Hi there every day after work, I have a couple of drinks (red wine), which helps me to sleep until around 2AM. Then I have to wake up and take a pee. Then I stay awake for the next 1 or 2 hours, before falling sleep again.
Are there any supplements, or health tips, which can help me sleep tight for the whole night?
Any recommendation on valerian teas? From a quick google it can be had cheap as chips or really expensive.
Have been using Celestial Sleepytime more recently. After a while, I also found that a calming tea or rooibos works almost as well - it's reprogrammed my system to unwind when I'm drinking the tea. Usually an hour to 90 minutes before bed and I'm good.
And stay off the phone… that blue light is bad news.
OP should remember that "sleep" after alcohol is not actually sleep. It is basically unconsciousness and it does not provide the same benefits as sleep. The 2 am wakeup is when the alcohol has been processed and OP wakes up from this state.
Second the valerian root- no sleep tablet hangovers, no dependence. Just vivid dreams lol.
Also- sleep hygiene. If you are not asleep, do not lie in bed. Get up and go the couch or something. You need to disassociate the bed with lying awake for hours.
I would add, for the OP, to look for slow-release melatonin too.
This helps the body to create the chemicals needed to maintain sleep patterns.
Actual melatonin (you will need a script, not the pretend stuff off the shelf) works wonders ..
But it isn't on the PBS…which is ridiculous as I'm sure 95% of mental health issues are sleep related.
If you prefer a natural product before trying melatonin, Montmorency Sour Cherry Juice.
Where to get this that won't break the bank?
Indeed it's a bit elusive. Best I can find is $30 for 946mL delivered but pickup is available from Keysborough. I don't consume personally but I used to work with an insomniac and I'm sympathetic to those who prefer to work with natural remedies.
@capslock janitor: Montmorency cherries (tart, sour) contain higher amounts of tryptophan and melatonin than other varieties.
Tried https://edenorchards.co.nz/. They have stock in Melbourne. Fast delivery. I tried cherry and blueberry bottles, prefer the taste of the cherry ones.
Mostly sugar and water
maybe a stupid question but is it the bright light in the toilet that wakes you up?
i just put up with an overly bright light in the toilet for many years until swapping to a little battery operated sensor light that doesnt blind me when going toilet during late night/early morning.
otherwise, melatonin - or maybe drinking less water from dinner onwards…
the bright light in the toilet that wakes you up
Why would anyone turn the light on?
its actually very dark in my toilet and the hallway that leads to it?
LPT: wear a nappy to bed to avoid bright lights
@MS Paint: Just use an empty Moccona jar kept under the bed, just remember to close the lid and don’t knock it over…
@MS Paint: Gotta do a gradual pressure release, don’t just open the floodgates to 100% , might wash away the whole village
I tape glow-in-dark tape alongside bathroom door near handle and a strip around the top front of bowl, no bright lights but i can see where to go, so to speak
Why would anyone turn the light on?
So they don't pjetson the toilet seat or rim.
Just sit down and do it. Aim becomes a non-issue and you can half sleep while you do it.
When I go pee I can use hearing to help aim for the right spot in the toilet… Sometimes it is hit and miss, but in 80% cases I hit the water and keep the position until finish.
I bet you're not married if you miss 20% and still continue with this "solution".
… I do same, but aim for 100%.
Anything less and I go to the above-mentioned seated solution until I regain my confidence.
How can you see if there is a snake 🐍 otherwise?
I agree. The spider you don't see on the seat is the one you worry less about.
got one of these MI sensor light so I don't really need to turn on the lights. Indeed, having any sort of light including the iphone screen is definitely a factor for my unfortunate waking up
Yes, what a pity they have a screen on both sides.
put phone face down
Yeelight motion sensing night light for the win
Good tips. Also, the act of getting up to go to the bathroom increases your heart rate and makes it harder to get back to sleep afterwards as well, so as you said, drinking less water in the 2-3 hours before sleep is crucial. As long as you hydrate well during the day, it's not a problem.
