OV9

Almost always get to sleep no bother (unless I'm mega stressed), but often tend to wake up 3 or 4am and the brain starts whirring.

For a while now when that happens I've been putting on a playlist from PBS Spacetime on YT (only the Matt O'Dowd ones, there was some yank in the early days with an annoying voice), just loud enough to hear but quiet enough that if I'm sleeping the ads won't wake me up.

I don't watch it, just listen. I love the subject matter, but much like @Rich B and the HarryM vids, there's something about it that makes me sleepy.

It works pretty much every time. It feels a bit like cheating. If you're interested in that stuff I strongly recommend the videos anyway, but in this capacity it works a charm.

DeskJockey wrote: Fri Nov 10, 2023 4:05 pm I tend to read before sleep. Been my routine for as long as I can remember and it seems to work.

Some days I barely manage a page, other days I can read for an hour. But I try to be consistent in reading every day.

Do you remember anything about what you’ve read the day after?

Mito Man wrote: Fri Nov 10, 2023 5:04 pm

DeskJockey wrote: Fri Nov 10, 2023 4:05 pm I tend to read before sleep. Been my routine for as long as I can remember and it seems to work.

Some days I barely manage a page, other days I can read for an hour. But I try to be consistent in reading every day.

Do you remember anything about what you’ve read the day after?

That depends. If I make it past the first page then yes. If I startle myself awake when the book hits me on the head, no.

Swervin_Mervin wrote: Fri Nov 10, 2023 12:06 pm Is an evening run not a really bad idea for getting good restful sleep? Especially at this time of year? I'd imagine you're playing havoc with your circadian rhythm.

There is a phenomenon where our heart rates take a while to recover back to rest after really intense exercise, so from that perspective, racing in the evening isn't great. However, I'm inevitably going to run in the dark at this time of year, regardless.

240PP wrote: Fri Nov 10, 2023 1:09 pm What have you been using Gav?

I’ve always had trouble getting to sleep, my brain just doesn’t want to shut off for the night, but I generally sleep through once I’m off. I’ve started now waking up a couple of times a night for the last few months too.

This 2400mg one.

I've been been taking 0.75ml before bed, which is 60mg, which is wayyy above the FSA's recommended limit.

As far as I understand, a lot of science around CBD is inconclusive and my use case is very specific - I have zero problems falling asleep - the issue is restless legs syndrome + intense aerobic exercise causing severely restless sleep.

Also I've been ice bathing for the last few nights, which I won't be tonight, so will be interesting to see if the CBD alone has the same effect, or fi the ice bath was part of it.

I was using CBD when I was training for the bouldering competitions are couple of years ago and found it pretty effective as an anti-inflammatory/muscle recovery aid.

Without it, strength training every other day was a *bit* too much. Pecs and deltiods constantly sore, lats and traps prone to knots/snags.
With it, the every other day schedule was comfortable.

I used to take it in the morning immediately after my routine and infrequently in the evening (basically when I remembered). Not sure if the effect was direct or perhaps indirect due to more restful sleep (not that I particularly noticed more restful sleep).

Two things worth mentioning in the same breath: Ashwaganda - supposedly knocks cortisol levels down by 20% or so, so useful for both anxiety/mood stuff and for muscle recovery; and cherries - the sour cherry concentrate costs a small fortune, but Lidl sell bags of frozen sour cherries for £2 and using those (and blueberries) in my morning smoothie made a noticeable difference to overall muscle soreness/tiredness.

Oh, and also to add - restless leg is sometimes an iron deficiency. Might be worth trying a folic acid supplement (improves iron uptake) as well as a iron one (if you think your diet might be short)

Honestly my supplementation got out of hand! I was taking Iron, Zinc, Magnesium, Ashwagahnda and Vitamin C & D but at the end of the day, that's all completely pointless without testing. I also eat a very varied diet with lots of plants and all kinds of random stuff like ox heart and doubt I'm lacking in many micronutrients.

Sleep update. Last night was CBD without an ice bath and sleep quality was decent, but not quite as good as the previous nights with an ice bath. I think it's the combination of CBD & ice bath that makes the sleep so awesome. It would align with the research and idea that TdF riders are doing ice baths for improved sleep quality.

In summary - if you have trouble sleeping, try an ice bath first. I recommend 10 minutes.

