What has helped you with sleep/insomnia - post links

[Judee]

This stuff (2 capsules every evening, an hour before bed) - helps me sleep better than anything I've ever tried.

I think they moved the webpage. Was it their sleep formula you were linking? And are you able to get a full 8 hours or more? I take something that helps but I wake after 4-6 hours and can't go back to sleep for hours again.

 

[Wayne]

I have bad sinus and it's always worse at bedtime.

My sinuses always bothered me the most at night until I started sleeping with my head elevated.

Hi @lenora, @perchance dreamer -- I once read a testimonial (partially pasted below) about a man using citronella oil to clear out his sinuses. The man who used it had the good fortune of having his tinnitus stop from inhaling its vapors. Thought I'd go ahead and paste it here in case either of you had an interest. I tried it myself a couple of days ago, and it's quite an interesting experience!

"I folded a handkerchief into a 1 and a half inches width and poured a few drops of Citronella Essential Oil on it. I laid down on my bed and placed the handkerchief over my nose in contact with the oil. I breathed in and out through the handkerchief for half an hour. I felt the sting of the Citronella fumes in my sinuses, so I controlled my inhaling to prevent too much pain. But other than that there was no harm experienced by me by inhaling this oil.​

​

Anyway, after half hour of such inhalation, I experienced a discharge of watery mucus from my nostrils like having a cold. I sensed something good about it. I cleared my nose. After that my tinnitus of 2 years was gone for good! Imagine after despairing for so long and searching here and there on the Internet for a cure, I bumped into one myself. And this happened like 10 months ago and the tinnitus has never returned. I am completely cured.​

 

[lenora]

Hi @Wayne.....thanks for looking out for us, but I can feel my stomach churning at just reading the word "citronella." That's the one scent I really can't tolerate.

Do you believe that his tinnitus disappeared after one treatment? I find that one a bit hard to swallow. I don't know why some scents can really bother us and others are quite pleasant....but citronella has always been a horrid scent to me. And the mosquitoes......we have mosquito screens, but one or two of the pest often get in. I'd rather listen to them being fried (horrible human being, and I hate to admit that anywhere), but it's true.

OK, I'd try Vick's or any other camphor related product.....so if you see something using them, please let us know. Perhaps the majority of people don't mind the scent of citronella, it could be just me. A show of hands, please. Thanks again, you tried. Yours, Lenora

 

[Wayne]

I thought the following video by Eric Berg was good; I definitely learned some new things about sleep.

Top things that prevent sleep 12 Things That STOP a Good Night's Sleep

 

[Mary]

I've been sleeping pretty well for 5 or 6 weeks now (!) Hard for me to believe, but I don't take it for granted. Here's what I'm doing right now that apparently is working:

(1) cut out calcium supplement

(2) Resona Vibe device - used several times during the day. I've been using the immune support, sleep and lowest earthing frequencies. If you just google Resona Vibe, you'll find their website and the device costs $399 there. However, if you google "PEMF device", it shows up with a special price of $249 (which is what I paid). They seem to have this special all the time but if you don't know to look for it, you'll pay full price.

(3) Doing the pose in this thread (I don't seem to be getting hyperthyroid from it this go-round). I'm careful not to do the pose after 3:30 or 4:00, others have reported it can cause insomnia when done late in the day.

(4) Avoid MSG in any of its iterations at dinner (https://www.truthinlabeling.org/names.html

(5) CBD/THC gummies


I also take my usual stack at bedtime: magnesium (plus magnesium during the day), niacin (500 mg), inositol (lots), l-theanine, melatonin, potassium (because I'm prone to leg cramps at night), 5-htp, gotu kola. Once in awhile I'll try a new herb but this combo works pretty well, as long as I do everything else. I also will take Seriphos as needed - it helps normalize cortisol levels and sometimes mine is high middle of the night, causing insomnia, but i take the Seriphos in the morning. The only way I know to find the correct dose is to start with one or 2 and titrate up as needed. I do seem to tolerate it better than many people I have recommended it to.