And yep, those soft warm white night lights that you can plug in to a powerpoint are indispensable, they cost about $16-22 each from Bunnings and are very power efficient (around 1W or less of power draw).
I drink a lot of water and will wake up more often thirsty than needing to pee. But I can take a drink and/ or go to the loo pretty much in the dark and fall back to sleep instantly…. I don't think I ever actually woke up.
I went from motion-sensing LED strips to my now favourite choice, which are rectangular gutter lights (12x8x2.5 cms) bought from Aldi (2 for $10). I hang one in the loo on a framed print. As the 18650 batteries last about 12 hours and I have 6 batteries I don't need to use the lithium battery charger that often.
BTW. This light is on all night
If I had the desire I could change the exterior of the light to look more like a picture wall light.
woah it had an 18650 inside? damn musta missed that one.
the sensor one i have is just from amazon, came in like a pack of 6 so i just put them all over the house, and powered with a batch of cheap AAA amazon basics brand i got from here a while ago, so cheap i dont even bother with rechargeables, one set of 3 lasts me about 2 months .
I'd like a sensor version of the gutter lights I am using now but I would prefer one that allowed me to pre-set the amount of time I would usually need rather than a 15 or 30 second default.
Doctors will prescribe you circadin (which is just 2mg Melatonin) but it's also very expensive. You can buy cheaper alternatives from overseas (usually iHerb is the cheapest).
You can also try asking doctors for Temazepam, however this should only be used short term to treat insomnia, since you can develop a tolerance to it.
Alcohol is a diuretic, it will make you pee more.. It also disrupts your sleep
If you have an addiction to alcohol, try to kick the habit as soon as possible.
For older males, some may get a condition called Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), basically the prostate gland enlarges as they age. This presses against the bladder and reduces the overall capacity, meaning you will need to get up and pee in the middle of the night.
It's an unfortunate part of getting old and there might only be surgery that can help reverse BPH.
If you are overweight and lacking exercise, you might also suffer from Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) without knowing it, & this makes your sleep worse / can also cause nocturia or night-time peeing (see this study here)
If you have a sleeping partner, ask them if you snore very loudly at night or have frequent pauses in your breathing. That is a sign of OSA.
And of course try to establish a sleep routine, sleep / wake at the same time everyday and ensure you get plenty of sunshine and a bit of physical activity in the morning.
You can buy cheaper alternatives from overseas (usually iHerb is the cheapest).
Theres a reason for this. Melatonin is medicine in Australia, so is extremely regulated for our safety. In the USA, melatonin is considered a dietary supplement, and the supplement industry in USA isn’t well regulated at all.
There’s been a lot of studies done in recent years that have shown melatonin from USA (iHerb) have not actually contained what was listed on the label. From the active ingredient being too low or too high, to random filler ingredients included, it’s pretty scary stuff.
https://amp.abc.net.au/article/102143732
I used to take melatonin from iHerb, I understand the appeal, but this just made me reassess.
Ended up switching to magnesium products which have ended up working much better anyway.
There’s been a lot of studies done in recent years that have shown melatonin from USA (iHerb) have not actually contained what was listed on the label.
links?
A Canadian study published in the Journal of Sleep Medicine in 2017 found the melatonin contained in over-the-counter products sold overseas varied wildly from the amount listed on the label.
All products investigated in this study were purchased from local grocery stores and pharmacies in Guelph, Ontario.
My grandmother became an alcoholic in her last days thinking she was helping herself sleep. It's really sad that people think alcohol is helping when it really isn't.
Could try medicinal cannabis.
I'm not sure why the down votes, it's natural and is scientifically proven to work.
Perhaps there is some negative stigma still surrounding cannabis.
because you cannot legally drive with it present in your system (regardless of any or lack of impairment)
But if you take it for sleep then it'll be thoroughly out of your system by the time you wake up.
Nah very much not the case, it can be picked up anywhere up to a few days after last use in a saliva test, there's no hard and fast rule.
Just carry your prescription and let the courts decide if you were impaired.
