Butterfly hug - activates parasympathetic nervous system - it put me back to sleep!

[Mary]

I came across this FB video reel yesterday [it's on youtube also - just added youtube link below] - it quickly put me back to sleep middle of the night last night (2:00 a.m.) when I'm usually awake for at least 2 hours and often more, even with an arsenal of various supplements, and early a.m. too (4:30) - I still feel a bit groggy! And I've been awake for 2 hours now.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1260739195012366

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/78jjvXJwa80

Of course I have no guarantee it will keep working - maybe I'll develop a tolerance like I do with everything else? Seriously, I want to see if it works again. It can be done virtually anywhere by anyone, even if you're bedridden I would think.

fwiw, I do take an arsenal of things each night for sleep, both before bed and middle of the night:

Every night: niacin, melatonin, 5-htp, n-acetyl-glucosamine, l-theanine, vitamin C, glycine, magnesium

during the day - Seriphos as needed for high cortisol at night

Things I take in various combinations (in addition to all of the above) and develop a tolerance to and have to switch up regularly: high-apigenin chamomile, magnolia bark (best taken with fat), shui de an, lemon balm, unisom (cut the tablet - it's very strong), I'm sure there's more, just can't think of them right now.

Also fwiw, have recently started sitting outside early a.m. (as early as I can get out) for at least 30 mins, and have also started Natural Factors Bioactive Quercetin EMIQ, hoping to replace the unisom and also hoping I don't develop a tolerance to it.

Anyways, the butterfly hug really seems to do what the "Holistic Psychologist" says it will, resetting the parasympathetic nervous system. So many of us struggle with sensory overload, etc., I'm very curious to see if this helps any of you -

@Wayne -

(fwiw again, I don't do well with pharmaceuticals in general, ADs make me depressed or suicidal, Seroquel killed my mom and so on)

5/12 UPDATE: It's still helping - whew! It doesn't always put me right back to sleep but it does definitely help -

 

[bad1080]

humming also activates the parasympathetic nervous system as the vagus nerve travels alongside the windpipe

 

[Mary]

humming also activates the parasympathetic nervous system as the vagus nerve travels alongside the windpipe

I think humming is great, and I have used humming before to try to calm down, but it seems to take a lot of humming, and it never put me back to sleep quickly so quickly like this little two minute exercise did.

 

[bad1080]

I think humming is great, and I have used humming before to try to calm down, but it seems to take a lot of humming, and it never put me back to sleep quickly so quickly like this little two minute exercise did.

i will try it next time i lie awake but i guess it's hard to fall asleep to for someone who sleeps on his belly

 

[perchance dreamer]

Interesting! I had never heard of the butterfly hug. I'm all for ways of calming that don't involve drugs or side effects.

 

[Mary]

i will try it next time i lie awake but i guess it's hard to fall asleep to for someone who sleeps on his belly

Well, it seemed to work so quickly for me, I suggest you just lay on your back for a few minutes to do it and then flip

 

[Violeta]

Wow, Mary, I like that and will try it. I will probably have the opportunity to try it tonight!

 

[Mary]

Wow, Mary, I like that and will try it. I will probably have the opportunity to try it tonight!

I'm still a little stunned at how quickly I went back to sleep and part of me thinks that that can't happen twice . . . but if it at least helps calm my system down somewhat, I'll take it!

 

[Violeta]

I've done this at night and found it for relaxation.

https://x.com/Theholisticpsyc/status/1853535467188392356

I can feel the relaxation effects from this one, too.

https://x.com/Theholisticpsyc/status/1848881951941529649

But I am looking forward to trying the one you posted tonight. Thank you!

 

[Violeta]

I'm still a little stunned at how quickly I went back to sleep and part of me thinks that that can't happen twice . . . but if it at least helps calm my system down somewhat, I'll take it!

I have several siblings, a daughter and a nephew that also frequently suffer from insomnia. If it works for me I have quite a few people to pass it on to.

 

[pamojja]

I'm still a little stunned at how quickly I went back to sleep and part of me thinks that that can't happen twice . .

I have to place more vigilance next… it seemed to work, put didn't mention due to falling asleep.

 

[Mary]

I have to place more vigilance next… it seemed to work, put didn't mention due to falling asleep.

I would be happy with that!

I woke up 4 times last night (which is more than I usually do), did the butterfly hug each time, and went quickly back to sleep each time, which is something I almost never do. It's exceedingly rare! so I actually feel fairly well rested. I feel better than when I "only" wake up once or twice but then am awake for several hours -- we'll see!

 

[bad1080]

i combined hugging and humming for a couple of minutes before i went to sleep to fairly good results so far (only done it two times). i feel more rested as well and my morning poop was much less of a bother (digestion is also a parasympathetic process).
will continue and report back!

 

[Mary]

@bad1080 - I'm really glad to hear this! Unbelievably, it's still helping me too . . . actually I'm waking up every 2 hours now, but go back to sleep pretty quickly and feel more well rested than I used to - fingers crossed!

 

[bad1080]

@bad1080 - I'm really glad to hear this! Unbelievably, it's still helping me too . . . actually I'm waking up every 2 hours now, but go back to sleep pretty quickly and feel more well rested than I used to - fingers crossed!

my waking up at night improved after discontinuing my vitamin k supplement.

 

[perchance dreamer]

my waking up at night improved after discontinuing my vitamin k supplement.

I found that vitamin K is bad for my sleep, too. I was taking it the afternoon because I thought it didn't matter, but read that it can affect sleep.

Now I take it in the morning shortly after I wake up, and it's not a problem. I take this one:

https://healthyorigins.com/products...Jmnx3e0XgLvjeUajxL7ebIPX4pX-vc5GMUD36aWwBItH9

 

[Mary]

@bad1080 , @perchance dreamer - interesting about vitamin K and sleep - I've never heard of vitamin K interfering with sleep before! But I'm not too surprised, I've discovered many things which have interfered with my sleep. I do take K2 but in the morning after breakfast - okay, I'll try cutting it out and see what happens! Thanks!

 

[perchance dreamer]

This article addresses vitamin K supplements and how they can disrupt sleep for a minority of people.

https://blog.algaecal.com/why-vitamin-k2-mk7-works-the-best-for-the-majority-of-people/

 

[Rufous McKinney]

digestion is also a parasympathetic process

why is there so little sympathy, then? For the "morning" movement?

okay, I'll try cutting it out and see what happens! Thanks!

well, what about this good part? (from article cited above)

"Because Vitamin K2 has been shown to boost the production of energy in brain cells.

Recent research published in science in 2012 initially reported a brand new discovery, and that was that in human brain cells, Vitamin K2 improves the production of energy in the mitochondria in neurons or brain cells. The mitochondria are these tiny little energy production factories inside our cells where HEP which is the energy currency of the body gets produced."

 

[Mary]

@Rufous McKinney -

Because Vitamin K2 has been shown to boost the production of energy in brain cells.

I agree, vitamin K2 definitely has some good properties. I think the issue is whether or not the good properties outweigh it's propensity for causing insomnia. For me, insomnia has been a huge problem for many years. I take boatloads of stuff to deal with it and it's expensive, but I can't go without sleep. So I'm going to try an experiment and stop the K2 and see if I stop waking up every 2 hours. tbh, I'd rather keep taking the K2 - I know it's important for bone health among several other things. Anyways, I'll see what happens with a short trial of stopping it. If I start to sleep better but my energy starts to flag, then I'd rather put up with waking up every 2 hours because at least I'm going back to sleep relatively quickly, I think thanks to that butterfly hug!