Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

My 16-month theanine self-experiment

dynomight.net

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

201–210 of 447 posts

Re: My 16-month theanine self-experiment

#201

Post by davidanekstein »

jaggederest wrote: post #46

This is actually a thing I wish existed, but I don't have time and energy to make it right now. I'd pay $25 a month or more. Basically it's an application that lets you do self-experiments like this, properly blinded and with good statistics. A challenge-dechallenge-rechallenge study is one of the ones I like, but if you want to do one you essentially have to design the study anew each time, and it would be convenien…

I made this, it’s a lot less than $25/mo. Happy to take suggestions. It’s called Reflect.

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/reflect-track-anything/id64638...

Re: My 16-month theanine self-experiment

#202

Post by maccard »

teekert wrote: post #86

This is nice. I love that people can be so rigorous and honest as well. I just want to add that what brings my stress down (although I didn’t research it so thoroughly) is small rituals. Things to focus on, to do well, to “take a moment”. For me it’s making morning coffee. Making/baking bread, filling the dishwasher. Maybe I’m borderline OCD. But maybe many people are and just the rituals of taking pills (actually) r…

I have a sensitive stomach, and I’ve found peppermint oil to be a fairly good supplement to help. I’ve also noticed that my stomach is more irritated when I’m anxious and stressed. The act of taking the peppermint oil, whether my stomach is acting up or not seems to be one of the biggest anxiety relievers to me.

Re: My 16-month theanine self-experiment

#203

Post by davidanekstein »

npunt wrote: post #75
jaggederest wrote: post #46

This is actually a thing I wish existed, but I don't have time and energy to make it right now. I'd pay $25 a month or more. Basically it's an application that lets you do self-experiments like this, properly blinded and with good statistics. A challenge-dechallenge-rechallenge study is one of the ones I like, but if you want to do one you essentially have to design the study anew each time, and it would be convenien…

I've been thinking the same thing! The app should have protocol templates for whatever intervention I'm testing, what outcomes I should track, and what confounds might be. And if it isn't part of the templates, help me develop the protocol, including being able to set what level of confidence I want. It should tell me what actions I should take to improve confidence (e.g. bloodwork). It should hide the results from m…

I made an app for this called Reflect [1]. There aren’t templates yet but you can run self guided experiments for anything you can model as a metric in the app. I just wrote about an experiment I did with nootropic coffee [2]. I think you have a point about sense of direction and premade templates being targeted and useful. Reflect is very much generic and untargeted.

[1] https://apps.apple.com/us/app/reflect-track-anything/id64638...

[2] https://open.substack.com/pub/reflectapp/p/my-experience-wit...

Re: My 16-month theanine self-experiment

#204

Post by pbhjpbhj »

grumpy-de-sre wrote: post #194
chiefalchemist wrote: post #190

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I jumped on the idea but then immediately came to the same conclusion. Now I’m thinking I stick with the vac(s) I have, but get a separate UV. And UV the bed while I’m working. Maybe? Your thoughts?

Get a mattress encasement, it's like a HEPA filter bag for the mattress (cuts off the mites food supply and preventing allergens becoming airborne). Skips the whole trying to clean porous foam problem.

I read that mites can't survive temperatures above 60C, and wondered then about just a big plastic bag around the item then fill it from a hot air source (hair dryer, fan heater)?

I think the problem would be temperature control, as you don't want to damage the item, but need to maintain an even, specific air temperature, you'd need turbulence. Then vacuum clean afterwards.

Maybe a wallpaper remover style device with a hot air source instead of steam??

Re: My 16-month theanine self-experiment

#205

Post by stevage »

mg wrote: post #126

This is great. The author defines their own metrics, is doing their own A/B tests and publishes their interpretation plus the raw data. Imagine a world where all health blogging was like that. Personally, I have not published any results yet, but I have been doing this type of experiments for 4 years now. And collected 48874 data points so far. I built a simple system to do it in Vim: https://www.gibney.org/a_syntax_…

They were looking for a clear effect. they did not find one.

