Narz
keeping it real
Any suggestions for calming the nerves for drifting off at night?
Cheers.
Cheers.
Insomnia/nighttime routines/rituals?
- Thread starter Narz
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Timsup2nothin
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I'm guessing that "visit CFC" is too obvious.
Many people benefit from eating some fibre food before going to sleep.
enough literature on that if you just search on "fibre sleep"
The trick seems to be that you feed your intestinal bacteria that produce a lot of good stuff that help with your sleep.
I usually eat 1-2 kiwi's 1-2 hours before sleep, and if more hungry I toss it through quark, or drink some yoghurt with life bacteria (50/50 with water) which are slow protein suppliers throughout the night for muscle repair
(and fast carbs, fast food snacks or sugars are a bad idea just before sleep)
The cheapest source of natural fibre is BTW sugar beet fibre, produced as a side product of sugar, and having a good rate of soluble/insoluble fibre. You can buy it per kilo.
The big advantage of this fibre tis that it does not contain anti-nutrients like phytic acid in fibres from grains, seeds, nuts and beans (the main stream sources for fibres).
Just swallow some 5 grams with water.
Herea nice article on that fibre: http://www.nordicsugar.com/fileadmi...nisk_rapport_nov_2012_high_sida_foer_sida.pdf
enough literature on that if you just search on "fibre sleep"
The trick seems to be that you feed your intestinal bacteria that produce a lot of good stuff that help with your sleep.
I usually eat 1-2 kiwi's 1-2 hours before sleep, and if more hungry I toss it through quark, or drink some yoghurt with life bacteria (50/50 with water) which are slow protein suppliers throughout the night for muscle repair
(and fast carbs, fast food snacks or sugars are a bad idea just before sleep)
The cheapest source of natural fibre is BTW sugar beet fibre, produced as a side product of sugar, and having a good rate of soluble/insoluble fibre. You can buy it per kilo.
The big advantage of this fibre tis that it does not contain anti-nutrients like phytic acid in fibres from grains, seeds, nuts and beans (the main stream sources for fibres).
Just swallow some 5 grams with water.
Herea nice article on that fibre: http://www.nordicsugar.com/fileadmi...nisk_rapport_nov_2012_high_sida_foer_sida.pdf
Last edited:
FriendlyFire
Codex WMDicanious
Set a routine time when you goto bed and when to wake up. For example you want 9hrs sleep and need to wake up at 8am bedtime is 11pm sharp
Routine for bedtime must always be the same, eg exercise 30min cardio, shower then bed with eye covers. If you dont like exercise recommend a book + lamp so the moment you nood off switch off the light and sleep
Avoid caffine before sleeping depends how resistant to caffine you are.
Other things are bath + book + some Milk. fine out what works for you but the most important thing is pre sleep routine to signal your brain you want to sleep
Routine for bedtime must always be the same, eg exercise 30min cardio, shower then bed with eye covers. If you dont like exercise recommend a book + lamp so the moment you nood off switch off the light and sleep
Avoid caffine before sleeping depends how resistant to caffine you are.
Other things are bath + book + some Milk. fine out what works for you but the most important thing is pre sleep routine to signal your brain you want to sleep
Quiet instrumental music, or nature sounds. I find thunderstorms and rain relaxing.
I always have a book next to me, so I can read right before bed. Whether it's a whole chapter or just a couple of pages, it helps.
I always have a book next to me, so I can read right before bed. Whether it's a whole chapter or just a couple of pages, it helps.
aimeeandbeatles
watermelon
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I try not to worry about it too much. If you worry about not being able to sleep it just makes it worse. If I can't sleep I just read for a while until I feel tired.
Try not to jump directly from using a screen to into bed. Read for a while or take a bath first.
Try not to jump directly from using a screen to into bed. Read for a while or take a bath first.
BenitoChavez
What business is it of yours?
Don’t use your phone/computer/TV before bed. The light from staring directly at the screen will keep you up.
If you read in bed use a lamp that produces “warm” light (red/yellow hues) as the cool (blue hues) light is what triggers the brain to stay awake
If you read in bed use a lamp that produces “warm” light (red/yellow hues) as the cool (blue hues) light is what triggers the brain to stay awake
Lexicus
Deity
Deep, slow breaths.
I find that playing EuroTruck Simulator II makes me drowsy, so sometimes I use it to lull myself to sleep. Good thing I don't drive trucks in Europe.
Lexicus
Deity
If I'm having serious insomnia problems I just start playing computer games and trying to stay awake for as long as possible. The last time I did that I got to sleep at like 3am instead of around midnight, which was better than no sleep.
EgonSpengler
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Getting some exercise during the day is crucial to my sleep. A single, completely sedentary day can throw a wrench into my gears, even if nothing else is bothering me. I also find that watching an hour of television at the end of the night helps me wind down.
