I do not know about you, but my sleep quality has tanked since being active with fitness every day. I would say sleeping quality has become a Really big issue since December 2012.

I stopped caring about trying to achieve a decent sleep a few months ago, even though I have consistently gone through the motions daily by getting to bed early enough to ensure 8-9 hours. Yet I have not slept soundly, have not achieved a good state of REM state and definitely have not felt rested the following day. I have tried melatonin (up to 10 ml!) and many other herbs at different times to help with getting a decent sleep. I have no problem falling asleep; it is staying asleep and also also sleeping deeply that eludes me. Night after night. Sigh...

Last night I tried a GABA supplement (stronger than theaanine) for creating a strong enough ripple in my mind to initiate decent size alpha waves for deep sleep. Finally slept the whole night, feel really rested this morning and remember my all-night dream with clarity. However, I am just concerned that taking GABA supplementation will create an imbalance (a different one then I had before) that could mess with other things like emotions.

I want to be able to consistently hit deep sleep to help my body recover from hard fitness routines and also to not feel emotionally tired all the time. Is it time for me to go to the doctor and get a prescription for something hat will knock me ou every night?

It's a simple blood test. Easy to check. Hope you can figure it out!

Interesting theory. No idea. It might be worth following up on. My sleep is still on the to be desired front as I wake up at 3am nightly. Falling asleep is no issue at all. I have never been told I have anything interesting going on with my thyroid. Is it a blood draw or some other type of test?

Your comment here reminds of an article I read recently on the "myth" of the eight hour night of sleep: http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16964783

If you're sleeping, but not feeling rested upon waking, perhaps research the symptoms of adrenal fatigue and see if they apply to you. Emotional and physical stress can lead to adrenal fatigue, and the above suggestion of possible overtraining might be that physical stress. Just a thought...

Your comment here reminds of an article I read recently on the "myth" of the eight hour night of sleep: http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16964783

If you're sleeping' date=' but not feeling rested upon waking, perhaps research the symptoms of adrenal fatigue and see if they apply to you. Emotional and physical stress can lead to adrenal fatigue, and the above suggestion of possible overtraining might be that physical stress. Just a thought...[/quote']

That was a seriously good read, especially since I am awake to read it here at 3 am. My sleep pattern does seem to be just that; two blocks, with 30 min wake time in between. I sometimes also like to have a 30 minute nap after lunch before returning to work (at home). Working out for me is usually about 1-1.5 hours around 4 or 5 pm. It is not 90 minutes of constant working out hard. It is more like 30-40 minutes of mobility work and stretching, 20 minutes of warming up (a moderate workout of running, rowing and gymnastic exercises like push-ups, pull-ups, situps, hand stands, etc), 20-30 min of a strength skill work (deadlifts, cleans, s n a t c h e s, push press, etc), 10-40 minutes of a WOD (an all out intense workout), and then 20 minutes or so of more gymnastic skill work like double unders, rebound box jumps or kipping pullups. Cross fit is my exercise 5x a week. Length of WOD really does vary every day. I would say most are between 10-20 minutes, but some have been longer between 30-40 min. Not sure of the calorie burn. Weight has stayed fairly constant (175) and I eat when hungry (every 2-3 hours) something Protein and good carb.

What stimulants are you using to handle all that training? Guarantee that is your problem. Even if you think you are stim free I would bet you are not and that there is an ingredient in something you are taking that is keeping you awake.

What stimulants are you using to handle all that training? Guarantee that is your problem. Even if you think you are stim free I would bet you are not and that there is an ingredient in something you are taking that is keeping you awake.

Just some caffeine from coffee before training.

There an insomnia thread in the powder room with people reporting exactly what you're going through. Fall asleep just fine and then wide awake at 3 am. Maybe worth checking out

Ugh! I'm with you on the 3 a.m. Wake up call. I've tried everything over the years but not the GABA

When I had my sleep study, which I knew would be a joke because I would be unable to sleep just because I needed too (that may be tough to follow) the physician's conclusion was I had "poor sleep quality." Really.

I actually slept through the night last night. The small miracles in life that get taken for granted...

Well that's good! Sleep is crucial.

