Melatonin supplimentation

[MazdaMatt]

I have sleep issues that without a doubt affect my recovery and training.

Melatonin supplimentation: Discuss

[Dastardly]

Have you tried anything else?

Often sleep problems are caused by poor lifestyle/bedtime patterns. If you start supplementing with something to directly make you sleepy, you would surely develop a dependance on it.

[MazdaMatt]

I eat well, I exercise on the regular, I go to bed at the same time every day within a 1hr window (even on MOST weekends), I get up at the same time every day even on weekends, I allow myself 8 hours in bed and my bedroom is 100% pitch black. My bedroom walls are soundproofed, but I do have an ouside door that allows muffled sound in but I don't live in noisy a city.

From what I gather, melatonin supplimention is NOT a sleeping pill - rather it is said to increase the quality/depth of sleep.

So my own personal habits aside - what's the deal with melatonin supplimentation for people who regularly have interrupted sleep?

edit - Yes, I take a multivitamin that contains Magnesium and Zinc and I have tried occasional use of half of a sleeping pill (which has the exact same chemical content as 2 benedryl)

[gzt]

I don't use it, but the wife sometimes does. The advice I have from observation is to take it consistently at about the same time every day that you take it. Looks like you're on a good schedule already, so that shouldn't be a problem, but I think it's important to state for the record so anybody stumbling through sees it. The effect really helps keep her on a sleeping schedule instead of occasionally having trouble falling asleep. She does not use it consistently.

I really didn't notice any results from it and have trouble sleeping through the night, typically, but what usually wakes me up is either discomfort or my bladder.

[BCGuy]

I eat well, I exercise on the regular, I go to bed at the same time every day within a 1hr window (even on MOST weekends), I get up at the same time every day even on weekends, I allow myself 8 hours in bed and my bedroom is 100% pitch black. My bedroom walls are soundproofed, but I do have an ouside door that allows muffled sound in but I don't live in noisy a city.

From what I gather, melatonin supplimention is NOT a sleeping pill - rather it is said to increase the quality/depth of sleep.

So my own personal habits aside - what's the deal with melatonin supplimentation for people who regularly have interrupted sleep?

edit - Yes, I take a multivitamin that contains Magnesium and Zinc and I have tried occasional use of half of a sleeping pill (which has the exact same chemical content as 2 benedryl)

I have seen melatonin at Costco in massive quantities...must be pretty common and safe if Costco is going to sell that kind of stuff in bulk.

In Starr's "The Strongest Shall Survive," I recall him mentioning to cut down on B vitamin consumption before bed because that may have an effect on sleep quality. I have noticed that taking my multivitamin and dessicated liver pills a few hours before sleep is a recipe for shitty sleep.

Starr also mentions Cal-Mag pills as nature's tranquilizer (also mentions it in his training in the heat article). I have found taking 2-4 of those before bed helps a lot with sleep. Cal-Mag pills with Zinc seem to have had similar positive effects with me, but +1 for dreaming. I have tried mixing Vitamin C+Cal-Mag tablets as mentioned in Starr's "Training in the Heat" article...another good combo that seems to knock me out good if I take it 1 hr before bed.

Also, unrelated to supplementation, I found that shifting my training days around had the most positive effect on my sleep quality. I train volume on Friday, recovery on Sunday, and Intensity on Tuesday. I find this setup seems to negate the 'buzz' feeling after volume day and more importantly, I don't have to worry about working out fast so I can eat and get to bed early for a decent night of sleep (I am the type that gets into a self perpetuating frenzy of frustration when I can't fall asleep).

[ivankannan]

What problems are you having?
Are you feeling sleepy during the day or you keep waking up many times in the night?

[Carnivroar]

Read before bed.

[beastmaster103]

I've been suffering from some sleep issues recently. I've had to deal with panic attacks on and off for about 10 years now, which are the greatest contributor (along with my stress at work). After seeing my doc about my recent sleep issues, he recommended taking 3 mg of melatonin about an hour before bed every night. It does seem to work pretty well. I don't feel groggy in the mornings and there is zero chance of dependence (that was critical, IMHO).

If you have any specifics, let me know and I'll do my best to answer them.

[MazdaMatt]

Again, I'm trying to make this thread about melatonin supplimentation, not about me, so I'll leave my personal details out at least for now.

gzt, BCGuy, thanks for the info. I am just starting texas method now, but I can't move my volume day to friday because friday is my most likely day to have cancelled on me due to frequent weekend travel (which also negates saturday and most sunday training, too).

Any dependancy issues with this stuff? Reading wikipedia basically gives pages and pages of proven and possible positive side effects for a long string of sleep and non-sleep related dissorders. I can't imagine this being some sort of miracle pill, so I'm really trying to dig up the dirt.

[gzt]

Dependency - not that I know of. It's basically the chemical your body uses to regulate your circadian rhythm and sleep cycle. Accordingly, I'd be somewhat wary of overusing it, as it might trick your body into producing less, but I don't know the research.