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Improving sleep

vincelwt.com

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Re: Improving sleep

#121

Post by pillefitz »

salad-tycoon wrote: post #71
pillefitz wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This one https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/CYP1A2 . I've read somewhere that eating Broccoli enhances its activity, but likely too much is needed to have noticable effects from what I recall. If only there was a short-acting stimulant and antidote available as a combo..

Of course, that’s called a speed ball. An upper and downer. Also poppers and screamers and small world. “We buy drugs” whitest kids u know : https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=I2AQ6FwpSrc Anyways, in all seriousness the idea of taking something and then taking something else later to counteract the effects, not good but popular in black, gray, and white market. I think this weekend I’ll give up caffeine, I’m a slow metabo…

I was thinking more in terms of actual antidote by either binding the active substance or speeding up its metabolism, rather than having two substances acting in opposing directions.

Anyway, I gave up caffeine earlier this year and am quite happy with the results. Steady and calm energy, no frantic meandering of thoughts, no clinging to details anymore. Once every few weeks I'm craving the euphoric buzz and drink half an Espresso, but typically regret it later the same day as I'm unable to sleep and, interestingly, tend to wake up in the middle of the night for a couple of days after.

Re: Improving sleep

#122

Post by CrzyLngPwd »

I used to think weed was the best sleep aid ever, but quitting coffee, alcohol and weed, and having a (organic) valerian root tea at ~6pm not only ensures I go to sleep but even if I wake in the night I will go right back to sleep.

Re: Improving sleep

#123

Post by vincelt »

lacoolj wrote: post #118

This is something I never think "anyone else is going through" and find out I'm completely wrong. It's all the things I experiment with in my head and keep to myself and here he's taken them all out and tabulated the data. I would like to add to his findings that alcohol (any amount at all) changes sleep quality for me very consistently (not staying asleep/lack of morning after "rested" feeling). Strange to me that i…

Indeed I gave up almost completely alcohol. Will enjoy a few beers at gatherings every 2 months or so but in full consciousness that I’m sacrificing the following night.

Re: Improving sleep

#124

Post by not_kurt_godel »

sod wrote: post #100
vincelt wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thanks, never thought about that, I'll sometimes wake up in the middle of the night with a sort of claustrophobic feeling and need to take a deep breath when there is no ventilation or windows open. Girlfriend always complain that I must leave everything open because of that. Do you use a Co2 meter to monitor?

Yeah, I bought two co2 meters - one for each room - after a hackernews thread about losing cognitive function with rising levels. So I only bought them to improve work. Really wanted to know how often and long I have to open the windows. Often I closed the doors to sleep as the noise from neighbors woke me up sometimes. Was completely dumbfounded to wake up to >2000 ppm co2 in my bedroom. And my meter doesn't even go…

I've had similar experiences after getting CO2 monitors as well. I suspect 80+% of people are sleeping with CO2 levels that are negatively impacting their cognitive function.

Re: Improving sleep

#126

Post by ninesnines »

boppo1 wrote: post #115
FirmwareBurner wrote: post #4

Biggest improvement to sleep quality I had was giving up caffeine, which isn't mentioned in this article. I'm inclined to bet, most people in the west who self report suffering form poor sleep, can narrow it down to caffeine over-consumption, since it leads you slowly to this march of death burning the candle at both ends where you drink coffee to compensate for poor sleep and you sleep poorly because of too much caf…

I'm down to one cup a day in the morning. If I quit entirely, how long until I should notice the benefits? A month?

I gave up caffeine (tapered off to one cup, was at 6 cups a day and I’m a small human) and I almost immediately noticed my anxiety levels cut by 75%. In terms of sleep, I didn’t notice a huge difference, but I also am not good about setting a calming routine before bed. If caffeine is playing a large role in your insomnia you should feel more able to fall asleep quite quickly . Caffeine can greatly increase cortisol levels and sometimes that can take some time to come down

Re: Improving sleep

#127

Post by ramblenode »

pwpw wrote: post #98
formvoltron wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Coffee leads to dehydration. Drink several liters of water during the day and some people may be able to continue with morning coffee consumption. This is a myth. Coffee has water in it. Just drink enough water from all sources.

It’s a shame this is downvoted on HN of all places. I have seen various research that suggests both caffeine (in coffee & tea) and even alcohol (in lighter beers) do not dehydrate. I’ll stick with caffeine since that’s the topic. The primary study that spread the idea that caffeine dehydrates is from a 1928 study with a sample size of three men[0]. It may very well be that caffeine does dehydrate, but I have yet to s…

I have experimented with caffeine for years (periods of off and on) and noticed dehydration (it is a known diuretic after all). The problem with many of these types of studies that claim there is no effect of x from their inability to detect an effect of x is that they don't rule out sub-populations who may experience the effect. In other words, it's possible for there to be no effect on average, but for the population to be comprised of different groups who do and don't experience the effect. This is particularly relevant to the linked studies which (aside from the first one) have very small sample sizes (n=19, 21, 12) that would not differentiate sub-populations.

After reading the abstracts and skimming some of the studies you linked, I don't personally find the quality of evidence convincing enough to discount what seems to be a commonly reported anecdote about the effects of caffeine.

As an example, the second study makes a glaring statistical error (equating p>0.05 lack of a difference between groups with equivalence of groups) that renders the entire conclusion invalid.

The fourth study (which probably has the best methodology aside from the small sample size) actually did find caffeine has an effect on water retention.

The other studies use various indirect measures of hydration (blood osmolality and urine metabolites) where it is unclear if sub-clincical diuresis would actually impact these measures.

Re: Improving sleep

#128

Post by swah »

superultra wrote: post #108
FirmwareBurner wrote: post #4

Biggest improvement to sleep quality I had was giving up caffeine, which isn't mentioned in this article. I'm inclined to bet, most people in the west who self report suffering form poor sleep, can narrow it down to caffeine over-consumption, since it leads you slowly to this march of death burning the candle at both ends where you drink coffee to compensate for poor sleep and you sleep poorly because of too much caf…

I’m curious how much coffee you drank, and others who drank coffee, quit, and had similar results. I drink one 10oz cup a day. Occasionally more but rarely. I do love it. Knowing that everyone’s physiology is different, I wonder if I would generally see notable gains in quitting 1 cup a day. I find that the people who say quitting made a difference were often drinking a pot a day. But maybe that is not true for you?

Yeah - I also always wonder if they also cut the Coke, chocolate, etc.

Re: Improving sleep

#130

Post by MuffinFlavored »

Balgair wrote: post #90
FirmwareBurner wrote: post #4

Biggest improvement to sleep quality I had was giving up caffeine, which isn't mentioned in this article. I'm inclined to bet, most people in the west who self report suffering form poor sleep, can narrow it down to caffeine over-consumption, since it leads you slowly to this march of death burning the candle at both ends where you drink coffee to compensate for poor sleep and you sleep poorly because of too much caf…

I'll chime in here too. I gave up caffeine on a lark during lockdowns. Man, great decision. I've never slept better and my anxiety went way down too. I'd had no idea what that stimulant happened to be doing to my system. I had been tapering down my caffeine consumption too, but going cold turkey had a major difference for me. I'll caution that 3 days of pretty intense headaches were the cost, but for me, the benefits…

teas have caffeine?
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