And about calcium - it's tricky. At one time I had insomnia because I needed more calcium, but for right now at least I need less. Hair analysis can be helpful with determining this, (though I can't get it done every time I have a question!)

 

[Florida Guy]

I've had insomnia for many years. At first some mild things would do the job, an otc antihistamine like unisom I could cut into pieces and each piece did the job. They quit working and I went to stronger and stronger things. Melatonin helps but will not do the job anymore on its own and I dont want to take huge doses like 10 to 30mg. A half a tab helps if I use along with something else. I've started epo and I think it helps

The only thing that consistently works is THC. My tolerance has gone up and up but it still works as long as I take a night off once in a while. Its the worst thing to take something that doesn't work, I feel like hell the next day and it takes days of sleeping normally to get over it. On the days off, I take a bunch of weaker stuff that usually works, not always

Now we get to the strong stuff, things like benzos which are only good for occasional use. Benzodiazepines come in over 100 varieties and are all addictive and require larger doses if you keep taking them. I occasionally hear from someone who takes a small amount every night and it always seems to work. That is the rare exception, they are not for every day use. You shouldn't even have them in the house because you will become tempted to use it too much

Other things that work but are also dangerous include Z drugs like zopiclone which may be slightly less problematic than benzos but are a problem with longer term use like needing more and more, not doing the job, side effects like nasty taste in the mouth, etc

One I take occasionally is phenibut. Its not a benzo or a z drug, it has hypnotic and sedative properties. Some people take it before going out because it makes them more sociable and relaxed. It will help wiith sleep, it may have a hangover the next day. If I have been sleeping poorly and the usual stuff leaves me waking in the middle of the night, I can take a 300mg phenibut along with my usual stuff and have a delightful night sleep. I know better than to use it every night but its a great little arrow to have in your quiver.

Tension, arguments, anxiety, repetitive thoughts that won't stop, these are things that make it hard to sleep or which can cause fragmented sleep. Many other causes as well. I do all the sleep hygiene stuff, no screens at night, no exercise, try to relax. All that helps

 

[MonkeyMan]

I've found walnut oil to be very beneficial.

 

[Aerowallah]

I've had insomnia for many years. At first some mild things would do the job, an otc antihistamine like unisom I could cut into pieces and each piece did the job. They quit working and I went to stronger and stronger things. Melatonin helps but will not do the job anymore on its own and I dont want to take huge doses like 10 to 30mg. A half a tab helps if I use along with something else. I've started epo and I think it helps

The only thing that consistently works is THC. My tolerance has gone up and up but it still works as long as I take a night off once in a while. Its the worst thing to take something that doesn't work, I feel like hell the next day and it takes days of sleeping normally to get over it. On the days off, I take a bunch of weaker stuff that usually works, not always

Now we get to the strong stuff, things like benzos which are only good for occasional use. Benzodiazepines come in over 100 varieties and are all addictive and require larger doses if you keep taking them. I occasionally hear from someone who takes a small amount every night and it always seems to work. That is the rare exception, they are not for every day use. You shouldn't even have them in the house because you will become tempted to use it too much

Other things that work but are also dangerous include Z drugs like zopiclone which may be slightly less problematic than benzos but are a problem with longer term use like needing more and more, not doing the job, side effects like nasty taste in the mouth, etc

One I take occasionally is phenibut. Its not a benzo or a z drug, it has hypnotic and sedative properties. Some people take it before going out because it makes them more sociable and relaxed. It will help wiith sleep, it may have a hangover the next day. If I have been sleeping poorly and the usual stuff leaves me waking in the middle of the night, I can take a 300mg phenibut along with my usual stuff and have a delightful night sleep. I know better than to use it every night but its a great little arrow to have in your quiver.

