My sleep issues are MotoGP level compared to your club racing stuff. I hope you figure something out. I know how much it sucks.
And if you're up that early, get up and go for a run. Nothing better than a cool, dark, quiet morning. No music, no people, no nothing. Talk about therapeutic.
I'll chime in, just turned 50, lot's of kid things, work things, etc. Having the same issue. A lot of the advice given is spot on. Anyway, I bought a sleep monitoring ring, ultrahuman air, that tracks all types of stuff. Once you have it for a week or so, it starts chiming in on things to do and things to avoid. It tracks SPO2, HR, movement, etc. I find that the advice really helps. Alcohol really messes with my sleep anymore. Best part is no subscription service but it is rather expensive.
There doesn't seem to be any real solutions for those of us affected. The best you can do is eat healthy, drink only water, workout like a mofo, stretch, de-stress as much as possible, rule out sleep apnea and meditate (fruity, I know, but whatever). If those things don't work, you're fucked like the rest of us.
I haven't slept more then maybe 6 hours a night in years. Normally it'll be 2 to 3 hours, wake up and lay in bed for 2 and then a light shitty sleep. Another reason for the life change.
THIS! My blood O2 levels were dipping into the 70% range. Dangerous territories for one's health. Using my cpap machine I can now share a hotel room at a race, swap-meet, etc. Not drinking anymore helps tremendously also.
Don't rule out your tummy-tum. We have a second brain in that system, and if the belly is unhappy, its a domino affect on the rest of your system.
Snoring is often a sign of sleep apnea, which is often a sign of a possible underlying heart issue. When I was diagnosed with Afib a few years ago the first thing my cardiologist did was order a sleep study, no apnea but I do snore occassionally.
Ok so where or what do I look up? Google like Sleep studies Pensacola? Serious question. Or is this like go see my doctor and he will refer me?
I wish I had a witty or smart ass comeback, but dammit man I can't imagine your level. Brings me down a few notches for sure.
Setup a meeting with your GP and he/she will set you up with a sleep center referral. Once you get the results from your doc, you will go back and they will discuss your sleep pattern, 02 levels, heart, etc.. If you have apnea, they'll discuss a CPAP machine with you or other alternatives. For example, if you've ever had your nose broken, if it didn't heal correctly it can interfere with your breathing. My dad had this and once he had a corrective surgery, his sleep improved 10-fold.
as some have said, a sleep study may be in your future. and yes, i bet you can google "sleep study near me" or "sleep clinic near me". A mechanic at the local dirt bike shop worked for a sleep study company for years. my dad snored really bad and drove his car off the side of the road in Wyoming years ago, got a sleep study after my step mom counted 240 times in the night he stopped breathing. he wears a cpap (breathing machine mask thing) and it turned his life around. i remember 30 yrs ago he would fall asleep and start snoring if we'd go to a movie. that all stopped and he has way more energy. when i was a kid, i remember him coming home from work and taking a nap for hours on the couch as soon as he walked in the door. had been affecting him for way to long. You are a motivated, ramped up kinda guy Rob, no doubt about it. Admirable and inspiring.. the only down side is trying to get the brain to slow down when it's time to sleep. As some said, shut off the TV and do not pick up the cell phone when you do attempt to put your head down. For me, i've been taking an advil PM the help me get those extra few hours for about 10 years now. I'm a light sleeper, and if i really wanna help ensure i sleep that bit extra, i wear ear plugs. When i was roadracing and at the hotel, i always would. one of my mechanics snored really bad, (but slept like a log), or if other people in teh hallway slammed a door or were loud in the halls i'd wake up.
My wife did it and yes, you go see the doctor and they refer you. Lenny Albin (Ohlins and KTEC suspension guy at MA) wife told me that was part of the reason Lenny passed away, because he wasn't taking care of his sleep apnea and that caused his heart issues. That got me to get my wife to do the study and she now has a CPAP.
If HTTP is the MM93 of sleep issues, I'm at least Karel Abraham! My issues started maybe 2-3 years ago (I'd have been 47-48). In bed by 11pm then WIDE EFFING awake by 2:20am like clockwork. I'd toss and turn for 1-3 hours - try the usual stuff "maybe I just gotta piss, maybe I'm thirsty, maybe I need a different pillow????" but nothing helped. My kid recommended CBD gummies so I tried those and as mentioned - got me to sleep super fast and I slept hard...until 2-3am when I'd still wake up and go through the process. No matter what I tried I'd be up for 1-3 hours, then sleep well again from 5-7amish when I got up. Dr prescribed me a drug for depression and sleep issues - I used it for 4 months then got off it as the side effects were WAY worse than the cure - imagine ALL of your sex drive instantly converted to your appetite - so yeah, no sex while progressively getter fatter and fatter (I'm 6', 180lbs - gained 13lbs in just over 3 months - no thanks). For a few months I combined gummies with a triple bourbon each night which made for a chill evening but as you say - I'm not a fan of "crutches" or drug dependency either so that was also stopped. 9 months ago I resigned from my job and have been in chill mode ever since and thats helped - my brain seemed to have a need to "fix" all my issues at 2am so with less "issues" it's a lot more relaxed so there are nights now I don't wake at 2am and the nights that I still do, it's for MUCH less time. Other than that - the usual stuff applies - get tested for physical issues, reduce all online surfing/mentally engaging TV, etc... 1 hour before bedtime, make sure you're hydrated, and try to have a solid bed/sleeping arrangement - if all those are sorted - thats all you can do really... Good luck - it SUCKS, hopefully you can work out a solid plan and get back to full nights of continuous sleep.
Oh, it makes it at least twice as bad for sure, but that's not what I meant. I can go 48-72 hours with zero sleep. It's downright awful no matter what condition you're in.
