OH.MY.WORD - AS SIMPLE AS WARM MILK? Really??!

The Choker wrote:

BlackSpinner wrote:

I can't do it, I am lactose intolerant. I made the mistake, yesterday, after walking the dog in -30C, of having some really good hot chocolate and had an upset stomach all afternoon.

Works like a charm for lactose intolerance. I use the generic.

(Does not work for milk allergies.)

Yes I used that when I was pregnant to force it down. It helps a bit.

BlackSpinner wrote:

quietmorning wrote: ??? Not sure what you're talking about . . . posted in the other threat. . . no, didn't see it. But point me to it?

I wonder if it was just drinking something warm and comforting? They make a wonderful coconut milk that I drink on occasion, it's vanilla flavored. . . wonder if it would work just as well all warmed comfied up?

It was the antler thread.
I read else where, quite a while ago, that it was the calcium in the milk that helped with the sleep.

EUREKA!! THAT'S IT!!

Calcium. . .relaxes muscles, too. I used to take it when my spine collapsed to keep me from bending over backwards with all the muscle cramps.

Thanks!!

Now THAT makes sense. Because I don't get deep sleep because I can't fully relax in sleep. . . I can go to sleep, I didn't need the milk to put me out. . .but I can't really reach optimal deep sleep and stay there. But calcium in the milk would relax the muscles and help me to relax. . .

I've been so busy lately that I've had to pick and choose what to read on here - that's what I get for not TAKING the time. Thanks BlackSpinner!

quietmorning wrote:

BlackSpinner wrote:

quietmorning wrote: ??? Not sure what you're talking about . . . posted in the other threat. . . no, didn't see it. But point me to it?

I wonder if it was just drinking something warm and comforting? They make a wonderful coconut milk that I drink on occasion, it's vanilla flavored. . . wonder if it would work just as well all warmed comfied up?

It was the antler thread.
I read else where, quite a while ago, that it was the calcium in the milk that helped with the sleep.

EUREKA!! THAT'S IT!!

Calcium. . .relaxes muscles, too. I used to take it when my spine collapsed to keep me from bending over backwards with all the muscle cramps.

Thanks!!

Now THAT makes sense. Because I don't get deep sleep because I can't fully relax in sleep. . . I can go to sleep, I didn't need the milk to put me out. . .but I can't really reach optimal deep sleep and stay there. But calcium in the milk would relax the muscles and help me to relax. . .

I've been so busy lately that I've had to pick and choose what to read on here - that's what I get for not TAKING the time. Thanks BlackSpinner!

I thought it was magnesium that relaxed muscles, and calcium contracts muscles.

tattooyu wrote:

quietmorning wrote:

BlackSpinner wrote:

quietmorning wrote: ??? Not sure what you're talking about . . . posted in the other threat. . . no, didn't see it. But point me to it?

I wonder if it was just drinking something warm and comforting? They make a wonderful coconut milk that I drink on occasion, it's vanilla flavored. . . wonder if it would work just as well all warmed comfied up?

It was the antler thread.
I read else where, quite a while ago, that it was the calcium in the milk that helped with the sleep.

EUREKA!! THAT'S IT!!

Calcium. . .relaxes muscles, too. I used to take it when my spine collapsed to keep me from bending over backwards with all the muscle cramps.

Thanks!!

Now THAT makes sense. Because I don't get deep sleep because I can't fully relax in sleep. . . I can go to sleep, I didn't need the milk to put me out. . .but I can't really reach optimal deep sleep and stay there. But calcium in the milk would relax the muscles and help me to relax. . .

I've been so busy lately that I've had to pick and choose what to read on here - that's what I get for not TAKING the time. Thanks BlackSpinner!

I thought it was magnesium that relaxed muscles, and calcium contracts muscles.

Ok, it took me a minute to figure it out - but here's the jest of it. You are right, but calcium also relaxes muscles by blocking the stimuli that gives the signal for the muscle to contract. In blocking the stimuli, the muscle relaxes. So it allows movement, but also helps to keep the muscle from contracting unnecessarily. There were a lot of different links on it, so I'm just going to tell you the searches on google that I used - calcium and magnesium effect on muscle, does calcium help you to relax? and calcium blocks muscle's reaction to stimuli. . .

