Title : Use Sleep Aids? Don't Let the Wrong One Ruin Your Game
I guess the idea wouldn't be fair if I told you the benefits of sleep without giving you advice on the best sleep aids available. There are a multitude of factors which lead me to believe which sleep aid use will be quite common within the globe of poker. They include: 1) the overuse of stimulants such as caffeine, Red Bull, Amp, Adderall, etc 2) the long duration of poker games, some lasting until the next morning 3) the increased play of on-line poker, lasting well into the night. I would certainly imagine which poker players have their sleep schedules pretty screwed up. I'd even bet which their own circadian rhythm will be probably a little off tilt. Don't worry though. Hopefully after reading This specific section, you'll be able to choose the right sleep aid for you so you can experience all of the great benefits of a not bad night's sleep. You may even win more often.
Sleep aids
The majority of sleep aids are relatively safe as well as effective. Some are controlled substances, however their abuse potential will be minimal compared to some other controlled substances. The most important concept concerning selecting the best sleep aid will be residual drowsiness. The last thing a poker play wants will be to be drowsy the next day at the table. Too many bad things can happen if you're sluggish. You need to pay attention to the sleep aid's half-life. Half-life will be actually just a fancy medical term which describes the time the idea takes the Centeng to eliminate half of the original concentration of the drug. Usually, the idea takes anywhere by 5-7 half-lives for the drug to be entirely eliminated by the Centeng. Thus, if the original concentration of the drug was 10mg as well as carries a half-life 2 hours, then after 2 hours the brand-new concentration would certainly be 5mg, as well as after 4 hours the brand-new concentration would certainly be 2.5mg, as well as so on. I'll briefly discuss the most common sleep aids below. I've grouped them into the drug classes based on their mechanism of action. At the end, I'll tell you my recommendations.
Prescription sleep aids
Non-benzodiazepine (non-BZN) sleep aids
These all work the same way. They bind to the benzodiazepine 1 receptor within the brain. The side effect profile will be also similar. the idea includes drowsiness, dizziness, amnesia, headache, as well as GI problems. The difference between drugs in This specific class will be their duration of action as well as potency.
Ambien will be the most common sleep aid prescribed today. The half-life of Ambien will be around 2.5 hours. Thus, the idea takes around 10 or so hours for the idea to be completely eliminated by your Centeng. the idea's pretty not bad at getting you to sleep as well as keeping you asleep. the idea's also generic so the idea's very cheap compared to some of the some other sleep aids. If you're looking to get a not bad night's rest of at least 8-10 hours, This specific will be my drug of choice. Its effectiveness as well as cost make the idea the best of all of the sleep aids. However, if you're in a tournament as well as may only get 5-7 hours of sleep, there will be a strong possibility you may have some residual drowsiness the next day.
Lunesta will be a relatively brand-new sleep aid. The half-life will be around 6.5 hours. Thus, the idea's going to take a long time to get out of your system. the idea also does not have a generic so the idea's pricey. Because of its long half-life as well as high probability of residual drowsiness, I don't recommend This specific drug for poker players. The only time you should use This specific drug will be if you can sleep for a couple of days straight.
Sonata will be my drug of choice with This specific class. Its half-life will be around 1 hour. Thus, the idea will be out of your system in 5-7 hours. the idea may not be as strong as Ambien or Lunesta, although the idea should do the job. If you're unsure of how much sleep you'll be able to get, you should select This specific drug. The chances of residual drowsiness are the least of any of the some other drugs in This specific class. Because of its short half-life, the idea can also be used if you wake up early within the night as well as have trouble getting back to sleep.
Benzodiazepine sleep aids
These drugs are not as selective as the non-BZN sleep aids. They bind to not only the BZN1 receptor, although also the BZN 2 receptor. Thus, there will be a higher likelihood of side effects. Side effects include drowsiness, decreased concentration, cognitive impairments, anterograde amnesia, daytime anxiety, as well as rebound insomnia. The differences in drugs in This specific class are time to onset of action, duration of action, as well as potency.
Restoril will be the most commonly prescribed BZN sleep aid. However, the idea's probably the worst one for poker players. The half-life will be between 10-15 hours. Because its metabolites are also active drugs, if used for consecutive days, the half-life of the drug will actually increase to even more than 15 hours. Thus, there's a strong likelihood you'll experience daytime drowsiness. Even though the idea will be cheap, I recommend staying away by This specific drug. The half-life will be just too long.
Triazolam isn't prescribed much anymore, however the idea's primarily used for insomnia. Because the idea's more fat soluble than Restoril, the idea's onset of action will be quicker, as well as its half-life will be only around 2 hours. the idea's not bad at getting you to sleep as well as keeping you asleep. In fact, This specific was the drug of choice by my professor of pharmacology. Side note: This specific guy was involved within the creation of Gatorade. His memory was unbelievable. He never used one note during his lectures. The problem I have with triazolam will be its high incidence of anxiety as well as amnesia. Because the idea's so fat soluble, the idea will be in as well as out of your system leading to a higher incidence of side effects. Still though, if I had to use a BZN sleep aid, I'd choose This specific one over Restoril.
some other prescription sleep aids
These sleep aids don't fall into any of the above categories.
