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Nootropics

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Re: Nootropics

#231

Post by forgetsusername »

mettamage wrote: post #209
rsync wrote: post #127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"It's hard for me to fall asleep. I haven't cracked it yet how to do it perfectly. What helps: view the problem as improving your likelihood to sleep. Before I viewed the problem as falling asleep 100% of the time, which is a really defeating view to have when I can't fall asleep." I did not respond to your sibling comment who speaks of anxiety. It sounds like a real pathology and something I have no business general…

Hmm... exercise does indeed reduce the chance. I exercise a little bit. Unfortunately, I can't notice how it is affecting my sleep, but it probably is affecting my sleep. So it should be on the list.

>I can't notice how it is affecting my sleep

Personally, since I began a regular exercise program I need less sleep, I assume attributed to better quality sleep when I'm actually there.

Re: Nootropics

#232

Post by forgetsusername »

fowlerpower wrote: post #28

Does anyone else think this shit is totally bat shit crazy? I may be of the minority here but I am definitely not the minority in the real world. If you care about health why not exercise and eat healthy and never take any type of drug for any reason unless you are sick.

>If you care about health why not exercise and eat healthy

Maybe we do. But if you really care about health, why stop there?

Re: Nootropics

#233

Post by forloop »

aninhumer wrote: post #224
forloop wrote: post #211

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sleep isn't a nootropic. This happens quite a lot with noobs. They conflate nootropics with sleep/food/water/exercise. It wouldn't be that bad, but it derails the actual subject: I.e. nootropics. Here's a concise definition[0]: "(of a drug) used to enhance memory or other cognitive functions" There are other definitions. All the ones I've seen have exogenous substances as a common denominator, however. [0] https://en…

>Sleep isn't a nootropic. This happens quite a lot with noobs. It's a figurative usage. The OP is not suggesting sleep is literally a nootropic, but that it is something that performs the same function. Like "the best defence is a good offence". And I don't think it's derailing the topic to talk about relevant alternatives.

> The best nootropic is getting a good nights sleep.

The above is a direct quote from OP. Where's the metaphor? You're grossly mistaken!

> but that it is something that performs the same function

Can sleep gives one supranormal cognition? No.

Does sleep perform the same function as modafinil (a drug which gives you more time to work since you need less sleep)? They're nearly opposites.

Does sleep perform the same function as melatonin? A hormone that allows greater sleep "efficiency" than normal sleep. No.

You're grossly incorrect again.

> And I don't think it's derailing the topic to talk about relevant alternatives.

It's a category error.

The sleep conversation is above everything else. It takes focus from the subject at hand.

It happens a lot with noobs. They don't know anything about noots, but know something about sleep/exercise/whatever and decide that's a good topic to talk about.

It's like a conversation about Tesla, and then someone talking about walking—because it's an alternative. OK, the subject may be interesting per se, but it is of little relevance.

Re: Nootropics

#234

Post by forgetsusername »

hasbroslasher wrote: post #123

So you're telling me you alter your biochemistry to become more productive without a care for how it affects your overall (mostly mental) health? Hell, I started smoking cigarettes at 16, which I rank near the top of my worst decisions ever, despite the fact that it helped me hack my brain chemistry as I powered through numerous difficult math and CS classes with top scores. As a result, I spent years thrashing, kick…

>incessant Adderall use in a futile attempt to either "keep up" or "get ahead". To what ends?

So you can get to Wall Street or Silicon Valley and take even more Adderall to "get ahead", obviously.

