In Search Of Perfect Sleep

[barefooter]

I posted a couple weeks ago, about how I had greatly improved my sleep by taking a few supps before bed, and switching to an earlier bed time around ten. Well, eventually my system stopped working and I was lost feeling bummed and searching for answers again. I'm going to log here about my sleep, as I search for consistent perfect sleep. I think this issue is key for me, as I can remember have great difficultly getting out of bed, going back as far as middle school.

I'm now 31, and for years have been getting terrible quality sleep. It's zombie like sleep where I tend to fall asleep easily and sleep for 8-10 hours without waking, and wake up feeling absolutely lifeless. I rarely remember my dreams, but when I do they tend to be extremely stressful.

Last night, despite getting to bed around midnight, I had an incredible night of sleep. I made a few tweaks to my sleep supplements, and added in the carrot before bed, and it seems to have worked very well. Here's what I took last night before bed.

a couple pieces of raw carrot
teaspoon cocount oil
670mg aspirin dissolved in water
1g taurine
250mg b1
200 mg caffeine
400 mg theanine

I plan to add glycine into the mix when it arrives.

I sleep with tape over my mouth and a chin strap to prevent mouth breathing, but it seems I almost always rip the tape off while asleep, as I wake up and find it in the bed, or awkwardly stuck to the middle of my back :). This causes me to wake up breathing heavy through my mouth, not a good sign. This morning, I woke up after only sleeping 4 hours (very unusual as I generally sleep 7 or 8) and the tape was still on my mouth, and I was breathing easy through my nose. My nostrils were also completely clear, whereas other mornings there is some mucous that makes breathing more difficult.

Despite only sleeping 4 hours, I felt fully rested and excited about starting the day. 3.5 hours later, I'm still feeling great, and I've had a very productive morning, so it seems I did indeed sleep very well despite the short duration. I think the before bed caffeine is a nice addition for me, as it keeps my metabolism up, promoting deeper more restful sleep. I fell asleep within 20 minutes of laying down, so it didn't seem to cause problems with insomnia.

Within 5 minutes of waking, I began developing a hunger that steadily grew. I'm generally not very hungry in the morning, so this seemed like a good sign that metabolism was high during sleep and I was now hungry as would be expected. I also had a nice warmth in my stomach as my hunger grew, which seemed like a good sign of my body being in a good state to digest food well.

Temp after getting out of bed was 97.8, and it climbed to the low 98s after breakfast, and I felt very nice and warm, as I still do. My pulse upon waking felt strong, maybe around 75, but I didn't measure it. It's 80 now.

I plan to start using the sleep tracker app on my phone and posting the results along with my updates. That's all for now, will update again tomorrow morning.

 

[Agent207]

I would first start checking for any trace of EMF, and if had any, completely annihilate it. If it comes out from your home, consider a blocking canopy. Sun and exercising helps a lot with circadian rhythm.

Supplements are the final and least important factor. If you have to sleep in a EMF environment, time-release melatonin is a must.

 

[nograde]

After a lot of experimentation I now use a mixture like haidut's energin with more b1 and b6 and with added taurine. It's important to keep biotin and taurine low or I will burn through my reserves very quickly. Adding 500mg Aspirin makes me sleep very well. If I truly want baby-level, super-deep, bomb-exploding-outside-will-not-wake-me-up sleep, I add 4mg cypro about 4hours before going to bed.

 

[barefooter]

post 115066 I would first start checking for any trace of EMF, and if it had any, completely block it. If it comes out from your home, consider a blocking canopy. Sun and exercising helps a lot with circadian rhythm.

Supplements are the final and least important factor. If you have to sleep in a EMF environment, time-release melatonin is a must.

Getting away from EMF isn't really an option for me right now, and I'm not convinced that's the most important factort. I live in an apartment building, and my computer is currently picking up 20 WiFi signals, so even turning off my devices won't be enough. Also, melatonin seems like a very bad approach, based on Peat's negative view of it. I do try and get as much time under the heat lamp as I can, including first thing in the morning, and have been experimenting with using it as an alarm clock, as I have it point at my bed on an outlet timer.

I'm trying to focus on variables that I can control, and EMF isn't one I have too much control over.

 

[CoolTweetPete]

Another poster, Kineticz, recommended ionic magnesium (which I had had good results with in the past) and pyroxidal-5-phosphate (vitamin b6) to allow it entry into the cells, and I have had good success sleeping like a log with that approach the last two weeks.

I mix it in with OJ and some collagen powder. Does the trick quite well for me.

200mg of caffeine seems a bit high. Were you always using that amount?

 

[barefooter]

post 115068 After a lot of experimentation I now use a mixture like haidut's energin with more b1 and b6 and with added taurine. It's important to keep biotin and taurine low or I will burn through my reserves very quickly. Adding 500mg Aspirin makes me sleep very well. If I truly want baby-level, super-deep, bomb-exploding-outside-will-not-wake-me-up sleep, I add 4mg cypro about 4hours before going to bed.