Not sure what State you're in but currently Tasmania is the only place in which you'd have any hope arguing that point.
Here's a fun little snippet from the VicRoads website as an example:
A valid prescription for medicinal cannabis cannot be used as a defence against a charge of testing positive for THC on a roadside drug test.
Is OP driving, though? The neg votes are from ignorance I’d say. Smoking some cannabis in moderation would probably be better than drinking every night.
Smoking some cannabis in moderation would probably be better than drinking every night.
And you could well be right - except for the bit about smoking it because the general medical consensus is that inhaling any burnt substance has proven negative health implications. Perhaps some brownies or gummies instead?
I didn't neg vote any comments, but I'll point out that the only ones which have been are where there was ignorance in play on behalf of the commenter, a quick google search disproves both of their viewpoints. The original comment suggesting medical cannabis is still positive.
harmless vapour
Ehhh, the jury's still out on that one..
Butter's cheaper than a herb vape and there's no odour, but you do you :)
@Gronk: I do both. I'm very economical about it, I'll vape the medicinal leaf first, then I'll collect the leftover vaped out (and thus pre-carbed) leaf and then cook it into butter eventually.
@AustriaBargain: Not harmless, at best it's just less harmful than smoking: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7757764/
@Gronk: I feel like they're still right even with the part about smoking it. When juxtaposed with drinking every night, a joint or a few cones every few days to help with sleep is better. Drinking to the point it's helping you get to sleep/pass out is a losing game. All that said, edibles or drops would still be far safer/healthier in the long run
Tangentially related, I was surprised last night to find out nicotine isn't a carcinogen. It's the ingredients they use to process tobacco I to a smokeable state and the act of smoking it that causes problems
I feel like they're still right even with the part about smoking it. When juxtaposed with drinking every night, a joint or a few cones every few days to help with sleep is better.
Comparing daily alcohol use with occasional smoking? That's a paddlin'
I'm not aware of any conclusive evidence that proves daily drinking to be more or less harmful than daily smoking, how we feel about either side of the argument doesn't really add much to the discussion. I think it's worth noting that OP's original post stated a couple of drinks so taking that at face value we're not talking about excessive use here.
Tangentially related, I was surprised last night to find out nicotine isn't a carcinogen.
Off topic, but nah it isn't carcinogenic on its own, in high enough concentrations it's poisonous and is super duper bad for you but it doesn't cause cancer.
Comparing daily alcohol use with occasional smoking? That's a paddlin'
Good point, it is a little apples and oranges
I think it's worth noting that OP's original post stated a couple of drinks so taking that at face value we're not talking about excessive use here
My response was regarding your reply to zubzub's comment which stated "Smoking some cannabis in moderation would probably be better than drinking every night." The amounts weren't specified and I ended up assuming
Anything's deadly if you have enough of it, it was just surprising that nicotine of all substances wasn't carcinogenic. I've seen all the stickers they put on products for Proposition 65, if their wasn't one on nicotine patches but there was on cigarettes I'd be stumped for a little bit
This is not strictly true. Source: I'm currently taking part in a clinical trial testing the efficacy of medicinal cannabis (no THC) on insomnia and one of the prerequisites of the trial was that there was no restriction on driving, operating machinery etc. Not sure if this is to with pharmacology of the drug that's being administered but according to the trial consent form I am legally allowed to drive to all the trial appointments and meetings.
(no THC)
The wording around roadside drug testing and testing in general is usually quite specific to the presence of THC so I would assume the medication being tested under the trial you're part of is CBD only, which isn't deemed a psychoactive substance that results in impairment hence no restrictions.
please dont take this as a 'wEeD bAd' type of comment, but marijuana acts similar to alcohol in making it feel like a sleep-aid when it really isnt. It inhibits REM sleep, which is why you dont dream. Its very common for long term weed smokers to quit cold turkey and then experience vivid, scary and confronting dreams for a few weeks since they havnt allowed their REM for a long time
is scientifically proven to work
Nope.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S002839082…
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S030646032…
The combo of THC and CBD oil I use for pain and general anxiety works very well on helping me stay asleep. It's easier to get these days, but still expensive.
