Need a good recommendation for a sleeping pill to take the night before the exam. Got a total of fours hours sleep the past two years combined. Melatonin is a no-go as I used to take it quite a bit before and it has little effect on me now. I think it goes without saying that I’m looking for something that puts me to sleep but doesn’t leave me super drowsy the next day. OTC preferred but I don’t mind getting a prescription.
I am not sure if you are serious about this…
If you are, I recommend taking a two hour run and a hot shower before going to bed EARLY. If that doesn’t work finish off with a room-temperatured beer. Never rely one substances to achieve your goals!
If you’re going to try anything, don’t use it for the first time the night before. Use it every night the week before the exam.
What is it that is keeping you awake? Anxiety I take it?
Try practicing more natural methods from now until the exam. Meditation, exercise, good diet, getting on a normal sleep pattern…
Sleeping pills just seem like a bad idea all around.
So funny story, I was at my parents’ house night before last years exam. My parents have poultry. Well obviously was very anxious, and finally fell asleep around midnight (I usually have 0 problems sleeping so this was abnormal). Couple minutes later, I hear blood curdling screams from outside. Apparently some raccoon got into the chicken coop. It was a scene from horror movies. I ended up finally sleeping around 3 am and got up 3 hours later.
Moral of story- even if you don’t get enough sleep, if you have enough stress the night before you will stay awake during exam. (However I fell asleep during 7 exam, no joke, so maybe this isn’t the right approach).
Hot whisky always puts me to sleep, and exercise on day of exam will wake me up too- can you bike to exam location? Plus if you’re sweaty and smelly it will distract other candidates which will up your chance of passing (that’s how it works right)
I highly recommend that you take a bunch of mind-altering chemicals that you have never tried within 12 hours of the exam, including (but not limited to) Nyquil, Ambien, Xanax, Adderall, crystal meth, Red Bull, muscle relaxers, LSD, and 'shrooms.
Last year I went for a long run midday, ate a good meal, took a bath with epsom salts and finished it off with two beers before bed. Still only got two hours sleep.
To answer another’s question, yes I have a little anxiety. Funny how I’ve never had anxiety whatsoever during the tests (or any other test for that matter).
Booze actually disrupts a good night sleep. It might make it easier to pass out at first but overall you’re gonna get a more garbage night of rest than if you go at it naturally. I’m not even sure what you’re looking for exists to be honest. I don’t have any experience with Zzzquil or Ambien though so I guess I’m not the best person to ask.
You will be anxious and you will sleep like crap before the exam, this is normal OP. Try to relax the night before the exam, re-read your notes one last time, take a bath and think about the good things in life.
If you suffer from anxiety on a regular basis, you might want to consider spending a few minutes each day patting yourself on the back for what you accomplished or are grateful for rather than focusing on shortcomings (e.g., “Derivates are impossible but hey! I’ve got FSA down cold.”)
For an OTC option, consider taking 2 Tylenol PM. You won’t want to take Tylenol PM on a regular basis because it’s associated w/ liver damage.
Nyquil might make you groggy the next day.
You could also consider discussing Ambien w/ your doctor. It will knock you out in 20 minutes flat. But, it’s habit forming and a misery to get off of. A slower acting drug that doctors also prescribe for sleep is Trazadone. (Trazadone was originally prescribed as an antidepressant; its sleep-inducing properties are a side effect.)
I wouldn’t take any sleep aid the night before the exam that you haven’t tried already.
Drinking the night before is a bad idea:
(1) As previously mentioned, it does disrupt your sleep cycle and will leave you more tired in the morning.
(2) It will dehydrate you and dehydration is a major drain on your mental focus the next day.
camomile tea 6x day.
if you feel you need to increase your heartrate on exam day, smoke a cigar
a very heavy meal + a single beer early in the night should do it. You’re looking for a thanksgiving dinner effect. It could help to be a little sleep deprived going into your final sleep. Get 5-6 hrs for a few days before so that your body will be aching for a 7 hour sleep the night before the exam. You could also drop coffee the day before the exam to make you extra tired going into that sleep.
Eating a huge meal the night before the exam… I hope that advice doesn’t result in another sink incident.
lol. i try to sleep early. excitement cant get me to sleep. and when i finally do doze off. i wake up early anyways.
Ambien works great – but is aso very addicting.
The Nytol (diphenhydramine) that you can find in any grocery store works like a charm for me. Have you tried those? 
Seems like the obvious place to start.
Isn’t diphenhydramine the same as Benadryl? I take the full dose of that stuff when I have a bad cold, I’ll be out cold for 6-7 hours no problem (and it kills a runny nose). But I find the drowsy effects linger so be careful with it. Also tolerance builds very quickly. After a couple days its useless.
Wake yourself up early the day prior, get some excercise (cardio).
2 melatonin, 2 advil pm, 2 glasses of scotch, 2 rounds of hanky panky.
sleep like a baby.
^ agreed. busting a move wouldn’t hurt.