Sleep - Ideas for Improving It

[James]

Have any of you guys taking melatonin or anything else to help you sleep? If so, what were your results? I'm definitely struggling with sleep right now.

 

[Vince]

I take Sleep Right brand melatonin time released 5 mg and Now brand melatonin 5 mg. It does help sleep.

 

[Vince Carter]

I have in the past to try and help me stay asleep thru about 2-4 AM which it did not do. Im in a good spot now not taking anything for sleep purposes at all.

 

[CoastWatcher]

After six months of stable lab values as a result of my TRT protocol, I realized my sleep was improving as well. At this point I am not using anything to support it. Is this a recent development for you, or long-term?

 

[Sean Mosher]

3-5 mg of Melatonin seems to work if taken a couple hours before I plan on going to sleep.

 

[Loki]

I take 3MG of Melatonin and have taken over 20MG... Seems to have no impact... I take Xanax right before bed but I don't get much deep sleep and this morning I was up by 0300.... I was really hoping to be eligible for Semorelin but my IGF-1 is too high...

 

[Gene Devine]

Good review of Melatonin: http://examine.com/supplements/Melatonin/

Been taking it for many years for many reasons.

 

[James]

Good stuff guys. I appreciate it. Coastwatcher, it's more stress related than anything, with a couple things going on. I'm sure it'll pass.

 

[ERO]

I tried Melatonin and had little luck with it, but I absolutely love 5 grams of Glycene powder mixed in water and a couple Seriphos. The Glycene tastes good, mixes easily and costs like 12 dollars for a pound.

I had some bad late-onset insomnia for years before I started using these two supplements and now I sleep through the night at least 95% of the time instead of waking-up wide awake between 2-3 am every night for years.

 

[James]

ERO - that's exactly my problem. I can fall asleep, but I waking up and I'm wide awake about 3 hours after falling asleep. I'm going to give these suggestions a try.

 

[ERO]

On the Seriphos, I recommend taking two with dinner and one before bed to start and then you can taper down once you begin to sleep through the night.

 

[Someguy]

ZMA knocks me right out. I'm pretty sure it's the magnesium that does it, so you'd probably get the same effect with just magnesium.

 

[Vince]

ERO, that glycene powder looks really interesting, I just ordered some. I bought bulk brand though.

 

[ERO]

Unlike most powders it actually tastes good - somewhat sweet even. I can mix with just water no problem and in the AM I like to add some to a cup of coffee. Its almost like adding sugar, but without the calories or the glucose spike. Supposed to have a great many health benefits as well.

 

[Tommy Wall]

Melatonin for me is like going on trip around the world during the night. Really vivid dreams! Xanax is benso which shouldn´t be the first choice I´ll guess. When needed I take 0,25mg of Broizolam or 1/2 stinoct.

 

[Davet]

I take a dose of magnesium a day up to 800mg...which I found helped big time.
I also take 3mg of melatonin on workout nights if I feel revved up...but I have read that it can down regulate your own production if you run it constantly.
Take a look at your serotonin/dopamine precursors because if you are running high dose BCAA' s this can deplete your B vitamins which will stop natural production of your sleep hormones.
Read up on it to make sure you aren't missing something out.......if your blood sugar/blood pressure is running high this will also cause sleep issues.

A natural product which I have found works for me is a product called Relora...

I also sussed out that if my E is up to high it will prevent me from getting good shut eye.......

All the best James

 

[Re-Ride]

myprotein was running a sale on their Labdoor recommended undenatured whey isolate. I also ordered Glycine powder and their BCAA(orange) and glycine. Shipping is fast and free with $75 min or $4-5.

Too early to comment on any benefit from the Glycine. I will say their whey has a very clean taste, dissolves well and for me goes down easily and satiates (unflavored). Pkg recommendations are Glycine, 1/6 teaspoon (750 mg) and BCAA. 1 teaspoon.

Thank you Davet for calling attention to possible reduction in serotonin/dopamine precursors from high dose BCAA. Grateful if you will elaborate on "high dose" and which serum assays we should "take a look at".

 

[Davet]

high dose.

myprotein was running a sale on their Labdoor recommended undenatured whey isolate. I also ordered Glycine powder and their BCAA(orange) and glycine. Shipping is fast and free with $75 min or $4-5.

Too early to comment on any benefit from the Glycine. I will say their whey has a very clean taste, dissolves well and for me goes down easily and satiates (unflavored). Pkg recommendations are Glycine, 1/6 teaspoon (750 mg) and BCAA. 1 teaspoon.

Thank you Davet for calling attention to possible reduction in serotonin/dopamine precursors from high dose BCAA. Grateful if you will elaborate on "high dose" and which serum assays we should "take a look at".

Hi Re-ride..........I was top and tailing my workouts with 10g pre and 5g post mixed in with my shakes...couldn't sus out why my sleep turned to cr*p...then I came across the article on the Charles Poliquin site...so cut it from my workout shakes and mix now I mix 5g in my am shake....no probs.
I now put Lucien in my workout shakes and that works fine....

 

[zorro]

I just purchased Phosphatidyl Serine after reading how it can help with high nighttime cortisol levels and am going to try it. I too have suffered from insomnia and waking in the middle of the night. Ambien sometimes works, but never keeps me asleep. Still wake up around 2-3am.

 

[Vince Carter]

SOme of my own research indicated my main problem was waking between 2-4AM and tossing back and forth, mind all over the place thinking of everything you can imagine and then drifting back to sleep for 30 minutes or so until my alarm. What I found was people reporting the same thing and tying that to a blood sugar drop around that time. I make sure that I snack (whey) before bedtime, hard boiled eggs, too, and I do much better. If I wake in the middle of the night I'm able to go right back to sleep.