Sleep

[Deleted]

Hey guys....some thoughts I've been having that turned into some questions. Little background. I have no problems falling asleep. I have a hard time waking up though. Due to work, I'm usually in bed around 9:30 and up around 4:45. This has been consistent the last 10 years or so. The 10 years prior, I was a relative night owl. My main complaint is extreme fatigue towards the end of the day around 4-7 pm. This is why i've asked about circadian rhythm resources, interest in learning more about neurotransmitters, and will hopefully doing the 205 test soon. Anyway some thoughts I've been wondering about, I thought I'd throw out and ask.

Does anyone use the Soleil Sun Alarm Clock? or the Zen Alarm Clock? www.now-zen.com/cgi-bin/orders/shop.pl?ACTION=ENTER+SHOP&thispage=zenclocks&AFFILIATE=&ORDER_ID=%21ORDERID%21

Anybody have thoughts or experience with this? I'm a bit skeptical and would really worry about not waking up. I have thought about trying it out though, but would like some thoughts as they are expensive.

Even though I don't have problems sleeping, I'm wondering if a sleep supplement would help with a "deeper" sleep, thus better energy the next day? Melatoning, L-tryptophan, valerian, GABA, etc.

Thanks, jared

[Deleted]

I have the clock and it does not work for me if it is across the room. Although, I just moved in to a new apartment with an outlet (unfortunately) right next to me. Maybe now I can place the clock right next to my face and see if it works. The premise does sound logical: it will help you wake up more naturally and gently and likely not when you are in deep sleep.

I'll try it tonight and post back tomorrow.

[robwhite]

I use a Lumie BodyClock, and it works - somewhat. Basically, the light kind of wakes me up into a semi-concious 'twilight / lucid' state, but it doesnt fully wake me up until the buzzer goes off.

However, i have been playing around with melatonin as part of Eric's adrenal recovery protocol, and the way i have been administering it may be to potent for me, making it difficult to wake up properly.

[Deleted]

Rob,

If you don't mind sharing, what did you learn from your 205 test? What does your recovery program consist of? What have you noticed since embarking on it? Just curious and looking for some feedback as I will hopefully be taking the test in the next couple months.

[robwhite]

The 205 report showed that my sleep wake cycle was totally 'arse-about-face', in that i was producing cortisol to wake me up in the evening, but not producing much cortisol during the day, so i was having to use stimulants all day to stay awake, and then i couldnt sleep at night. It also showed that overall my cortisol levels were low and there was some 'pregnelone steal' going on - all indicators that my adrenals were pretty exhausted

The recovery program kind of consists of a few components:

- Supplements (glandulars, adaptogens, dhea, progesterone) to help regenerate the adrenals and get the hormonal pathways that the adrenals affect working properly;

- Supplements to rectify the sleep wake cycle (melatonin);

- Consultation giving advice on lifestlye changes to give the adrenals a break - i.e. modifications to exercise, advice to reduce stimulant intake, advice on getting to sleep more effectively, advice on relaxation (e.g. meditation), etc.

The program has been wonderful for me. I have responded amazingly to the supplements, and i look and feel like i did when i was 20. I have gained some much needed weight, but visibly you can see its muscle and some fat loss has also occured, and i am gradually coming to terms with the lifestyle changes for long term success (reduced alcohol and stimulant intake, making more recovery / relaxation time)

[erictalmant]

Oct 15, 2009 9:11:15 GMT -5 @jnessland said:

Hey guys....some thoughts I've been having that turned into some questions. Little background. I have no problems falling asleep. I have a hard time waking up though. Due to work, I'm usually in bed around 9:30 and up around 4:45. This has been consistent the last 10 years or so. The 10 years prior, I was a relative night owl. My main complaint is extreme fatigue towards the end of the day around 4-7 pm. This is why i've asked about circadian rhythm resources, interest in learning more about neurotransmitters, and will hopefully doing the 205 test soon. Anyway some thoughts I've been wondering about, I thought I'd throw out and ask.

Does anyone use the Soleil Sun Alarm Clock? or the Zen Alarm Clock? www.now-zen.com/cgi-bin/orders/shop.pl?ACTION=ENTER+SHOP&thispage=zenclocks&AFFILIATE=&ORDER_ID=%21ORDERID%21

Anybody have thoughts or experience with this? I'm a bit skeptical and would really worry about not waking up. I have thought about trying it out though, but would like some thoughts as they are expensive.

Even though I don't have problems sleeping, I'm wondering if a sleep supplement would help with a "deeper" sleep, thus better energy the next day? Melatoning, L-tryptophan, valerian, GABA, etc.

Thanks, jared

I use the Soleil sun alarm clock and it works great-for me.

I also use tryptophan (in a dosage that is right for me) about 30 minutes or so before going to bed; along with (1) melatonin drop. Most nights I sleep great and wake up ready for the day.

However, these protocols only address the symptoms. We need to investigate and fix the causes. Blocking factors, adrenal fatigue, eating foods that you react to (MRT Test), etc. all play a part. Which ones play the biggest part? Everybody is different.

Sometimes the most innocuous (or seemingly) thing can actually have the most profound impact upon health.

However, removing blocking factors and addressing the adrenal glands directly while eating the right foods and avoiding the wrong ones does seem to make inroads into most "issues".

[Deleted]

Just check back in, placing the clock even closer to me did not help. However, I have been playing around with increasing my MT formula (paraplex) and I don't feel as slow as usual in the morning. I still have trouble waking up and I am slugish the first hour, but soon after my meal I feel great.

