It's been a long time since I've been able to use kava as a sleep inducer. I have yet to try the Supreme or Isa but I just got down to my undrinkable batches so might order one the next go-round.
Whatever is in black tea is far more stimulating for me than coffee, and lasts a lot longer too. Perhaps you may try switching to green tea or stopping tea altogether.
The only kavas that could put me down at night probably contained tudei. I drank them easily in the daytime and just increased the evening session to sleep at night. I find most kavas now very stimulating; Nene is one of the most stimulating of them all for me, gives me some serious ants-in-the-pants lol (don't let that stop you from trying I am a little hard-headed methinks). For sleep most find drinking kava a period of hours before bedtime is best. You can always save a shell to top off with a nite cap if it helps. That's how my night sessions worked best for me.
A lot of folks that medicate with cannabis find CBD stimulating, and will use it in the morning then alternate with a sedating THC strain at night. I've found there's a sweet spot with dosing CBD. For me it's great for taking the edge off a panic attack or similar type state. It helps with focus, which also helps with morning wakefulness if needed. Too much and it leaves me feeling "out there." I've tried taking it at night and while it helped quiet my mind it made me more wakeful. There's a lot of research on the endocannabinoid system; if nothing else it could have a balancing effect if needed.
Trazadone works for many but also seems to have a reputation of only working for a little while. I experienced a similar frustration as yours with Ambien, it was useful only about once every 4-5 times.
If you aren't averse to prescription meds, there's a couple things that might be helpful. (I personally feel sometimes it's more important to counter the detrimental effects of sleep loss with a band aid in order to prevent greater damage, especially when needing to function for school or work.)
Trying a wakefulness promoting drug in the mornings like provigil/nuvigil can make one more sleepy in the evenings. (This hasn't helped my insomnia but they do make functioning through the fogginess of fatigue a lot easier!)
If your problem is only getting to sleep: for promoting sleep what has helped me the most is Restoril (temazepam). It's a benzo with a half-life of just minutes. (For restoring sleep in any manner you need to try and have a bit of routine and regular bedtime!!!) When using it I will take it around the same time every night. Anywhere from 3-6 weeks into it my body figures out what to do and I start getting sleepy without it. I can discontinue with zero issues (do research if considering, I have physiological issues at the root of my insomnia that may also affect how I metabolize stuff). The important thing with this is the routine and regular time!
If you find an Rx or supplement that promotes sleep for you, it could be a good idea to combine it with other therapies like progressive relaxation, binaural beats, or something similar you can do naturally unaided (progressive relaxation alone got me to sleep every night for years when younger). If you can achieve sleep with an inducer and are using a complement (like progressive relaxation, etc) you can train your body to associate sleep with the complement while you are inducing regulation with a pharm/supp. The goal would be that the body would also begin to recognize the complement as the signal to sleep, reducing or eliminating the need for a med or supp. It isn't perfect but can be helpful when nothing else works and can be helpful for nurturing mind-body awareness.
For issues of early awakening or staying asleep, some may find low dose amitriptyline (10 mg) helpful (like temazepam it is cheap and old but also comes with side effects that should be known beforehand). Early awakening, especially around 3 am, can point to overworked adrenals. Even if you cannot sleep a wink, lying in a dark room at night and allowing your body to relax will still have beneficial effects on the adrenals and hormones in the body.
Plant melatonin is much more bioavailable than other sources, chinese skullcap root and black cherry juice are good sources.
Acupuncture can be very, very helpful, not just for sleep but for helping the body work better on every level, and altogether. If you have insurance that covers it could be worth looking into. There are often community acupuncture places where treatments are very affordable and also check Groupon, lots of great acupuncture deals usually there!
If your vitamin D3 is low (most are) you will not able to make proper amounts of neurotransmitters and hormones, and you will have much lower immunity. Take D3 early in the day as it can be stimulating and always take it with K2!!!
Magnesium is needed for hundreds of reactions in the body and being depleted can greatly interfere with sleep. Most people are deficient. Best way to get it is with daily Epsom salt baths or mag chloride oil rubbed onto skin. As an oral supp use a chelated form for absorption like mag glycinate and take small doses spread throughout the day (Mg is also a needed cofactor of D3).
As a student it might be difficult, but it's important to avoid the stimulating effects of computers, phones, TV's, etc, in the evenings. If you cannot help staying up you might try using blue light blocking glasses when the sun goes down (pineal gland that makes melatonin is sensitive to blue wavelengths). Unplug the Wi-Fi before you go to bed. Keep your cell phone and other electronics far from your head while sleeping, in another room is best. If you need your phone close keep it away from your body (esp. head) and put in airplane mode if possible.
Another thing that I found helpful was sleeping in a room with a skylight. My sleep/wake cycles got much better, excluding the few nights my room was filled with the light of the full moon!
Congrats, you are so close to graduating
@krunkedout . I'm sure it's been a lot of work, do what you must to balance your health and finish your studies for this term if it's sensible. Nutrition is massive and first and easiest thing to be mindful of (ample proteins and good fats needed to make hormones and rebuild body every night!) Be sure to make up for any compromises to yourself once you're done with finals. Your health is too important to neglect in the long run, especially as an adult.
