Liubo's Sleep Log

Birdie

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Benadryl knocks me out the next day, but I took it for many months anyway. Probably got some of the benefits.

This is an ongoing interest for me, sleep, I mean. My present effort includes taping the mouth, milk/decaf/sugar a couple of hours before bed, cheese at bedtime. Pinches of salt especially in the evening. Then, warm light on the foot of my bed and a warm nightlight in the bathroom with the door ajar.

I sometimes say a prayer, think of the sea... (Was told years ago to think of some beautiful peaceful scene.) Have my humidifier on. Elevate the head of the bed slightly.

Listen to calming music and do stretches for an hour before bed...

Those things help me. I take magnesium and aspirin at bedtime.. And a peppermint enteric coated capsule to ward of IBS. Oh, I have a heating pad turned on, before bedtime, to warm up the bed in winter. Then turn it off..

There is probably more...
 

Blossom

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this sounds like an odd idea, doesn't it defeat the purpose? Or am I missing some new study or something?
I think the idea is to reduce the 'stress of darkness' that Peat talks about. I try to use red light before bed to lower cortisol.
 

Birdie

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I think the idea is to reduce the 'stress of darkness' that Peat talks about. I try to use red light before bed to lower cortisol.

Yes. This one of the great things I've gotten from Peat.

Some use the red light before bed. And, from Cliff, I got the idea of putting it on the foot of my bed all night.

I couldn't take the actual bulb shining all night, but letting in some (red) light from our outdoor light, by opening the shutter, a little shining on the foot of the bed is good.

I used to try for complete darkness. The heavy curtains. The face mask. This is very liberating and works, at least for me it does.
 

Blossom

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I used to try for complete darkness. The heavy curtains. The face mask. This is very liberating and works, at least for me it does.
That's great Birdie! I'm still using an eye mask and ear plugs. I think it's a habit from years of night shift in the ICU. My poor body is on alert for emergencies so I awaken easily.:(
You give me hope that one day I will be liberated from the eye mask!
 
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Luann

Luann

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Wait, so, complete darkness is not what it's cracked up to be.
Awesome!!!
It's so tedious to try to black-out your room in today's society, and then when you get it right, the thick curtains, the rolled-up towel under door, you don't wake up on time because you're blacked out. Ugh.

I slept really well last night! First off, thank you guys SO much for responding to my posts and coming in here with ideas.

Here is what I did yesterday:

1. High calcium. Probably twice as much as I'm used to getting in one day, but from skim milk, because that seems to help (less dietary fat)
2. Early morning light and air exposure. Mornings are cold! I usually spend them cuddled up with my laptop. But now it's time to awaken to the real world and get some of that good cold air all over me.
3. More coconut oil, less ANY other fat (even dairy or mono-unsat.)
4. Less fat at all close to bedtime, more pure-carb stuff like raisins, a pear.
5. Grounding?? Anyone else heard of this? My dad asked me to try it when he saw me outside at 8:00 a.m. yesterday. You basically walk in the grass barefoot and it does something to the ions in your body. I did it for five minutes. His chiropractor told him about it.

I didn't use any relaxation techniques except yelling at myself not to clench my jaw as I fell asleep (It's habit lol). Actually I fell asleep thinking about something kinda stressful, I think it was a work situation, but hey when your mind is on a roll and you can tell that roll is headed toward sleep, you don't resist. I didn't have nightmares.

Would be happy to hear your thoughts on any of this crazy stuff. Especially grounding!

Oh, and I had no grains yesterday. I usually fill in my diet with a bit of white rice or corn besides potatoes, but didn't get around to it yesterday.
 

tara

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5. Grounding?? Anyone else heard of this? My dad asked me to try it when he saw me outside at 8:00 a.m. yesterday. You basically walk in the grass barefoot and it does something to the ions in your body. I did it for five minutes. His chiropractor told him about it.
Yes, heard of it. I think there is probably some benefit, but I haven't heard any reports of major recoveries from earthing. Living isolated from the earth - electrically isolated houses, shoes, not much barefoot outdoors time, and then being subjected to various electrical influences from all the electronica around, can change our potential. Grounding can restore to natural earth potential.
I believe there have been some studies using grounding to help support recovery from sports injuries, and for reducing the negative impact of EMF, and maybe others. I got as far as trying to rig up a kit to try to earth at least my feet while sleeping. I don't know whether I succeeded in creating a good earth connection. I couldn't tell if it actually made any difference to me. Walking barefoot on damp grass everyday seems like a nice idea. At least in summer. Or lying on it. Paddling or swimming in the sea and walking on wet sand seem good too. Or climbing trees. IIRC, it may take something like 20 mins of good earth contact to ground fully. Ideally more than once a day.
 
