Trouble sleeping with Sertraline?

[tabbyx]

I've been on 100mg Sertraline for 6 weeks now and I've been great on them, the only problem I'm having is that I can't sleep. I could sleep all I want in the day, but when it comes to bed time, I really can't sleep at all.

Anyone have any hints or tricks to help me sleep? I can't keep being like this

[wendolene26]

I'm not sure about sleep problems specifically with Sertraline, I'm sure that's one of the many medications I've been on over the years but the side effects all seem to merge into one.

As for sleeping issues, I've found the best way to combat these is to have a strict bedtime routine. It doesn't have to be exactly the same as this but mine is something along the lines of:

couple of hours before bedtime light my scented oil burner in the living room, putting in relaxing oil such as lavender.

don't eat in the couple of hours leading up to bedtime.

drink herbal or milky tea if herbal's "not your thing" - no caffiene or alcohol.

an hour or so before bed, have a nice warm relaxing bath - depending on how long you can stick lying in the bath (I don't have much patience for sitting doing "nothing")

Listen to some calming music

Most important though - don't use the bedroom for anything else other than sleeping or "other" bedroom activities. If you read books in the bedroom, watch tv, play on your laptop, etc etc then your brain will get confused and not realise that the bedroom is for sleeping.

Try and go to bed at the same time each evening, if you're having trouble sleeping perhaps get up and do something for no more than half an hour then hop back in to bed. It's kinda common sense, but de-cluttering your bedroom (even if it's hiding stuff in cupboards) really does make a difference, and make sure you have thick enough curtains/blinds to enable the room to be dark so you can sleep.

These are all useful things to be doing, irrespective of any side effects the medication is having. If after all this for a week or so, you're still really struggling I would suggest asking the doc if a change in medication would be an option.

Keep talking here, and take care,

Wendolene x