Re: Nootropics

#235

Post by markdog12 »

jon-wood wrote: post #169
mettamage wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's hard for me to fall asleep. I haven't cracked it yet how to do it perfectly. What helps: view the problem as improving your likelihood to sleep. Before I viewed the problem as falling asleep 100% of the time, which is a really defeating view to have when I can't fall asleep. Sleep tips that help me: 1. meditation: still experimenting with body-scan vs. breath meditation, they both help but have different effects…

Have a baby. Your sleeping less is my average night's sleep, split into two or three chunks. Amazing how easy it is to get to sleep when you've spent the last two and a half years in a low level state of exhaustion ;)

I haven't had a good night sleep in over 4 years

Re: Nootropics

#236

Post by markdog12 »

macca321 wrote: post #162
mettamage wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's hard for me to fall asleep. I haven't cracked it yet how to do it perfectly. What helps: view the problem as improving your likelihood to sleep. Before I viewed the problem as falling asleep 100% of the time, which is a really defeating view to have when I can't fall asleep. Sleep tips that help me: 1. meditation: still experimenting with body-scan vs. breath meditation, they both help but have different effects…

I start making up a sci fi alien invasion story set in the local area, which quickly rambles, leading to sleep.

Wow, I can't believe someone else independently came up with this. I too try to come up with a complex storyline, my brain just says, "nope, that's enough" and falls asleep.

Re: Nootropics

#237

Post by chillingeffect »

majewsky wrote: post #175
pedalpete wrote: post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You have to be careful with Melatonin, your body will produce less of it's own if you keep topping yourself up, which means diminished returns with continued use.

It's fascinating how, in the US, Melatonin is sold in stores like a vitamin, whereas in Germany, they look at you strange if you ask for it in a pharmacy.

And autism is treated with nootropics in the Ukraine, but no the u.s. And phenibut is in Russian first aid kits and there's no codeine in American OTC painkillers. And magic mushrooms were only recently banned in Japan. And cannabis is legal in North Korea.

Re: Nootropics

#238

Post by alexmorenodev »

dkns wrote: post #190
ctack wrote: post #140

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've been doing Stronglifts 5x5 for the last couple of weeks. You do 3 sessions of 30 minute duration a week.

30 minutes? How come? You take a at least 1.5 minute break between every set. So for 5 sets of first exercise that's 7.5 minutes assuming you don't take longer breaks and that you didn't do any warmup and just went straight for proper weights. Now add exercise itself and it's easily 9 minutes. Times three (again, assuming you don't take longer breaks which is really hard to do when you start hitting heavier weights)…

If you didn't take a look at stronglifts, you should give a try. Actually, it's only one of a few beginner strength training (most focused to powerlifting, but you can mix with BB if you want to) available out there. I started lifting with stronglifts, today I do greyskull LP.

Re: Nootropics

#239

Post by chillingeffect »

arcadeparade wrote: post #218
pw wrote: post #97

I've been on modafinil for a number of years now (prescribed by a doctor in relation to a real medical condition). It is indeed a very interesting drug. There's a reason it's the brand names are Provigil and Nivigil. "Vigilant" is indeed a very good way to describe how it makes you feel. Like caffeine but cleaner (no jitters, etc.). The downside is that you build up tolerance pretty quickly and that feeling dissipate…

I took Modafinil for a year after reading Gwern, 100mg twice a week on average. It relieves a lot of anxiety for me and also acted as a great appetite suppresant, but I also worry it has caused me some cognitive decline. I feel like a bit of a zombie sometimes, kind of dead emotionally, not talking as much, feeling generally dumber. Can't say for sure as I've had a lot of stress in the last few months too, but people…

In my experiments with noots my technical cognition didn't shoot up like i was hoping.... But my emotional intelligence did. In many cases for me, similar to yours, I realized the smartest thing in many situations for me was simply to keep quiet! It gave me a neutral place where I could validate peoples' emotions or listen without saying dumb things.

Re: Nootropics

#240

Post by PeterisP »

afarrell wrote: post #201
PeterisP wrote: post #199

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have a problem with all these website-blocking tools that I want them to behave differently than they do, perhaps you can suggest something? The issue is that I want to block only the main , 'browsing' pages while allowing deep links to that same site. For example, I want to block reddit, when googling some question turns out an answer that's on a niche subreddit I've never seen, I need to be able to read it. Howev…

Hmm... That is an interesting problem, but I've not found anything. You would need some sort of proof-of-work for it to make behavioral sense though.

I don't think that proof-of-work is needed - these are different models of operation; reading an article (which is ok) vs browsing for more articles (which is not).
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