Nervous System Sensitive To Cortisol - Waking Up At 4am Everyday

[MountainMouse]

Every morning at 4am, my heart races slightly and I’m wide awake with no chance of falling back to sleep. I have tried loading up on ice cream before bed and also setting an alarm to eat at 2am to eat. My TSH is at .7. It seems like my body is overly sensitive to cortisol. Is there a way to reverse this? I need sleep . No sleeping pill can get me through this - it’s very powerful.

@Hans - I feel like you mentioned cascara could desensitize the cortisol receptor at some point a while back?

 

[LadyRae]

Every morning at 4am, my heart races slightly and I’m wide awake with no chance of falling back to sleep. I have tried loading up on ice cream before bed and also setting an alarm to eat at 2am to eat. My TSH is at .7. It seems like my body is overly sensitive to cortisol. Is there a way to reverse this? I need sleep . No sleeping pill can get me through this - it’s very powerful.

@Hans - I feel like you mentioned cascara could desensitize the cortisol receptor at some point a while back?

So many things will affect sleep at night, it is really frustrating. Even a little bit too much exercise during the day or blood sugar imbalances throughout the day can mess up sleep later on...

When do you fall asleep at night? I, too, am up awake at 4:00 a.m. everyday but I fall asleep easily around 7:00 or 7:30 p.m. so I figure that's enough sleep for me...

I have found that taking about 10 drops of Diamant (Idealabs') and 300 mg of Theanine will relax me enough to go back to sleep if I wake up around 1-2am...

 

[Mathgirl]

Cyproheptadine took care of this for me

 

[LadyRae]

Cyproheptadine took care of this for me

How much do you take and when? When I take even half or 1 mg, I feel like a zombie most of the next day....

 

[Hans]

Every morning at 4am, my heart races slightly and I’m wide awake with no chance of falling back to sleep. I have tried loading up on ice cream before bed and also setting an alarm to eat at 2am to eat. My TSH is at .7. It seems like my body is overly sensitive to cortisol. Is there a way to reverse this? I need sleep . No sleeping pill can get me through this - it’s very powerful.

@Hans - I feel like you mentioned cascara could desensitize the cortisol receptor at some point a while back?

Emodin helps by blocking the activation of cortisol through 11B-HSD.

Aspirin and small amounts of T3 have helped me a lot for me in regards to waking up from a stress response. Replenishing the body over many months got rid of this for me completely.

 

[Fred]

You have to experiment with your diet. If I eat beef, chocolate, or honey (it's excitatory for me) too late in the day, my sleep is disrupted. You might want to consider eating "prohibited" foods - i.e. buttered toast with jam, for your last meal of the day and see how it goes...

 

[canadianboymike]

You have to experiment with your diet. If I eat beef, chocolate, or honey (it's excitatory for me) too late in the day, my sleep is disrupted. You might want to consider eating "prohibited" foods - i.e. buttered toast with jam, for your last meal of the day and see how it goes...

Second this! Too much meat late at night messes my sleep. So I don’t eat it much past 5-6. But carbs and fats are great. Although you have tried ice cream. Try maybe avoiding certain foods as well and see what happens

 

[David PS]

Some Ray Peat Quotes On Sleep From Audio Transcripts

I went through a sleep search specific to the audio transcripts and found the following. Seems a common issue so hopefully will help others. If you need more context, click the link about the quote and search for sleep Ray Peat on Sleep Uses Of Urea - KMUD, 2015-02-20 RP: The blood sugar is...

raypeatforum.com

 

[David PS]

Ray Peat Interview - Jodelle Fit - Dr. Ray Peat Q&A - How To Sleep Better, Sleep Solutions, & Supplements

Time Stamps: Dr Peat’s Main reason on sleep issues: 2:20 How Digestion affects your sleep 4:35 Why do we wake at 2am 9:10 Waking groggy and going to bed wired 14:10 Should we stop coffee with sleep issues 16:00 Blue light exposure before bed 17:10 Frequent urination at night, why and what...

raypeatforum.com

 

[Mathgirl]

How much do you take and when? When I take even half or 1 mg, I feel like a zombie most of the next day....

1 drop of IdeaLabs at bedtime. The drowsiness went away after a couple days and sleep is so solid and restful.

 

[LadyRae]

1 drop of IdeaLabs at bedtime. The drowsiness went away after a couple days and sleep is so solid and restful.

The last time I took 1 drop of cypro I woke up depressed, cried off and on all day, it was horrible...

Last night I accidentally squirted a stream of Diamant into my mouth when I was planning on 10 drops..
.. best sleep ever

 

[Digital Samurai]

Every morning at 4am, my heart races slightly and I’m wide awake with no chance of falling back to sleep. I have tried loading up on ice cream before bed and also setting an alarm to eat at 2am to eat. My TSH is at .7. It seems like my body is overly sensitive to cortisol. Is there a way to reverse this? I need sleep . No sleeping pill can get me through this - it’s very powerful.

@Hans - I feel like you mentioned cascara could desensitize the cortisol receptor at some point a while back?

Try:
- Progesterone (experiment)
- L-Theanine
- Lemon Balm (hyperthyroidism?)

Also give more details to get more precise answers.
Are you M/F? How old? Current diet & sleep routine/history. etc info should help.

 

[Dutchie]

Don't know huw much of this is true

I've read several times that at 3/4a.m. is the peak of histamines (when the liver dumps them) and that people who always wake at this time, might be dealing with a high histamine load.

 

[LadyRae]

Don't know huw much of this is true

I've read several times that at 3/4a.m. is the peak of histamines (when the liver dumps them) and that people who always wake at this time, might be dealing with a high histamine load.

Yeah, I've been taking a 25mg benedryl before bed and it's helping me sleep past 3...

Would puffy fingers/un-twistable rings be a sign of high histamine upon waking?

 

[Dutchie]

Yeah, I've been taking a 25mg benedryl before bed and it's helping me sleep past 3...

Would puffy fingers/un-twistable rings be a sign of high histamine upon waking?

Honestly I don't know as I haven't had that happen, but I have read in several histamine groups that many get angioedema-type reactions.

 

[Jonk]

Every morning at 4am, my heart races slightly and I’m wide awake with no chance of falling back to sleep. I have tried loading up on ice cream before bed and also setting an alarm to eat at 2am to eat. My TSH is at .7. It seems like my body is overly sensitive to cortisol. Is there a way to reverse this? I need sleep . No sleeping pill can get me through this - it’s very powerful.

@Hans - I feel like you mentioned cascara could desensitize the cortisol receptor at some point a while back?

I live in the Nordics so not much sunlight here, but if I go to a tanning salon it usually mellows me out and gets me to sleep easier. Although I don't have a problem sleeping through the night, only falling asleep. Also I remember first when I started putting my food into Cronometer I didn't get enough folate, and after eating some leafy greens I slept better. So maybe check that you get enough micronutrients too.