Re: My 16-month theanine self-experiment

#206

Post by grumpy-de-sre »

pbhjpbhj wrote: post #204
grumpy-de-sre wrote: post #194

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Get a mattress encasement, it's like a HEPA filter bag for the mattress (cuts off the mites food supply and preventing allergens becoming airborne). Skips the whole trying to clean porous foam problem.

I read that mites can't survive temperatures above 60C, and wondered then about just a big plastic bag around the item then fill it from a hot air source (hair dryer, fan heater)? I think the problem would be temperature control, as you don't want to damage the item, but need to maintain an even, specific air temperature, you'd need turbulence. Then vacuum clean afterwards. Maybe a wallpaper remover style device with…

Yeh I've thought about whether it'd be possible/safe to use something like an "overclocked" electric blanket to sterilize the mattress daily.

They also need humidity (~50% RH), hence why I got the dehumidifer, which has definitely knocked them back.

Re: My 16-month theanine self-experiment

#207

Post by davidanekstein »

devonsolomon wrote: post #169

Great experiment! It’s important to highlight that even in rigorously blinded studies which find a drug ineffective on average, there can still be genuine responders—this is known scientifically as “heterogeneous treatment effects.” Essentially, individuals vary in genetics, metabolism, and neurochemistry, which can cause meaningful differences in drug responsiveness. Thus, an N=1 trial, like yours, might indeed reve…

I made an app for this called Reflect [1]. You can run self guided experiments for anything you can model as a metric in the app. I just wrote about an experiment I did with nootropic coffee [2].

[1] https://apps.apple.com/us/app/reflect-track-anything/id64638...

[2] https://open.substack.com/pub/reflectapp/p/my-experience-wit...

Re: My 16-month theanine self-experiment

#208

Post by vharish »

grumpy-de-sre wrote: post #138

For anyone looking for a sleep supplement, before you go down the rabbit hole of Theanine, Mg, etc. Try an OTC Azelastine or Fluticasone nasal spray for a month. Turns out my chronic poor quality, restless sleep was a dust mite allergy that I should have figured out and treated a decade ago. Would wake up with a stuffy nose and very dry mouth but didn't have too many issues during the day. I was allergic to my bed. B…

Wouldn't changing the matress help? Also, if you using a pillow, consider keep them under the sun every few days. You can even keep the matress under the sun, maybe on the terrace if you have access to it. Pillows can also be washed as well.

Telling you from my own experience. It could work for you if you haven't tried already.

Re: My 16-month theanine self-experiment

#209

Post by Novosell »

maccard wrote: post #199
Kiro wrote: post #166

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't understand what people refer to when they say "jittery effects". I don't feel anything when taking caffeine, no matter the dose. Or I want to think it helps me wake up but the effect is so small that I can't be sure. It's basically just a ritual for me.

have you tried a pre-workout style dose (it’s about 8-10 coffees in one)? The first time should give you a pretty good idea of what the “jittery” feeling is.

I googled some pre-workout and it seems to be about 200mg of caffeine, same as a can of Monster. I've drank 2 cans of Monster back-to-back a few times in my life and still not felt jittery.

I largely share experience with Kiro, I don't feel like caffeine makes me perk up at all really. I just drink Monster cause I love the flavor of some of them.

Re: My 16-month theanine self-experiment

#210

Post by grumpy-de-sre »

vharish wrote: post #208
grumpy-de-sre wrote: post #138

For anyone looking for a sleep supplement, before you go down the rabbit hole of Theanine, Mg, etc. Try an OTC Azelastine or Fluticasone nasal spray for a month. Turns out my chronic poor quality, restless sleep was a dust mite allergy that I should have figured out and treated a decade ago. Would wake up with a stuffy nose and very dry mouth but didn't have too many issues during the day. I was allergic to my bed. B…

Wouldn't changing the matress help? Also, if you using a pillow, consider keep them under the sun every few days. You can even keep the matress under the sun, maybe on the terrace if you have access to it. Pillows can also be washed as well. Telling you from my own experience. It could work for you if you haven't tried already.

There's sweet FA sun for six months out of the year here in central europe so not a viable option.
Post reply on HN