Getting the great night's sleep!

[ICTJOCK]

So I am very dedicated to fitness and have a reasonable diet,  work on balance in my life,  but there can be one are of challenge....... SLEEP!

I realized as a kid that I was a very light sleeper and could wake up easily.   That developed into a life long issue with waking up at time in the night and can be

tough getting back to sleep.    It caused me some real issues at times.

With escorts having such a challenged work schedule at times.... bookings at midnight or even dropping a peaceful evening for time in a hotel room.    Sleep can be 

tough to get!

I've found that there are nights during the week I am "unavailable" as I have to make sure I sleep well.    Dark room,  no caffeine before bed,  no noise and it does seem to work.    A night with little sleep x2 or x3  can really wipe me out for being productive.

So how do all of you,   providers especially,  keep  up on sleep and do you have any issues?

[Rudynate]

I do have issues, even though I’m not a provider. 25 mg. of Benadryl is a huge help.  Even with the Benadryl, more often than not, I need extra help. I listen to sleep stories in the Calm app and the right ones can put me out in no time.  My current favorite is narrated by a gorgeous Spanish guy with a hypnotic voice that lulls me to sleep in minutes.

Edited September 5, 2023 by Rudynate
Add content

[+ azdr0710]

I used Benadryl or a generic daily for a few years with great success until a doc or nurse told me to stop because of potential kidney/liver damage......

I now take two of Costco's "Sleep Aid" pills and two melatonin pills and they kick in after about 45 minutes......

a white noise machine is now nearly mandatory, too.......blocks out all distracting noise.......I actually wake up now if the batteries in it go dead in the middle of the night!

but nothing will beat the first time I used Xanax, though......wowee!........but that luxury is reserved for only once every few years on a very long flight or while doing some rough backpacking or similar......too addictive.......

oh, the Michael Jackson drug was great, too, for my first colonoscopy!.......

 

Edited September 5, 2023 by azdr0710

[Guest]

16 hours ago, azdr0710 said:

I used Benadryl or a generic daily for a few years with great success until a doc or nurse told me to stop because of potential kidney/liver damage...

 

I can't imagine where the doctor or nurse got that information. Benadryl is metabolized in the liver, so one would give a lower dose in someone with bad liver disease, but it does not damage the liver itself. Also, it can cause urinary retention and make it difficult to empty the bladder, but the only way it could injure the kidneys was if you retained urine so severely and for such a long time that it backed up into your kidneys, but this would obviously be highly uncomfortable and you'd know if that was happening. The only (rare) reports of liver or kidney damage are in intentional overdose situations. So as long as you're not retaining urine, please feel free to take Benadryl nightly. It's quite safe and non habit-forming. 

Diphenhydramine as a Cause of Drug-Induced Liver Injury - PMC

WWW.NCBI.NLM.NIH.GOV

---

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is the most common cause of acute liver failure in the Unites States and accounts for 10% of acute hepatitis cases. We report the only known...

 

"...We report the only known case of diphenhydramine-induced acute liver injury in the absence of concomitant medications. A 28-year-old man with history of 13/14-chromosomal translocation presented with fevers, vomiting, and jaundice. Aspartate-aminotransferase and alanine-aminotransferase levels peaked above 20,000 IU/L and 5,000 IU/L, respectively. He developed coagulopathy but without altered mental status. Patient reported taking up to 400 mg diphenhydramine nightly, without concomitant acetaminophen, for insomnia. He denied taking other medications, supplements, antibiotics, and herbals. A thorough workup of liver injury ruled out viral hepatitis (including A, B, C, and E), autoimmune, toxic, ischemic, and metabolic etiologies including Wilson's disease. A liver biopsy was consistent with DILI without evidence of iron or copper deposition. Diphenhydramine was determined to be the likely culprit. This is the first reported case of diphenhydramine-induced liver injury without concomitant use of acetaminophen...". (please note that 400 mg represents 16 tablets of Benadryl, each night!)