Tension, arguments, anxiety, repetitive thoughts that won't stop, these are things that make it hard to sleep or which can cause fragmented sleep. Many other causes as well. I do all the sleep hygiene stuff, no screens at night, no exercise, try to relax. All that helps

Ha! It was Phenibut or, rather, the taurine in the formulation, that built up and up until I had an offsetting glutamergic reaction (like gaba and glutmate) and I lost the ability to sleep. Horrific. Considered suicide. Then someone on this forum said privately that people on here have had success with insomnia using coffee enemas (a la Gerson) but didn't know why. Took me 18 months hesitating to do them...but within three days the all-nighters were gone and most of my sleep was back. Something to do with improving liver clearance which brings systemic inflammation (and accompanying stress hormones) waaay down. Only remaining issue today seems to be elevated histamines, but nothing serious. A neurotransmitter spit test will tell you what's elevated. Hi cortisol, high histamine, high glutamate etc insomnias all feel different at 3am...

 

[Wayne]

Then someone on this forum said privately that people on here have had success with insomnia using coffee enemas (a la Gerson) but didn't know why. Took me 18 months hesitating to do them...but within three days the all-nighters were gone and most of my sleep was back. Something to do with improving liver clearance which brings systemic inflammation (and accompanying stress hormones) waaay down.

Hi @Aerowallah -- Congratulations on your success with coffee enemas. Besides all the things you mention that they do, they also stimulate the vagus nerve, which initiates a parasympathetic response in the body, allowing the body (and psyche) to relax.

The stimulation occurs because the vagus nerve ends in the colon. Some people are unable to do enemas because the stimulation to the heart (where the vagus nerve travels through) can cause heart palpitations. BTW, it took me 10 years to overcome my hesitations to do coffee enemas. They've since been a catalyst for many major improvements in my well being and overall functionality.

 

[Aerowallah]

Hi @Aerowallah -- Congratulations on your success with coffee enemas. Besides all the things you mention that they do, they also stimulate the vagus nerve, which initiates a parasympathetic response in the body, allowing the body (and psyche) to relax.

The stimulation occurs because the vagus nerve ends in the colon. Some people are unable to do enemas because the stimulation to the heart (where the vagus nerve travels through) can cause heart palpitations. BTW, it took me 10 years to overcome my hesitations to do coffee enemas. They've since been a catalyst for many major improvements in my well being and overall functionality.

Thanks for your experience, Wayne. With elevated glutamate I was always calm, just too hyperALERT to enter sleep state. It was my brain's compensation for excessive calming and taurine intake, which I wasn't clearing fast enough (which coffee enemas also help). The order of cleanse should be, and rarely is--liver first, then blood, lymph and cells. I wonder what PFASs stored in our livers along with heavy metals etc. have done to our ability to reduce our toxic body load and inflammation? Naturally sleep will be affected. I might have taken 10 years to make up my mind, too, but two all-nighters back to back every 10 days or and 3 hours sleep the other days really put the pressure on to do something. So much of what people try for sleep is so scattershot; they really should do the simple test and see exactly what neurotransmitters are elevated. They all can be brought into normal ranges in time with different things, though histamines seem to be a long term issue, especially since I do histamine heavy kefir and yogurts which help me with other things.

 

[ilivewithcfs]

I've struggled with insomnia for years, and the drugs, that fixed my problem are fluvoxamine and low dose clozapine.
Now I only have trouble sleeping,when I start new drugs/supplements. Most of them give me unmanageable insomnia.

 

[Aerowallah]

I learned the hard way that my brain is trying to maintain a very delicate balance in a sea of stressors. If I HAVE to take a supplement or synthetic isolate I start lower and slower than I'm told, and really listen to my body's signals. Sometimes you don't get the reaction until you've redlined, and then it takes time to reset...

