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PaperclipPerfector  3mo ago (text post)   1868 thread views

Wellness Wednesday for May 29, 2024

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I need a sanity check: when do you get exhausted in the day?

Cause I'm just useless after ~5-6 (around 12 hrs after I wake up) and I don't know if it's just that I'm old now or my sleep is so fucking bad that even when I don't feel sleepy in the morning it hits me later.

I stopped needing a day nap about a year after I started taking vitamin D at five times the recommended daily allowance within an hour of waking up. In addition, it was no longer literally painful to awaken before 8am.

My mood benefited too, more resilient against depression.

I am a night owl and as long as I power through the slump around 22:00 I am good to go until 02:00 or thereabouts. However, I remember a phase back in my twenties when I would just get incredibly sleepy during the day.

I get most sleepy when I put the kids down for sleep, around 7:30 PM. At that point I can either fall asleep for 10 hours or if I hang on and do something mindless I get a surge of energy by 8:30 and find it impossible to go to sleep until 10-11.

Weird supplements that can help with Mitochondrial health and overall energy (besides the usual, and don't try them all at once but maybe try one at a time and see if it helps):

  • Glycine

  • Nicotinamide Riboside

  • Sterylethanolamide

  • Asprin

  • Quercetin

I'm an extreme morning person. I'm up between 430 and 5 most days, and work out by 7. I'm most productive in difficult work before 2pm. Between 2-6pm I'm working, but mostly I try to be editing or doing rote work. After 6pm I don't really get much done unless I'm drinking a bonus espresso or using other stimulants because it really needs to be done. In bed by 9pm to 930pm, asleep by 10-11pm.

I'd say I'm good for 6-7 hours of hard alert work a day, 10-14 hours of work total, before I'm tired.

I think to really parse your statement we need to define "exhausted." I'm properly exhausted like can't keep my head up after 18-20 hours, but I'm noticeably less productive after significantly less.

In bed by 9pm to 930pm, asleep by 10-11pm.

It takes you up to 2 hours to fall asleep?!

No, at 9pm ideally I've gotten into bed to read a book or news magazine. Occasionally radio broadcast of a baseball game or similar.

Late 30s, very fit, I don't get exhausted without some truly difficult effort. If I work very hard at a difficult mental problem, I'll experience mental fatigue after a couple hours and need to go take a walk. If I go for a hard run, I'll grab a shower and a beer when I get in and flip on something easy to watch, but I wouldn't go so far as calling it exhaustion.

On the flip side, I do take quite a few mental breaks, walk around, take five minutes to go play a quick mini-game, and so on. This isn't really a conscious effort, just habit.

This happens to me. I'm 40 and in great health. I have great energy and stress tolerance all day when my sleep, diet, and training are balanced. Otherwise, I'm in the same boat you are.

I'm naturally a poor sleeper unless I am strict about sleep hygiene. Recently, I quit nicotine pouches. Surprisingly this lead to a huge increase in my all day energy. So perhaps you're overstimulated. I get all my caffeine before 10am. For me, this is important for sleep. Sometimes I drink a lot (600mg), but this is now rare. I average less than 200mg per day at 95kg's. I try to cycle it (ie if I drink 400mg one day, I'll aim for just 100mg the next day). I cycle off completely for 10 or 20 days a year. I hate it. But I always feel more rested afterwards.

Glycine and magnesium on an empty stomach at night has helped my sleep. Could be placebo. Could be the fact that I stop eating sooner to the mag/glycine kick in better on a truly empty stomach. Cheap.

I love to work out vigorously, but I need to balance it so that I am always recovered.

On rare occasions I am still overwhelmed with tiredness at some point in the day, usually after 2pm, usually after a huge meal, usually during periods of high total stress, but sometimes for no reason I can see. When that occurs, I try to prioritize setting aside time to close my eyes and intentionally relax or have a 40 min nap if its early enough in the day.

Diet wise I eat almost exclusively whole foods, and an absurd amount of vegetables. Cucumbers, peppers, carrots, and roast veggies are my go to snacks / fillers. I probably eat 1kg+ a day. Sadly, drinking even small amounts of alcohol at night can throw everything out of whack for me.

All these various habits that are now somewhat second nature. My energy levels feel fantastic.

Do you have recommendations as far as recipes go, for making veggies taste good and making you actively want to eat them?

Do you have recommendations as far as recipes go, for making veggies taste good and making you actively want to eat them?

To maximize the taste/health/satiety/caloric density equation there are some general principles I adhere to. Low oil for low caloric density (non stick cookware and soups eliminate the need for lots of cooking oil). Easy digestibility for me (cauliflower is hard for me to digest, which sucks because cauliflower rice is otherwise great, ymmv). Also, perhaps I just love or have learned to love vegetables.

For me personally, here are some go-to's

Boiled frozen peas for 10 mins. Strain, rinse briefly, add salt. Possibly add butter spray or a small amount of butter to taste. Sweet and delicious and I literally look forward to it. Doesn't get much easier. Decent amount of slow carbs and protein.

Cut two heads of broccoli into large chunks. Place in large pan with 3cm boiling water. Steam for 10 mins, remove, let rest, and salt. I love broccoli.

Pan fried zucchini: cut length-wise, salt with favored spice mix (think Mrs Dash plus salt), on medium/ medium low heat place skin side down in 32cm. high-wall non-stick pan with spray, cover and let simmer for 10 mins, turn, cover, and cook for 10 more mins, remove and let rest (they should be browned, maybe blackened in some areas. It will take some experience to dial in your stoves heat level, the salt/spice level, and cooking time. Keep the temp below the smoke point of your oil. I'll do this is 2kg batches. They re-heat really well. I like them. Simple.

Bag of frozen veggies in the same cook pan. Spray with oil. Salt and season to taste. Let cook on medium heat uncovered until the water evaporates. Then cover, cook, stir occasionally until "aldente". Stop, remove from heat, let rest covered until desired tenderness. I do batches of 1kg. Again, super simple.

Peel carrots. Chop in half or quarters lengthwise. Place evenly spaced on cooking tray with parchment paper. Cover in cooking spray. Cover in salt and herbs. Place in pre-heated 180C oven for as many minutes as you like to get the tenderness you want. Pairs excellently with parsnips done the same way.

In a way, this is primal vegetable preparation with easy access to modern amenities (salt, able veggies, clean heat). I'm basically making large batches of veggies tender enough to eat, salty and seasoned enough where I like them. I also eat a few large carrots raw on most days.

Salt, olive oil, onions, garlic, tomatoes make vegetables taste good.

On a normal day I don't feel sleepy until late evening, when I'd be going to bed anyway for my 8 hours of sleep. I'm in my 40's.

Seconding the recommendation you do a sleep study if you haven't already.

Are you dosing up on caffeine or other stims that might be causing a crash? Have you eliminated sleep apnea by doing a sleep study?

Have you eliminated sleep apnea by doing a sleep study?

I did one about a year ago and we did. I have cut down on caffeine before and not noticed any difference but I suppose experimenting with going cold turkey can't hurt.

I found it easier to switch to black tea and restrict my intake that way. My sleep improved and energy levels were more consistent during the day. The theanine was also welcome. But cold turkey works too.

I get sleepy midday even if I get full 8+ hours of sleep unless I'm physically active the whole day. I usually just take 20-30 min nap and that fixes it. I'm in my mid 20s.

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