+ 16 Sleep - Fix it for maximum gains
We all know how important sleep is to building the body of your dreams, but for many of us the quality of sleep that we need is easier said than done. I for one absolutely cannot sleep without medication unfortunately. Alpha-wave intrusion is what I am diagnosed with. I am always looking for new things to try and alleviate my need for sleep meds and the latest I have been looking at has been researching acupuncture meridians and meridian time flow.
The short and nasty with the meridian time flow is that the body functions like a clock and certain things happen based upon the time of day, essentially a circadian cycle. If certain times of this meridian flow are being interrupted, this can be used to help nail down and treat illnesses. So let’s put this to work with our sleep cycle if you are having issues sleeping well.
First off, let’s define what is a good night’s sleep is so we are all on the same page here? A good night’s sleep means we should be falling asleep easy, not waking up until the morning, and have plenty of energy when we do wake up. So, if you’re having trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, waking up, or God forbid all the above, it is a sign that you have issues you need to deal with to get back to sleeping soundly.
Ok, now let’s just assume we should be getting a good 8hrs of sleep every night. Let’s start with a 10pm bedtime. Like I mentioned, waking up now at different times of the night can be indicative of a certain problem that needs to be addressed to help get you back to sleeping soundly. These are the things you may want to try and address based upon if you are not sleeping soundly.
Waking up from 11pm-1am is usually a sign of something messed up with your sugar/glucose levels. Nasty cortisol is likely spiking in an effort to balance your sugar levels in the bloodstream. Here is something you can do to try and fix this problem. Include more veggies in your diet and eliminate sugary foods closer to bedtime, i.e. no high GI carbs or just try eliminating all carbs before bed. The other thing is your last meal before bed may be just too large, so tone it down if need be or just don’t eat before bed and see if that corrects it.
Waking up from 1am-3am is a sign of liver toxicity. Liver detox is a priority for you. Try laying off the orals and get on some liver supps.
3am-5am is usually a sign of oxidative stress. Get a good multi-vit and take some antioxidants.
Waking up from 5am-7am is usually related to the large intestine and/or, hang on here, the triple warmer meridian. Usually though, if this is around the time you normally wake up to go to your daily grind, it really shouldn’t be a concern.
Now the silver lining here is that are natural ways to improve your sleep and obviously your health at the same time. Some of the simplest and most effective ways to help improve sleep are making sure you have adequate nutrient levels of magnesium and zinc, D3 and eliminate stimulating activities immediately before bed such as TV, the computer, or being on your phone. I think it is has something to do with the blue light those devices emit that fire up the brain and make it hard to sleep afterwards. So get your nutrients in order, stay off the phone and computer before bed and consider the suggestions above if you are waking up during the night to hopefully get you back to sleeping soundly again and maximizing your gains.
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No way I would be able to do shift work. I don't see how you guys can do it. I would be a damn zombie.
bro I know its probably good money where you work and you may have been there for a while, but I am telling you dude get out of there shift work ages you quicker than anything.
I worked for a year at a paper mill doing shift work making $25.hr, I constantly had money but absolutely no time to spend it, and with in that one year I went from no grey hair , to almost salt n pepper hair dude no joke. My uncle has worked there his whole life, it has almost killed him out right twice , he is easily aging at twice the normal rate.
its not worth it.
Brother, it's all true what you write. I usually wake up from 5 to 7 in the morning. In the last 10 years, we can no longer live without a telephone. We have a strong addiction, even if we don't want to admit it. It would be much easier to sleep, quiet naps, lol
Have you looked into cbd oil?.... at first I thot “fuck it , it’s just a modern day snake oil”... but what little I’ve checked into, there mite be something for you..... maybe a an alternative to look into
Disclaimer;... I am in no way selling or affiliated with any cbd distributors....
However, I do have some kick ass live edge tables for sale.....jk
Funny you mention cbd. Had a big discussion about this a few days ago. Bunch of people were recommending it to my fiance for me try. Said it knocked them right out and slept sound entire night. It is definitely on my short list to try. One of those vape shops just opened up a few miles down the road and they are advertising it.
You don’t need to use the vape. I have some and just put the drops under my tongue.
Is the moon what your talking about in the iPhone to change the light?
The vape place is the only place I have seen it for sale. As far as I know it is just the liquid drops and not something you have to vape.
Not sure what the moon is, but when I was bored one day looking through my iphone I stumbled on some kind of setting that you can have it switch over to at night so it doesn't jack your brain up and make it more difficult to sleep. Don't have my phone with me now, so I will try to find it later.
I’ve tried the stuff in the shops before and it did me no good but I know it’s come a ways since then. My brother actually knows a dispensary owner and gets it from there. Apparently there’s a huge difference in quality and content. He can’t have THC because he gets panic attacks from it and he claims the real stuff helps anxiety and sleep.
One question, what does it mean if you need 12+ hours of sleep? If I can manage falling asleep early I don’t naturally wake up before 12. No idea why. I’ve went to bed at 8 at night and woke up at 3 the next day before. If I sleep 8 hours I can come home later on and sleep 4-5 hours then sleep all day the next day too if I don’t have to get up
jayiskYou may want to look into getting a sleep study done. It tells you if you have sleep apnea, how much time you are actually sleeping, how many times you wake up, etc.
