I don't know about you guys but i'm a night owl trying to turn rooster. I have the hardest time falling asleep and think I might have minor insomnia. What methods or drinks would the forum members recommend that would help a person to sleep?

I don't know about you guys but i'm a night owl trying to turn rooster. I have the hardest time falling asleep and think I might have minor insomnia. What methods or drinks would the forum members recommend that would help a person to sleep?

I suggest some sets of breathing squats. You load a bar with something close to your 10RM, and then you do sets of 20 reps. You don't have to keep a strict cadence - you can take breaths at the top as needed. In some sense the whole point is to force you to breathe between reps. I would suggest 3 sets.

If any of your sleeping problem comes from breathing issues, this sort of workout will fix it very fast. Pretty much fix any breathing issues you have in any area of your life. Even if you get pianos dropped on your chest from time to time.

The other benefit from breathing squats is that is strengthens your legs, back and core. Sometimes sleeping is difficult because you can't get fully relaxed and comfortable when you lie down. When you strengthen your legs core and back a lot, you are more comfortable sleeping in more circumstances.

There is a little help from the fact that if you are not used to these, then you will need the sleep more than usual after this sort of workout. But as you get used to it, this will be less and less of the effect.

Sleep turns out to sometimes be a strength endurance activity. It might not seem like it, but when you move your body around as you sleep, you go through more and less difficult breathing positions. Breathing squat sets prompt an adaptation for breathing even when the torso is constrained by the pressure of supporting the bar. So this approach to sleep problems is not as odd as it may first seem. I personally have benefited by it.

I have a little experience, being a night-shift worker.

1. Workout when you get up. You'll be more ready to sleep when it's time to sleep.

2. Have some protein/fat before bed. Nitrean and heavy cream help me stay asleep once I get there.

3. Don't use sleeping pills, as they can be habit forming.

4. Don't use alcohol as a sleep aid, as it's destructive to your fitness goals and overall well-being.

5. If you want, you can have some caffeine first thing in the morning, but don't use it throughout the day. Just in the first 3 hrs you're awake.

6. Get up at the same time 5 days a week, even if you want to party and sleep in on the weekend.

7. If you can't fall asleep, stay in bed and read a book or listen to the radio. It will help your body recover, and it can help divert your mind from the thoughts/stress of the day, helping you be more drowsy.

8. Be patient. It took me several months to adjust so that I sleep really well when I'm supposed to.

I have a little experience, being a night-shift worker.

1. Workout when you get up. You'll be more ready to sleep when it's time to sleep.

2. Have some protein/fat before bed. Nitrean and heavy cream help me stay asleep once I get there.

3. Don't use sleeping pills, as they can be habit forming.

4. Don't use alcohol as a sleep aid, as it's destructive to your fitness goals and overall well-being.

5. If you want, you can have some caffeine first thing in the morning, but don't use it throughout the day. Just in the first 3 hrs you're awake.

6. Get up at the same time 5 days a week, even if you want to party and sleep in on the weekend.

7. If you can't fall asleep, stay in bed and read a book or listen to the radio. It will help your body recover, and it can help divert your mind from the thoughts/stress of the day, helping you be more drowsy.

8. Be patient. It took me several months to adjust so that I sleep really well when I'm supposed to.



I agree w/ everything but #7. For me, the worst thing I can do if I'm having trouble sleeping is to stay in bed. If you're not asleep in 20 minutes, get out of bed and go sit down and read somewhere else. The bed is for sleeping, and this helps your body recognize it.

I've noticed that taking ETS was really improved my sleep, as well. It's kinda a side effect of it's main purposes, but I notice a big difference in the quality of my sleep when I take it.

The biggest key, though, is getting up early. If you have to, force yourself to get up early, and never let yourself sleep in too much on the weekend. For a long time, Sunday nights were hard for me...cuz I was up late and slept in on Sunday morning. I let myself sleep in on Saturdays still, but I won't sleep in past 9 on Sundays anymore.

Eventually you'll get in the pattern :)

These are things that have helped me to sleep better at various times.

1. If I'm tossing and turning and frustrated because I don't fall asleep, it often helps if I get up and take another shower. In my case this helps for several reasons, including these:

a) The more I toss and turn, the more I sweat, and that greatly adds to the overall problem. A shower can help reset that.

b) The hot water is a muscle relaxant, and sometimes relieves various pressure points etc.

c) The steam makes my breathing more comfortable, which is especially noticeable when I've been coughing away because of the dehumidifying effect of my air conditioning.

d) Psychologically it's a good ritual.

2. If I feel that sleep is not going to be imminent, I believe it is absolutely imperative to get out of bed and go in another room. The best thing is to go and perform another activity elsewhere for a little while.

