Occasional Xanax Use For Sleep

Brief Answer:Occasional Xanax .5 mg will not lead to development of tolerance.Detailed Answer:Hello XXXXXXX Sorry you are having a stressful time. Using Xanax occasionally to sleep should not lead to tolerance. Usually we see some dependence developing when patients take Xanax in a scheduled way, particularly dosing around the clock. If you find that you are needing to take Xanax increasingly often, you may want to consider adding an SSRI for GAD. Escitalopram (Lexapro) has one of the best side effect profiles and earliest onset of action. Since you had a paradoxical effect with Trazadone, be sure to start on a low dose such as half the starting dose. Prescribing guidelines for Lexapro are to start all adult patients on 10 mg, but I have found that when people have a history of paradoxical reactions with psych meds it is best to start very low and increase slowly. It takes longer to start getting a therapeutic effect this way, but at least the medication is tolerated.You are probably also aware of behavioral techniques for calming the mind such as mindfulness meditation. When people are not used to doing this sort of thing, I like to suggest '4x4 breathing'. It can help calm and focus you fairly rapidly and is easy to practice. You get comfortable in a chair with hands in lap. Breathe in slowly counting to 4, focusing on the breath and breathe out the same way - 4 counts focusing on breath. Do this for 4 breath cycles. Then start over. To start with, do this for 4 minutes (you can go longer but it is easy to remember 4 minutes since everything else is '4'). When your mind wanders to anxious or agitating thoughts, gently acknowledge this and return to focusing on your breath.One other thing: Forteo does have nervousness listed as a possible side effect, but as you mention that you are having a stressful time right now, the chances are less likely that it is a side effect of this medication.i hope this information helps. Good luck to you!

Asked

2 Mar 2011 by Anonymous

Updated

22 May 2020

Topics

xanax, post traumatic stress disorder, sleep disorders, sleep

For occasional users, a urine test will usually not work past 4 days, but in heavy users, it can detect the substance for up to a week. Saliva and blood tests work on a much shorter timeline. Though they can detect Xanax soon after a dose is taken, saliva tests only work for 2.5 days after the last dose, and blood tests are only effective for a. Sleep disorders are not uncommon among individuals suffering from anxiety or depression, and the use of a drug such as Xanax can help the patient to relax so that it becomes easier to fall asleep and stay sleeping. This drug is not prescribed to people who occasionally struggle to be able to fall asleep.

Xanax Dose For Sleep

I am trying new medicines to help me sleep. I took 2mg Xanax tonight per order and it has been 2 hours. He decreased the Klonopin and I am going off 2 hrs. Can I go up in dosage or does it take time to get in your system?

Hey sc333,

The xanax will take upto two hours after taking it to reach maximum blood level. By the way, do not know if you smoke but smoking will decrease the absorption of xanax. If two mgs is what the doctor prescribed, I don't recommend you take more. The more you take the greater the chance of physical and emotional dependency.

There is no recommended dose for sleep in the literature. Again, it is done by individual and what your doctor prescribes.

I wish you sweet dreams sc333 and hope that you can find a quiet, peaceful place to try and sleep,

Laurie

Hi sc333,
I ususally feel 1 mg of xanax within 20 minutes. Respectfully, Laurie, I disagree a bit on the time it takes affect someone, but that is just my experience.

Laurie Shay is right, and it is a trial and error thing... everyone is different... Blaze22

i agree with you lemon xanax usually kicks in in 20mins and effects are gone in 2 hours.

I was reporting on the MAXIMUM blood levels being reached in UPTO 2 hours. The initial effects can be as minimal as .5 hours. The information I quote is from to pharmokenetics reported in the literature. So these are averages from the clinical studies. As we know, everyones metabolism is different and other meds etc can affect the absortion of the benzo.

Hope that clears up any confusion.

Laurie

Great info Laurie, I'm sure you are correct. Meant no offense, just offering my personal experience with Xanax.
xx
Lara

Yep, I understand, no offense taken.

Try warm milk and soft music. Try to repeay a montra. I ssay,' God love me. I am safe. I am in control. I am peace.'

Alternatives To Xanax For Sleep

This helps me.

