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  1. #21
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Posts
    912

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    I have dealt with insomnia for years, and have tried many many things. Here's what's helped me.

    I've discovered most supplements disrupt my sleep (frequently even ones that are supposed to help your sleep like valerian and GABA) so I take most supplements before lunch. I also cut way back on caffeine, and never have any after lunch. I have one cup of black or green tea at breakfast and one cup of decaf tea early afternoon. Drinking alcohol in the 4 hours before bedtime messes up my sleep. My brain has a hard time switching gears if I've had a stressful day or done anything stimulating (suspenseful movie/book, stressful news or even just socializing) late in the evening. I don't watch TV in the evenings, but we have blue light filters on timers on our computers and phones, and I also have a coating on my glasses that filters blue light. I do lots of magnesium and have tried different forms - some forms actually made my sleep worse, including the threonate mentioned earlier this thread. Getting sunlight early in the day can really help, too - either getting outside in the morning, or using a full spectrum light.

    Even after all that, I was frequently waking at night feeling amped up and stressed out, and just staying awake for hours. My naturopath suggested testing my cortisol pattern and found my nighttime cortisol levels were high relative to the rest of the day, and it turns out there's a supplement to decrease it. It's called phosphorylated serine (the brand I take is SeriPhos). It has helped me so much. Now I mostly sleep well, unless I've started a new supplement or one of the kids is sick or something else interrupts my sleep.

    Good luck! Insomnia sucks.

  2. #22
    nfceagles's Avatar
    nfceagles is offline Sapphire level (2000+ posts)
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Connecticut
    Posts
    2,622

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    Not a cure, but I find audiobooks very helpful when I wake at night. They distract my brain from the anxiety that comes from worrying how little sleep I’m getting. I put my earbuds under my pillow so my DH can’t hear. I find it easier to fall back asleep since I’m still laying down with my eyes closed.


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  3. #23
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Posts
    514

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    Oh yes! The supplements. I would be sleepy and then take my fish oil before I got into bed to read. By the time I was ready to go to sleep, I was wide awake. My psych told me that fish oil has been known to cause anxiety or to give some people energy. Uhhhh, why don't they tell us this stuff? I take my fish oil after whatever I eat first thing in the morning.

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