I've been suffering for at least the last few years........go to bed feeling like I could sleep for days, only to be left tossing every half-hour or so and just in and out of shallow sleep. I haven't dreamed for as long as I can remember, so I know I'm never getting to REM sleep. I'm looking at all the parameters, but I'm very healthy otherwise. Get plenty of exercise, eat right, don't feel like I'm overly stressed. I'm just interested to hear other peoples experiences, especially if you came across a solution that saw you turn it around. I have to do something about this, but I would prefer to do so without resorting to anything pharmaceutical if possible......
i'm a light sleeper and sometimes have trouble falling asleep when there's a lot going on in my head. days of physical exercise lead to better sleep and easier falling asleep to me. some nights where i foresee not to being able to fall asleep easily, i have 2-3 CBD gummies. i dream in most of these nights. bad sleep sucks.
I think the first thing you need is to get yourself into a real sleep study. There could be lots of "reasons". For myself, I've tried LOTS of different things and alcohol ended up being my go to for some time. Thing is, while it got me to sleep, it didn't really help me sleep BETTER. I still woke up feeling like crap. So for me, personally, I tried all the different natural remedies I could and I finally found something that really helps me. Key words on me. 3omg of melatonin and 1000mg of L-Tryptophan an hour to two before I'm ready for bed. Then sit back in a recliner with NO TV on and read a book. When I'm ready to get in bed and sleep, I will tend to sleep solidly for about 6 hours. I find, if I get GOOD sleep, 6 hours is all I need. Now there are certainly nights where it doesn't work, it's also very much trial and error and dependent upon stress levels. The dosage will also be different for different people. This is what works for me. L-tryptophan was the catalyst that seriously helped me though after getting moderate success with different doses of melatonin. (L-tryptophan is the amino acid in turkey that makes you want that afternoon nap after thanksgiving dinner.)
I've had shitty sleep since my CG days. I blame it on being awoken at all hours of the night to go out on missions and it's carried over to regular life these many years later. I refuse to use any kind of supplement because they make me feel like a zombie the next day. What's helped recently is getting an iWatch app that tracks my sleep. I have since analyzed and changed my patterns and feel like I'm having better sleep because of it. It may all simply be a smoke screen but knowing how I sleep is causing better sleep.
I agree with Phil, I'd try CBD before anything else. Then if it doesn't work I'd talk to drs but they will do a sleep study which is a pain in the ass and they will prescribe a shit load of drugs, which will probably work but come with their own issue
Agree with @noles19 I would avoid a sleep study at all cost. Nothing like not being able to NOT sleep as "normal" cause you've got a bunch of sensors and wires and machines with background lights and other shit hooked up to you for the doctor to then say...you've got a fucked up sleep pattern. Here is a C-Pap and loads of drugs to help you sleep.
That's exactly what happened when my dad went, he has sleep apnea but when he went to the study he couldn't sleep a wink with all the wires etc so it was a waste of time.
3 things that help me noticeably 1 - pop a melatonin, but don't make this habitual, use it on an as needed basis. Plus most OTC are way overdosed, you only need like 1 mg. Most are like 5-10mg, I buy 5mg gummies and bite them in 1/2. 2 - 200mg of theanine is also helpful I've found. It does not knock you out, just puts you in a more calm state. Theanine is an animo aside found in green tea 3 - Get a pair of blue light blocking glasses and start wearing them in the evening hours. All the artificial blue light pouring into your eyes from various screens and newer style LED lighting indoors will screw up your sleep cycle. Blue light actually tells your body to stop producing melatonin. Hence if you are looking at alot of it at night it will most assuredly result in less than optimal sleep. And as a side benefit they've found that excessive blue light exposure leads to pre-mature macular degeneration over time. Something like these have worked great for me. https://www.amazon.com/FEIYOLD-Blocking-Computer-Eyestrain-Transparent/dp/B07R4SG77T
Definitely try CBD, and don't be shy with it. Like ibuprofen, it works better if you take twice as much as you're supposed to. Tincture is the most efficient delivery. I use a high potency variety form from Pure Spectrum called Black Label. It's ~80mg CBD per dropper. Put it under your tongue for 60 seconds and swallow. There's no perceptible "effect", but I sleep better. I actually take it in the morning also and it seems to help my body recover and deal with inflammation. I've struggled with sleep forever and I've noticed that the type of exercise I get matters. I sleep better when I lift heavy shit. For some reason, I'll run 20 miles on a saturday, have a couple of beers at night, and barely be able to keep my eyes open at 10pm. Then I go to bed and can't sleep to save my life. When I'm regularly lifting heavy, I nearly sleep through the night. Not sure what that's all about.
take the sleep study with a grain of salt like the other ones mentioned. when i did that, my sleep was interrupted by being uncomfortable, hooked up, that the bad snoring for example never occurred. i also couldn't fall asleep right due to no "helpers" i know i needed the machine and would have paid out of pocket but the dr said i don't need one. waste of time. screen time and evening entertainment is definitely a factor too. a night out on the deck with good music lets me (fall a-) sleep better than 4 episodes of breaking bad before midnight. if you insist on browsing before going to bed, look into screen glasses that filter the blue
I'm a fan of the occasional toke, but apparently cannabis induced sleep is no bueno. Something about the THC doesn't allow REM sleep. Science and shit. I'm too dumb to understand.
Good point. I have one of those whoop straps. It's good to actually see how much sleep you're getting vs just going off how you feel. Too many other mitigating factors there.
I got a Fitbit for running recently and found the sleep tracker very helpful. Of course the running probably helps too.
I used to have it bad back in the 2000's. It has gotten better to the point now that I might go all year with no major episode. But when it hits, I don't sleep for two or three nights. Happened twice last month. Let's just say it's no fun. Aside from that, I am a very light sleeper anyway and, of course, cursed with perfect hearing. The slightest noise will wake me up. And it takes me forever to fall asleep to begin with. I once stayed a week in an ICU for days on end to the point of having actual hallucinations.
I've been an insomniac for about 30 years. I've had the apnea test and I'm fine. Recently my dentist told me I'm "tongue tied." It's some condition where my tongue doesn't sit in the right spot when I sleep and that causes me to snore and not breathe correctly. You might have that checked. I've tried everything. Try all the natural stuff first: GABA, tryptophan, melatonin (works better in small doses). Sometimes combos work better, like valerian and hoppes. If you want to pull out the big guns try nootropics. I take phenibut but it's kinda grey market here in the US.
my wife and i both have been having a bit more trouble as we're aging. not drinking alcohol makes the biggest difference. (i still do on the weekends when i know i can laze around in the morning, but am really backing off mid-week)
Yup. Know that feeling. Couldn't sleep one night cause I couldn't pinpoint a noise I kept hearing......turned out it was a fly buzzing against a window in the other room. Don't get me started if the dog starts licking itself. Some real good suggestions here, so greatly appreciated. I'm going to start with the simple stuff like limiting electronics in the evening and switching to books for the last hour before bed instead of TV. Then if no results maybe I'll start looking into the more homeopathinc, non-prescription remedies and test around. We're also due for a new mattress, and the Tempur-pedic we've had for a number of years, while comfortable, does not bode well for my tendency to run hot. I've noticed the memory-foam, despite being the "cooling" version, creates some uncomfortable hot spots unless the evenings temps are very low, which is rare here in FL. May have to consider going back to a more traditional mattress, unless there is some new tech out there that is better at dissipating heat.
