CS: Sleeping Problems...

CS,

Been having sleeping problems for many years. My case is unique in that while I do have trouble sleeping at the correct time I have no problem getting too sleep and staying asleep. I sleep like a baby and for the correct amount of time but the times when I feel tired are messed up. I typically sleep at around 2-3am and I know important detoxification mechanisms are happening in this time period so it would be good to be in a deep sleep.

Anyway is their any supplement that is safe and I will not build a dependency on? I know when Melatonin first hit the market they said that if you take it for an extended period you will mess you're own natural melatonin stores...what's you're take on this? Melatonin on iHerb has good reviews in general.

Thanks

Melatonin may help you reset your clock. I found it useful for that purpose while traveling to Europe. Although I am not sure it would be prudent to rely on melatonin on a consistent basis, I doubt it will do much harm to supplement it on occasion.

How is your sleep hygiene? Do you watch TV or use the computer late at night? Staring into a bright light (TV or computer screen) at night will suppress natural melatonin production. This is obviously undesirable.

isaac - I agree with EIC, also getting some UV exposure by the sun helps, but it's not that easy this time of year.

Have you tried Valarian root?

I had some minor sleeping problems not too long ago and so I popped a handful of walnuts in the coffee grinder and had them with my dinner then before bed I had some chamomile tea and it did the trick for me.

I think the walnuts work because of there melatonin content and not sure how the chamomile tea works, but it does!

Anyway thats just my two cents.

Valerian root is quite weak (at least for me). There are things that are stronger and have some other benefits for hair: chamomille (apigenin - aromatase blocker), passiflore (chrysin - aromatase blocker) and damiana (the strongest thing plus it's progesterone like properties)

The combination damiana and passiflora is the strongest combo for your sleep (i like to add some magnesium or ZMA) - you really feel the difference in the moorning. The positive thing for me is that damiana gives you very intensive dreams, usually with sexual content since it brings blood to the belly

there's some apigenin in valerian root as well but less than in chamomille - btw the best source for apigenin is parsley - that's why I eat it every moorning with radish and lemon juice (you get 3 different estrogen blockers plus so many other things - see parsley - for me the nr 1 superfood at the moment)