T Nation

Sleep..

Supplements and Nutrition
#1

Is there anything else i can do to maximise my sleep.

i turn everything in my room off so theres no noise or buzzing from electrical stuff. the room is as dark as i can make it.

i cant afford Z12 but i would buy it if i could.

i take generic Zinc + Magnesium Tablets from Holland + Barret. similiar to GNC in america i think. i take 3-4 a day.

i try not to eat anything hugh sugar or carb loaded after about 7, and im in bed before 12. i usually get 8-10 hours a night.

BUT

i am still feeling wreaked when i get up and have recently started crashed during the day and am forced to take another 2 hour nap. im currently not training. starting back tomorrow.

this has only started affecting me in the past 2-3 months. i thought it was exam stress etc but they finished over a month ago and im still wreaked.

i think it might be down to boredom… but is that possible?

any help would be great.

#2

Try getting to bed before 11pm, it sounds odd but i used to be in the same boat, getting 8-9hrs a night but going to bed at 11.30/12. having shifted to an hour earlier (10-10,30) and still getting 8-9hrs i am much more refreshed and awake though-out the day.

#3

Will try… starting new job tomorrow. getting up at 6am. so looking to go to bed 8/9. ill see if this helps.

but ive always went to bed around 12/1 in the past well before this starting affecting me…

im finding ti hard to focus and some randam short term memory loss. like ill text/sms someone. then 5 minutes later ill have forgotten what i wrote to them… or when they reply, ill have no idea what they are going on about…

could i be suffering from something… someone mentioned lack of Iron, but i take a multi vit and drink a pint or two of guiness each week so i dont think it could be that…

#4

You said your not training… This could be it… Your tired cause your not doing anything. How long you been off training??

If your training 4-6 times a week and you look forward to all your training, im pretty sure you wont be tired.

#5

Yea i was V-Dieting about 10 weeks ago. was about to go into my second week. then 2 or 3 real bad things happened to me. i havnt been in the gym since.

#6

First I would suggest trying to get to bed earlier and wake up earlier. I find when I’m out til 4am with friends it doesn’t matter how much sleep I get I feel shitty.

If that does nothing, you may want to invest in some GABA/melatonin to take along with your ZMA to make you sleep deeper and put you in a more relaxed state. If you haven’t been training, you may simply be over-sleeping.

Definitely get back in the gym though, the iron game needs you.

#7

Bear with me,

Before I go to bed I spray a little of my perfume over my bed. I use the same fragrance every night and when I smell it, it makes me get in the mindset for sleep.

I know it sounds strange but smell is supposed to be your most evocative sense and I know this works for me.

Perhaps you can start something similar, decide on a body spray or cologne for sleep and give it a try.

and my mom always swears by warm milk with nutmeg

#8

[quote]OctoberGirl wrote:

Bear with me,

Before I go to bed I spray a little of my perfume over my bed. I use the same fragrance every night and when I smell it, it makes me get in the mindset for sleep.

I know it sounds strange but smell is supposed to be your most evocative sense and I know this works for me.

Perhaps you can start something similar, decide on a body spray or cologne for sleep and give it a try.

and my mom always swears by warm milk with nutmeg[/quote]

I like your idea.

I will say though that I think this is way more effective for women. We guys don’t react as much to smell as you ladies do… probably for good reason lol

To the OP, not sure if this is helpful, but my sleep can be influenced on what physique mode I’m in. E.G. - if I’m cutting, I can get very restless. I’ve found that a small amount of carbs in my pre-bed meal is helpful in getting to sleep.

#9

Ive had similar experiences to yours, except Ive had them my entire damn life. That is not an exaggeration. I have no idea what causes it but if its like mine, it isnt lack of or quality of sleep. I sleep at least 8 hrs and I almost never wake up im the middle of the night. I have no idea what the cause is, but I can offer advice of minimizing the symptoms.

  1. That nap in the middle of the day, as good as it feels, dont do it. If youre getting your 8 a night, your body does not need it regardless of what its telling you. All youre doin is conditioning your body to expect that nap in the middle of the day. Thisll make you feel like shit in the middle of the afternoon. Believe me I know. Think of it this way, do you feel refreshed after that nap? I know I dont, I almost always feel more sleepy afterwards.

  2. Mask the symptoms. You know all those cliche bullshit energy drinks the extreme faux hawk wearing douchebags are chugging by the gallon? Youll be choking em down too, along with your dignity. I drink one about an hour b4 I lift, and while I still feel tired, I have enough energy and drive to finish a session with little difficulty. Keep in mind this is not fixing the problem, but goddamnit if you wanna lift yawning during a squat session is not an option.

  3. If it becomes a chronic thing dont be a idiot like yours truly, see a doc and get some tests done. This advice is coming from someone who hasnt seen a doctor for anything other than stitches and broken bones in 20 some odd years.

It sucks man, what can I say? Just know that you arent the only one, and tackle it like a problem that needs fixing, not as a limitation you cant control.

Good luck.

#10

[quote]OctoberGirl wrote:
Bear with me,

Before I go to bed I spray a little of my perfume over my bed. I use the same fragrance every night and when I smell it, it makes me get in the mindset for sleep.

I know it sounds strange but smell is supposed to be your most evocative sense and I know this works for me.
[/quote]

Boy do I have lots of inappropriate comments for this one…

#11

On the smell idea… i might try this one.

could you then use the same idea but with a different smell to get motivated for the gym?

has their been any articles or threads on here about it, cant find any using the good old search box.

