Sleep aids

[Gunsmith]

How often and what specific sleep aids are you guys using.??

I sleep great for the first 4hr or so no matter what time i go to bed or how long I've been up , at around 4hr i just wake up then sleep is very broken where i dose off for 20-30 min then wake up again.
Its been like this for YEARS and now that im getting older id like to get a bit more quality sleep. The only way i can sleep more then 4-5 hr is if i take something like benadryl. With the research they have linking benadryl to dementia i damn sure don't wanna take that much (it runs in my family)
I don't take any stimulants or caffeine for 6 hrs before bed , cut out all "blue and white" light for a couple hrs before bed. Take my Paxil , ashwaganda and 5mg melatonin amd 600mg magnesium glycinate and 2iu GH about 30 minutes before bed (this definitely helps) my training is done generally 4-5 hrs before bed and i no ling have sleep apnea.
Unfortunately with my job i can't take anything with THC or CBD which works GREAT for me but simply can't risk losing my job.

So im wondering what any if you guys use to help stay asleep , my PCP says that "thats just your normal sleep pattern" so im wondering if this could be true or would it be worth trying a prescription sleep aid and if so which one that won't leave me groggy all day.

 

[joos23]

I use Trazodone every night. I take 150mg with 5mg melatonin. I sleep 8 hours straight.

 

[qbkilla]

Thc vape, ask for one with myercine. Complete game changer for me. I want 10 hours? I get 10 hours. Dispensary has them, similar to gummies.

 

[Oldwhitedude]

I sleep great for the first 4hr or so no matter what time i go to bed or how long I've been up , at around 4hr i just wake up then sleep is very broken where i dose off for 20-30 min then wake up again.

I could be off base here but just speaking from my own experience. This is something I suffered from as well. Could get to sleep just fine but I'd wake up at 2am and that was that.

For me it was estrogen too high from where I needed it to be.

Are you currently enhanced and what's your stack? Do you have any recent bloodwork with hormones.

 

[mike036]

How often and what specific sleep aids are you guys using.??

I sleep great for the first 4hr or so no matter what time i go to bed or how long I've been up , at around 4hr i just wake up then sleep is very broken where i dose off for 20-30 min then wake up again.
Its been like this for YEARS and now that im getting older id like to get a bit more quality sleep. The only way i can sleep more then 4-5 hr is if i take something like benadryl. With the research they have linking benadryl to dementia i damn sure don't wanna take that much (it runs in my family)
I don't take any stimulants or caffeine for 6 hrs before bed , cut out all "blue and white" light for a couple hrs before bed. Take my Paxil , ashwaganda and 5mg melatonin amd 600mg magnesium glycinate and 2iu GH about 30 minutes before bed (this definitely helps) my training is done generally 4-5 hrs before bed and i no ling have sleep apnea.
Unfortunately with my job i can't take anything with THC or CBD which works GREAT for me but simply can't risk losing my job.

So im wondering what any if you guys use to help stay asleep , my PCP says that "thats just your normal sleep pattern" so im wondering if this could be true or would it be worth trying a prescription sleep aid and if so which one that won't leave me groggy all day.

Try dropping the melatonin. As I got older melatonin has the opposite effect on me.I was only using 5mg. It gave me terrible sleep. I would fall asleep then wake up 3-4 hours later and toss and turn. I looked it up and melatonin can cause sleep issues.

 

[g.r.o.w.t.h.]

5-HTP but take it when you wake up after 4 hours.

 

[cage99]

This thread has a bunch of options, but some will be Rx… I personally utilize Xanax. 1mg in the winter months & .5mg during the summer months.

https://www.professionalmuscle.com/forums/index.php?threads/whats-the-best-prescribed-sleeping-aid-for-bodybuilders-from-your-experience.141158/

Cage

 

[Vanguards]

+1 on Trazadone and melatonin

 

[Stewie]

Something to consider, would be exploring methyl donors.

There's some chatter that cholinergic supplements may offset anticholinergic drugs, such as antihistamines. Another reason to explore methyl donors, choline being one of many.

 

[nothuman]

I use Trazodone every night. I take 150mg with 5mg melatonin. I sleep 8 hours straight.

I've been doing the 50mg Trazadone and it's worked decently well but I can tell it's time for me to up the dose.

