Anyone use ZMA supplement for REM Sleep?

I need something to help with awakenings and increase sleep quality.
I saw this may help versus melatonin

tlewis303 wrote:I need something to help with awakenings and increase sleep quality.
I saw this may help versus melatonin

tlewis303,

I tried it before long before I ever started pap therapy and it was one of the least effective supplements I tried for insomnia. Perhpas, tapering psych meds might have been interferring but that was my experience.

Not to be the voice of negativity but I haven't found anything that helps me stay asleep on the mask be it meds or OTC remedies. Hopefully, you will have better luck.

49er

In my experience, not much out there helps my sleep problems - including OTC sleep aid blends, vitamins or even the common sleep meds. What I've ended up with that seems to help are magnesium and phosphorus supplements and this was mostly by trial and error. The magnesium (any brand) seems to calm my nervous system when I'm falling asleep. The mineral phosphorus (brand name Seriphos) calms adrenal glands during the middle of the night which helps ease anxious feelings and that awful adrenaline overload.

I'm not suggesting that these two minerals will fix everybody's sleep problems but for me they help somewhat. I've also taken D3 supplements encouraged by a few big fans on CPAPtalk and have had mixed results - the same with most of my other vitamin/mineral supplement experiments. Sorry, I wish there was a 'magic bullet' in a pill, sadly, I haven't found it yet.

Yea I do see a lot about magnesium but that is a bowel buster if you take too much of it.

At night I take 5htp, melatonin, L-theanine , and coq10 to try an help with sleep. Its been about 3 weeks and I haven't noticed much.
Maybe I should just stop all and see what happens. My pcp dr recommended melatonin. I've tried Benadryl but not much luck.

tlewis303 wrote:Yea I do see a lot about magnesium but that is a bowel buster if you take too much of it.

At night I take 5htp, melatonin, L-theanine , and coq10 to try an help with sleep. Its been about 3 weeks and I haven't noticed much.
Maybe I should just stop all and see what happens. My pcp dr recommended melatonin. I've tried Benadryl but not much luck.

tlewis,

You might consider dropping the coq10 as that can be activating in certain people.

Otherwise, i feel your pain big time and don't have any good suggestions. It is a bad sign when you're adding things in an attempt to find the elusive insomnia solution.

Regarding melatonin, my last sleep doctor suggested that. One night, after waking up prematurely, I took it to get back to sleep and lasted 15 minutes. I think I went back to sleep for about 10 more minutes.

I took off my mask but unfortunately was too tired to move. End up falling back asleep for 3 hours.

Pretty much been the story with any sleep remedy I take. Great for plain old garden variety insomnia but worthless for staying asleep on the machine.

Stopping everything and starting over might not be a bad idea.

I tried a ZMA supplement years ago. It gave me crazy dreams.

Hi 49er,
What did you mean by coq10 can be activating?
You mean like an energy boost?

tlewis303 wrote:Hi 49er,
What did you mean by coq10 can be activating?
You mean like an energy boost?

Exactly.

49er

I guess it would be better to take coq10 in the morning?

tlewis303 wrote:I guess it would be better to take coq10 in the morning?

It would certainly be worth a shot if you feel the supplement is beneficial. Of course, your mileage will vary.

I am so sensitive to things that I won't even take magnesium in the evening which is allegedly sedating. Many times, it wasn't for me.

49er

I gotta tell ya the only supplements that work on me are grill oil or fish oil and niacin. I could see results in the lipid numbers from them.

The trouble with most of these supplements is they take along time to work if at all and you have to be patient.

Sir NoddinOff wrote:In my experience, not much out there helps my sleep problems - including OTC sleep aid blends, vitamins or even the common sleep meds. What I've ended up with that seems to help are magnesium and phosphorus supplements and this was mostly by trial and error. The magnesium (any brand) seems to calm my nervous system when I'm falling asleep. The mineral phosphorus (brand name Seriphos) calms adrenal glands during the middle of the night which helps ease anxious feelings and that awful adrenaline overload.

I'm not suggesting that these two minerals will fix everybody's sleep problems but for me they help somewhat. I've also taken D3 supplements encouraged by a few big fans on CPAPtalk and have had mixed results - the same with most of my other vitamin/mineral supplement experiments. Sorry, I wish there was a 'magic bullet' in a pill, sadly, I haven't found it yet.

Sir NoddinOff, how much Seriphos to you take and what time of day do you take it? Sounds like something I'd like to try

jaycee2 wrote:

Sir NoddinOff wrote:In my experience, not much out there helps my sleep problems - including OTC sleep aid blends, vitamins or even the common sleep meds. What I've ended up with that seems to help are magnesium and phosphorus supplements and this was mostly by trial and error. The magnesium (any brand) seems to calm my nervous system when I'm falling asleep. The mineral phosphorus (brand name Seriphos) calms adrenal glands during the middle of the night which helps ease anxious feelings and that awful adrenaline overload.

I'm not suggesting that these two minerals will fix everybody's sleep problems but for me they help somewhat. I've also taken D3 supplements encouraged by a few big fans on CPAPtalk and have had mixed results - the same with most of my other vitamin/mineral supplement experiments. Sorry, I wish there was a 'magic bullet' in a pill, sadly, I haven't found it yet.

Sir NoddinOff, how much Seriphos to you take and what time of day do you take it? Sounds like something I'd like to try

About three months ago I started with one 1000mg (one gram) capsule at about bedtime for my sleep maintenance insomnia... its latency period is about 5-6 hours, or so it's reported. It doesn't do much if you take it right when you wake up in the middle of the night.

As a test, for the last month I've been taking just a half a 1000mg cap. That seems to have the same affect by damping my adrenal glands and as a bonus helps me pee only once a night (too much adrenal gland produced cortisol can keep you up peeing all night).

The magnesium I take with my regular vitamins in the middle of the afternoon... about 200% of the adult recommended dose is just fine plus whatever you get from your fruit and veg. It also seems to have reduced my full body hypnic jerks and a few of my PLMD leg jerks.