If you are not on meds or taking some type of drug before sleep your sleep schedule does not seem normal.
I’m on meds for insomnia. Even when I was not on them I would sleep 12+ hours and still feel tired. At least with the medicine I can fall asleep before 4-6 in the morning. I was going to get one done but my insurance wouldn’t cover it. I’ve been told I kick and twitch in my sleep and I sometimes wake up but I don’t remember. Apparently I’ve had full on conversations too but no recollection of it the next day
jayiskThe kicking and twitching could be Periodic limb movement or restless leg syndrome. Both interfere with your sleep and wake you up throughout the night you prob. dont realize it.
Waking up and also talking then not remembering it can be a side effect of the sleep meds depending on what you take. Just google the meds and look at side effects. they could also be causing the leg movement.
Some meds can also make you feel groggy the next day no matter how long you were in bed.
I also have chronic insomnia and it sucks. Been dealing with it since i was a teenager. And have sleep apnea also but do use a CPAP machine for that.
But if you are waking up and not aware of it means you are not going through a proper sleep cycle. therefore, it would cause you to sleep longer. even though you may not be actually sleeping the whole time.
I have these problems with or without the medicine. The only difference is I can fall asleep. I do have restless leg syndrome. I used to take cogentin for it but it causes blurry vision and I needed to wear glasses it was so bad. It’s from a dopamine and cognition imbalance. Any ideas how to deal with that besides medicine?
jayiskYou have a lot going on. Really need a sleep study and sleep specialist but that sucks insurance wouldn't cover it.
Maybe try telling your Dr you think you have sleep apnea and it may get covered.
Wish you the best. Like I said I've been dealing with sleep issues a long time and it dictates how my day is going to be.
I got the stuff from the vape store but don’t use the vape so sounds like the same thing you’re looking at. It seems to help some bu the trick is finding legitimate product.
Legit product is what I would be concerned about. The good stuff sounds like it is pretty expensive but a little goes a long ways.
Rustyhooker$40 for a 30cc bottle with dropper.
Cbd oil made from cannibus strain is a good please to start... I believe this is “somewhat “ regulated as it’s manufactured from actual dispensaries...on the other hand, oil made from the hemp mite be a hit or miss as far as accuracy from batch to batch.......as with most things, you’ll get what you pay for when it comes to cbd....this is about as far as my knowledge goes unfortunately, wish I could help more makwa.....
I was talking with my good buddy last night who is a pharmacist and he said I have to be careful with CBD. It is supposed to contain less then 0.3% THC but it is not regulated so the THC content could vary widely. He said the only way to be sure it is low on the THC is to make sure to see an assay report for the particular batch you are purchasing. If no assay report, it is just a gamble on THC content. You probably guessed the reason I have to be worried about this is because random drug testing is done at my work and popping positive for THC would not go over well.
This is the only reason I can’t try the cbd. As much as I’d love some thc I can’t risk any thc being in any cbd products.
Very true....maybe someday soon widespread legalization for medical purposes will take hold so people can actually get relief without all the narcotics, benzo’s, etc...
hope you find an alternative bro....
RustyhookerYou can also take the liquid drops.
Heck yea man. My issues is forcing myself to wake up. I can sleep 12-16hrs likes it’s nothing
Mate tell me about it, I can sleep for the world after heavy training and a blown CNS Lol I wake regularly to eat still even when just on test but sleeping for 24hrs is no problem nowadays ..
i slept 26h yesterday, and felt like i could sleep more lol
Damn. You got me beat. 24 was my max. Granted I woke up to use restroom and eat for a second.
Great info as always.... thanks brother
question for makwa or anyone with experience , I know a lot of guys make it a regular thing to wake up in the middle of the night to eat a meal or drink a protein shake especially when bulking.
My question is what do you think is more important ? getting 6-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep, or making sure to eat every 2-3 hours even when sleeping.
Personally I just drink a casein shake before bed, but i'm curious to hear what others think.
Sleep is more important. Believe it or not your gut needs rest too so it maintains proper flora for healthy digestion and overall health.
Here is some food for thought
https://www.eroids.com/forum/general/general-talk/waking-up-to-eat
AnonOrganic sauerkraut "not fermented in vinegar" is supposedly good to enhance Flora in your gut, over time with processed foods and the crap we've been used to eating has reduced flora in the human body. I read about it a ling time ago.
AnonSleep deprivation increases Alzheimer’s protein, also have to deal with this. My phone rings all night long causing interupted sleep.
https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/sleep-deprivation-i...
RustyhookerSleep apnea as well. Short bursts of not breathing followed by a gasp will wake you up plus lack of oxygen.
Man I have sleep apnea and I'm on a cpap. Thank God for the cpap. I didn't even know I had it until the wife and I started dating and we moved in together. She said you know that you stop breathing at night? I would start to fall asleep while driving and I would always be falling asleep at home. Had a sleep study done and the lady said that i was the worst case she had ever seen and she had been doing sleep studies for 15 years. Once I got the cpap I finally started to gain more size again. Been on it for 5 years. It's amazing how lack of sleep can truly hinder the gains. Doesn't matter how much shit you are on. You aren't gaining.