Calcium and magnesium work together, so you need both. It is very hard to measure magnesium levels in the blood and get a meaningful answer to how much you need, but many people are magnesium deficient. I have been taking magnesium supplements on a doc's recommendation for several years, but I haven't noticed any benefit on my sleep apnea. Recently started taking calcium as well - too early to tell if there is any benefit from the combination. Just make sure you take a magnesium salt like citrate, orotate, or lactate (not for you, BlackSpinner, just in case!). Build up the dose slowly. I use Jigsaw brand, and have never had any "problems" but I know some people are particularly sensitive.

Try eating some turkey before bed. Tryptophan (naturally occurring in turkey) is supposed to help. Might be worth experimenting.

BlackSpinner wrote:

quietmorning wrote: ??? Not sure what you're talking about . . . posted in the other threat. . . no, didn't see it. But point me to it?

I wonder if it was just drinking something warm and comforting? They make a wonderful coconut milk that I drink on occasion, it's vanilla flavored. . . wonder if it would work just as well all warmed comfied up?

It was the antler thread.
I read else where, quite a while ago, that it was the calcium in the milk that helped with the sleep.

I know someone who swears by taking Tums before bed, saying the calcium helps to sleep.

Day 2 - cup of warm milk before bed - 29 minutes of deep sleep. (!!)

I'll do this for two weeks then drop the milk not changing anything else for two weeks and see if there is a difference.

Hm. . .tums. . .not as comfy as a cup of warm milk with vanilla, but might do in a pinch when I can't get to the warm milk? I'll have to try it after I'm finished with this trial. Thanks!

Janknitz wrote:Try eating some turkey before bed. Tryptophan (naturally occurring in turkey) is supposed to help. Might be worth experimenting.

You know. . .that would help me to clarify whether it's the calcium or the Tryptophan that helps me to get more deep sleep. Currently **crosses fingers** I don't have trouble falling asleep - but I have a hard hard time getting any deep sleep. (From what I understand from my doc, it's another type of insomnia - not as severe as the 'can't sleep at all' - but still a sleep robber.)

I started using Sleepyhead with my new machine - it allows me more info on the Zeo data than the site does as far as sleep stages. . .it looks like my apnea is forcing me awake when I try to go into deep sleep the second and third time of the night. Wow. . .never knew that because I didn't have the data. The first stage has never really been disrupted, but it was always very very short. Hopefully this extra fifteen minutes will help with the extreme fatigue.

I'll finish testing the milk then come back and let everyone know what the results were. . . then start working on that early morning apnea and see if that will give me some more deep sleep.

**crosses fingers**

Maybe I'll actually have a good night sleep for the first time in my life.

That's interesting, QuietMorning. Just curious, are you using whole, or reduced fat milK? Have you tried it without the vanilla?

Now you've got the calcium, just throw a bar of Classic Ivory Soap under the sheets for the magnesium and you'll be set.

Jay

Jay Aitchsee wrote:That's interesting, QuietMorning. Just curious, are you using whole, or reduced fat milK? Have you tried it without the vanilla?

Now you've got the calcium, just throw a bar of Classic Ivory Soap under the sheets for the magnesium and you'll be set.

Jay

I haven't tried it without the vanilla - but thought that that might be worth doing as soon as the current two weeks are over. I looked at the ingredients of the vanilla syrup last night, and they do use pure vanilla, not an imitation - and no alcohol. I will give it a whirl, but at this point, I seriously doubt it has much to do with it.

I did look up magnesium rich foods last night - (milk has it! yay!) I already eat a lot of them - but I will look into this further.

It's two percent milk - never have had whole milk - and the taste of it now is too. . . fatty for me? I was raised on carnation powdered milk. I will try this with skim eventually, but there's no way I'm going near whole milk. . .can't gag it down.

I don't have restless leg syndrome any longer - not since they put titanium in my back. (Yay!) I do have rather uncomfortable hips and lower spine in the winter due to the titanium. . .but I seriously don't think ivory soap will do anything for that. **shugs** I have no clue.

Well, I think I'll try it. Maybe the soap, too. Couldn't hurt.
Thanks for your posts.
J

I think CPAP and apnea are some of the things where you do really need to experiment as long as you're not trying something dangerous. Try things and see if they work for you.

Food and milk before bed can also cause heartburn for some folks. Normally no eating within 3 hours of bedtime is recommended.