Here's some data and clues:
- 31yo male
- takes ritalin for adhd (suspect cause of sleep issues but problems don't stop when I stop taking it for two weeks)
- I fall asleep easily but I wake up too early (6 hours of sleep instead of the preferred 8)
- I can only fall asleep in one position and that is on my stomach, head on pillow facing right
- Zinc before bed helps to move it up to 7 hours of sleep but I still wake up 1 hour too early, I don't even need an alarm anymore
- Melatonin doesn't really help and has digestive and other side effects
- if I take any kind of CALCIUM supplement today, I will have even more trouble sleeping, wake up in the middle of the night, why??
- when I was on SSRIs I would sleep for like 12 hours and wake up groggy but SSRIs scare me because of side effects (I still have lingering libido issues)
Sleep is incredibly important for memory and brain health and I can notice the effects of even that 1 hour I'm missing every night because my short term and long term memory is worse. I've tried so many things, taurine, lion's mane, cordyceps, melatonin, B vitamins (help a little), pregabalin... but nothing really fixes it. And the things that help, I have a feeling they don't really restore deep sleep, they just make me groggy enough to not wake up. I feel tired but can't sleep properly. It is hell. I used to sleep for 10 hours when I was a teenager and never thought I would have these problems.