Mashy (Canada) on 12/26/2023
Emily (Thousand Oaks, CA ) on 04/21/2023
Tom (Livingston, Tx) on 04/12/2023
At bedtime I take a combo of 4 items that I am pretty happy with for sleep. The first item is large softgel of Spring Valley 1000 mg omega 3 fish oil concentrate, sold on the shelf next to Walmart pharmacies. The brain has a sizable percentage of DHA.
DHA makes up over 90% of the n-3 PUFAs in the brain and 10%–20% of its total lipids. DHA is especially concentrated in the gray matter. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Spring-Valley-Omega-3-Fish-Oil-Soft-Gels-1000-mg-180-Count/413918797?from=searchResults
Also, I take a 1200 mg softgel of liquid soy lecithin and one half rounded iced teaspoon of soy lecithin powder. The phosphatidyl choline in lecithin is a nervous system relaxant. Approximately 1/3 of your brain is made from lecithin! When you include lecithin in your diet, you are nourishing your brain and helping to support your nervous system. https://www.pipingrock.com/lecithin/lecithin-non-gmo-1200-mg-240-quick-release-softgels-823 https://bulkfoods.com/lecithin/lecithin-powder.html
Also I take a swallow of honey. Honey has been used for centuries for the treatment of insomnia because it has hypnotic action. Additionally, traditional Ayurvedic experts recommend honey for skin disorders (such as wounds and burns), cardiac pain and palpitation, all imbalances of the lungs and anemia.
Usually I look for a 5 lb jug of honey, a quantity that lasts for a while: https://www.walmart.com/search?q=pure n simple honey 80 oz&typeahead=pure n simple https://www.frysfood.com/p/crockett-s-desert-gold-honey-jug/0007292100012?fulfillment=PICKUP&searchType=default_search
joncrowley (MA) on 04/11/2023
https://theworldofsleep.com/reishi-mushroom-for-sleep/
Art (California) on 04/11/2023
I would say that Taurine would be a good addition to the list. Although Taurine is an active component in many energy drinks that are meant to help you stay active with more energy, when taken at bedtime, not in the form of an energy drink, it can also help you to relax and fall asleep and potentially sleep longer.
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-15126-7_58
Here is a relevant quote :
' A positive correlation was also observed between dietary taurine intake and the total sleep score. In particular, positive correlations were observed between dietary taurine intake and sleep scores for questions including ‘take a long time to fall asleep (p < 0.05)’, ‘difficult to fall asleep again during fitful sleep (p < 0.05)’, and ‘continuously sleepy in the morning (p < 0.05)’. '
Art
LuLu (US) on 04/11/2023
Deirdre (NC) on 04/11/2023
I always had a sneaking suspicion I was not getting enough deep sleep at night, but it wasn't until I got a smartwatch recently that I saw how shockingly little I get in the deep sleep cycle each night. While the recommended range for adults in my age group is 1.75 to 2.25 hours of deep sleep each night, I was averaging 13 minutes up to 28 minutes the past 6 nights.
I started my smartwatch sleep monitoring without any usual Magnesium or Melatonin for the first couple of nights and my deep sleep average was a dismal 13 to 17 minutes. Once I added magnesium, it went up about 10 minutes. Last night I took 40 mg of melatonin (my usual dose when I take it) and my deep sleep total amount went up to 47 minutes last night. Woo hoo! Still under but better. I'll report back as I experiment more with supplements, herbs and exercise. I highly recommend a smartwatch if you're interested in how much deep, core, and REM sleep you're getting each night. Very interesting.
And a big thanks to Art for all of his articles on melatonin. I never would have experimented with higher doses, had it not been for all of his research and postings!