 

[nothuman]

This thread has a bunch of options, but some will be Rx… I personally utilize Xanax. 1mg in the winter months & .5mg during the summer months.

https://www.professionalmuscle.com/forums/index.php?threads/whats-the-best-prescribed-sleeping-aid-for-bodybuilders-from-your-experience.141158/

Cage

I was using 1mg Xanax for a long time on and off and I had withdrawal when stopping for 2 weeks. Too bad because it worked fairly well

 

[specter]

This thread has a bunch of options, but some will be Rx… I personally utilize Xanax. 1mg in the winter months & .5mg during the summer months.

https://www.professionalmuscle.com/forums/index.php?threads/whats-the-best-prescribed-sleeping-aid-for-bodybuilders-from-your-experience.141158/

Cage

How do you avoid having to up the dose ? if i use something like a benzo, zopiclone etc after like 3-4 days straight im loosing the effect fast.

 

[Lift2staysane]

dabs of hhc, apigenin and ashwagandha do me good. I've liked the combo of hhc and ash and added apigenin in months ago. It really does help sleep quality and get a deeper sleep.

 

[d4ve]

I typically fall asleep and stay asleep very easily, but when things get rough at the end of prep and for a few weeks after, doxylamine succinate has been very helpful. The brandname is Unisom, but you can find the generic super cheap at any store. I usually get either the Walmart or Kirkland brand depending on where I'm shopping. I find it to cause less grogginess in the morning than Benadryl / diphenhydramine. Even a half a tab (12.5mg) helps, and by the end of prep I'll be at a full 25mg.

I've had to rely heavily on a CPAP the last couple of years with offseason weight at 280-300, but that's a different issue.

EDIT: Should also add that sleep hygiene is extremely important, and ignoring it while focusing on drugs and supps is kind of like obsessing over PEDs when you barely eat or train. Keeping the lights dim and putting the phone down 1-2 hours before bed works wonders. Use an alarm clock and / or keep the phone on the other end of the room, so you can't look at it at night but have to get up when it's time to get up.

 

[cage99]

How do you avoid having to up the dose ? if i use something like a benzo, zopiclone etc after like 3-4 days straight im loosing the effect fast.

Honestly I have no idea. Guess it’s just my body’s reaction to it. I work a physically demanding job in high heat/humidity for 12-16 hour days. So during the summer months here which is usually (mid-April - mid-November) I’m exhausted by 8:30pm and crashed out by 9pm with .5mg.

During the winter months here I’m just not as worn down at the days end so I need 1mg. Been doing this for over 10 years and never needed to up the dosages.

I recognize that’s not the case for some people. I guess I’m just lucky with how my body metabolizes certain things. Wish I could give you something more scientific, but unfortunately I cannot.

If Xanax wasn’t an option, then I’d be taking 100mg of THC edibles from @herbchemist. When I had broken nearly one side of my rib cage I was take 3 edibles per day. I didn’t take any Xanax at night really cause I was soooooo f’n stoned off my ass from then edibles. THC fucks me up cause I can’t take it regularly. Damn job requires random piss tests. Assholes!!!!

Cage

 

[Love_to_Bodybuild]

L theanine . Take breaks though and don't use it all the time. Good amount of magnesium before bed. Phenibut twice a week max. Phenibut has negative addictive potential like Xanax but it works on Gaba b which is memory enhancing , whereas Xanax gaba a is not memory enhancing, in fact it makes one forgetful. Gaba here and there, doses at least a couple hours away from food, ideally so if you wake up have it by bedside and take 3-5 grams. tolerance builds on all of these, except possibly l theanine and for sure magnesium

 

[Ashop]

I've been doing the 50mg Trazadone and it's worked decently well but I can tell it's time for me to up the dose.

This is good option,,,Though as you say the dosing does have to be adjusted.

 

[southernmucle214]

Have you tried a sound machine and sleep mask? I had a period of a couple of months where I was taking 20mg of melatonin a day and it worked well. Went up to 30mg at one point but it didn't seem to be any better than 20mg

 

[Theone233]

This works well for me when I need them. I don’t take them often but if I can’t fall asleep they are my go to

 

[alterlts]

Remron 30mg and 3×400mg gabapentin. Say good night.