I've been on alprazalom for years. It always helps me sleep. Now I've been up most of the night, with the exception of an hour. I had to split my 1mg, earlier this evening, as I suffer from Panic disorder. II tried my breathing, focus, technique. It didn'tvworkthis time. I have also been sick with what I woud say is a minor cold. I took the other half hours later. I really need sleep. I'm 67 with CAD. I've tried Melatonin, and other OTC meds in the past, all to no avail. Any thoughts?

Thanks for all the responses! I slept like a baby. I took one around 730 and when I was not asleep in 2 hours I became Nervous so I did take the other one and was asleep in no time. I dont know if it was because I was sleep deprived or what. I will try the one tonight. I just thought if 2 did not work I might need to call the d. I dont smoke, I just dont sleep! Thank you again for all your help. I will keep you updated.~Sharon

Hey Sharon,

Glad to know you got a good nights sleep. I prayed you would, lol. I think you are smart to try the lowest dose possible before trying a further dose.

Thanks for the prayers! I do not like having to take medicine, even Advil, but I know if I need it I want the least amount. Is it normal to feel shaky and unstable at night when you get up or the morning?

Yes, dizziness, lightheadedness, and drowsiness are common side effects of the xanax. Please be careful when you arise at night and in the morning until you get use this medication.

Thanks LaurieShay~I felt dizzy this evening and nauseated so I lay down before a meeting. I slept peacefully for another 3 1/2 hours (not on purpose) but feel really good now. I took 1/2 of one and lay the other 1/2 out. Im hoping the 1/2 will be ok. Im wondering if this works should I tell my dr if I can take this as needed or do you have to be on it or off. Thanks to everyone for the info... my body has never been a by the book body and this whole med change has had me in circles. It helps to hear other peoples experiences

How Much Xanax To Sleep

It is ok to take xanax as needed. If the xanax is immediate release as opposed to xr (extended release), it is ok to cut in half also. If the prescription bottle says xanax xr then best to not cut in half. Take care girl,

Laurie

I take 1 and half mg and that puts me to sleep. I can't sleep with less. I would let your doctor know before going up. It takes me about 20 minutes to fall asleep but this me and you may need more or some thing added to it check with your doctor before you do anything.

I take Wellbutrin 300mg for depression and Strattera 25mg for ADD in the a.m., plus .125 Xanax in the a.m. to counteract the anxiety the Wellbutrin and Strattera can sometimes trigger (especially without eating breakfast!). At night, I take .5 Xanax to sleep. By that time, the Wellbutrin and Strattera, which have given me motivation, energy and concentration during the day, have worn off pretty much, but I still need a little Xanax to get me sleepy enough. This has worked great for 4 years. I may need to increase the Xanax by .125 again (which means three .25mg pills) - I'll talk to my shrink about it next time, I still wake up during the night sometimes, like I'm not sleeping deeply enough.

Everyone's body chemistry is different - and please please please give the meds several weeks unless you're having life-threatening side effects - even several days isn't enough for your body to start effectively balancing itself out with the new chemistry. I can't tell you how many people in my AA meetings have gone off their meds after a few days or weeks because 'they're not working' or 'I'm fine now' - and end up using and sometimes dead!!!

I'm a 19 year old female and I weigh under 100 pounds, I take 20 mg of adderall in the am and CAN'T sleep at nigh I took 1mg of Xanax at 11pm and 1 more mg at 230am and it's 5 am and still can't sleep, anyone else use anything that workes better for them then Xanax ?

Xanax is considered the gold standard for anxiety/ insomnia. Trust me, all the others are just weak in comparison. I've tried them all. 2 mg is a fairly low dose. Talk to your Dr. About increasing your dosage. I take up to 6 mg some nights but definitely bring this up to your Dr first. Insomnia totally sucks so I sure hope you get an answer and are able to finally get some rest!

Please do not listen to the guy that said 6mg. That is an insanely high dose. At under 100 pounds please go see a doctor, your not sleeping because your underweight and your body is hungry.

May try rivotril or zopiclone

I spoke directly to my dr and pharmacist. It is safe to take over the counter extra strength sleep aid and 1 to 1and a half along with one or even two over counter. I use generic of unisom. It's cheaper and it works like a charm.

that Adderall probably offset it

I've been taking generic Lunesta for 5 years. It's non-habit forming and works well. Sometimes when I still wake up too early, I take .25 generic Xanax for 2 hours of sleep.

