Currently going through a really bad bout of poor sleep at the moment and would LOVE some help and any guidance you can offer... Just finding the motivation and effort to write this post is hard enough!
What I find hard to comprehend is I seem to be doing EVERYTHING right in terms of what is considered "by the book" so I am finding it hard to understand why it's happening which is why any insight would be really appreciated.
My N=1 personal health context:
Light Hygiene
- Always prioritise AM sunlight
- Use full spectrum day light bulb when I'm inside (until sunset)
- Intermittent use of red light therapy (and use of red-light at night as opposed to LED/bright lights)
- Use of blue-light blocking glasses after sunset
Movement
- Full body movement routine every morning (intensity depends on how I feel / how well I've slept)
Diet
Breakfast: steak and/or offal, buttered white rice, salt and CoQ10
Lunch: Cheese/honey and/or big glass of warm whole milk with gelatine
Dinner: Buttered white rice, salt (sometimes with some OJ as well)
Pre-bed: Salt, OJ and a little butter
I avoid muscle meats (or any meat for that matter) in the evenings due to high tryptophan content which is why I eat it as early in the day as I can.
Sleep Aids
Promethazine (a.k.a phenergan) - use intermittently
Benedryl - use intermittently
I was finding promethazine really effective for 2-3 weeks (using about 8-12mg per night) where it was helping me sleep through the night but then it's efficacy suddenly stopped. Benedryl is a similar story although I find it makes me feel very low and depressed in the mornings. Even with small doses (6-10mg). This didn't happen immediately but became a symptom I experienced after a sustained period of dosing.
Aspirin
Been experimenting with using it AM and PM. AM it affects my mood. Makes me feel a bit flat. However PM (before dinner) I have experienced the opposite where it makes me feel more motivated, calmer and (weirdly?!) easier to breath deep. Before bed is a NO GO for me. Does not help my sleep and makes me feel very low, depressed if used for sleep.
B1/B3
Started using recently but no subjective changes so far.
Magnesium Chloride
Use before meals to help digestion along with maintaining steady levels of magnesium intake throughout the day.
Methlyene Blue
Used for 2-3 days a few weeks ago and I saw a significant improvement in my mood, motivation and overall desire. I found it quite potent emotionally. However, with the added energy it brings I was finding it hard to wind down in the evenings (even with doses as low as 1/2 mg) so I stopped it. Part of me feels ever since using MB is when all my problems with sleep started (I know it's a MOA inhibitor and has sertogenic properties) but could just be coincidence. Thought was worth mentioning anyway.
I think this is everything but I write this having had 3 hours of sleep so I can't think as clearly as I'd like so forgive me if I have missed something but I hope your answers may provoke me to elaborate more when it comes up!
What I find hard to comprehend is I seem to be doing EVERYTHING right in terms of what is considered "by the book" so I am finding it hard to understand why it's happening which is why any insight would be really appreciated.
My N=1 personal health context:
Light Hygiene
- Always prioritise AM sunlight
- Use full spectrum day light bulb when I'm inside (until sunset)
- Intermittent use of red light therapy (and use of red-light at night as opposed to LED/bright lights)
- Use of blue-light blocking glasses after sunset
Movement
- Full body movement routine every morning (intensity depends on how I feel / how well I've slept)
Diet
Breakfast: steak and/or offal, buttered white rice, salt and CoQ10
Lunch: Cheese/honey and/or big glass of warm whole milk with gelatine
Dinner: Buttered white rice, salt (sometimes with some OJ as well)
Pre-bed: Salt, OJ and a little butter
I avoid muscle meats (or any meat for that matter) in the evenings due to high tryptophan content which is why I eat it as early in the day as I can.
Sleep Aids
Promethazine (a.k.a phenergan) - use intermittently
Benedryl - use intermittently
I was finding promethazine really effective for 2-3 weeks (using about 8-12mg per night) where it was helping me sleep through the night but then it's efficacy suddenly stopped. Benedryl is a similar story although I find it makes me feel very low and depressed in the mornings. Even with small doses (6-10mg). This didn't happen immediately but became a symptom I experienced after a sustained period of dosing.
Aspirin
Been experimenting with using it AM and PM. AM it affects my mood. Makes me feel a bit flat. However PM (before dinner) I have experienced the opposite where it makes me feel more motivated, calmer and (weirdly?!) easier to breath deep. Before bed is a NO GO for me. Does not help my sleep and makes me feel very low, depressed if used for sleep.
B1/B3
Started using recently but no subjective changes so far.
Magnesium Chloride
Use before meals to help digestion along with maintaining steady levels of magnesium intake throughout the day.
Methlyene Blue
Used for 2-3 days a few weeks ago and I saw a significant improvement in my mood, motivation and overall desire. I found it quite potent emotionally. However, with the added energy it brings I was finding it hard to wind down in the evenings (even with doses as low as 1/2 mg) so I stopped it. Part of me feels ever since using MB is when all my problems with sleep started (I know it's a MOA inhibitor and has sertogenic properties) but could just be coincidence. Thought was worth mentioning anyway.
I think this is everything but I write this having had 3 hours of sleep so I can't think as clearly as I'd like so forgive me if I have missed something but I hope your answers may provoke me to elaborate more when it comes up!