Does anybody else have trouble sleeping during their contest prep? (Thinking about the next day, training, diet etc.) and if you do what do you do to help you go to sleep?…Is there anything out there that is safe and natural that will help me go to sleep?

Menna, I have the same problem. I don't sleep well off season and it is worse last few weeks of contest prep. I try not to take anything(tylenole pm etc) the last few wks. Sometimes hot decaf tea helps relax me before bed. Maybe someone else has more hints for us!

There are 2 different items that are suppose to help you sleep better. The first being ZMA and the second is Valerian extract, which is an herbal root. I take RestEZ which has the herbs valerian and passionflower with hops in it...they are non-habit-forming and promote a natural restful sleep without grogginess in the morning. This is great for people who are anxious and stressed and can't keep their minds from wandering while trying to sleep. I am a physical therapist and I recommend this to many of my patients.

Thanks for the advice, I just bought some Melatonin and I am going to give that a try, if it doesn’t work then I will pick up some "RestEZ"...Dieting isn’t that hard I don't mind eating healthy and working out but not being able to sleep makes this whole contest prep process a whole lot harder.

Any luck with the Melatonin?
I tried in the past and didn't find helpful.
I've tried RestEZ past 2nights- still not sleeping well.

Give it a try you can pick it up at any drug store and its cheap...I have been sleeping better the past two nights

quote:

Does anybody else have trouble sleeping during their contest prep? (Thinking about the next day, training, diet etc.)

It is more like thinking about what you're going to eat NEXT!

Here's something to try prior to bed on an empty stomach and it has worked well for me and others:
4 Muscle Synergy
3 ZMA

Wake up and GET UP 1/2 hour to 1 hour earier, and this tend to make you tired by bed time.

I'm not a great sleeper anytime, but before contest it gets much worse. Our minds are working overtime, we're going through metabolic changes and sometimes we're taking stimulants. Many things can make sleeping tougher during this time.

What works best for me is:

1. I take 3 caps of ZMA before bed with my 6 GH Factor. ZMA won't put you to sleep like a sleep aid, but will help you stay in a quality, restful sleep and help with recovery and repair. When I take ZMA I sleep well and wake up feeling rested.

2. Don't take anything containing caffeine past about 3 pm. Even if you’re not caffeine sensitive, it’s a good habit to get all stimulants in by early afternoon. If you’re having trouble with sleep, stimulants can add to the problem.

3. Read your goals and read a book before bed. Reading our goals is something we should do each night anyway. Before we go to bed our brains are very relaxed and receptive. We should always go to sleep with a request to our subconscious mind, filling our brains with thoughts and ideas about what we want in our lives. I don’t know about you, but reading always makes me sleepy – and it makes us smarter too.