Sleep fitness and supps in the Backcountry

[Mbirn277]

Hello, everyone! I’m an FNG so I apologize if this isn’t the right venue.

I’m looking for advice on sleep supplements in the back country. I have a seriously difficult time sleeping in general and it’s only worse in the back country, at least for about three or four days. It’s a serious loss of productivity for me. In my mind, sleep is an important aspect of fitness and I work hard to adopt a schedule at home but it gets completely out of whack when backpacking.

Melatonin is the only thing I’ve tried so far that works but I find it leaves me drowsy much of the morning. Chamomile and valerian root don’t do anything for me. So I’d love some advice, if anyone has any.

Thank you!

 

[Ridge Ghost]

Melatonin helps some for me, but I have to keep the dose really low- like 0.5 mg. Too much and it messes me up, making my sleep even worse. Kirkland sleep aid pills help me more than melatonin. That has been my go to for help sleeping while in hunts

 

[Mbirn277]

Melatonin helps some for me, but I have to keep the dose really low- like 0.5 mg. Too much and it messes me up, making my sleep even worse. Kirkland sleep aid pills help me more than melatonin. That has been my go to for help sleeping while in hunts

I feel the same way about melatonin. I’ll look for the Kirkland stuff next time I go to Costco! Thank you!

 

[BRTreedogs]

Haha I have to take 10mg of melatonin at home for it to even have a slight affect.
I was gonna say IB PM but you would probably sleep thru the entire hunt.

 

[FlyGuy]

Do you live at altitude? I do not, and I think the reason that it takes me ~ 3 nights to finally sleep is due to my body trying to adjust to the elevation. I realized on my last scouting trip that while laying still in my bag and trying to drift off, my heart was pounding. There is a lot of stuff going on on the inside making that adjustment. Once you’ve acclimated, sleep comes easy.





You can’t cheat the mountain

 

[Mbirn277]

Do you live at altitude? I do not, and I think the reason that it takes me ~ 3 nights to finally sleep is due to my body trying to adjust to the elevation. I realized on my last scouting trip that while laying still in my bag and trying to drift off, my heart was pounding. There is a lot of stuff going on on the inside making that adjustment. Once you’ve acclimated, sleep comes easy.





You can’t cheat the mountain

That’s definitely a part of it. I live at ~5500ft, but hunt around ~8k-12k, depending on the situation. I try to make sure I’m spending extra time up at altitude this year to help prepare, but I’d like to have a secret weapon in my pocket to combat the sleeplessness. That is my number one worst enemy when hunting and I know it’s caused me lost opportunities.

 

[jp0212]

Your best bet is to stick with Melatonin. Definitely strange you are feeling tired when you wake up, as Melatonin typically doesn't have that effect. Strongly recommend avoiding any of the medicinal type sleep stuff like Nyquil, Advil PM, or even the Nyquil Zzz stuff. Studies have proven they actually prevent you from entering multiple stages of sleep, which can leave you much worse off.

 

[Mbirn277]

Your best bet is to stick with Melatonin. Definitely strange you are feeling tired when you wake up, as Melatonin typically doesn't have that effect. Strongly recommend avoiding any of the medicinal type sleep stuff like Nyquil, Advil PM, or even the Nyquil Zzz stuff. Studies have proven they actually prevent you from entering multiple stages of sleep, which can leave you much worse off.

I don’t even take those at home for that exact reason. I completely agree with you on the other stuff. Net negative effect, in my opinion.

I would love the melatonin to be a better solution but it’s a major detriment when I’m groggy and trying to operate before first light. I may try lighter doses, but I’ll consider the Kirkland blend, too. If it’s all herbal, and works, it might be worth it.

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

Might be worth trying something like onnit new mood. It’s a little pricey, but they have sales often and people swear by it. Might not have the drowsy ness of melatonin.

 

[5 shot group]

Not to get too pushy, but do you have sleep apnea, or are overweight? A lot of people have sleep apnea and don't know it (my wife for one) until they do a sleep study. It interferes with your natural sleep pattern and makes you feel like shit in the morning.

For the overweight side, I was having trouble sleeping and woke up sore while I was overweight. I lost about 80 pounds so far and it's crazy how much better I sleep and how I feel when I wake up.

 

[Laelkhunter]

Wilderness Athlete Midnight Build, along with their Altitude Adjustment help me a lot. I also drink their Hydrate and Recover during my trip to the higher altitude. They introduced a new product called "Unplug", which they say makes you sleep like a rock. I haven't tried it yet.

 

[FlyGuy]

Or, just drink extra coffee in the morning


You can’t cheat the mountain

 

[Poser]

You tried any cannabis products specifically for sleep?

 

[Mt_elk]

Melatonin, and maybe a zinc magnesium supp might not be a bad idea. Maybe some essential amino acids like glutamine and glycine or something. quite a few studies have been done on glycine effectiveness when taking it before bed.

 

[OXN939]

Melatonin, and maybe a zinc magnesium supp might not be a bad idea. Maybe some essential amino acids like glutamine and glycine or something. quite a few studies have been done on glycine effectiveness when taking it before bed.

Zinc and magnesium are good calls, as are staying away from Nyquil. Melatonin is okay, but has to be taken correctly for it to interact with your body's endocrine system effectively- 3 or 4 hours before you go to sleep is generally a good estimate. If you take it right as you're going to bed, it will not help. Also, avoid alcohol entirely out to several weeks leading up to a trip- it is a huge disrupter of your body's sleep cycle, and for those of us who sleep lightly or have insomnia, the effects can last for quite a while.

 

[dmuche]

Does anyone have any recommendations for a supp that I could take on the mountain that would give me a good amount of caffeine AND help hydrate? Note: I'm not a coffee drinker.

 

[Block]

2 benydril and a shot of NyQuil will put you out like a baby... I did this a bit when night driving (day sleeping) on fishing boats.. I think if just doing it once in a while on hunts, the benefits of good sleep will outweigh any negatives.. a little caffeine in the am will kick any drowsy feeling. Iv been obsessed with the crystal light peach mango caffeine packets for years.

 

[OXN939]

Hello, everyone! I’m an FNG so I apologize if this isn’t the right venue.

I’m looking for advice on sleep supplements in the back country. I have a seriously difficult time sleeping in general and it’s only worse in the back country, at least for about three or four days. It’s a serious loss of productivity for me. In my mind, sleep is an important aspect of fitness and I work hard to adopt a schedule at home but it gets completely out of whack when backpacking.

Melatonin is the only thing I’ve tried so far that works but I find it leaves me drowsy much of the morning. Chamomile and valerian root don’t do anything for me. So I’d love some advice, if anyone has any.

Thank you!

Also, forgot not to mention this in my first post on the subject... CBD oil is extremely effective at enhancing sleep, to the point that a lot of endurance athletes are using it as a recovery supplement. Virtually zero side effects or negative pharmacological interactions, especially compared to any of the sleep pills out there.

 

[Ridge Ghost]

Does anyone have any recommendations for a supp that I could take on the mountain that would give me a good amount of caffeine AND help hydrate? Note: I'm not a coffee drinker.

Energy & Focus® Tub

wildernessathlete.com

 

[Scooter90254]

I thought it was just me that had trouble sleeping on the mountain. Its a real issue for me.

I'm in good shape and sleep like a baby at home but for whatever reason really struggle when hunting.

I'm going to try some of the suggestions here.