[robwhite]

I have recently been playing around with some taurine powder i had left lying around from ages ago. I have found 3g half hour before bed really helps to calm my mind down and stop it racing, and let me drift off into lal-la land.

Unlike alot of sleep-aid supplements, taurine causes absolutely no grogginess in the morning.

From www.smart-publications.com/sleeping_disorders/sleep.php

"Taurine is an amino acid, and potent antioxidant. Found in the nervous system and muscles, taurine supports brain neurotransmitters, including melatonin and GABA, and helps regulate their release into the brain. It also regulates heartbeat; maintains the stability of cell membranes; regulates the transport of potassium, sodium, calcium, and magnesium in and out of cells; and regulates the activity of brain cells. Low amounts of taurine may cause anxiety, epilepsy, hyperactivity and poor brain function. On the other hand, sufficient taurine levels are believed to contribute to a feeling of calmness, essential to restful sleep."

Glycine has a similar effct, but its not quite as potent IMO.

Strangely enough, taurine can also be useful as a pre-workout supplement. If you are the type of person that finds it hard to stay focussed when you are tired or over-anxious, taurine is great. It calms and focusses the mind before big lifts. It also regulates muscle contractility through optimising electrolyte balance, and controls blood sugar.

[Deleted]

Eric,
How does the sunrise alarm clock affect your wife's sleep? My wife and I wake at different times and she isn't to keen on the idea of this clock, thinking it would wake her too.

[Deleted]

Dec 1, 2009 7:20:21 GMT -5 robwhite said:

I have recently been playing around with some taurine powder i had left lying around from ages ago. I have found 3g half hour before bed really helps to calm my mind down and stop it racing, and let me drift off into lal-la land.

Glycine has a similar effct, but its not quite as potent IMO.

I had a similar experience with theanine. I did the neurogistics program last year and began playing around with the aminos they suggested. It did seem to help me go to sleep but never helped me wake up feeling refreshed.

I finally had my thyroid checked out and it turns out my t3 is a little low. Perhaps that is one of the issues affecting how I feel when I wake and how much energy I have the rest of the day. We'll see if the doc can get me on armour thyroid or westhroid.

-David

[Deleted]

MD1587X I had a similar issue with waking up tired, fatigued with little or no energy. For me what changed everything is taking calcium in the "RIGHT FORM" for your type. I was getting very frustrated because I do "EVERYTHING" nearly perfect with all this health stuff and for some reason I still felt fatigued at times. Little did I know 1 single nutrient in the proper form changed my entire life. Calcium is the major nutrient/stimulator of the sympathetic nervous system. If your tired first thing in the morning and you didnt overeat the night before, got great sleep as well as your not suffering from toxicity than I would certainly try calcium for your type. It changed my life. It has so much a strong effect on me if I take to much it overstimulates me all day and i have crazy energy all day and cant sleep at night. Since lowering the dose with trial and error I've learned that not much is needed to produce the miraculous effects. I'd also try eating your last meal of the night around 6-7 if possible. The calcium activates the enzyme systems of the body as well as help the adrenal glands. I thought I didn't need much calcium because i was eating plenty of calcium rich foods- raw dairy, almonds, canned salmon-sardines, as well as getting more calcium from my oxidation lowering suppliment. Regardless of all that I still needed more apparently. As soon as I started to use the proper form of calcium for my type life has never been the same. This is due to the fact that calcium can adjust your PH for better or for worst depending on which form you take. When I took the wrong form of calcium I got the exact same negative feeling I get when I eat to many vegetables.

Something I forgot to mention that also caused my fatigue in the morning is experimenting with random glandulars or suppliments NOT on my metabolic typing list. I took pancreas glandular 1 day as an experiment and I felt fatigued for 2-3 days straight lol. On the other hand when I tryed whole pituitary it gave me amazing energy all day but overstimulated me and caused insomnia. I learned to never "try" new suppliments without first consulting someone with metabolic typing knowledge.

[robwhite]

Wallacebrown, thats very interesting because sometimes i wake up a bit groggy and it takes me a few hours to clear my head. What is the best type of calcium for a parasympathetic dominant? I already take 1g of calcium ascorbate in the morning with my minerals (vit C helps mineral absorption), but its not potent enough. I have also tried 'acidifying' in the morning using apple cider vinegar but that doenst quite work either.

Actually, one thing that has worked somewhat to boost my energy in the morning and throughout the day is to only eat very little (and then eat big at night). Undereating during the day triggers the 'hunt' instinct and the sympathetic ANS strongly. It really does work. Since doing the adrenal recovery protocol, my hunger has diminished during the day, but i always have a big appetitie at night, plus i am very busy dutring the day so i dont get time to eat much, so i'm kinda following my natural instinct anyway. See the thread' the effect of eating frequency' for a bit more in-depth look at this.

[Deleted]

I don't understand how calcium helps sleep. In doing just a google search on calcium and sleep, the only thing I saw was that calcium helps melatonin production. However, from a metabolic standpoint, calcium stimulates the sympathetic side. How would that be conducive to sleep?

[robwhite]

I have read that Dr Atkins in his clinics used to give his patients calcium to help them sleep - he said it was one of the best nutrients he used for assisting deep sleep.

Calcium assists tryptophan in cross the blood-brain barrier, and it also has a direct effect on nerve relaxation