I've been using Dr. Teal's epsom salts with chamomile that Walmart sells. I used to use the lavender type, but my wife is sensitive to it and I apparently don't clean the bathtub out enough when I'm done.@Blippy5 Agreed. Hot bath water + 2 cups of Epsom salt (optional, +baking soda, + four drops of any essential oil) = altered state of relaxation and deep sleep.
Also helps with tired muscles.
Thanks. It seems like I've tried just about everything over the years. I guess it won't hurt to see if they've got anything I haven't yet. At one point (many years ago) I even slept in a room by myself for several months. The only difference it made was that my wife couldn't wake me up when I snored.Well, I'm not trying to dissuade you from kava. Kava is awesome for insomnia & anxiety. But CBT is a therapy with a lot of good science behind it that is good for anxiety & insomnia. Could be a helpful addition to what you are already doing.
That can certainly happen: you may feel like you are "awake", but you are really asleep.Well I found out something very interesting last night. After I had been trying to get to sleep for about an hour, my wife told me to roll over so I'd quit snoring. I told her I hadn't even been asleep, how could I have been snoring? She said I had snored briefly several times and then stopped, but this time I was getting louder instead of stopping. So apparently while I'm thinking I can't get to sleep, I'm actually sleeping and then waking myself up by my snoring but not realizing I had been asleep. So I guess when I finally "get to sleep" (and feel like I have) is when I finally go deep enough that I don't wake myself up without waking myself up...
I think I'm going to try a sleep tracking app I found and see what happens.
Rather than switching around every week, it might be best to find a routine that works and stick with it over time, making small changes as needed. For example, if valerian is working, just keep using it. If valerian is making you drowsy during the day, maybe just cut back on it, or cut back on it and supplement with some kava.. You need to find some kind of balance that will work for the long term.. frequent abrupt changes will probably not be very helpful..The bottle of valerian root I've been taking says to take 1 to 5 capsules. I started with 3 and got up to 5 as lower doses proved not as effective. But that seems to have led to daytime drowsiness, so I've decided it's time to switch back to kava, but it seems my body doesn't like switching back and forth. I took 6 of the Gaia kava capsules last night before dinner (around 7) and when I went to bed around 11 sleep didn't come. So I took some melatonin and that didn't work. In ended up taking the 5 valerian capsules that had worked by themselves on previous nights and they also did nothing. By about 2 I decided to try some kava candy. That relaxed me some, but didn't put me right out like it has in the past. I did end up getting some sleep eventually - I actually remember dreaming just a bit - but not nearly enough.
So I'm wondering if I should have only taken 3 of the kava capsules, or if maybe the 6 I took wasn't enough. 3 used to do it for me, but it had been a little while since I had taken any. The other factor could have been caffeine - I don't usually use it, but I've been drowsy enough the last few days I've had 120 mg each day, but always before noon.
I have some GHK Boroguru now, but haven't had time to make any yet. The capsules are too convenient. I also got some samples from Kava King that I could try, but the reviews I've read make them sound like they're not the sleepy type.
Possibly. 1.5 teaspoons is a pretty small amount, so I don't know. Only one way to find out...I decided to try one of the Kava King samples tonight. I took about 1.5 teaspoons before dinner (a little before 7), and felt some effects. I'm thinking of taking another 1.5 teaspoons (or whatever is left in the sample package) around 9 or so, an hour or so before I plan to go to bed. Does this sound like a good plan for help with sleeping?
Well, yes kava is a strong diuretic. And some of us have also noticed a bit of a laxative effect. I wouldn't say it makes me poop more frequently, but sometimes after drinking some kava there is an effect similar to after drinking coffee in that respect...One question - I understand that it's common that kava makes you urinate more than usual (which is tough for me to measure, because I do it more than usual anyway), but what about defecating? I've noticed it makes me do that a lot more. It's not diarreah, it's still solid but much smaller than normal and much, much more frequent. And this isn't just new today - it was also happening when I took the capsules.
Of course we don't mind; it's nice to have you here and see your progress with your kava experience.3 kava capsules and 1 mg of melatonin and I got some great sleep again last night. I'm going to be short on time again tonight, so will probably resort to the same thing again, but I hope to have the time to make another batch of boroguru for tomorrow.
And it's nice to have this place to keep track of what I'm doing. It's been very helpful. I hope nobody minds.