From: Dennis Roberts (droberts@netvectors.com)
Date: Mon Jul 19 1999 - 12:29:42 MDT
"O'Regan, Emlyn" wrote:
> Self modification in action...
>
> My wife Jodie is about to begin working nights (10:30pm - 6:30am) week on,
> week off. We are both a bit worried about how she can adjust to this kind of
> routine without going mental.
>
> I remember reading about Melatonin - is it useful in this context? Are there
> other drugs/supplements which can help with a freaky sleep cycle?
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Emlyn
Here's a repost of 7/1/99 -Sleep Tools
I've learned a few tools to enable sleep. ( Had to, working long overnight
hours in various hospital settings, like I did.)
They all have their advantages and disadvantages. Here are a few.
(1) Melatonin:
(A) fast acting, cheap, low dosage- I found that 3/4 mg would knock me
out for a good 4 hours, PREVENTS COLDS-
prior to using melatonin, I had 2-3 SEVERE colds each year, since I
discovered this effect several years ago I have been
100% cold free. Using myself as a guinea pig, I determined that a
single 1 mg dose every 3-4 days is probably sufficient FOR ME , to never
have another cold. I do use a fairly high level of supplements and am very
active regular runner and I don't smoke, so adjust your dose if your immune
system is not what it should be.
(D) long 1/2 life in the body-you'll stay groggy longer, but if you
have
to sleep in a noisy environment ( barracks, dorm or have young kids) and do
get awakened you'll quickly return to sleep, IMPORTANT-if you have high
blood
pressure you might want to take it easy with this stuff, melatonin has been
shown to constrict the vessels in the Circle of Willis ( main arterial
vessels in the brain ) over use or high dosages might contribute to a CVA by
raising intracrainial BP, don't drive or operate heavy equipment
(2) Kava
(A) fast acting, short 1/2 life- you wake up after a full night's sleep
clear headed, also cheap, the sensation produced by the herb is
pleasant.(400
mg works for me)
(D) the sleep inducing effect is not as intense as melatonin even at
higher dosages > 800 mg, consistency of effect across brand may differ since
herbal preparations vary a lot
(3) chamomile tea
(A) short 1/2 life, cheap, effective symptomatic treatment for nausea
vomiting
(D) tea has less than pleasant taste
(4) stimulation of seratonin production
(A) anyone can do it- eat a plate of food high in both starch and
complete protein ( mashed potatoes heavy on the milk, pasta with meat sauce,
etc.) forces your brain- do to a quirk in amino acid metabolism- to over
produce seratonin which induces sleep
(D) ya'll get fatter'n hogs, if ya do this too often
(5) calcium- magnesium tablets
(A) both are essential nutrients, since both help with pain relief-
calcium can block pain and magnesium is a very effective muscle relaxant the
combo is good if pain is what's keeping you awake
(D) slow acting, long 1/2 life- you will be groggy the next day if you
take too much
(6) Vitamin C/ exercise
(A) both very good for you in many ways, cheap but use buffered C not
plain or chewable- long term use of high doses of C (2-5 gm/day) raises the
level of endorphins in the body to a level that is manageable( no
overwhelming sleepiness on the job ) and you tend to have a great attitude-
sustained exercise ( a good run, biking a few miles, some sustained
horizontal exercise) adds a load of new endorphins to the mix for a really
mystical experience before sleep comes
(7) hypnosis
(A) nothin' cheeper, has other useful benes if you learn how- pain
reduction, hypermnesia(love this one when I'm cramming for an exam)
(D) not fool proof- if you're distracted or in a hurry it may not work,
practice is essential may not keep you asleep all night
Dennis Roberts
droberts@a-o.com
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