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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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How To Treat Insomnia ?

I am a 29 y/o Female and I have insomnia and have suffered from this since childhood. I have no insurance and have been using Diphenhydramine for the last few year every night I usually take 50mg and have not built much of a tolerance, which I hear is common. Is this safe?
Mon, 3 Feb 2014
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Psychiatrist 's  Response
Hello,
Thanks for choosing health care magic for posting your query.
I have gone through your question in detail and I can understand what you are going through.
Diphenhydramine is having anti cholinergic action and with time it will lead to cognitive deficits and hence it is not safe. Instead you should try to maintain a good sleeping to improve your sleep.
1) Have some aerobic workouts during day preferably in the morning.
2) Have a light dinner.
3) Completely avoid coffee/tea/alcohol/energy drinks/coke/smoking.
4) Have a warm water bath before going to sleep.
5) Dont try very hard to go to sleep. If you are not sleepy then sit on a couch or sofa and do some reading and go to the bed only when you are sleepy.
6) Avoid watching tv or working on laptop/computer or bright screens at night.
7) Keep the lighting of your bedroom dim and make your bed every morning after you wake up so that you get a cozy bed to sleep at night.
8) Use your bedroom only for sleeping and resting and do not do any other work there.
9) Avoid afternoon nap for any reason.
If the symptoms still dont improve then you may need to use zolpidem or alprazolam for sleep.
Hope I am able to answer your concerns.
If you have any further query, I would be glad to help you.
In future if you wish to contact me directly, you can use the below mentioned link:
bit.ly/dr-srikanth-reddy

Wish you good health,
Kind regards
Dr. Srikanth Reddy M.D.
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How To Treat Insomnia ?

Hello, Thanks for choosing health care magic for posting your query. I have gone through your question in detail and I can understand what you are going through. Diphenhydramine is having anti cholinergic action and with time it will lead to cognitive deficits and hence it is not safe. Instead you should try to maintain a good sleeping to improve your sleep. 1) Have some aerobic workouts during day preferably in the morning. 2) Have a light dinner. 3) Completely avoid coffee/tea/alcohol/energy drinks/coke/smoking. 4) Have a warm water bath before going to sleep. 5) Dont try very hard to go to sleep. If you are not sleepy then sit on a couch or sofa and do some reading and go to the bed only when you are sleepy. 6) Avoid watching tv or working on laptop/computer or bright screens at night. 7) Keep the lighting of your bedroom dim and make your bed every morning after you wake up so that you get a cozy bed to sleep at night. 8) Use your bedroom only for sleeping and resting and do not do any other work there. 9) Avoid afternoon nap for any reason. If the symptoms still dont improve then you may need to use zolpidem or alprazolam for sleep. Hope I am able to answer your concerns. If you have any further query, I would be glad to help you. In future if you wish to contact me directly, you can use the below mentioned link: bit.ly/dr-srikanth-reddy Wish you good health, Kind regards Dr. Srikanth Reddy M.D.