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10 ... 59990/full

Nefarious wrote: Sat Nov 11, 2023 7:45 am Oh, and also to add - restless leg is sometimes an iron deficiency. Might be worth trying a folic acid supplement (improves iron uptake) as well as a iron one (if you think your diet might be short)

The wife suffered really bad with this and Iron tablets fixed it.

After trying everything under the sun and finding out I had no testosterone, fixing that has pretty much fixed all my issues and I’m still on a slightly lower than average level.

As strong as in my 20s and a recovery from a heavy workout in 2 days, which is pretty much in line with what it should be when you e really worked hard.

Dave!

Gavster wrote: Sat Nov 11, 2023 9:02 am Honestly my supplementation got out of hand! I was taking Iron, Zinc, Magnesium, Ashwagahnda and Vitamin C & D but at the end of the day, that's all completely pointless without testing.

Who do you use for testing?
I was using Medichecks, but I heard that their reputation had taken a bit of a knock after some results mix ups and stopped using them.
I had a full spectrum one on the NHS for a different issue last year, but haven't bothered this year.

240PP wrote: Fri Nov 10, 2023 1:09 pm What have you been using Gav?

I’ve always had trouble getting to sleep, my brain just doesn’t want to shut off for the night, but I generally sleep through once I’m off. I’ve started now waking up a couple of times a night for the last few months too.

I’d gotten myself into a decent sleep routine, dropping off came easy but a couple of months ago kept waking up again around 3-4am and going for a piss. I thought it was a getting older thing (45 last week) but started taking some CBD gummies to see if it was just a sleep issue. These: https://amzn.eu/d/dWLRtot

I now sleep through the night and don’t need the toilet first thing either. Basically back to normal then. CBDFTW.

240PP wrote: Mon May 20, 2024 2:02 pm
I now sleep through the night and don’t need the toilet first thing either. Basically back to normal then. CBDFTW.

“….The constant washing of pissy bedsheets is a little inconvenient though”

Nefarious wrote: Sat Nov 11, 2023 7:41 am I was using CBD when I was training for the bouldering competitions are couple of years ago and found it pretty effective as an anti-inflammatory/muscle recovery aid.

Without it, strength training every other day was a *bit* too much. Pecs and deltiods constantly sore, lats and traps prone to knots/snags.
With it, the every other day schedule was comfortable.

I used to take it in the morning immediately after my routine and infrequently in the evening (basically when I remembered). Not sure if the effect was direct or perhaps indirect due to more restful sleep (not that I particularly noticed more restful sleep).

Two things worth mentioning in the same breath: Ashwaganda - supposedly knocks cortisol levels down by 20% or so, so useful for both anxiety/mood stuff and for muscle recovery; and cherries - the sour cherry concentrate costs a small fortune, but Lidl sell bags of frozen sour cherries for £2 and using those (and blueberries) in my morning smoothie made a noticeable difference to overall muscle soreness/tiredness.

It sounds like you had a positive experience using CBD alongside your training regimen for bouldering competitions. CBD's anti-inflammatory properties likely played a role in reducing muscle soreness and aiding in muscle recovery, allowing you to maintain your training schedule comfortably.

The timing of your CBD intake, immediately after your routine and occasionally in the evening, may have contributed to its effectiveness. While you didn't notice significantly more restful sleep, the indirect benefits on muscle recovery could still have been significant.

Additionally, you mentioned Ashwagandha, which is known for its potential to reduce cortisol levels, thereby potentially aiding in anxiety, mood regulation, and muscle recovery. Here you can find cheap weed in Bangkok . Cherries, especially sour cherries, are rich in antioxidants and have been noted for their anti-inflammatory properties, which could also have contributed to reducing muscle soreness and tiredness when incorporated into your diet.

Overall, combining CBD, Ashwagandha, and cherries in your routine seems to have provided you with a holistic approach to managing muscle soreness and supporting your training efforts. That's good to hear mate!

I tried CBD oil for some anxiety and chronic pain issues, and the effects were quite good. I didn’t notice immediate changes, but over time I felt that I managed stress much better and became much calmer.
I used the Medical Cannabis for Neurological Conditions treatments from Releaf. What I liked the most was that everything is done online – the consultations are virtual, and the treatments are delivered directly to your home, which makes everything much easier.
I hope my experience helps someone.