 

[maddietod]

My sleep has gotten worse year over year, and is now what I call "fractured." I wake up 5 times in 9 hours. I tried meds many years ago, and they either kept me up all night (eg ambien) or had me walking into walls looking for my attached bathroom (eg klonopin). I don't take any meds.

I did coffee enemas decades ago for general health, and I'll try that again. I have never done neurotransmitter testing, and this idea is interesting. Which testing lab? Just the neurotransmitters, or precursors as well? Are there best places to then figure out what my results mean?

 

[Aerowallah]

Someone wisely said on this forum in the absence of a cure "we improve the general background of health and allow the body to repair and rebalance itself." CEs are fabulous for reducing systemic inflammation, thus lowering elevated stress hormones. But I would research a simple neurotransmitter spit test that will give you a few plots to graph, and you choose the time of day to take them, which is also useful for those who suspect they have elevated nighttime cortisol. All these hormones have diurnal rhythms, and longer cycles as well. I got a "Neuroadrenal" panel by Pharmasan years ago but there may be a better product out there...

 

[Florida Guy]

Aerowallah, did you use phenibut for a while? It works great for one or two nights but not for every night. Taurine is relaxing. I try to stay away from glutamates. I've gotten so that I can't buy any packaged food in the grocery store because they all hide msg in the ingredients.​

A couple days ago I was feeling stressed due to not sleeping that well the previous couple nights. So in addition to the usual stuff I took one cap of phenibut. I slept so well, next morning the bb was up to 100. Its a great luxury, nice feeling. I save it for certain occasions so as not to waste it. You can buy it online

 

[Aerowallah]

I'm sure there is no problem with occasional use. But I was told to take it every night, and slowly my taurine levels built up...maybe you don't even have taurine in your formulation. I also read phenibutyric acid was developed for cosmonauts which freaked me out a little!

 

[Florida Guy]

I'm sure there is no problem with occasional use. But I was told to take it every night, and slowly my taurine levels built up...maybe you don't even have taurine in your formulation. I also read phenibutyric acid was developed for cosmonauts which freaked me out a little!

Whoever told you to take it every night did you a bad turn. This does affect gaba and the addiction potential is there along with tolerance. How did you find your taurine levels went up? No, the phenibut I take doesn't have taurine in it but I would not be worried about that. Taurine is a good thing to take, I take some every day

I don't know if its been mentioned but antihistamines are bad for sleep. They work somewhat, give tolerance and the long term effects are memory problems and a higher risk of dementia including alzheimers. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog...l-linked-increased-dementia-risk-201501287667

 

[Aerowallah]

No, depending on your clearance rate of taurine it can cause glutamate to rise. I could see it in the neurotransmitter levels against baseline. GABA was elevated, too, yes.

No, I build up no tolerance to Benadryl, but tolerance within 24 hours of all 2nd gen antihistamines!

No clear causal connection in any study I've read. I suspect other conditions are necessary to those who present with dementia, incl. genetic markers. I would suggest If anybody has a simple choice between getting 8 hours on 25 mg diphenhydramine or 4 hours every night without it, the choice is clear for brain health in the short term. On 4 hours a night one won't last long...

Everybody is different!

 

[Wishful]

I wake up 5 times in 9 hours.

Are you waking every ~90 minutes consistently? That's what I do. That 90 minute sleep cycle is normal, except that we're not supposed to fully awaken, but that's what ME makes me do. Conjugated linoleic acids (ruminant fat, Evening Primrose, Safflower or Sunflower or Canola oil) in the afternoon or evening allows me to skip one or more of those awakenings, so if you're really desperate, you could experiment with that. It's not a big improvement in sleep quality, but I'm pleased whenever I manage to skip one of those awakenings.

 

[maddietod]

Are you waking every ~90 minutes consistently?

Pretty much! I try to not look at the clock (it's dark unless I hit a button). I very often wake up from a dream.

Thank you for these ideas. I'll have to figure out how to fit the oil into my 8-hour eating window.