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Try the Dr. Oz web site.....search for "sleep type". A sleep disorder Dr. Recently finished a study on diet and hours of sleep. I found it satisfying that he found another positive reason to eat chocolate......for some ppl.

SleepingUgly wrote:Not to hijack, but can someone tell me more about the melatonin disrupting sleep thing? I've been on melatonin lately and I'm waking up a ton and also having a flare of RLS and leg movements.

I don't know for sure, but I suspect most people who take it are getting too much. The recommended dosage for a time period not to exceed three months is 0.3 to 1 mg per day, taken 90 mins before bedtime, but melatonin comes in dosages ranging from 1 to 10 mg, so you can get 2 to 3 times the recommended dose in one pill.

Melatonin is a hormone, and the only way to tell if your body isn't producing enough is to get a blood test. And if you are not low but then take a pill where you get a high dose on top of your already normal levels? I'm not surprised some people don't perceive a benefit, or even don't react well to it, especially since one of the side effects can be mild anxiety at recommended dosage of <1 mg.

I have found half cup of hops tea helpful about 1/2 hour before I go to bed. You have to steep for about 40 minutes. I usually make a 2 cup batch with the loose hops in one of those metallic strainer tea balls and store the excess in the refrigerator. When I run out and I am too lazy to make the tea I notice an increase in my CA's especially if I have to take the Zaleplon prescribed by the dr. I am going to try the banana though - why not?

tuzacat wrote:I have found half cup of hops tea helpful about 1/2 hour before I go to bed. You have to steep for about 40 minutes. I usually make a 2 cup batch with the loose hops in one of those metallic strainer tea balls and store the excess in the refrigerator. When I run out and I am too lazy to make the tea I notice an increase in my CA's especially if I have to take the Zaleplon prescribed by the dr. I am going to try the banana though - why not?

Hi tuzacat,
I haven't ever tried hops tea, what's it taste like? Is it a 'sweet' flavor or a bitter taste, for example I think of black tea as bitter taste and camomile and other floral teas as sweet.
It sounds interesting and worth a try especially since I seem to get a lot more CA's when I have felt like I got poor sleep. Not sure if the sleep causes the CA or the other way around


Had to edit this twice for really bad spelling

I frequently use sounds to help me fall asleep, or to mask noise from the room next door in a hotel.

I use an app called Relax and Sleep. It's from mizusoft.com. The app has a big variety of sounds and you can set a timer to shut off after however long you want. You can select a combination of sounds, too, so it can be customized. I set it for an hour and a half and use the sound of a train in conjuction with a rainstorm. I use it on an Android tablet, but I see there's an iPhone version, too. No doubt there are other similar apps, but I thought I'd let you know about one that works for me.

My preferred sound is a thunderstorm with rain. I've purchased an MP3 file of a thunderstorm (from Amazon). It plays for an hour and at the end it starts fading out slowly. You can find other sounds available as MP3s, too. Sometimes I play this on my computer in my bedroom, starting it just as I get ready for bed. I've also played it on my Blackberry when I travel.

Some of the noises on that Relax and Sleep app are so obviously sound loops that it starts bothering me, so the MP3 file provides some variety.

I tried a binaural beats app, but I didn't notice that it helped me to sleep better.

RandyJ wrote:simplyme,

I would consider discontinuing the melatonin, since you say your sleep quality isn't great. After a few weeks, you could reassess and see if things have improved.

It seems that melatonin disturbs sleep architecture for as many people as it helps.

I have stopped using the melatonin and that seems to be helping. I feel like my quality of sleep is better! It has been about 5 days, I haven't looked at my sleepy head data yet but at least I feel like I got beter sleep.
Thanks soooooo much RandyJ your advice was great!

Acai berry juice is good too

Hi, Simplyme, hops tea tastes a lot like beer to me. I am not a beer drinker so I don't really enjoy drinking it but it does help me. Something I also use is Tart Cherry Juice capsules. I sometimes take two along with the tea. You can get the Tart Cherry at your local health food store or Swanson Vitamins often has a two for one deal on them. You can also find the juice at your grocery store in a bottle. The hops tea I buy loose from a local herb store but you can also find a commercial brand, I think it's called Celebration, but it does have Melissa in with it.

simplyme wrote: I have stopped using the melatonin and that seems to be helping. I feel like my quality of sleep is better! It has been about 5 days, I haven't looked at my sleepy head data yet but at least I feel like I got beter sleep.
Thanks soooooo much RandyJ your advice was great!

Glad things seem to be going better!!