When I had a bout of insomnia, it was because my mind was racing around the troubles I was having. I found that turning on talk radio helped distract me. Some nights I'd get up, put on headphones, and walk the 1.5 mile roundtrip to an all-night convenience store (not a leisurely stroll, a good walking speed - if you're fitter than I am, maybe you'd have to jog or bike to get the same effect). I found that Daft Punk's soundtrack to Tron: Legacy really hit the spot for that. I was also able to adjust my schedule to accommodate waking up in the middle of the night, taking 10 hours to get 7 hours of sleep, which of course not everyone will be able to do.
Sleeping pills didn't do much for me, but warm milk and an ibuprofen after the 1.5-mile walk seemed to help. It could have been a placebo effect, but hey, whatever works. Alcohol can help you fall asleep, but it messes up your REM sleep, so it's not really a great solution. That's part of why you feel wrung out after a night out with the boys/girls; even if you sleep in the next day, you don't get proper deep sleep. Nicotine fires up your brain, so if you're a smoker, maybe cut out your last cig or two of the day (you should probably quit anyway, and this could be the start of tapering off, which is miles easier than 'going cold turkey'). It'll take a couple of days for the "nic fit" to go away, but when I was quitting I found my body adjusted faster than I'd expected it to; the habit of smoking was tougher to address than the physical addiction. If you're a serious drinker or smoker, you may even be experiencing withdrawals in the middle of the night - that is, your body is so addicted that it can't go 7-8 hours without a top-up - so tapering off may help in that regard. I tried St. John's Wort for a couple days, but it just made me feel thick. A friend of mine likes to take a puff of his non-tobacco-smoking-product at night, but again that just makes me feel sludgy, not sleepy.
When I had a bout of insomnia, it was because my mind was racing around the troubles I was having. I found that turning on talk radio helped distract me. Some nights I'd get up, put on headphones, and walk the 1.5 mile roundtrip to an all-night convenience store (not a leisurely stroll, a good walking speed - if you're fitter than I am, maybe you'd have to jog or bike to get the same effect). I found that Daft Punk's soundtrack to Tron: Legacy really hit the spot for that. I was also able to adjust my schedule to accommodate waking up in the middle of the night, taking 10 hours to get 7 hours of sleep, which of course not everyone will be able to do.
Sleeping pills didn't do much for me, but warm milk and an ibuprofen after the 1.5-mile walk seemed to help. It could have been a placebo effect, but hey, whatever works. Alcohol can help you fall asleep, but it messes up your REM sleep, so it's not really a great solution. That's part of why you feel wrung out after a night out with the boys/girls; even if you sleep in the next day, you don't get proper deep sleep. Nicotine fires up your brain, so if you're a smoker, maybe cut out your last cig or two of the day (you should probably quit anyway, and this could be the start of tapering off, which is miles easier than 'going cold turkey'). It'll take a couple of days for the "nic fit" to go away, but when I was quitting I found my body adjusted faster than I'd expected it to; the habit of smoking was tougher to address than the physical addiction. If you're a serious drinker or smoker, you may even be experiencing withdrawals in the middle of the night - that is, your body is so addicted that it can't go 7-8 hours without a top-up - so tapering off may help in that regard. I tried St. John's Wort for a couple days, but it just made me feel thick. A friend of mine likes to take a puff of his non-tobacco-smoking-product at night, but again that just makes me feel sludgy, not sleepy.
yung.carl.jung
Hey Bird! I'm Morose & Lugubrious
what not to do:
eat a big meal at 2 to 3 am, usually very fatty, too
smoke a lot of funny stuff
sit in front of a big screen
have all the lights still on
have your cellphone next to you
go to bed at 3-5am
not like this is my routine or anything..
with every post of yours I feel more connected. I genuinely think lack of fibre is one of the foremost reasons why diabetes and obesity have gone rampant, too. the one thing processed foods are almost entirely devoid of is not necessarily amino acids or micronutrients, it's fibre.
I do this as a sort of meditation. concentrating on breathing through your belly. it slows down your heart frequency, your thoughts are more focussed, you're more aware of your body and all the processes that are going on inside. always helps when I can't sleep.
eat a big meal at 2 to 3 am, usually very fatty, too
smoke a lot of funny stuff
sit in front of a big screen
have all the lights still on
have your cellphone next to you
go to bed at 3-5am
not like this is my routine or anything..
with every post of yours I feel more connected. I genuinely think lack of fibre is one of the foremost reasons why diabetes and obesity have gone rampant, too. the one thing processed foods are almost entirely devoid of is not necessarily amino acids or micronutrients, it's fibre.
I do this as a sort of meditation. concentrating on breathing through your belly. it slows down your heart frequency, your thoughts are more focussed, you're more aware of your body and all the processes that are going on inside. always helps when I can't sleep.
yung.carl.jung
Hey Bird! I'm Morose & Lugubrious
not trying to be a dick here, but taking Ibu daily is not very healthy. esp if you drink occasionally.
otoh sleeping pills are usually garbage, but some are also completely inconsequential. I can always recommend pills based on hops, lavender oils, bergamot oils, valerian root and l-theanine (which is contained in black, green and oolong tea). while they might not be nearly as strong as sleeping pills prescribed by a doctor, they also have zero noteable side effects
civvver
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I would say it depends on how severe your insomnia is.
