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Other/Mixed Troubles with sleeping

Other strength modalities (e.g., Clubs), mixed strength modalities (e.g., combined kettlebell and barbell), other goals (flexibility)
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Anders

Anders

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Hi,

I am having troubles with my sleep. I can easily fall asleep at night almost no matter what, but after four-five hours I wake up. Then most of the times I don't fall asleep again. I have had it like this for 8-10 years. I am now 34 years old. I work full time. I feel a bit tired and unrested especially during the week when I have to go to work. I don't have any kids and I live alone.

My troubles with not falling asleep again is the same both during the year and in vacations.

Anyone who has any tips about what to do ?
 
Anders said:
Hi,

I am having troubles with my sleep. I can easily fall asleep at night almost no matter what, but after four-five hours I wake up. Then most of the times I don't fall asleep again. I have had it like this for 8-10 years. I am now 34 years old. I work full time. I feel a bit tired and unrested especially during the week when I have to go to work. I don't have any kids and I live alone.

My troubles with not falling asleep again is the same both during the year and in vacations.

Anyone who has any tips about what to do ?
Click to expand...

I think a lot of people experience this to some degree

You should get many suggestions on this including...
  • Go to bed at the same time each night
  • TOTAL darkness where you sleep... I mean total
  • No 'screen-time' 2 hrs prior.
  • No caffeine after the morning
  • No eating 2 hrs prior
  • Eating some fat before sleep
  • Eating some glucose before sleep
  • Meditation
  • Cold immersion before bed
  • Melatonin
  • Valerian
You will note that some of the advice is contradictory...

(I have the same sleep pattern as you describe)

Plus you can sleep all you want when you are dead...
 
@Anders : if you read up on sleep patternd it seems to be pretty normal and natural to awake after 4 hours. Apparently the long night sleep is a pretty modern development. You might go to sleep a little earlier and then get up for 1-2 hours for reading or meditation in the night and then lie down again.

At least that is what I remember from reading about it several years ago.

Something else to look for is nighttime fruit or honey. This might help with liver regulation (the liver is important for the sleep-wake-cycles) and sleeping through. Personally I eat half a banana or 2 dates. I have used honey (1 Tsp to 1 Tbsp) too, but that gave me a bit too intense dreams (this seems to be a thing...).

Some people combine this with apple vinegar (with "the mother").

Hope this gives you some ideas for experimentation and research.
 
I agree with @Bauer. The modern ideas and ideals of sleep are based on convenience, not what's best for us.

Naps are great. Do you feel tired if you sleep 4-5 hours a night and take a good nap after work?
 
Underpinning the sleep/wake circadian rhythm is light exposure. Other factors contribute but tapping into the master circuit governs and affects all systems.
Matt Walker's book why we sleep, his podcasts and other sleep research scientists are unravelling the importance of sleep.
Light is the governor.
Blocking blue light in the evening, absolutely but exposure to the great outdoors of morning light through the eyeballs where specialist cells do their remarkable signalling cascade.
Everything follows from there.
No always possible of course. Geography, climate, job etc but that seems to be a Very Big Thing. The sort of Nobel prize bigness.

Nobel-winning sleep research: To avoid disease and live longer, don't take phone to bed
 
Matthew Walker’s book “Why We Sleep” is a fabulous read and full of a lot of useful advice on how to sleep better. He has also been on tons of podcasts if you want that.

The science on sleep and health he lats out is very convincing that not getting adequate sleep is bad for both your short term and long term health. It was his book that got me to prioritize sleep and I am quite happy I did.
 
Anders, after practicing a mix of Buteyko and Wim Hof breathing I have to say I sleep better than before..

If you try it I'd say ease in slowly.. very powerful medicine
 
Bret S: What books would you recommend for these two methods ?

Thanks for all replies.

Two things I have started using lately: Orange glasses two hours before bed and chilipad. It seems to give me about six hours of sleep, instead of 4-5. I also try to limit water drinking in the evening.
 
Anders said:
Bret S: What books would you recommend for these two methods ?

Thanks for all replies.

Two things I have started using lately: Orange glasses two hours before bed and chilipad. It seems to give me about six hours of sleep, instead of 4-5. I also try to limit water drinking in the evening.
Click to expand...
Al Ciampa has coached/guided me (he's certified, @Steve Freides too) thru Buteyko breathing while Wim Hof has some simple routines on YT.

I would read 'The Oxygen Advantage' for starters, then start playing with it, you can get the Buteyko and Wim Hof apps on your phone as well.. there are some good free bits in there.
I tend to like Wim Hof at night, lying in bed and going thru a few cycles has helped my sleep the most. Buteyko I prefer to do in the early morning.
 
I have been using legal cannabis for about a year and I have noticed I sleep better than I had been. I had worked in a safety sensitive job for 12 years and had not used in that time, but did use previously.

For many years I relied on a cycle of sleep aides and caffeine to function. Now I sleep very good with really no other changes, and now I have two toddlers.

I am not a cannabis advocate and it is as risky as any other drug. Purely anecdotal.
 
Cbd helps me a bit, but nothing too significant. Some nights better than others. Some nights no improvement.
 
This is a very deep rabbit hole. I've tried just about everything over the years as I first learned about the importance of sleep at Cornell in 1994 with Prof. James Maas. So it's been a lot of experimentation.

This link is a good resource - Ben also has a book coming out in a couple weeks called Boundless: The Last Resource On Sleep You'll Ever Need: Ultimate Guide to Napping

The things that I've found to work the best include 1) early AM sunlight which helps dial-in circadian rhythms (I live in Seattle, so I use all sorts of gadgets / gear for this during the dark winter months including the JOOVV light, Sperti UVB lamp, Retimer glasses, the Human Charger headphones, etc.), 2) a 3 minute cold shower or plunge about 1-2 hours prior to bed, and 3) CBD if I'm really feeling I need it, but you have to take a lot (50-100mg) for it to make a difference. Note: I'm not a doctor so proceed with caution!
 
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