 

Is Benadryl Harmful To The Kidneys?

WALRUS.COM

---

Benadryl (diphenhydramine) isn't known to reduce kidney function but has been reported to cause damage in rare cases.

 

"...Although there have been a few case reports of Benadryl (diphenhydramine) induced kidney damage, they have only been in cases of overdose and in those with certain pre-existing conditions. It is generally considered to be safe and non-damaging to the kidneys...".

Edited September 5, 2023 by Unicorn

[ICTJOCK]

On 9/4/2023 at 7:16 PM, Rudynate said:

I do have issues, even though I’m not a provider. 25 mg. of Benadryl is a huge help.  Even with the Benadryl, more often than not, I need extra help. I listen to sleep stories in the Calm app and the right ones can put me out in no time.  My current favorite is narrated by a gorgeous Spanish guy with a hypnotic voice that lulls me to sleep in minutes.

Hey Rudy,  what do you think of the "Calm" app?    I've heard about it for several years and wondered if it was worth the money.    Let me know what your app contains and if it is worth it?

[ICTJOCK]

On 9/4/2023 at 8:29 PM, azdr0710 said:

I used Benadryl or a generic daily for a few years with great success until a doc or nurse told me to stop because of potential kidney/liver damage......

I now take two of Costco's "Sleep Aid" pills and two melatonin pills and they kick in after about 45 minutes......

a white noise machine is now nearly mandatory, too.......blocks out all distracting noise.......

 

I remember when I was in graduate school and I took some "sleep aids".    It really caused me some challenges with wake up challenges and just hate taking any aids at all.    Asprin might be an exception.      I find your "noise machine"  truly interesting.    I don't have much of a problem with noise,  but still find  it intriguing.   My issue is just shutting off my mind when I start thinking about something.    As usual,  Mr.  S... you are on point and your input awesome!

[Rudynate]

7 hours ago, ICTJOCK said:

Hey Rudy,  what do you think of the "Calm" app?    I've heard about it for several years and wondered if it was worth the money.    Let me know what your app contains and if it is worth it?

The only thing I use it for is the sleep stories, which really help me fall asleep quickly and get back to sleep if I wake in the middle of the night.  The sleep stories are bedtime stories for adults. Calm also has a lot of material on meditation instruction and ways to modulate your mood, anxiety level, mindset, etc.  I have been meditating for decades so I find their instruction kind of quaint, but it would be very useful for someone new to meditation.    Recently, I've been fiddling with Yoga Nidra, which really helps my energy level. 

[samhexum]

[Guest]

On 9/4/2023 at 5:51 AM, ICTJOCK said:

So how do all of you,   providers especially,  keep  up on sleep and do you have any issues?

For years I've made quality restorative sleep a priority. It's every bit as important as my diet and training. 
Luckily and thankfully I've never been plagued by sleep issues or disorders, the minute my head hits the pillow, I'm out. I do tend wake up early so I'm really not a night owl 🦉 I've used a very good watch for years that would track certain metrics to be sure I was even getting the quality sleep I was seeking. When I sleep better I obviously feel better throughout the day, I can train better, I recover better  which allows me to be a better version of me ( and yes that applies to the biz lol ) A very dark room, clean comfortable sheets, a cooler temperature, a bit of white noise,  it's all conducive to my getting quality sleep. Another great question @ICTJOCK👌🏽

[ICTJOCK]

Hey Danny,   we've never covered "sleep"  on our fitness podcast in the 9 seasons we have produced the show.   I've always planned to get a sleep specialist o the program.   We've covered so many other topics.    Yes,  sleep a critical component of an effective fitness lifestyle.   I do quite well when well rested and only fair to good if less.   Just need to shut the mind down when I have much going on!  lol.

