Comments on: How Brain Health & Neurotransmitters Affect Sleep

By: Ben Wa

Ben Wa — Sun, 06 Aug 2017 22:01:30 +0000

“How Inflammatory Cytokines like IL-1beta and TNF-alpha Make You Sleepy” how to inhibit those mechanism the best – and fight sleepyness? (NF-kB, NO (Nitric oxide), and COX, COX-2)

By: bob

bob — Mon, 27 Mar 2017 13:59:12 +0000

In reply to Tom S.

I’ve been trying cat’s claw recently and have found about the same…probably too stimulating. I do take some 5HTP before bed and a supplement Natural Sleep sold by Swansons.

If I wake up middle of the night I take a cap of l-theanine….this usually allows me to get back to sleep. I can’t take it all the time though.

For long drives and such I drink a strong cup of coffee and eat a bar of 85% dark chocolate…the combo keeps me sharp and aware but without jitters.

By: Tom S

Tom S — Mon, 27 Mar 2017 03:05:31 +0000

Great post. My experience with anti inflammatory supplements is definitely a negative impact on sleep and causes fatigue the next day. It’s a frustrating situation. For example, I take small dose of cat’s claw (saventaro) in the morning to get increased mental clarity and wakefulness (probably by reduction in inflammation, perhaps TNF-a suppression). But then have a hard time falling asleep and most certainly get less NREM sleep regardless of how much I sleep, resulting in feeling more tired and fogged the next day. So I use sparingly (2 days/week). Yet, the only days I can accomplish any mentally intensive work is a day with cat’s claw so I still use it. Lately, was diagnosed with Narcolepsy (mild case, no cataplexy, only excessive daytime sleepiness), and thankfully Xyrem (GHB) seems to be helping improve deep sleep (NREM) and improving daytime sleepiness and cognition. But still needing things like cat’s claw to get by.