RustyhookerLife changing events. High five!
Achilles412Just talked about this on another forum. I have it serverly. Nasal passages are a mess from boxing as a teen. Been using CPAP mask for about two months feel great and my blood pressure dropped from 130/75- 122/63 as of this morning. And just feel so much better. So many different issues can come from sleep apnea super strongly suggest anyone who has heavy snoring issues should go do a sleep study.
So much stuff can hit us and ruin sleep. Seems like those cpap machines are a lifesaver for a lot of people. If still waking up with a cpap, I would then look into some of the issues I mentioned above if always waking up at a specific time of night.
RustyhookerStarting with your list imo the best starting point. Long before going towards the rare issues
Achilles412Total lifesaver my man.
Great that it worked out for you.
Great topic brother and something that is discussed in length when i sit with my guys back here in real life, i seriously feel for people that suffer from insomnia, or just plain bad sleep.
Suze my mrs suffers really bad, she has been wearing a fitbit watch for quite a while now and can never seem to get above 2hrs REM each and every night, she trains all day every day because thats whats she has to do, calorie burn is monstrous to say the least.
We over the years have blamed it on the Menopause, high steroid use when she competing at high level, we blamed poor digestion when eating 6/7/8 meals per day and going to bed on a full stomach etc etc etc.... nothing changes she is still the same to this day.
On the other hand.... myself i sleep like a baby!... always have, no matter if i eat late or am jacked with multi compounds it makes no difference, i always wake up remembering some sort of dream (which equals REM i believe)... she says i am abnormal lol............. maybe she is right? but i do feel for the folks that cannot get a real deep nights sleep because that is really when the magic happens regarding growth and repair.
Looking forwards to the input in this thread because i may be able to pick up some tips simply to help Suze.+3
Hey Buddy, I know its a bit off topic here but as you've mentioned it I just thought I'd ask as its something I've always been intrigued to know - what sort of levels of gear do women take when competing at a high level? I've never seen anything more than low level anavar mentioned when it comes to females and steroid use. She looks in great shape by the way mate, it must be so cool being with someone that shares the same passion that you do
i remember listing a stack that we had her run when she was up against brazil and italy's best, let me dig through the archives and i will post the link here for you bro.
Methyltrienolone and a big stack of Male PCT compounds are what we got the best hardening results from... its way harder for a women to dry out than a man so we had to "crash" every normal function, we had a lot of hairy moments but she is a tough cookie and battled on through the shit bits knowing full well that that is how far you have to go to compete against the worlds best in this modern era...... thank fuck womens true bodybuilding has ended because it was getting stupid going to super unhealthy limits.
Anyways bro... she is now looking superb still but super safe due to not having to take the body to abnormal extremes.
Side note.................................. todays resting heart beat on suze was 46bpm so thats still athlete standard for a women aged 56...........
Praise to Suzy b She is the queen of this place when she wants her throne back.
The whole topic of sleep really fascinates me, mostly because I really think it has held me back from taking it to the next level. I am trying to give it one more big push before I hang it all up and I feel I really need to maximize sleep to do that. I "sleep" now because of the drugs I have to take in order to sleep, but it doesn't feel like a natural sleep. I can't remember ever having a dream within the last 5 years. I can get about 5 hrs of uninterrupted sleep now which is better than no sleep. I am striving to get back into that more natural sleep state with minimal drugs. Drives me nuts that my fiance can fall asleep as soon as her head hits the pillow and not wake up until the alarm goes off. If a mouse farts it will wake me up and then good luck trying to get back to sleep.
I have recently been seeing this little Asian doc that is well versed in alternative medicine and accupuncture. As you can see I am getting desperate here but it is worth a shot. I am now experimenting to see if accupuncture can do me some good and some of the stuff I talked about in the post is what he was relaying to me when we were discussing sleep issues.
I hope you get some Mak......... if i can find other opinions or options that may be of help i will drop it in this thread after speaking with you in PM ok brother
Good luck finding the antidote.
Appreciate it!
Great write up brother.
Also consider a cpap machine, especially for the big boys out there. If you’re pushing 250+ chances are you need it. Chunkypj&j turned me on to this and he said he’s getting better results than ever and sleeping deeply and soundly.
Something about the extra weight pushing down on you messes with your breathing. When I cut down to 210 my snoring went away and I slept through the night, now that I’m back to 245 the snoring has reared its ugly head again and i wake up with a sore throat from trying to breathe.
I’m currently in the process of getting one from my doctor but they don’t make it easy.
Fortunately i don't need a cpap yet.
Lack of sleep is a very, very complicated issue. It can be caused by an almost infinite number of or combination of factors. People who are compulsive or hyperactive have issues with sleep. There are many other factors such as worrying about current problems etc.
Stress is definitely a killer in so many ways.
Niiiiiice! You had me at "triple warmer meridian" lol (no homo)
Very nice topic. Fav'd, gonna digest this properly now when the kids are asleep!