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Sleep regularity is a stronger predictor of mortality risk than sleep duration (2023)

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Re: Sleep regularity is a stronger predictor of mortality risk than sleep duration (2023)

#161

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem with that take is that the evidence for melatonin is quite poor outside of jet-lag and certain more serious sleep disorders, and there can be unexpected effects elsewhere in the body when supplementing hormones, e.g. increased rates of depression for melatonin in particular.

This. And maybe anecdotal, but my experience of people who have used melatonin is that they sleep very deeply, but for a shorter amount of time. But likely they will wake up after around 6/7 hours sleep, rather than the recommended 8 hours of sleep. And once woken up, it's very hard to go back to sleep.

I specifically take a timed release melatonin, really improved my sleep. Otherwise I did have inconsistent sleep on regular melatonin.

Re: Sleep regularity is a stronger predictor of mortality risk than sleep duration (2023)

#162
post #82

Magnesium supplementation solved my sleep issues. I have seen many doctors, including sleep specialists, regarding insomnia. They all pointed to one source as the reason for the sleep issues: stress. And they all wanted to put me on prescription sleeping pills. I said no to that. Sleeping pills can cause dependence, and they often treat the symptom rather than the underlying cause. As a software developer, I am used…

> A special form of magnesium called magnesium L-threonate may be especially helpful for the brain because it appears to raise brain magnesium levels more effectively than some other forms. The study that made this claim was performed by the person who patented magnesium L-threonate and sells it at a high price. They go after any company that tries to sell cheap generic versions. The study was in mice and only showed…

Even a simple ZMA worked wonders for me when my fitness coach recommended it. Got some of the deepest sleep of my life

Re: Sleep regularity is a stronger predictor of mortality risk than sleep duration (2023)

#163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Magnesium supplementation solved my sleep issues. Which type, if you don't mind my asking? And how long did it take before you felt the benefits? I took it for a month once (forget which type) an hour before bed and nothing changed.

I've tried both Magnesium Glyconate and Magnesium L-Threonate and both have helped my sleep, Magnesium Citrate did very little. Which makes sense, the latter is known to not be absorbed very well. I've not noticed any significant difference between the other two.

Magnesium citrate works well for constipation, IME.

Re: Sleep regularity is a stronger predictor of mortality risk than sleep duration (2023)

#164

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why?

Because it's unlikely that a specific deficiency is your only single problem.

Based on what? You seem to be assuming that the only way to be deficient in something is to have a junk diet. It is quite easy to be deficient in just one nutrient.

Re: Sleep regularity is a stronger predictor of mortality risk than sleep duration (2023)

#165
post #82

Magnesium supplementation solved my sleep issues. I have seen many doctors, including sleep specialists, regarding insomnia. They all pointed to one source as the reason for the sleep issues: stress. And they all wanted to put me on prescription sleeping pills. I said no to that. Sleeping pills can cause dependence, and they often treat the symptom rather than the underlying cause. As a software developer, I am used…

It's funny you talk about treating the root cause, and take magnesium, instead of addressing the workplace stress factor.

The magnesium deficiency would probably still exist if you removed the stressful job. Unfortunately switching jobs or careers is not an option in this current job market.

Re: Sleep regularity is a stronger predictor of mortality risk than sleep duration (2023)

#166
post #82

Magnesium supplementation solved my sleep issues. I have seen many doctors, including sleep specialists, regarding insomnia. They all pointed to one source as the reason for the sleep issues: stress. And they all wanted to put me on prescription sleeping pills. I said no to that. Sleeping pills can cause dependence, and they often treat the symptom rather than the underlying cause. As a software developer, I am used…

> As a software developer, I am used to finding and fixing the underlying problem instead of relying on the quick fixes these doctors were offering me. Bro Science, HN Edition in one sentence. Nice.

I am a brogrammer and I fix problems, bro. Magnesium for life.

Re: Sleep regularity is a stronger predictor of mortality risk than sleep duration (2023)

#167
post #124
post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Racing stripes would be a better example. Though negligible, a hand out the window does have a causal impact on speed. On the other hand racing stripes have zero impact, but do correlate to the speed of the car.

We could pick a company car in my previous company (it's a tax thing). We could pick any color, apart from red, because the insurance forbade it - red cars get into more accidents. Somehow that must have made it all the way to the policy without someone asking "is it the red car or the kind of person that picks a red car that causes more accidents?"

The solution is clear: Offer the red car option as a trap, banning anyone who chooses it.

Re: Sleep regularity is a stronger predictor of mortality risk than sleep duration (2023)

#168
post #82

Magnesium supplementation solved my sleep issues. I have seen many doctors, including sleep specialists, regarding insomnia. They all pointed to one source as the reason for the sleep issues: stress. And they all wanted to put me on prescription sleeping pills. I said no to that. Sleeping pills can cause dependence, and they often treat the symptom rather than the underlying cause. As a software developer, I am used…

Your comment sounds like an AI-generated advertisement.

I don’t think it’s AI-generated, but it is repeating a lot of the points that are commonly repeated in supplement ads: The claim that Mg L-threonate is special originates from the person who patented it and sues anyone else who produces it. The claims that multiple doctors tried to push “sleeping pills” and they’re all bad is a common theme in communities that accept supplement research and claims unquestionably (like patented magnesium forms being superior) but have an innate distrust of doctors and medicine.

I think this is just what happens if you read a lot of supplement forums and listen to the supplement podcasts a lot: You start developing elevated beliefs about the supplements, disdainful beliefs about doctors, and think you’re making superior choices having done your own research. That last point is some times critical for the supplements working, because if you believe you’re taking something special after having cracked the mystery by listening to 50 hours of Huberman or Rhonda Patrick (as examples) then the placebo effect will supercharge the result. Having belief that you’ve solved the problem makes the effects much stronger, especially for cases like this where the underlying problem was already pointed out as being stress related.

Re: Sleep regularity is a stronger predictor of mortality risk than sleep duration (2023)

#169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> A special form of magnesium called magnesium L-threonate may be especially helpful for the brain because it appears to raise brain magnesium levels more effectively than some other forms. The study that made this claim was performed by the person who patented magnesium L-threonate and sells it at a high price. They go after any company that tries to sell cheap generic versions. The study was in mice and only showed…

Good point about L-threonate. It is indeed expensive. I use some of it, but mostly I rely on Magnesium Glycinate.

Magnesium L-Threonate is actually very cheap to produce. There’s nothing special about it other than the patent.

There were some generic versions available but the Magtein people go after them. They have to in order to protect their cash cow until the patent expires.

Re: Sleep regularity is a stronger predictor of mortality risk than sleep duration (2023)

#170
post #82

Magnesium supplementation solved my sleep issues. I have seen many doctors, including sleep specialists, regarding insomnia. They all pointed to one source as the reason for the sleep issues: stress. And they all wanted to put me on prescription sleeping pills. I said no to that. Sleeping pills can cause dependence, and they often treat the symptom rather than the underlying cause. As a software developer, I am used…

100 the same.

I tried magnesium before but didn’t see any effects after a week so threw in the towel. Then I read a comment by someone here that had the exact same symptoms as me (brain wouldn’t turn off), explained the underlying cause, suggested L-threonate, and explained that it’s a long-term deficiency and might take some time to build up sufficient reserves.

I have had insomnia my entire life, since I was a child. I would go to bed around midnight and fall asleep at 3am, if I was lucky. I simply could not get my brain to disengage.

Within a month of supplementation, I thought I noticed a bit of improvement. By two months, my insomnia was gone. Not better. Gone. I fall asleep within minutes now.

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