[+ Tygerscent]

I’m a natural night owl~ Moved to the west coast from Wisconsin to get that extra two hours of sleep that might put me in a somewhat normal wake/sleep pattern~
 my “Inner clock” never changes. 
 I have a deep sleep time. It’s two hours long. On the west coast it’s from 7:00 to 9:00~   
 Without an alarm clock I wake up @ 9:00~ I typically go to bed between 5:00 and 6:30…   
 My entire life has been like this…   
 At university, I never took morning classes.  I was taking between 15 and 24 credits with no issues and doing well because I was up longer than the typical student~ More wake time meant more study and work time~ I got a lot done and was often able to double major~ 
 In Wisconsin at my grade and high school I was falling asleep in my classes and unable to navigate until 11:00 or noon~  My parents were constantly getting calls of concern from my teachers~ 
 My favorite time to work out is between 18:00 and 2:00~    
 I naturally get hungry between 22:00 and 1:00~   
 I’m very alert and active from 18:00 forward~ 
 When with a Client, I sleep whenever they sleep and think of it as a “together” activity and enjoy it like we are napping~ 
 Left on my own, I don’t sleep much: two to four hours per night~   
 Sleeping with someone really helps me get into that sleep zone~  My “morning wood is between noon and 14:00~   
   My sex drive naturally runs best in the PM: 16:00 onward and peaking in the evening and before 4:00~  Thise are my optimal times… I’m still good to go outside of my peak zone~ 
  If I have issues with sleeping, I rely on magnesium or valerian root~ Those work for me~  Also, when on my own, I sleep with music on thru the night~ That’s very helpful~ I don’t sleep well then it’s quiet~ I have many times fallen asleep in movie theaters, the student Union at university, shopping malls, crowded places where there’s lots going on… I like that. The life going on around me is comforting and helps me sleep~   
 Sometimes clients will wake up early and they think they’re doing me a favor by getting up and then closing the door so that it’s really quiet and I can’t hear them… The exact opposite is true. I instantly recognize that it’s too quiet when I’m sleeping and I wake up and then I just lay there. It’s better if they’re walking around and making noise… I’ll hear it a little bit, but then I’ll fall back asleep~   
  The perfect time zone for my body is Tahiti~ PERFECT~!!! 
   The worst is NYC: that time zone is exhausting for me~   
   The UK and EU are fine… When there I get super sleepy and quiet around 15:00 and two hours later I’m wide awake but it’s easier to wake up in what is considered mind there and am typically Randy in the morning there but, also in the evening after 17:00~  

Edited September 16, 2023 by Tygerscent

[Guest]

I am for 7 to 9 hours, otherwise the gains 💪🏽suffer 😜 and I'm reduced to a somnambulant state 😉

[samhexum]

[Guest]

The "I'll get enough sleep when I'm dead" crowd is full of shit 💩 lol Not just for repair, longevity, overall health, mental cognition, from an athletic perspective, it's just spinning your wheels without ever getting traction. Same goes for the "no pain no gain" bunch... those people are broken, in wheel chairs or dead. Lee Haney said it best, " stimulate not annihilate" 🙌🏽

[samhexum]

Don’t sleep on this bedtime hack.

Drowsy dames are slurping down the “sleepy girl mocktail” — a concoction that many claim has cured agonizing nights of restlessness, sending even the worst insomniac into a serious slumber.

The relaxing refreshment involves mixing just half a cup of seltzer water, half a cup of tart cherry juice and a spoonful of magnesium powder.

Videos on TikTok, which have collectively clocked up tens of millions of views on the app, have become so popular with sleep-deprived scrollers (many of whom are browsing ’til the wee hours) that they have even sparked fears of a nationwide cherry juice shortage

Wellness influencer Gracie Norton, who boasts 1.1 million followers, brought the beverage to the mainstream last year with a viral video that showed her preparing the mocktail, saying it would put her “out like a light.”

