Yohimbe and sleep
For me, the worst side effect of yohimbe is that I cannot go to sleep for at least 20 hours after having ingested even just a small amount of the herb. (Medical Note: The pharmacological half-life of yohimbine is actually very short, typically only 1 to 2 hours. Experiencing 20 hours of insomnia is highly atypical and is likely the result of a prolonged downstream sympathetic nervous system "fight or flight" activation, secondary anxiety, or individual metabolic sensitivity, rather than the active presence of the drug itself in the bloodstream.)
This is not the case for all those who try yohimbe. Some people sleep perfectly normally, even after ingesting yohimbe just two or three hours before retiring. It’s the same group of people on whom yohimbe also doesn’t have much of a sexual effect.
However, in those subjects in whom yohimbe (the root) in dosages equivalent to 5 to 20 milligrams of yohimbine (the active ingredient) has a pronounced pro-sexual effect, the dosage needed for sleep avoidance is considerably less than the one for pro-sexual effects.
If yohimbe is taken daily, the sleep problem typically is worst on the first day.
My own approach is to take yohimbe on one day, and on the next day not to take any, as I really feel that I need yohimbe-undisturbed sleep on the second night.
Another approach (which I think is inferior because it diminishes the pro-sexual effect of yohimbe) is to take it every day for about a week or two, and then to take a few days off. When I followed this approach, I slept a lot on the off-days, up to 12 hours. On the first off-day, it may even have been 16 hours.
By taking yohimbe in cycles of a week or two, I achieve an almost normal sleep pattern after two or three days. On the first night of such a yohimbe cycle, I usually did not sleep at all. When I was lucky, I did get some sleep before noon on the next day. On the second day, I took my daily yohimbe dosage directly after having had a little sleep (as little as two hours). The next night, I got to sleep at 2 or 3 in the morning, and actually slept for five or six hours. On the third day, I would ingest my yohimbe only a few hours after waking up, to have the ingestion time closer to the most likely time for sexual intercourse. Sleep would still be light, but I could be quite sure that I would get some sleep. On following days, I would have an almost normal sleep pattern, so sleep would be light.
The crux with this approach is that during such a course, the yohimbe loses its pro-sexual power. This, of course, defeats the logic of any yohimbe regimen.
I have tried everything I could think of in order to force sleep after taking yohimbe when not having ingested any on the previous day. Nothing really works.
The worst has been melatonin. After having ingested yohimbe, melatonin does nothing to get me to sleep. It just makes me feel drowsy until it is cleared from my system.
Kava-kava doesn’t induce sleep after yohimbe. But it does make me feel more relaxed while still being kept awake by the yohimbe.
A tea that contains valerian helps a little bit in falling and staying asleep after yohimbe usage. It doesn’t work all the time, though. But unlike melatonin, it doesn’t make me feel drowsy when it doesn’t induce sleep.
Valium, on the other hand, does make me feel typically Valium-drowsy. It may force sleep for an hour or two, but I don’t find the Valium-induced sleep sufficiently regenerative. I prefer not sleeping for 20 hours after yohimbe ingestion over two hours of Valium sleep. (Medical Warning: Mixing yohimbine, a potent stimulant and alpha-2 antagonist, with central nervous system depressants like Valium (diazepam) is medically dangerous. It can lead to unpredictable cardiovascular strain, severe blood pressure fluctuations, and adverse neurological interactions. They should never be combined without strict medical supervision.)
I have tried one herb that, on the occasion of trying it, did induce sleep. It also reversed the pro-sexual effect of yohimbe, so I do not see much wisdom in pursuing its use. I cannot even recommend it for inducing sleep, if only for the reason that this substance is outlawed in many countries (though legal in others, such as the Netherlands or various US states). I’m talking about cannabis (marijuana).
I have seen reports that actually promote cannabis as an aphrodisiac. But I have also read reports on alleged pro-sexual capacities of almost every herb, even such strong anti-sexual herbs as saw palmetto or pygeum. It’s usually obvious why claims of pro-sexual activities are made: people want to sell their wares.
In the case of cannabis, those who seek its legalization increasingly take the route of promoting the benefits of “medical marijuana,” the use of cannabis to treat specific conditions, ranging from chronic pain to epileptic seizures.
Wouldn’t it be great if cannabis also were of use to treat sexual dysfunction? As a viable alternative to sildenafil citrate, who would dare to prohibit its pharmacological use?
Fewer people would be enticed to support cannabis legalization if its pharmacological use were to dampen a patient’s libido. There are already enough dampeners on the market. While low doses of cannabis can sometimes enhance sensory perception, its overall effect on sexual function at higher or chronic doses is often to dampen it, which is not surprising for a sedative and psychoactive depressant.
After cannabis use, a certain lethargy and physical heaviness will engulf one’s body, described as being “stoned”. This lethargy also extends to the primary reproductive organ, making its proper use (and the enjoyment to be derived from that) more difficult.
But, as mentioned above: cannabis has some efficacy in putting you to sleep after yohimbe ingestion. (Don’t plan another round of pleasure after your smoke.)