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Luann

Luann

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I think kind of the same about it, like it must have some kind of benefit even if it's hard to nail down exactly what and how. Let me know how your sleep-earthing kit works out - sounds super convenient. But it is helping me get motivated to at least go outside when I'm not working, so either that or the light is helping. It can't help to be outside, like you said, we are isolated from the earth 98% of the time.
 

Birdie

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Just ran into this interesting from RP:

"Muscle stiffness, muscle soreness and weakness, and osteoporosis all seem to be consequences of inadequate respiration, allowing lactic acid to be produced instead of carbon dioxide. Insomnia, hyperactivity, anxiety, and many chronic brain conditions also show evidence of defective respiration, for example, either slow consumption of glucose or the formation of lactic acid, both of which are common consequences of low thyroid function. Several studies (e.g., Jacono and Robertson, 1987) suggest that abnormal calcium regulation is involved in epilepsy. The combination of supplements of thyroid (emphasizing T3), magnesium, progesterone and pregnenolone can usually restore normal respiration, and it seems clear that this should normalize calcium metabolism, decreasing the calcification of soft tissues, increasing the calcification of bones, and improving the efficiency of muscles and nerves. (Magnesium, like carbonate, is a component of newly formed bone.)

The avoidance of polyunsaturated vegetable oils is important for protecting respiration; some of the prostaglandins they produce have been implicated in osteoporosis, but more generally, they antagonize thyroid function and they can interfere with calcium control. The presence of the "Mead acid" (the omega-9 unsaturated fat our enzymes synthesize) in cartilage suggests a new line of investigation regarding the bone-toxicity of the polyunsaturated dietary oils. "


Osteoporosis, harmful calcification, and nerve/muscle malfunctions

I added the bold..
and separated into two paragraphs.
 
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Luann

Luann

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Last night was pretty good again. Thanks to everyone for the ideas.
I'll be adding Benadryl within the next few days after watching how the methods from the last few days pan out : )
 
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Luann

Luann

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Just ran into this interesting from RP:

"Muscle stiffness, muscle soreness and weakness, and osteoporosis all seem to be consequences of inadequate respiration, allowing lactic acid to be produced instead of carbon dioxide. Insomnia, hyperactivity, anxiety, and many chronic brain conditions also show evidence of defective respiration, for example, either slow consumption of glucose or the formation of lactic acid, both of which are common consequences of low thyroid function. Several studies (e.g., Jacono and Robertson, 1987) suggest that abnormal calcium regulation is involved in epilepsy. The combination of supplements of thyroid (emphasizing T3), magnesium, progesterone and pregnenolone can usually restore normal respiration, and it seems clear that this should normalize calcium metabolism, decreasing the calcification of soft tissues, increasing the calcification of bones, and improving the efficiency of muscles and nerves. (Magnesium, like carbonate, is a component of newly formed bone.)

The avoidance of polyunsaturated vegetable oils is important for protecting respiration; some of the prostaglandins they produce have been implicated in osteoporosis, but more generally, they antagonize thyroid function and they can interfere with calcium control. The presence of the "Mead acid" (the omega-9 unsaturated fat our enzymes synthesize) in cartilage suggests a new line of investigation regarding the bone-toxicity of the polyunsaturated dietary oils. "


Osteoporosis, harmful calcification, and nerve/muscle malfunctions

I added the bold..
and separated into two paragraphs.


Adhering to a non-PUFA life has really been a big factor in ending this sleeplessness, Birdie. Thank you
 

Nicholas

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i've seen studies showing grounding to lower cortisol. i haven't done it in a while but remember it to be incredibly relaxing. cortisol levels/balancing have a strong impact on circadian rhythm. but all the other dietary measures you're doing can balance cortisol as well.
 