Skeptical of any too-good-to-be-true TikTok trick, I called up New York City sleep specialist Dr. Anne Mooney to ask for her thoughts — and was surprised by her enthusiasm.

“I actually think it’s very clever,” Mooney — who runs the Sleep Well Doc clinic in Midtown Manhattan — told The Post, saying she may even start recommending the recipe to some of her patients.

Mooney says magnesium promotes stress reduction, which can improve sleep, while tart cherry juice contains both tryptophan and melatonin, which are known to regulate sleep.

“There’s definite science behind these two things, and in my opinion, this is safe and natural,” the doc declared.

“TikTok is very cleverly making it into something cute,” she further said of the sleep aid. “It has a cute name, it’s going to taste good and it’s easy enough to make that it can be a part of a nightly routine.”

So, with TikTok’s backing — and Mooney’s blessing — I dubiously decided to test the drink.

The experiment

Mooney usually recommends magnesium threonate or magnesium glycinate to patients suffering from insomnia.

While both types usually come as capsules, they can be found in powdered form — but they’re not easy to procure.

I went to a Rite Aid, a Walgreens and a CVS in my quest to buy any type of magnesium powder, only to find all three franchises completely sold out.

Eventually, I tracked down a magnesium citrate powder at Whole Foods for $27.99 (good sleep doesn’t come cheap). Other types are even more expensive. For instance, the trendy Moon Juice magnesium chelate blend favored by many TikTok influencers retails online for $40.

The influencers instructed that the mocktail be made and consumed about an hour before bedtime, so I followed the rules accordingly.

I scooped a heaping teaspoon of magnesium powder into a glass before adding equal parts tart cherry juice and seltzer water. I gave it a good stir and tried a sip.

While many on social media rave about the delicious taste of the sleepy girl mocktail, I found it surprisingly sour.

Perhaps because I used a flavorless magnesium powder and am not a huge fan of cherry, the concoction was bitter and almost metallic, even though it was watered down with seltzer.

But with the promise of a deep sleep, I finished the fizzy elixir and prepared for slumber.

The hype

After Gracie Norton’s initial posting of her TikTok clip, fans flooded the comments section to rave about the mixture.

“I just started doing this and I woke up for a second to make sure I was still alive since I was sleeping so good,” one exclaimed.

Content creator Kayla Gresh has similarly shared a clip creating the concoction, which scored a staggering 3.4 million views and almost identical enthusiasm.

“Just started this, I’m so happy to say it’s working wonders,” a fan fawned. “Stress has been making it hard to sleep but now I fall asleep like the elderly.”

But would I experience a similar outcome?

The results

To my complete disbelief, the sleepy girl mocktail sent this skeptic into an immediate, unbroken seven-hour slumber.

Often it takes me up to an hour to drift off to sleep, but I was out as soon as my head hit the pillow.

Most nights, I wake up in the early hours and toss and turn in a half-sleep for the remaining hours, eventually arising with pillows and blankets strewn across the room.

However, with the aid of the mocktail, I slept soundly, waking only to the sound of my alarm clock.

While magnesium is regularly safe in small doses, the mineral can cause cramps and diarrhea.

I’m pleased to report that I experienced neither of those side effects.

In very rare cases, it can result in more serious medical issues, with one nutritionist warning that consuming too much of the substance can cause cardiac arrest.

But Mooney says that’s highly unlikely.

“You would have to take a very large amount of magnesium to reach the point of cardiac complications, and you would likely have intolerable gastrointestinal side effects such as diarrhea long before that,” she stated.

Take it from me: A single teaspoon is more than enough to be effective and, despite the subpar taste, I’ll definitely be drinking this beverage again.

The sleepy girl mocktail has awoken a new desire to try other TikTok hacks. I’m sorry I ever slept on this one in the first place.

https://nypost.com/2024/02/02/lifestyle/i-tried-the-sleepy-girl-mocktail-insomnia-cure-the-viral-fad-works-but-theres-one-problem/