Trazodone was originally used to treat depression. However, because of its unfavorable side effect profile as well as the introduction of more effective as well as safer antidepressants, the idea's mostly only used for insomnia. The half-life will be between 4-5 hours. Because of its long half life, as well as its ability to cause cognitive slowing, I recommend staying away by This specific if you play poker.
Rozerem will be the newest sleep aid available. Because of which, the idea's pretty expensive. the idea works a little differently than the some other sleep aids. the idea actually binds to as well as stimulates the melatonin receptors within the brain. the idea's been nicknamed melatonin on steroids. Its half-life will be between 1-3 hours. the idea's actually only used in patients who have a history of substance abuse because the idea has zero addiction potential. In my opinion, there's cheaper as well as better sleep aids available for poker players.
Non-prescription sleep aids
Melatonin will be probably the granddaddy of OTC sleep aids. the idea's a hormone which will be secreted by the pineal gland at night. the idea's thought to help regulate a person's circadian rhythm. Its secretion will be stimulated by darkness, as well as inhibited by light. the idea's commonly used by people who experience jet lag or midnight-shift workers. Because poker players may have a screwed up circadian rhythm, the idea would certainly be beneficial to include between 0.5-5mg nightly. Why the wide range of dosage? Some people sleep fine just using 0.5mg as well as actually experience stimulation on doses of 3mg. However, others need 5mg to help sleep. Find the dosage which's right for you. If you experience drowsiness the next day, you probably used too much. I recommend the controlled-Discharge melatonin over regular melatonin. In my opinion, those poker players which stay up late at night, as well as sleep well into the afternoon could greatly benefit by melatonin.
Valerian root will be thought to have a similar effect as BZN's because the idea inhibits the metabolism of GABA. Because the idea will be not as potent as BZN's, the idea's onset of action will be a little longer. You should take the idea about 2 hours before you go to bed. Because of This specific inconvenience, I don't know how beneficial This specific will be to a poker player. If you do purchase some valerian root, look for supplements which contain 0.4-1% valerenic acid. A typical dose will be between 400-900mg 2 hours before bedtime. If you're looking for a natural supplement to reduce anxiety as well as help you sleep, This specific will be definitely your best choice.
Magnesium will be probably the hidden jewel when the idea comes to OTC sleep aids. the idea not only calms your nerves, the idea also helps improve the quality of your sleep. The majority of the US population will be deficient in magnesium. the idea's involved in hundreds of chemical reactions within the Centeng, everything by anxiety to heart problems. Entire books have been written about the benefits of magnesium. Like fish oil, This specific should be a staple in every poker player's nutritional regimen. Do not buy magnesium oxide due to its poor absorption. Take anywhere by 400-600mg of magnesium citrate or glycinate an hour before bed. Orange juice, apple juice, or tomato juice increases magnesium's absorption while calcium or some other diary products decrease its absorption. I cannot stress enough how important magnesium supplementation will be.
Benadryl as well as some other sedating anti-histamines should not be used by poker players. The increased likelihood of residual drowsiness as well as the lack of efficacy of improving sleep quality make these a poor choice for poker players. There are too many some other sleep aids out there which are more effective.
I just wanted to give you an overview of some of the most commonly used sleep aids available. There are hundreds of others out there. There are plenty of Chinese teas as well as herbals which are purported to help improve sleep. My best recommendation will be to read the science as well as research for yourself. You may even want to try a couple out. Only you will know if the idea works for you.
Summary
Hopefully you'll take the above recommendations to heart. Remember, my recommendations are based on not only real-world feedback, although also on research. These aren't just opinions. If you have any questions about anything I've said, please ask.
So the bottom line will be to avoid sleep aids with long half-lives because the likelihood of residual drowsiness will be much greater. Also, one thing I forgot to mention. If you take any of the above sleep aids having a meal high in fat, the idea's going to take longer for the sleep aids to work. Fat actually slows down digestion.
My recommendations
If you think you'll get less than 8 hours of sleep: Sonata
If you think you'll get 8-10 hours of sleep: Ambien
If you're circadian rhythm will be off by too many late-nighters: Controlled-Discharge melatonin along having a sleep aid.
The drug everyone should take: Magnesium citrate or glycinate
Remember, don't take multiple sleep aids. When taken by themselves, they are relatively safe. However, when combined, they can be deadly such as the case of Heath Ledger.
Source : Use Sleep Aids? Don't Let the Wrong One Ruin Your Game by Dr. T. J. Allan, Pharm.D.
You now read the article Use Sleep Aids? Don't Let the Wrong One Ruin Your Game with the link address https://signsofinsomnia.blogspot.com/2016/11/use-sleep-aids-don-let-wrong-one-ruin.html