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Luann

Luann

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i've seen studies showing grounding to lower cortisol. i haven't done it in a while but remember it to be incredibly relaxing. cortisol levels/balancing have a strong impact on circadian rhythm. but all the other dietary measures you're doing can balance cortisol as well.


It is pretty relaxing. Definitely worth a shot, Peaters.

My sleep has been pretty normal for the last two nights, which is amazing after six months of feeling deprived. Here is my basic guide to thingies that seem to promote sleep and let me wake up feeling normal.

Things

  1. Early sunlight
  2. putting a cloth over my face at night for the CO2
  3. Calcium, salt, sugar.
  4. Getting used to sleeping on the floor. I switched over to my sleeping bag a few weeks ago after my muscles started hurting for no clear reason, and it took some time to grow used to this.
 

Greg says

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Changing the environment works for me. Whether moving to another bed on the floor or changing to the other end of the bed or flipping the duvet over.

Also if I can't fall asleep I imagine I've been cramped up sitting in economy class on a long flight and then I'm offered a bed in business class. Or I'm homeless walking around the streets at night and someone offers me a hotel room. Or maybe if I'm laying awake I pretend I am a night time security guard and it's my job to stay awake. What keeps me awake is the pressure that I should be asleep.

I read sleeping naked lowers cortisol levels. I haven't looked into this, but I could not sleep with any clothing on. It's so stressful and suffocating.
 
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Luann

Luann

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It's just, better, lol, sleeping naked, that is. Wow! been a long time since this log :) Sleep is much better now guys, but has been iff-y the last few nights after a steak (delicious : /) and some serious potato consumption. turns out peat was right about iron
 

What-a-Riot

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Any calcium with the steak and potatoes? I'm not sure if that would affect sleep so immediately or even how it would at all, I could use a refresher on all the implications of the calcium:phosphorus ratio, but maybe that has something to do with it
 
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Luann

Luann

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The consensus seems to be "through an unknown mechanism, health goes downhill at a decrease of the calcium-phosphorus ratio". Lol. So, it seems common around here to blame stuff randomly on calcium phosphorus, seems like someone posted a request for further detail but never got answered (look back through the posts). But two other people in my traveling party had steak that night also, and their feet, and mine, had edema the next day (creepy things to notice :P) So either iron or phosphorus - OH - a study (unlinked, sorry) did show that calcium treats edema usually. So we'll bet on the phosphorus ratio : )
 

tara

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But two other people in my traveling party had steak that night also, and their feet, and mine, had edema the next day (creepy things to notice :p) So either iron or phosphorus - OH - a study (unlinked, sorry) did show that calcium treats edema usually. So we'll bet on the phosphorus ratio : )
Or unbalanced inflammatory amino acids, or or bioactive polyamines developed in meat during storage, or imbalance in carbs to protein, or breakdown products from incompllete digestion of the meat, or some other factor in the meat, ...?
 
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Luann

Luann

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Or unbalanced inflammatory amino acids, or or bioactive polyamines developed in meat during storage, or imbalance in carbs to protein, or breakdown products from incompllete digestion of the meat, or some other factor in the meat, ...?
Hehe, yeah. could be a lot or any of those.
 
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Luann

Luann

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What it feels like to be on day 10 of 1g PUFA / day:

Pretty good. Digestion (except for a teeny bit of bloating) and energy are steady, thanks to eggshell calcium and magnesium from epsom salt, as well as steady salt and sugar - EDIT - and some B6 and selenium supps, on no real schedule, just as it feels right. No nutrients seem to be lacking.
Some moments of anxiety or fatigue, but mostly everything is normal, including weight, skin tone, and any physical or appearance-related symptoms. Sleep has become a very natural deep thing.

The diet:

Mostly potatoes, beets, radishes, turnips, and stone fruits (to preclude seeds). Cronometer said that 15 new potatoes a day, plus two apples and half a cup of white sugar as a condiment, adds up to 1 gram of PUFA. Smokes, aspirin, candy, coffee.

Guys, this is exciting.
 
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