I was taking Mirtazapine for years... and that KNOCKED me out... I recently switched to Xanax only because of a random side effect of Mirtazapine (dry cough) and Xanax isn't working for my anxiety or Insomnia ... Insomnia is back after 5 days ... Also Mirtazapine increases your appetite so you'll gain weight which I loved because I was 108 lbs at 5'8' ... I'm 125 now... So maybe it Mirtazapine will help with the weight and insomnia.

I was taking Mirtazapine for years... and that KNOCKED me out... I recently switched to Xanax only because of a random side effect of Mirtazapine (dry cough) and Xanax isn't working for my anxiety or Insomnia ... Insomnia is back after 5 days ... Also Mirtazapine increases your appetite so you'll gain weight which I loved because I was 108 lbs at 5'8' ... I'm 125 now... So maybe it Mirtazapine will help with the weight and insomnia.

Try 3mg Xanax XR. They're kind of like super Klonopin. They are slow release so they keep you asleep all night. From what I understand 1/2 of the med is released right away and the rest is slowly feleazed over the next 10-12 hours.

The 1 mg xanax for me personally, takes about an hour. I wish you the best. All my doctors are refusing to continue giving me Xanax. It's the only med that works. They say they don't like to give a 67 year old xanax. Duh. I've been on it for 15 years. My previous Dr. gave me 120 per month. 2 a day for panic disorder. 2 at night for sleep. New Doctor this year, cut me down to 30 a month. When I have a panic attack, I have to try self healing. Last night I had to take .5, due to SEVERE panic attack
I took the other half hours later. No sleep. I'm happy you have a Dr. who understands your need. Take Care...

yes junkies are causing us to get proper treatment. they want to put people on ssri or snri antidepressants which you could possibly take the rest of your life and need to ween off

I don't understand Dr. refusing xanax after 67 yrs of age. At 89 yrs I can manage with 1mg for sleep but could not sleep without. I've tried.

My MD recommended 1/2 of a .50mg pill alternating nights. I take it when I get in bed about 10:30,
it kicks in while I am a sleep. It allows me to sleep longer before the nightly john trip and lets me fall back to sleep quickly instead of laying awake. With a 1/2 life of 12 hours, at midmorning its at .125 strength. I haven't had any craving on the non-pill nights but occasionally lay awake for an hour or two, but I resist the urge to take a pill. Been doing this for 4 months.

I believe the values are wrong. 1/2 of a 0.50 mg pill is 0.25 mg. I don't understand the 1/2 life of 12 hours. You say at mid morning its at .125mg. If you would explain it ,I Thank you in Advance,

Thank you
B.

You misread..I cut a .50 mg in half and take one half, i.e .25mg. 12 hours later the dosage is .125.

Occasional Xanax Use For Sleep Deprivation

If it hasn't hit in 2hrs it isn't. Xanax can make you sleep but taking it to sleep is a horrible idea regularly. The more often you use it for sleep the more you tolerate it. If you are overly anxious or restless take no more than you absolutely need and DO NOT MAKE IT HABITUAL. It is fast acting and short lived. Getting lowered on klonopin is going to cause an increase in anxiety, restlessness and all sorts of fun things. Look more into withdrawal off klonopin. Many doctors do it way too fast worsening original problem. Talk to your prescriber and be honest about your use. At 3mg/ day, I would go days or weeks without it but if I was anxious it would take 5-6 to just calm me. (That is rare and around triggers are usually can avoid). The biggest thing is take no more than you need. If you really need to sleep, cut in halves or quarters and take THE ONE OF THE PIECES every 15-30.

You'll notice what is takes without unnecessarily taking more! If sleep is your problem regularly I strongly suggest talking to your doc about another rx. Seroquel is common but can cause sleep paralysis and vivid nightmares. There are great natural methods that work. Limit stimuli like light, noise, screen time, exercise more through the day, watch diet, etc.
In short, 2 hrs after 2mg hasnt hit you it probably wont and you'll start getting more restless. There is no average.

2mg seems like the recommended dose. I take Latuda for Bi polar depression. Also I an prescribed 2mg xanax to take at nighttime to help me sleep due to my mild anxiety. I'm a healthy, fit 38 year old Male and 2 mg works fine once at nighttime. Give it a good hour or so.

Occasional Xanax Use For Sleep Aid

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