SLEEP IS A WEAPON

[BillyOblivion]

I tried Melatonin years ago. It caused strange dreams and depression. I won't go near it now.

Years ago there were some studies on melatonin attempting to find the correct dose. They found that .3mg was the effective dose for almost everyone, and patented ".3mg for use as a sleep aid" (no, I don't understand this, but maybe you do since you're a lawyer).

In most stores the lowest dose you can find is 3mg--10 times the effective dose. They also sell 5mg and 9mg. Which is fookin ridiculous.

Look for the 1mg melatonin in "fast dissolve" tablets. Then break them in half. There's the "Natrol" brand on Amazon that comes in a 1mg dose.

Although if you don't have any trouble *getting* to sleep, it's probably not worth it.

[BillyOblivion]

Ive always heard melatonin had no side effects, but never believed it entirely since everything has side effects.

Most things will have a side effect at some dose.

A properly functioning pineal gland starts to produce melatonin when the light starts to drop at night. In the modern world, for most people, that doesn't happen gradually--we shut the computer, television, or house lights off, and are in bed trying to sleep 15 minutes later. Even if your pineal gland is function properly it takes a bit to catch up.

However, as noted previously, most of the OTC melatonin products START at 10x of what the medical studies found was a therapeutic dose. Gee Batman, if 1 drink is good, THE WHOLE BOTTLE MUST BE BETTER.

From the abstract Gabe linked to in his T-Club post:

An intact group of animals was s.c. injected with melatonin (0.5 mg/kg/day),

.5mg PER KILOGRAM. That is what would be known as a "Super physiologic dose".

As one ages one pineal gland can "calcify" and stop producing as much melatonin, and where *intelligent* supplementation could help.

More is not always better. Unless it's money.

[BillyOblivion]

Sound is a big sleep killer.
AC/Furnace/Refrigerator cycling etc...
Sometimes it makes sense to relocate the bedroom if not, there are good options for sound mitigation. Good windows can block out a surprising amount of external sound. Then something like an air-filter or sound-box for white noise to drown out anything else.

I've found that *intermittent* sound is bad, but we have a HEPA filter in the bedroom to help The Wife deal with sinus issues, and the constant low sound helps cover up many of the softer intermittent sounds.

[paranoid]

Its mostly psychological. The solution is within. Not in external substances and rituals.

[David Bowman]

Get your earphones and listen to the Joe Rogan podcast with Matthew Walker. #1109. He is a professor of Neuroscience and Psychology at UC Berkeley and the founder and director of the Center for Human Sleep Science.

Also, Peter Attia, whose been on a number of podcasts himself talks not only about the benefits of exercise, but sleep as well. I think I remember him saying on one podcast that lack of sleep is the number 1 factor affecting ALL CAUSE Mortality across all people.

[MichaelJames]

I've had problems sleeping for years. My wife got me a weighted blanket, and it's a game changer. A cold, dark room, and a weighted blanket? Sleep.

[BillyOblivion]

Get your earphones and listen to the Joe Rogan podcast with Matthew Walker. #1109. He is a professor of Neuroscience and Psychology at UC Berkeley and the founder and director of the Center for Human Sleep Science.

Also, Peter Attia, whose been on a number of podcasts himself talks not only about the benefits of exercise, but sleep as well. I think I remember him saying on one podcast that lack of sleep is the number 1 factor affecting ALL CAUSE Mortality across all people.

Walker has been on Peter Attia's podcast at least twice, I think three times.

Well worth the time to listen to.