Kava Physiology Kava Induced Insomnia?

[Skywalker]

Having used Kava for approx one year now, Kava has lately been keeping me awake at night consistently. Kava= no sleep. And painful 'Brain Zaps' at night.

I've tried altering dosage, from almost nothing to my usual one-two cups of dried root. I've only been drinking Boroguru from BKH for a while now. I don't think it's the root, I think it's my own physiological reaction.

I get dry skin as well, that's the only other side affect.

Wondering if anyone else has experienced this?

 

[HeadHodge]

Yes... if I consume kava too close to bedtime. It's like kava goes through several phases of effects, and I found I'm very tired or sleepy with kava after 3 or 4 hours of consumption. But if I drink some kava right before night time, I can suffer from its other effects while trying to sleep. But ultimately the sedative effects kick in and I eventually end up sleeping pretty well (eventually).

 

[Prince Philip]

I'm going to commit heresy here. I also welcome correction if I may be wrong.

I think you might be having a reaction to a high kavain cultivar. My decision not to use antidepressants was due to brain-zaps. It's not that they cause the zaps directly, but rather that after a few weeks I'm in withdrawal by day's end. Kavain has a similar SNRI effect to that of effexor. This is an assertion and has not been confirmed, but has been suspected for a long time. Maybe you should consider an adulteration of your kava with some heavier in double-bonded lactones.

 

[Wally]

I had Kava for my first time yesterday and was up all night.
I had a strange sedating high but then severe anxiety. I eventually resorted to zolpidem for sleep at 2.30am
I find Kava quite strange.

 

[Zac Imiola (Herbalist)]

Kava is very strange... I've never had brain zaps from kava tho except when I ate like toooooo much cannabis chocolate and drank a lot of kava but that happens without kava if I do that ... soooo idk haha... Shits nuts... that's why I don't drink kava past 5pm and I don't drink anything in excess

 

[Squanch72]

Damn I drink kava at 5:30 every night and I am lucky to stay up till 11. I am usually nodding off on the couch before that. I was a terrible sleeper before kava. I did have insomnia one night, and I ran down to the kitchen and chugged a shell and got back to sleep in about a half hour. Some strains will make me ansty and keep me up though. Try some different kava.

 

[ta-va]

I'm interested in these brain-zaps you all have. Like an electric shock that jumps you awake? Repeated dreams in semi REM sleep? I get these a lot (have had them since well before I even knew about kava).
I can wake up having had an awful night's sleep. I might have slept at intervals during the night for an hour and a half to 2 hours. Never getting anything much more than 3 - 5 hours sleep in a night. I read science stories about our ancestors and see that they might have welcomed splitting night into 3 parts. Early Sleep - Awake Time - Later Sleep.
I really feel how this would be right for me but does not fit into modern work day practices.
I'm lucky I get a couple of days a week where I can work from home and do my own thing.
My sleep patterns for this are off the scale yet I feel more productive (and, indeed, am more productive monetarily) than any 9 to 5 shizzle can throw at me.