I for one can almost never fall asleep before midnight, despite having to rise early now for kid's school which really, really sucks. I basically just get so tired after a week I'll go to be at 10pm one day and then next day I can't fall asleep early again. So your body has a natural rhythm that is really hard to recondition.
If you are having trouble falling asleep at all though yeah do what others said. Don't play video games or surf the web, that's horrible and will wake you up. I'm neutral on tv, sometimes I zone out watching tv and it makes me very tired. Just nothing interactive. Reading works really well. Don't exercise before bed. The endorphins wake you up. Instead exercise in the morning so by the time it's night you're really tired.
A little alcohol is great for making you tired but too much and you won't sleep soundly and worse will probably wake up to pee. Don't get drunk just have like drink or two.
I find it hard to sleep on an empty stomach but also hard to sleep when really full and definitely don't eat sugar before bed. I like cheese and crackers. Satiating without overdoing it.
I for one can almost never fall asleep before midnight, despite having to rise early now for kid's school which really, really sucks. I basically just get so tired after a week I'll go to be at 10pm one day and then next day I can't fall asleep early again. So your body has a natural rhythm that is really hard to recondition.
If you are having trouble falling asleep at all though yeah do what others said. Don't play video games or surf the web, that's horrible and will wake you up. I'm neutral on tv, sometimes I zone out watching tv and it makes me very tired. Just nothing interactive. Reading works really well. Don't exercise before bed. The endorphins wake you up. Instead exercise in the morning so by the time it's night you're really tired.
A little alcohol is great for making you tired but too much and you won't sleep soundly and worse will probably wake up to pee. Don't get drunk just have like drink or two.
I find it hard to sleep on an empty stomach but also hard to sleep when really full and definitely don't eat sugar before bed. I like cheese and crackers. Satiating without overdoing it.
That is a normal time for me.
It was so frustrating when I spent 5 weeks in the hospital over 15 years ago. The nurses expected me to sleep "normal" hours... yet my room was right next to the nurses' station and the night shift just kept yakking away in a daytime tone of voice, not giving a damn that they could be keeping anyone awake. One of them had an awful cackling laugh.
I couldn't even close the door because that resulted in the room becoming unbearably hot - and the thermostat wasn't working. Thank goodness they switched me to another room after a few days.
And all the while they kept saying, "We'll get you turned around to normal." They never listened when I told them that my dad is a night owl, I'm a night owl, and going to sleep around 3-5 am is NORMAL.
It's 12:45 pm as I type, and I woke up about 15-20 minutes ago. This is normal.
Insights and findings pointing in that direction are growing, and more research is directed that way as well.
We DO live in symbiosis with our gut bacteria.
I think fibre should be considered a macro-nutrient like protein, fat and carbs.
Food labels should state the fibre content including the type: soluble, insoluble, average amount of carb-units per chain of the soluble.
Before the agricultural revolution, we got enough fibre in our vegetable food (mainly tubers, roots, seeds, nuts, peels of fruit).
Even after the agricultural revolution, the fibres from wholesome grains and beans, were at adequate level (and the negatives of the anti-nutrients only hit our health at older age, well after having raised our kids).
It is only after the foodprocessing industry came to full strenght, after WW2, that the fibre intake started to drop significantly.
And it is not a big deal to have our industry regulated towards higher fibre content.
The two biggest issues to tackle being:
- The industry will start to add the wrong kinds of fibre, going from hype to hype. So some learning and regulating curve there to adress the coming decades.
- More fibre will mean a faster feeling of satiety, which is ofc diminishing the total consumption of food in terms of calories. So the industry aiming at max sales will be slow to add fibre. In fact: they like to do exactly the opposite, and add additives that increase your hunger, and abuse state universities to do research on optimising that.
I would always favor to start with actions that are broad-spectrum supporting health with as major side effect improving sleep.
Only if that fails, I would think about specific stuff.
Starting with a regular life style structure, physical exercise, better food, a bedroom that is a sleeping room, etc
For older males, 40+ and even more so for 60+, there are some nasty positive feedbacks you have to deal with:
Older -> less testosteron -> less generation of serotonin in your brain ->less ability to deep sleep -> less generation of testosteron -> less generation of serotonin in your brain -> less ability to deep sleep -> etc
Older + more stress -> higher cortisol level -> less testosteron -> less feelgood effect of testosteron -> more stress -> etc
For older males, to get out of those negative spirals you need to secure a lot of sleep !!! and exercise for at least 1-2 weeks (with good food) and after that maintain good sleep and some exercise at an adequate level.
(If you are young one or two good nights are normally enough to reset)