B-complexes, including haiduts, tend to make me feel jittery/anxious, even if taken with meals. I'm really not sure why. I've tried niacinamide by itself, and it seems to have a similar effect, so it could have something to do with blocking FFA when my body is not running well on sugar. But, I don't seem to get the same thing from aspirin, so it's all really confusing. I've tried higher dose b6 without noticing anything. I had sworn off b supps, until I started trying high dose b1, and for some reason it's like magic for me. When I take it with a meal, I get nice and warm after eating, and feel alert and clear headed. Without it, I tend more towards lethargic food commas with a foggy brain after eating. I know Peat has spoken of b1 as one of the first vitamins to try, although I can't remember the exact quote.

 

[barefooter]

post 115072 Another poster, Kineticz, recommended ionic magnesium (which I had had good results with in the past) and pyroxidal-5-phosphate (vitamin b6) to allow it entry into the cells, and I have had good success sleeping like a log with that approach the last two weeks.

I mix it in with OJ and some collagen powder. Does the trick quite well for me.

200mg of caffeine seems a bit high. Were you always using that amount?

I take mag sometimes before bed, but I've never noticed it helping much with sleep. Which one are you using?

200mg caffeine may be high, we'll see. I'm still experimenting and decided to give something crazy a try.

 

[CoolTweetPete]

post 115074

post 115072 Another poster, Kineticz, recommended ionic magnesium (which I had had good results with in the past) and pyroxidal-5-phosphate (vitamin b6) to allow it entry into the cells, and I have had good success sleeping like a log with that approach the last two weeks.

I mix it in with OJ and some collagen powder. Does the trick quite well for me.

200mg of caffeine seems a bit high. Were you always using that amount?

I take mag sometimes before bed, but I've never noticed it helping much with sleep. Which one are you using?

200mg caffeine may be high, we'll see. I'm still experimenting and decided to give something crazy a try.

I use Natural Calm ionic magnesium and a 50mg P5P supplement. Other people in the Kineticz thread reported a similar tranquilization effect.

He was adamant that we use ionic magnesium and I just happened to have some on hand.

 

[ecstatichamster]

Sleep in a recliner chair. You will not yyperventilate as much. Will sleep better.

 

[barefooter]

post 115096 Sleep in a recliner chair. You will not yyperventilate as much. Will sleep better.

My grandma used to sleep in a recliner, maybe that's why she stayed so healthy as she aged. Sadly, I don't have a recliner.

 

[Ahanu]

Maybe you tried this already: For me, two tablespoon oft honey right before bed works wonder. I did the mouthtaping too + breathexercise from buteyko till i reached 30-40 MCP. This also helped a lot for a good sleep. Now i just need to not do heavy exerxise in the evening to habe a good sleep. Baking soda right before bed is also nice.

 

[Agent207]

Getting away from EMF isn't really an option for me right now, and I'm not convinced that's the most important factort. I live in an apartment building, and my computer is currently picking up 20 WiFi signals, so even turning off my devices won't be enough. Also, melatonin seems like a very bad approach, based on Peat's negative view of it. I do try and get as much time under the heat lamp as I can, including first thing in the morning, and have been experimenting with using it as an alarm clock, as I have it point at my bed on an outlet timer.

I'm trying to focus on variables that I can control, and EMF isn't one I have too much control over.

Melatonin is indeed a bad approach in a nature emf-free enviroment. Otherwise I would be cautious, depending on the levels you have in your dorm, since it can badly wreak havock endogenous melatonin, and I would not mess with that if you're looking for good sleep. I think Peat focuses on melatonin more as an added beneficial supplement when theres no need for it, but hes not considering very toxic enviroments when natural production may be altered.

I think the first would be measure to know about emf levels with a meter and check recommended max levels from the Bioinitiative Report 2012 (precautionary level approx. 0.03 – 0.05 V/m), and if there is higher levels, an EMF shielding bed canopy would be a great inversion. Exogenous melatonin is just a quick fix, the best is sleep in a emf free environment where it wont be needed.

This is a subject everyone would need to research beyond Peat if you want to have a clue what this is all about and the serious consequences, specially long term.

 

[tara]

post 115063 or awkwardly stuck to the middle of my back :).

I'd generally recommend a little light tape down the middle of the mouth and a lot of butter, but maybe in your case duct tape from ear to ear might be more effective.?
Did you find the chin strap tangled between your toes, too?

post 115063 and the tape was still on my mouth, and I was breathing easy through my nose. My nostrils were also completely clear, whereas other mornings there is some mucous that makes breathing more difficult.

:)

 

[sladerunner69]

When I take glycine, I think my dreams become more vivid and give me anxiety. Some times I begin dreaming before I fall asleep, and the dreams are generally the stressful "nightmareish" type. Also when I close my eyes I get these intricate, strange visuals that are pretty unsettling.

 

[Jason_I]

Really @sladerunner69? I thought I was alone in this! My dreams have been *super* vivid every time I've taken it, and I thought it may have just been me over reacting / bugging myself out. That's super interesting. Well, the nightmareish stuff still sucks, but interesting to hear other people experiencing the same!