3. I find it important to make sure I have the correct pillows properly placed to handle each of my various lying positions. This is a bit complicated for me, as I usually alternate between lying on my back with face up, lying on my back with head to one side, lying on my side, lying half on my side with one hip partly flexed, etc.

4. If all else fails, and I judge that I am in danger of getting grievously insufficient sleep, I take Ambien. It doesn't keep me asleep for 8 hours like some people say it does for them, but it usually gets me to sleep reliably within 45 - 90 minutes (depending on prior meals). During my worst patch I took this every night for about 8 weeks and did not build a dependency and did not get a "rebound effect" when I stopped.

5. YMMV.

I have a little experience, being a night-shift worker.

1. Workout when you get up. You'll be more ready to sleep when it's time to sleep.

2. Have some protein/fat before bed. Nitrean and heavy cream help me stay asleep once I get there.

3. Don't use sleeping pills, as they can be habit forming.

4. Don't use alcohol as a sleep aid, as it's destructive to your fitness goals and overall well-being.

5. If you want, you can have some caffeine first thing in the morning, but don't use it throughout the day. Just in the first 3 hrs you're awake.

6. Get up at the same time 5 days a week, even if you want to party and sleep in on the weekend.

7. If you can't fall asleep, stay in bed and read a book or listen to the radio. It will help your body recover, and it can help divert your mind from the thoughts/stress of the day, helping you be more drowsy.

8. Be patient. It took me several months to adjust so that I sleep really well when I'm supposed to.

Mostly good advice. I'd like to add a couple thing about "sleep hygiene." Make sure you only use your bed for sleeping. No reading in bed or studying or watching TV in bed just sleeping. Also, I disagree with 7 get out of bed if you can't fall asleep in about 20 minutes but don't turn on all the lights keep yourself in a relatively dark environment. Try to go to bed and get up at the same time as much as possible. Basically develop a routine that helps your brain know that the bed is for sleeping.

And if all else fails current sleep pills are pretty safe (of course see your doctor since you need a prescription). Of course it is best if you do without them but some people can benefit from them occasionally. (I've used them for overnight bus or train trips while traveling or sometimes overnight flights)

What I would say might look pretty silly but sometimes it can be helpful. On bed, close your eyes and start couting. Just count and do not think of anything else. It happens with me that most often I cannot remember counting anything after 50-55. By this time I always fall asleep. Give this method a try also.

I've had sleep problems most of my life...months on, good...months on, bad. My sleep problems are often brought on when I ramp up my workouts (e.g. during a bulk).

My doctor recommeded I take tryptophan. I usually take it a few hours before bed. When I take it AT bed time or just before it's worse than nothing. Ask your doctor. Is a natural substance but with all things that affect you, and expecially your brain, you ought to ask a professional.

More info, and food sources where it occurs naturally...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tryptophan#Dietary_sources

:gl:

Melatonin is amazing, and non-habit forming.

I used to have a hell of a time going to sleep. After I started eating clean and stopped drinking and using tobacco, everything changed. Today I fall asleep almost instantly and sleep through the night.

Although my shoulders have started bothering me by early morning and my arms have started falling asleep, I think due to my weight routine but I don't mind it much. Doesn't really interrupt my sleep, I just have to turn more often.

BTW, watch out for supplements. Alpha lipoic acid can result in trouble falling asleep.

Melatonin is amazing, and non-habit forming.

Although my shoulders have started bothering me by early morning and my arms have started falling asleep

A: Melatonin is good, and also has other beneficial effects. But only people that are a little deficient in it get a good sleep benefit from taking it.

B: You can help avoid the shoulder and arm trouble from sleep by getting pillows to place strategically and take the pressure off. A lot of people like sleeping with a pillow between their knees for similar reasons.

Your shoulders and arms falling asleep are caused by build up of pressure points and lack of circulation. If it really starts to bother you you can consider some sort of underlay to cushion your heavier points, which are through the hips and shoulders.

If its time for a new bed then go for something with a pillow top if you can handle a little softness.. lol.

Your shoulders and arms falling asleep are caused by build up of pressure points and lack of circulation. If it really starts to bother you you can consider some sort of underlay to cushion your heavier points, which are through the hips and shoulders.

If its time for a new bed then go for something with a pillow top if you can handle a little softness.. lol.

Except if your wife can't.:bang:

Guess how I know about the extra pillow stuff....

By the way the years and years of doctors recommending firm and hard matresses for back health are over. Controlled studies showed that softer was better. (I always suspected that). The hard bed stuff seems to have been just another one of those weird old medical recommendations that didn't have any research behind it.

Yeah, I'm working part time selling mattresses in between uni, and between a firm sealy posturepedic (as an example) and an ultraplush sealy the spring support system doesn't change at all. So you get exactly the same support system between a firm and soft.

Its amazing what people believe without actually doing any searching or looking for any evidence. Especially when its associated with something important as a good nights sleep.