The FastDay Forum

[wildmissus]

Tryptophan is meant to help you sleep and is good for your moods. Foods high in tryptophan include milk and nuts (and chicken but I don't fancy that before I go to bed). The last couple of nights I have taken half a glass of whole milk before I went to bed and I've gone off very quickly. I wondered why the side of my eye was sore - it was because my kindle hit me as I was nodding off! I still woke three or 4 times (with OH snoring like a walrus) but I got back to sleep quickly.

I've also been reading about raw chocolate (cacao) as a friend was making it in hot chocolate. It is very good for you. As I find normal hot chocolate very sweet I've ordered some to have with milk as my evening snack.

Hello! Can I join this tent too as I don't sleep much at all either. It's worse after a fast day because I end up going to the loo at least 3 times! Sometimes I can get to sleep again & sometimes I spend hours thinking & thinking. Hate it when you just get off to sleep and you feel you've only had a few mins and then you have to get up because it's morning!

Don't know whether sleepless Aussies are welcome here, it's 2.24 am, and the only reason I'm awake is that I'm just back from picking up my son, who was out on a date with a girl from Dorset here on a working holiday, he was a little bit pissed and missed the last train - I have found it's no use telling him off on the heat of the moment, but never mind, I will extract my pound of flesh later in the form of a couple of hours of weed-pulling! But usually because I'm post menopausal, if anything's going on in my life I'm often awake between 3 am & 5 am with it running through my mind. Gone are the days when I used to be able to sleep anywhere, anytime, but never mind! I might try for some sleep now, goodnight everyone!

For those in countries that allow it as a herbal remedy, Melatonin works well. If you have any friends abroad (for Uk sufferers) you could ask them to send you some tablets. Or smuggle them back from a holiday.

All welcome @jools7
Insomnia is the same the world over xx

[carorees]

I tried melatonin but it didn't seem to help with staying asleep though I think it helped with falling asleep. Tryptophan is next on my list.

I read that vit d must be taken in the morning as it opposes melatonin whereas magnesium must be taken in the evening. Doing this seems to have helped a little. I think several different approaches are needed, each helping a little bit.

According to my dr friend who went on a course about sleep problems in older people, we lose the deep sleep as we age. I found a paper reporting a study on magnesium supplementation in people aged over 60 years which showed a restoration of deep sleep, so magnesium should help.

Great paper here that investigated dietary associations with sleep problems: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/23992533 that found, among other things, that vitamin D seems to be associated with staying asleep and selenium with falling asleep. It also showed that butanoic acid, dodecanoic acid and calcium (all found in dairy products) is associated with better sleep.
Here's a good paper about magnesium supplementation: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23853635 showing that magnesium seems to help boost melatonin levels.

So in summary, the scientific evidence is in favour of Vitamin D, magnesium, selenium and milky drinks!

It's 3.30am and I am awake as well, my little 22 year old doggie had another fit a couple of hours ago and is still groggy and whimpering and just very thirsty.

I think he's about to settle, but of course I am not and am wide awake!!

Just having a mug of peppermint tea, I would love coffee, but I had better not have any...yet!!!

I hope you are all having a great day.

I look forward to some more zzzzz'sss

cheers Maggie

Going to try the milky choccy drink tonight. Hope it works :0.

[wildmissus]

Does anyone in the UK want a bottle of Better You Magnesium Oil. I only used it once - I sprayed it onto my arms and it stung! I have eczema and it just doesn't agree with my skin. PM if you want it.

I really, really hope I don't pop into this tent tonight. I also hope, for all your sakes, it's an empty tent.

Yep Penns...this is the only Tent where its good when it's deserted! X
Hope everyone gets deep dreamless sleep tonight..or deep sleep with blissful dreams! X

I looked in here v early this morning and you all seemed a bit hysterical after watching some channel 5 prog....... And then you nodded off leaving @debs holding the fort.

Hope you all have a better night tonight. Some sleep foods suggestions from me not already mentioned.
Cottage cheese
Almonds
Ho Shou Wu tea

Sleep well fasters

[carieoates]

It's 3.30am and I am awake as well, my little 22 year old doggie had another fit a couple of hours ago and is still groggy and whimpering and just very thirsty.

I think he's about to settle, but of course I am not and am wide awake!!

Just having a mug of peppermint tea, I would love coffee, but I had better not have any...yet!!!

I hope you are all having a great day.

I look forward to some more zzzzz'sss

cheers Maggie

Hope she recovers soon Maggiee

Wouldn't you just know it. Curled up on the sofa with tablet and two dogs and promptly fell asleep.

[Debs]

@carieoatesOh dear, that is an enormous age for a dog. What is he/she?