#12

To me it sounds like you sleep enough, it more sounds like there is some kind of a problem with the quality of your sleep.

You might want to check with your doctor if you have sleep apnea.

Here’s something I found on this site about it:
http://www.T-Nation.com/tmagnum/readTopic.do?id=1606260

I have it, but the good thing is if CPAP works for you it will change your life.

#13

[quote]curax wrote:

You might want to check with your doctor if you have sleep apnea.
[/quote]

This is a very common problem for many people these days, I know I have it and it will effect my sleep if I lay on my back. If I sleep on my side then I am fine, I use a body pillow to keep myself from rolling on my back at night.

#14

For the smell idea, try getting a lavender oil extract. I used it on my pillowcase in school when I had a lot of stuff going on like exams and homework. It helped me relax and fall asleep.

Another thing you could try is valerian. I just get yogi bedtime tea with it in it. You can get the herbs and steep them in hot water but it doesn’t taste the greatest. The yogi tea is good. GNC ZMA also has valerian in it. Be warned, you’ll probably have some crazy dreams.

I usually try to get a good static stretch in about an hour or so before bed. Its a good way to the day, and you go to bed loose and relaxed.

Just a couple ideas that I use occasionally or regularly.

#15

Rotate and flip your mattress if you haven’t done it already.

Make your room as dark as the Bat Cave.

Keep your room cool - I hope you have air conditioning, cause I don’t and my sleep sucks bollocks.

Remove All elements of noise.

Take a hot bath in epsom salt mixture with Eucalyptus if available, I like Batherapy brand specifically for this.

As for the smell thing, I keep a Jasmine plant in my room specifically for this purpose.

Shake out all your pillows or replace them with a medium or high quality pillow with Antimicrobial protector.

Wash your damn sheets and bedding.

If you can’t sleep with silence, I recommend The Delta Sleep System listened through high quality headphone monitors. If you have Rapidshare, PM me.

Check your air quality. If you live somewhere nice, crack open a window. If in a city, try an air ionizer or ion filtration device. I recommend Living Air products.

Keep live plants in your room. I recommend the book How To Grow Fresh Air for just such a purpose.

…thats all I got.

#16

[quote]BluePfaltz wrote:
Rotate and flip your mattress if you haven’t done it already.

Make your room as dark as the Bat Cave.

Keep your room cool - I hope you have air conditioning, cause I don’t and my sleep sucks bollocks.

Remove All elements of noise.

Take a hot bath in epsom salt mixture with Eucalyptus if available, I like Batherapy brand specifically for this.

As for the smell thing, I keep a Jasmine plant in my room specifically for this purpose.

Shake out all your pillows or replace them with a medium or high quality pillow with Antimicrobial protector.

Wash your damn sheets and bedding.

If you can’t sleep with silence, I recommend The Delta Sleep System listened through high quality headphone monitors. If you have Rapidshare, PM me.

Check your air quality. If you live somewhere nice, crack open a window. If in a city, try an air ionizer or ion filtration device. I recommend Living Air products.

Keep live plants in your room. I recommend the book How To Grow Fresh Air for just such a purpose.

…thats all I got.

[/quote]

I get the feeling you don’t fuck around when it comes to sleep? I got tired just reading that!

#17

[quote]analog_kid wrote:

I get the feeling you don’t fuck around when it comes to sleep? I got tired just reading that!

[/quote]

Yea, true actually. I don’t fuck around when it comes to a lot of things.

If there is one thing I learned in my young age, is when I started working as an electrician years ago. My journeyman taught me, two things I should never be cheap with comfort are on are my Shoes and my Bed. Hurtin’ feet makes me an asshole all day, as does a bad night of sleep. Poor sleep = Poor work.

By the way about the mattress thing, Pillow-tops are less expensive these days and better for you the egg-crate waffle design foam. Invest in these if you cannot invest in a new mattress. Also, rotate then flip your mattress every six months. Use a pleasant smelling fabric softener when you do wash your bedding, and try to avoid the Fabreeze products where you sleep. You’ll thank me later on that one.

#18

[quote]BluePfaltz wrote:
analog_kid wrote:

I get the feeling you don’t fuck around when it comes to sleep? I got tired just reading that!

Yea, true actually. I don’t fuck around when it comes to a lot of things.

If there is one thing I learned in my young age, is when I started working as an electrician years ago. My journeyman taught me, two things I should never be cheap with comfort are on are my Shoes and my Bed. Hurtin’ feet makes me an asshole all day, as does a bad night of sleep. Poor sleep = Poor work.

By the way about the mattress thing, Pillow-tops are less expensive these days and better for you the egg-crate waffle design foam. Invest in these if you cannot invest in a new mattress. Also, rotate then flip your mattress every six months. Use a pleasant smelling fabric softener when you do wash your bedding, and try to avoid the Fabreeze products where you sleep. You’ll thank me later on that one. [/quote]

I’ve heard those Otis bed futon mattresses are the greatest thing ever. Do you know anything about them? They are all foam. I’ve been thinking about getting one.

#19

I believe the mattress in question is very good; they take from a “European’s answer to Isotonic” memory foam product.

It has been my experience that the soy foam based bedding hold heat very well, as the more expensive kind (isotonic, etc…) are cooler and do not reflect your body heat…Nothings worse then lying in a perfectly contoured warm sweaty depression of your frame, only to roll over and get the stickies as your hair stands up on your back or front.

I would personally give it a shot If I wasn’t in love with my Serta Deluxe.