How Can I stay Asleep Through the Night

Ted_Hutchinson

suki1964 wrote: »

Im really glad this thread was started. Reading it it really does seem to me a vit D supplement could be of some benefit, esp as I know I sleep well after a day in the sun.

The impact of one day's sunshine would not be an immediate effect of vitamin D. Bright light will give you an instant effect as that works on your brain via the pineal gland in the same way that using a Bright light for SAD therapy does.
For the Vitamin D to have an impact on your brain it first has to get into your cirulation system so to get your levels raised to an effective vitamin d status will take probably a couple of months irrespective of whether you use supplements, sunlight or high uvb tanning lights. We seem to reach our lowest trough in mid-April (even though their should theorectically have been some UVB acquired vit d entering our systems by then so it's the end of July before we reach our highest status. The time lag before this is reflected in breast density measurements is even longer, that's a 4 month lag.
So although there is an immediate impact of UVB synthesised to Vitamin D3 near the surface of the skin and we can measure it's anti skin cancer effects almost straight away for it to be processed and enter the brain will take several days and it will be weeks rather than days of regular short sun exposures needed before a rise to really significant levels are noted. So if you can make your winter break in the tropics 3 weeks rather than 1 it would do a lot more good. (but every little helps)

wishiwasarichgirl

I wake up every night, at least one or twice a night. usually i can go straight back to sleep (especially if i don't look at the clock - if i know what time it is it seems to make it harder to drop off for some reason )

If i wake up in the middle of the night and am so alert that I can't get back to sleep I get up and do something physically exerting - usually cleaning the kitchen or bathroom - I have been doing this for years - i remember as a teenager I would often completely clear the kitchen cupboards and give them a good scrub - mum thought i was mad! (but never complained )

Generally an hour or so of that would tire me out enough to get back to sleep, and now sometimes just the thought of it is enough to put me to sleep again if I wake up

Sola

I find I can't go back to sleep if there's less than 2 hours until the alarm. My sleep naturally falls into 2 hour blocks, so I try to be going to sleep by 10pm - that way I should get 6 hours-ish if I do happen to wake up.

scrimpingbadger

I found that I too was waking at the dreaded 3am. I thought I was just stressing as I used the feel the need to check in on my toddler but it's carried on even though I am more relaxed now. So I knocked off the sugar in my diet (and, believe me, there was lots of it!) and concentrated on tiring myself out lots more. And it worked.... I think I must be sensitive to sugar.

I notice it gets worse again if I eat late at night.

Just my experience, for what it's worth.

Codswallop

Ted, I'd like to ask you a question about vitamin D3. I've happily been taking these supplements for a while. Tonight I decided to do some research on what Cholecalciferol in the Vitamin D3 supplements is made from. Gulp. I'm not very happy to discover that

"Cholecalciferol is produced industrially by the irradiation of 7-dehydrocholesterol extracted from lanolin found in sheep's wool"

The irradiation aspect as well as the animal origin bothers me. I realise that the sheep aren't killed but it's the animal oil aspect I don't like. How does one know that this oil is safe?

I was wondering what your thoughts on the subject are? Do you know how many D2 supplements you'd have to consume to match the absorbability of one D3?

Not sure if I want to continue taking the vitamin D3, as the thought of them is making me want to gag!

Look forward to your reply.

ceridwen

Re my earlier post - havent had time to read it yet - but seems to be on my thoughts as to why you might be having problems:

http://www.downthelane.net/extras/2007/10/13/electrostress-and-sleep/

loveandlight

ceridwen - that article is very very interesting as I, wait for it.....................live right next door to a five storey, very large, computer company. Although the views from my home are of the park, to the side of my home there is this computer company and from every single one of their windows ( there are lots of them), you can see a computer.

Ted_Hutchinson

Codswallop wrote: »

"Cholecalciferol is produced industrially by the irradiation of 7-dehydrocholesterol extracted from lanolin found in sheep's wool"

The irradiation aspect as well as the animal origin bothers me.

I'll start by saying I read everything about Vitamin D3 that appears online and I have never heard of anyone suffering an allergic reaction to D3. There are people who are hypersensitive to vitamin d but they are very few.

I'm afraid that radiation is the process by which vitamin d is synthesised. Whether it is the direct impact of UVB on your skin, or on lanolin that produces D3, or on mushrooms or seaweed to produce D2, radiation is required.

Vitamin D2 rip-offs explains why in many cases NO AMOUNT of D2 is equivalent to D3 particularly with elderly people.

The Case Against Ergocalciferol (Vitamin D2) as a vitamin supplement. has the research detailing the reasons why we know D2 is often NOT absorbed and NOT utilised, you may be young enough for your metabolism to use it but as it is known not to be effective I cannot recommend it as an alternative. As for efficiency you would need 3 or 4 times as much. While I am prepared, (because I know it is quite safe and well under half the suggested Safe Upper Limit), to suggest people use 2000-4000iu of D3 I am not prepared to say over or around 10,000iu of D2 is absolutely safe or effective for long term use.

An alternative would be to regularly use a
Ultra-vitalux 300W 230V E27
£26.32 It would require a heatproof ceramic lampholder. 5 minutes (providing that did not cause your skin to go pink, If your skin does start to pink then you have used the lamp for twice as long as necessary the process of Vitamin D synthesis is detailed here and if you scroll down the page you see what happens to your newly minted vitamin d if you stay under the source of UVB radiation for too long.)

Ted_Hutchinson

Atomised wrote: »

Are you sponsered by a vitamin D company?! Most of your posts seem to mention it.

Between April and September I spend my time suggesting people get their vitamin d for free from regular, short, full body (or as near to as possible) exposures to sunshine and still cynical people think I must have an ulterior motive.
If you can find an hour to spare to listen to a talk for medical students on Vitamin D deficiency The Cause of Everything you will perhaps better understand why I know it is so very important for the health of everyone in the UK particularly between October and April to take an EFFECTIVE amount of an EFFECTIVE form of vitamin D.
If you followed any of my links to Vitamin d suppliers you will see that none are affliate links and none I assure you offer me any discount or commision.

Molecular basis of the potential of vitamin D to prevent cancer. explains my personal motive for ensuring people do not let their vitamin d status drop too low in the winter months.

ceridwen

loveandlight wrote: »

ceridwen - that article is very very interesting as I, wait for it.....................live right next door to a five storey, very large, computer company. Although the views from my home are of the park, to the side of my home there is this computer company and from every single one of their windows ( there are lots of them), you can see a computer.

hmmmmm...... now had the chance to read it. Yes - I have read similar before - only thing he didnt mention is how near ones bed is to the house fusebox. There are other countries that are light years ahead of the British on things like this - as I recall the Swedish are way ahead of the field on this (as in so many other things). Perhaps it could be worth your while to see what Swedish info you can find on the Net - I do recall watching a recent tv programme in which it became clear that their government officially acknowledges this - and I think I remember helps sufferers out somewhat with it as well.

This may or may not be your particular problem - but it is worth experimenting with different bed positions, different rooms in house to sleep in, sleeping overnight in other peoples homes. But dont expect any sympathy from any official British institution or govt - unfortunately it aint gonna happen any time soon - which may or may not be connected to the fact that we just plain live in an overcrowded country - so it is difficult for us to be away from everything that isnt a good idea for us to be near.

...but that doesnt mean we shouldnt try... or complain..as required!

Good luck - let us know how you get on.