Thanks Ramses, I'll try it. Hash

I noticed that the start of my long-term sleep disorder, coincided with the emergence of the dark daydreams and sense of paranoia that were a part of my daily life when I was not taking antidepressants. I understand that the act of dreaming cleanses the system of all of the toxic thoughts that build up throughout the day. So if I am not aware of having dreams, except only rarely, I would suppose that this lack of release would naturally result in the kind of psychological discomfort that can be disabling and traumatic. It tends to indicate that my sleep does not often reach the level of Rapid Eye Movement that creates dreams.

I am wondering whether anyone else has noticed a link between the inability to dream, and a mental distress during their conscious life.

I've noticed that cyproterone acetate and ethinylestradiol affect my sleep patterns.

When I was on cyproterone acetate (52 mg per day) and ethinylestradiol (35 ug per day), I felt sleepy all the time. This made it difficult for me to drive for long distances, and I found myself needing to sleep in the afternoon as well as night-time.

After orchiectomy, I gave up cyproterone acetate and raised my ethinylestradiol to 50 ug per day. My sleep requirements returned to normal, but I found myself developing sleep state misperception, i.e. when I woke up in the morning I would find myself believing that I had not slept at all. After a couple of months, I got used to this, and I am now satisfied with my sleep patterns. I guess that knowing about sleep state misperception in advance of actually experiencing it helped me to adjust to it.

Also, I have noticed that the processes of falling asleep and waking up seem more gradual now than they did before I started hormones. This means that I am more conscious of having vivid dreams as I fall asleep and wake up.

Having had life long sleep problems, I try to role with it.

As a kid I needed excessive sleep.

At 60 it changed to where my, "sleep switch" does not switch.

I can be sleepy, tired, yawning, go to bed, and hour later - awake and gotta get up.

Sometimes Melatonin works although I take at least 15 mg. The studies were done with much, much more.

Rarely, Halcion, Valium, type med work even taken in doses as to make me walk like a drunk. The sleep switch does not switch.

Requip - the restless legs medicine, 1 mg sometimes work.

The "anti-histamines" do not work on me. Nyquil, Benedryl, or heavier

Phenergan. So heavy it is almost - Thorazine.

My one belief is not to take anything regularly and rarely beyond 2 nights in a row.

It is my belief the medicine I do need to, Switch my "Sleep Switch", the barbiturates, are no longer available anywhere in the world. Go ahead - please prove me wrong. I have asked travelers to far lands. Not even in Thailand. So if Michael Jackson, oh it has to come back to Michael had similar sleep problems, and no barbiturates available - he bought his anesthesia. Makes sense to me.

Among my natural favorites is, a full belly of meat and potatoes topped off with a bowl of vanilla Ice Cream. Vanilla because of aroma therapy.

Second best are, a cup of warm milk with a few drops of vanilla and sweetened. Cookies. Nuts. Cheese. Hearty Midnight Snack. More Vanilla Ice Cream.

Having lost 25 pounds on Atkins, <bow> <bow> I discovered the counting carbs Ice Cream, Although satisfactory for an Ice Cream fix,,, did not induce sleep as full strength, Vanilla Ice Cream.

And mostly I get up, over and over, make early AM posts here. Make mid AM posts here and finally crash at sunrise and sleep my best sleep to noon. So I try to live with it although it is frustrating beyond 2 AM.

It helps to be retired.

Opps this started as natural Eunuch sleep aids.

And whether Eunuchism is a sleep aid.

I seem to remember in decades, and decades ago - A Sweet Smelling Desirable Lady Who Would Do The Big, "IT" with Moi, yielded great sleep too. Wish I could get an Rx for it, I mean her.

I might suggest something different,

Have you had a sleep study?

I have always had bad sleep but sense I got the C-Pap machine I go to sleep in minutes and sleep a solid 7 to 8 hours.

Just a thought,

Do you snore? stop breathing? don't get into REM sleep, Only a sleep study will be able to tell you this.

River