Spoke too soon. 5 hours last night and interrupted 5 hours at that. Should I go to the dr and get a big hammer to force sleep?

Spoke too soon. 5 hours last night and interrupted 5 hours at that. Should I go to the dr and get a big hammer to force sleep?

Melatonin's not working? New studies showing melatonin isn't just helpful for sleeping, it's also helpful in preventing alzheimers and other brain function.

Melatonin's not working? New studies showing melatonin isn't just helpful for sleeping' date=' it's also helpful in preventing alzheimers and other brain function.[/quote']

Actually, I went to the PCP yesterday and talked to him about my sleep issues. He said the melatonin I currently take is very low to be therapeutic (1 mg = 1 ml). He suggested I increase to 5 mg and try that for a few weeks. So I went and picked up some 5 mg nature bounty brand. There is also 10 mg. I took the 5 mg last night and slept much better. However, am groggy this am. Trouble getting up. Not a problem though because I am sure my body will get used to it soon. Starting vacation today also and will give me an opportunity to get used to it, since not needing to get up at 5am. Yay.

I'm still struggling with this as well; 4am seems to be my 'wake up time', but my alarm doesn't go off until 6. So basically I toss & turn until about 5:45 when I finally start to settle down, only to be woken back up by my alarm in 15 minutes. The melatonin doesn't work for me; makes me too groggy. I find if I can go to bed early then the 4am wake up doesn't affect me so negatively, but I live in a house of night owls, so going to bed early would necessitate earplugs!

I'm going to have to find a solution soon - the sleep deprivation is starting to affect my memory and ability to function at work. I'm tired all the time, and the constant yawning is irritating.

Wow, I am experiencing the same thing. I wake up around 4am every morning. Using herbs help me sleep till 5am. On occasions a very small glass of red wine helps to relax my muscles and my racing mind. I can sleep all night then. When I am desperate, kava kava root power. Use very sparingly! I may use kava once every 3 months, or if I am having muscle spasms.

Try increasing magnesium, as mentioned by others, to improve sleep and many other ailments triggered by magnesium deficiency.

I found this a good read (not academic, but still is based on some studies)

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/peak32.htm

The article targets magnesium deficiencies as it applies to athletes, but there is also general information for everyone.

From the article:

Eating Habits Associated With Low Magnesium Intake

You tend to eat white flour products instead of wholemeal

You have a low intake of green leafy vegetables

You don't eat much in the way of nuts and seeds or Beans and lentils

You regularly consume sugar or sugary products

You drink alcohol regularly

You follow a calorie-restricted or high-Protein, low-carbohydrate diet

Possible Symptoms Of Sub-Optimal Magnesium Intake

Muscle cramps, twitches or tremors

Regular or excessive fatigue

Feelings of irritability and/or lethargy

Frequent mood swings, including depression

Pre-menstrual bloating

Restless legs at night

We generally have an issue with the last eating habit by nature of being a VSG post op. We eat low calorie diets, high protein and low carb diets. My daily protein consumption tends to be above average to support athletic activities. I identify with item 2, 3 and 6 from the eating habit list.

The magnesium supplement I am trying is called Natural Calm:

http://www.amazon.com/Natural-Vitality-Calm-Raspberry-Lemon/dp/B00BPUY3W0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382710890&sr=8-1&keywords=natural+calm

The recommendation is to take 2 tsp (325 mg) daily. Others have mentioned they take 1 tsp in the morning and 1 tsp in the evening. This is consistent with the the body being able to absorb 100-150 mg most efficiently in a single dose.

Took it last night for the first time and noticed I woke at 6:30 am, feeling refreshed, after going to bed at 10:30pm. I still use the melatonin to fall asleep, but the increase in magnesium ions in the body will promote a restful sleep. After all this research I have done (sleep is important to me for many reasons!!), it is now clear why I started having sleep issues when increasing protein and working out hard month 5 (now month 15). You can look into increasing magnesium if you like, but as for me, It certainly makes sense.

Really helps with constipation if you struggle with that. There are so many ailments that are fixed when the magnesium levels are sufficient in the body.

I will let you know how this goes in 1 month.