Hi,
I have the sleep problem for more than 7 years. I can go to sleep
quickly and the first 3 hours sleep is in depth. The problem is that I
wake too early. Normally I wake after six hours sleeping. It is a
little less for me. Sometimes I sleep only five or four hours. Although
it is very normal(I can read and learn anything) in the first 2 or 3
hours after I get up, I am very tired and sleepy in the rest of time.

Even though I sleep only four hours the previous night, I am not sure I
can sleep very long the next day because of the previous tiredness.
Occasionally, if I sleep for 6 and a half hour, I would feel much
better than 6 hours sleep. But it's rare.

It is a kind of sleep disorder and it really bothers me. I have no
other medical problem. I don't smoke. Everyday I do jogging regularly.
I go to bed between 11:00...12:00 at night.

Do you have some suggestions for me?

Thank you very much.

freelait2000@yahoo.com wrote:
It could be a myriad of things causing this. I would start by thinking
hard about all the changes you made in your life around the time when
the problem started - about 7 years ago. Did you move; changed your
diet; had an accident, etc. How is your life now compared to back then -
find all the differences. Write them down and think about the likelihood
of each one causing the sleep problem. Little by little you may be able
to trace back to the root cause.

Diet, mental and physical activities have enormous influence on ones
health. It could be a nutritional imbalance - that is, getting too much
or too little of a particular nutrient through diet or supplements. You
may want to consider having done hair analysis. This will reveal many
nutritional imbalances, excess or deficiency, you may have. Another
option is to use a computer program to calculate your daily intake of
nutrients and adjust accordingly.

Some years ago, I was experimenting with a high protein diet and
experienced the same problems you have now. Once I reduced the protein
intake, the problem went away.

As an example, insomnia can be caused by:
Low calcium level or ratio, high/low magnesium, high/low potassium, high
phosphorus, high sodium, high zinc, high iodine, low PABA, low Vit B2,
low Vit B5, high/low Vit E, high/low Vit B6, high Vit B1, high Vit B12,
low Q10, high stomach acid, [opt. tryptophan / 5-HTP, melatonin,
l-tyrosine].

--
Dawid Michalczyk
http://www.art.eonworks.com - Art and Illustration

quality vs. quantitiy, LAN (light at night) and it's affect on
melatonin secretion, REM sleep and dreaming...

The amount of sleep, and amount of required sleep varies from person
to person depending on age, sex, and physical condition, but generally
you should try for 7-8 hours per day of *good quality* sleep.

People in great physical condition need less sleep (to feel
refreshed). As a person ages, it becomes more and more difficult to
get good quality sleep.

Some suggestions:
*** Light, Food, and Exercise are 3 *major* factors in sleep ***

LIGHT
----------
try to get as much 'full spectrum' light as possible during the
daytime. Natural sunlight is best. You can buy 'full spectrum' light
bulbs (of varying quality) and/or a 'light box' if you don't have a
window seat at the office, or can't get outside much during the day.
During the day time full spectrum light, and light at the 'blue-green'
end of the spectrum is essential.

In the evening (starting around 6 or 7 pm say) *avoid* full spectrum,
light, do not watch too much TV (especially right before bed), use
incadescent lights rather than flourescent. In the evening, you want
light in the Red-orange-yellow end of the spectrum, and want to avoid
light at the blue-green end (the opposite of during the day).
Remove/cover light sources in your bedroom (clock radio, night light,
other electronics etc.). Use a red light clock radio if you need one
(one that isn't too bright). Use electrical tape to cover other light
sources in the bedroom if need-be. Buy thick (possibly 'black-out')
curtains for your room.

All this will help train your 'circadian rhythm' - a very important
key to getting good sleep (and alertness during the daytime). Google
'circadian rhythm' and 'LAN - light at night' for further info.


FOOD
---------
Experiment with food choices and how they affect your sleep. Some
nutrients in some foods (milk, tryptophah, etc.) can help you sleep
better (varies from person to person). Generally, it's better to eat
protien during the day, and *carbs at night*. Timing of meals is also
important (routine times). Obviously, don't drink too much fluid in
the evenings.


EXERCISE
-----------------
Experiment with exercise to see how it best affects your sleep
patterns and alertness. Personally, I prefer to exercise in the
evening (and sleep well) but for most people, it's the opposite.
Exercise in the morning helps them feel alert during the day, and
avoiding exercise in the evening helps them sleep.


OBVIOUS STUFF
--------------------------
Stress, noise (sometimes the noise of a regular activity - the
neighboor starting their car, letting out their dog, etc. will wake
you though you won't realize that is what woke you), sleep apnea,
environment/comfort (bed, temperature) etc.


SUMMARY:
=========
Get the right type of light at the right time of day (and avoid the
wrong type), eat protien during the day and carbs at night, experiment
with exercise at different times of the day.

Sweat dreams!