also help for depression and anxiety and from what I have found, there are over 1000 reputable studies dating way back showing the devices as effective. Not hard to find online.
My neighbor has had great success, so I got another doc to write a script and I got a CES Ultra. Am already feeling a difference after just two days. They say you notice a difference after about two weeks and full effect can take up to two months in some cases, but this is looking good so far. I'm sleeping with less waking, feeling much less depressed, and I believe my anxiety level is dropping. I'm a total skeptic so I really don't think this is any placebo effect going on. If this flops, I have a 60 day return policy. I can't believe a medical device like this – approved by the FDA is not more mainstream. I guess it is too simple. As my doc said, a cured patient is a lost client.
By the way, my psychiatrist would not write the script, but my GP did, no questions. The CES Ultra people will put you in touch with a doctor on the phone for free who will determine if you can benefit from the device and write the script, so basically anyone can get one.
Oh, I'm having dreams now, too. That has been a long time, and I have seasonal affective disorder, so this is really making me happy after all the drug failures I have been through.
I always sleep worse in the winter months and have been diagnosed with SAD as well. Been using a lightbox for a number of years, but it only helps very little.
Right now I'm looking at things as going good because I'm getting 5 hrs on an average night, but that will drop to about 2-3 around November.
For what it is worth, I can fall asleep at the end of the day with no problem, but staying asleep is what is killing me.
'owl2020' wrote:I think the drug Latuda is used for bipolar disorder and other mental health conditions. The sleep benefit you are getting from it seems to be great and if there are no major bad side effects and you don't develop tolerance quickly then it sounds like a gift from heaven. However, I think you will have to take it for awhile to see if problems develop. In any event, I don't think the drug is something that people who just have insomnia and not a mental health problem are usually given a prescription for, unless you know otherwise.
With regard to magnesium citrate, i question how effective it can be unless you are deficient in magnesium because of your diet. If you take a multi-vitamin and eat a balanced diet you should be getting enough magnesium.
I have tried getting melatonin from foods that contain a lot but it doesn't seem to have much effect. In particular I have tried capsules with tart cherry powder as well as dried tart cherries and it doesn't seem to have much effect. I also try to eat plain Greek Yogurt and almonds later at night, but again I don't see much effect.
I was put on the Latuda for depression/anxiety and it works for that as well as an off-label choice. It's actually an atypical antipsychotic that is a very close cousin of Abilify. THey just tweaked a lot of the side effects.
Most people are deficient in magnesium and vitamin D. You can find out by a simple blood test. The magnesium in regular vitamins is magnesium oxide, which is almost entirely passed through your body with little to no absorbtion. Legally, they can say the vitamins have magnesuim, though.
I've tried eating different things before bed, but had no effect from anything. The melatonin I used was an extended release form in 5 mg tablets. Way more than anyone would need, but unfortunately you can't cut those pills like standard melatonin.
'Grambo' wrote:How is the magnesium citrate working? I've not tried that. Is it a natural supplement?
It is natural as well as the easiest form of magnesium for your body to absorb by FAR. The downside is loose stools. Sometimes real loose. It worked well, but my doc had a revelation and put me on a med called Latuda that is giving me a consistant 7-8 hrs a night about 9 out of 10 nights. Better still, I'll fall asleep when I want and don't wake up with a hangover. Thank God for insurance because it is very, very expensive.
I have read that magnesuim citrate is one of the best forms available for bioavailability. I've recently started taking it in the afternoon and about a half hour before bed and am noticing a definite difference. It's also having an impact on my anxiety and depression as well. I have read that is needed for over 300 chemical reactions in the body, and that most Americans are deficient in it.
In addition to that, I recently purchased a really nice white noise machine that uses a fan, not some electronic loop recording. It is doing an excellent job of blocking out sounds that would normally wake me. I do not sell or endorse any products, and am just providing this as information as to what I have been trying since it is looking hopeful.
I've tried them on and off. It seems in my case the extended release ones will work for a day, but that's about it. Right now trying magnesium citrate. Have read tons of articles on it.
I know a few people who are using something called an Alpha-Stim for insomnia and are having good luck. It is an electrical device that uses a tiny current that goes through ear clips. I think they are a few hundred dollars and require a prescription. Not cheap, but I'm thinking of trying one. It's worth it to me to be able to sleep.
