I tried melatonin and every OTC herb/sleep aid on the market and none would help me stay asleep. you see, I would go right to sleep but then wake up at any time during the night. Might be awake for a couple of minutes or rest of the night. Doc put me on real low dose Amitriptyline and it does the trick. Very inexpensive script drug and I take three 10mg pills before bed and sleep great. No narcotic affect the next morning/day and during the night I will wake if I hear some noise but can go right back to sleep. Did I mention that it's real cheap? $7 to $12 per month depending on the market.

UPDATE:

I have been experimenting a little with OTC remedies. The best combo I have found is Emergen C with Melatonin and a cup of sleep aid from Dollar general. Now, mind you, this is about an hour before I want to go to bed. I have gotten about 6 hours of decent sleep taking this combo. But, one night, I went to bed and "thought" I was asleep and was having some weird dreams and would wake up about every 30 minutes looking at the clock. I finally went sound asleep after 1:30. That makes a 4:30 wake up tough!

I have read where some people that have taken Melatonin to help them sleep hallucinate somewhat or have screwed up dreams. Anyone on here had that happen?

I identified stressors and eliminated stress, exercise more regularly, avoid caffeine after 5 o'clock and food after 7 if possible, and try to read a little before turning out the light.

Breathing and relaxing helps, too. I don't follow this 4-7-8 method exactly but almost exactly, and it works. I do this maybe 4-5 times and I can feel my body almost sinking into the mattress as it relaxes and my brain turns off.

https://www.medicaldaily.com/life-h...-supposedly-put-you-sleep-just-60-332122


Proper sleep, which affects physical and mental repair and acuity, requires serious lifestyle changes.

Ambien puts me out for about 4 hours tops then im back up unable to sleep not to mention the weird dreams and the few times ive literally woke up fighting for my life throwing punches at nothing and snatching all the covers off the bed looking for "it" in some kinda PTSD episode takes a minute or two to realize you are still dreaming while awake scared my wife enough I had to stop. scared me too because i keep a pistol in the nightstand glad I never got ahold of it during one of those.

Best sleep aid I've ever used is a cpap. I put that sumbitch on, and I am gone in less than 5 minutes. Don't matter if it is 10:00 in the morning or 10:00 at night.

Yes, I took it once and dreamed I drove a charter bus in the ocean. Never took it again

I tested for a C-Pap a couple of weeks ago and they said I didn't need one, I was tickled. If I need a sleeping aid I just take a Benadryl.

I have the same problem but I also don't want to read 7 pages of posts. I don't snore and don't need a CPAP. Here's my routine:

1) Eat before 6:00PM only drink water afterwards
2) Increase your exercise program. That's one of the biggest for me.
3) Read a book before bed and try to wind down as much as possible, i.e. don't watch Rambo to try to fall asleep even though it's awesome when he tells Murdock he's coming for him.

if all that doesn't work try:

4) Get up earlier. Seriously.