Masturbation works for me
Any recommendations?
Soft and gentle not fast and furious
sit on your hand to make it feel like a stranger
sit on your hand to make it feel like a stranger
Do you often sit on people you don't know?
What a load of w*nk!
I mean ,What, a load of w*nk?
I wear an eye mask to block out light.
I also do breathing and muscle relaxing exercises - which takes time to develop and become effective at doing.
Are we still talking about what Dollar General recommends?
The alcohol is making you feel drowsy but then it disrupts REM sleep, wakes you up, and makes it hard to sleep again. Also it's a diuretic so you want to go to the toilet. Additionally the alcohol may make snoring worse which disrupts sleep.
I think you'll find the general recommendation is to cut back on the wine, or even cut it out completely.
Valerian gives me deeper sleep than usual and extended and very vivid dreams, but thankfully not nightmares. Maybe try a little bit of that.
+1 for valerian vivid dream quests. Storylines can be wild and special effects are top notch. Sometimes combine with Melatonin.
I get that, I would rather stay up til 3-4 than to fall asleep, wake up to go toilet then lie awake for 1-2 hours. But I don't work so i guess you can't.
I find it really hard to sleep as my body is super tense, if I try to l relax one part, another tenses up instead. But the main problem is that I would be 'overthinking' and the more I tell myself to stop the worse it gets. I use earphones and used to listen to ASMR, but I grew out of that and listen to horror stories on YouTube. I usually fall asleep 10 minutes into it.
Tried melatonin before, it made me feel really nauseous and groggy the next day, even with just half a pill.
Jim beam
Wine before liquor, never sicker
Liquor before wine, OP will sleep divine.
Wine before beer, feel the fear.
A few suggestions:
Mindfullness
very demure
(am i using this term correctly?)
Tried various types of white noise. Some were annoying and somewhat intrusive. Settled on a ‘super deep brown noise’ that I’ve used for years and it’s great. It’s a bit like an A380 cabin noise so I can dream I’m flying.
Came here to say kava haha. Definitely helps me sleep more solidly, and I cut alcohol out completely 5 months ago. Tastes absolutely horrible but a teaspoon mixed with about 60ml of lemon cordial and a splash of water does the trick to get it down.
With kava, it's definitely worth getting the higher quality stuff. I find it tastes better and is stronger.
Any you'd recommend? I've only ever had the 'Fiji Kava' stuff from Coles and while the effects are really nice, the taste is awful.
@michaelpls: I've tried the Fiji Kava from Coles - found the effect pleasant but mild. Still needs to be put through aa strainer bag, IMO. You'll get a fair amount of sediment. .
Root and Pestle. Instant is proper instant rather than micronized. I've tried the Borogoru instant/Palarasul so far.
KavaPros is also frequently recommended - will try this out at some point.
Listen to a recording of my boss speaking. That'll put you into deep sleep
Don't drink too much before going to sleep, then you won't have to wake up to pee and sleep through the night.
Read Covid threads on OzBargain.
That's on natural ways to spike your blood pressure.
joining a Fight Club worked for Edward Norton's insomnia
First rule
if you wake up at that time, a common cause is something stressful happened prior
Chamomile…
Definitely not alcohol…
I find chamomile has a diuretic effect on me, and if I drink it a couple of hours before bed I'll just end up going to the toilet in the middle of the night. That's one of the things the op is trying to avoid.
Based on my own experience, avoid the alcohol. If you're using that to help you get to sleep, there are better ways - I find a bit of exercise (even just a 10-15 minute walk outside) and Melatonin tablet (about 30 minutes before going to bed) help me to fall asleep, and more importantly, stay asleep.
Valerian is also traditionally used to help promote restful sleep and is in many calming/sleep teas and the like. These do work - I was sceptical for a long time but have found a combination that works for me. After using alcohol for too many years, it's made a huge difference in my life