Sleep-Bombs I make to help insomnia..

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I'm a keto-gal, or low-carb, and I found something that is a really refreshing, even comforting thing to have about an hour before bed.  Sort of like mini-popsicles and they can also easily be blended up and made into a smoothie.

First a little history, I was having pretty bad insomnia, for me anyway, only 2 hours, sometimes less, of sleep a night.  I seemed to fall asleep very good after reading something "gentle" on my mind, but would wake again, wide awake after only 1-2 hours.  I'd finally get up because I could not handle the race-brain, or just plain boredom of laying there.

I am a T2 Diabetic, and my taper means life and living to me, so I am careful what I use to help me with sleep.  I found a little recipe from Thomas DeLaure youtube video that is helping me sleep I believe.  I'll link to his video, but I make the recipe my own way, his video goes so fast it was hard for me to get it down, plus, mine tastes better is my guess Here is the recipe as I make it:

3 teabags of Chamomile
1 can Coconut Cream  (13.6 oz Thai   brand)    
1 Tsp Vanilla
C frozen blueberries
A scoop of stevia (use preferred sweetner, 1/32 of tsp or sweeten to taste

1. Steep tea in 2 oz of water ahead of    time, the longer the stronger.
2. Over very low heat, stir Coconut Cream until melted, just until melted. Getting it too hot takes it way long to freeze cubes we'll be making.
3. Take off burner completely when melted. Add in tea including squeezing the bags, no waste
4. Add Vanilla
5. Add Collagen while stirring, some will clomp up if you don't stir in a little at a time.6. I pour into my blender, then I add a    Cup of blueberries, use whatever fruit  you like, but I do low-carb so blueberries are my choice.
7. I gently blend maybe 30 seconds on lowest setting.

This has taken practice and modifying the way I do it.  I've learned as I went. Still learning. Try some of your own modifications, and please share!

I'll put a pic of the little trays I use.  Simply fill those and freeze. I like to fill up a small bowl(s) with any leftover and eat with spoon as well.

I just pop out 2-4 cubes before bed and use a spoon to eat them like teenie popsicles.

Picture below, and here's link to original recipe by Thomas DeLauer. I like how he explains the benefit of the ingredients. Please just ask if something isn't clear, my brain sort of skips a beat at times :

Thomas's Sleep-bombs

 

 

 

 

Edited February 25 by [or...]

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I wanted to add that my Coconut Cream has no added sweetner, the can I buy. Also, you do not need to be keto or low carb to enjoy these and have them possibly help you sleep better.

You could easily get the little molds (I shop Amazon) for real popsicles too!  Those trays are 15 cubes each, so a popsicle would maybe take 6 which I've been a pig and enjoyed 6.  Remember that regular sugars though are not good for pain, or that's what I've read.  I can't eat regular sugar because of T2 Diabetes, but I get the best Stevia I can afford, the white powder form.

Edited February 25 by [or...]

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Thanks for this, Oregonlady. I just watched Thomas’s video on making these, and I love how he describes why these ingredients work. As soon as I can get coconut cream, I’ll make them.

We’re on a similar path, very slow taper from clonazepam. I’ve only gotten down from 1 mg to .562 mg in 10 months but have been on it for 24 years  thanks to multiple clueless neurologists. I’m doing dry cuts too, but doing more of a guessing game. Found an NP who is helping as best she can, and she trusts me and what I’ve learned , which is surely a refreshing change.

She prescribes .25 mg pills and I’ve used them to go down by just breaking the third one into halves and then quarters. I have a really good pill splitter! 
It just amazes me that the reduction by a tiny crumb is enough to give me withdrawal symptoms. Takes me about a month after each cut to level out.

 I just started following you and just wanted to thank you for the Sleep Bomb recipe and introduce myself.

 

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@[or...] Thanks for the sleep bomb recipe and video! How much collagen do you use?

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23 minutes ago, [[A...] said:

Thanks for this, Oregonlady. I just watched Thomas’s video on making these, and I love how he describes why these ingredients work. As soon as I can get coconut cream, I’ll make them.

We’re on a similar path, very slow taper from clonazepam. I’ve only gotten down from 1 mg to .562 mg in 10 months but have been on it for 24 years  thanks to multiple clueless neurologists. I’m doing dry cuts too, but doing more of a guessing game. Found an NP who is helping as best she can, and she trusts me and what I’ve learned , which is surely a refreshing change.

She prescribes .25 mg pills and I’ve used them to go down by just breaking the third one into halves and then quarters. I have a really good pill splitter! 
It just amazes me that the reduction by a tiny crumb is enough to give me withdrawal symptoms. Takes me about a month after each cut to level out.

 I just started following you and just wanted to thank you for the Sleep Bomb recipe and introduce myself.

So great to meet you @[Ad...]and glad you are here!!

I am just down .55 mg of original 1 mg.  I've been using a scale, and single edge razor blade to trim. I am still bad with numbers/calculations, but I've been helped a lot by folks like Faith Love Hope, he is just so good at getting through my brain fog   Also, I started out breaking my tablets with my fingernails too.  My little scale is very good I payed just 14-15 dollars for on Amazon.

If I am off like .001g for example and I'm trying for .095 g but land on .094 g, feel to stressed to keep trying, I take the .094 g of 1 mg tablets.  Hope that makes sense, you can see my History as well if you like. Most of all I try to be kind and gentle with myself, as I want to be with others.  I don't want to try and micro manage others, and I sure don't want to try and do that to myself. Not with what we are dealing with, oregonlady

Edited February 25 by [or...]

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Thanks oregonlady! The brain fog can be really bad after a cut. I’m just looking forward to the day it finally clears and we feel like ourselves again. And we will, with time.

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I agree, and yes, if I'm going to have more wd sxs, it's always in a few days of last taper as well. I'm noticing a lot smoother, lack of wd sxs, I mean worse than the milder ones, on just a .001 g cut and I only had a 9 day hold on that one so I'm doing it again with no worse sxs after 5 days so far

But that means if it keeps working, I'll still be able to get in maybe 3 or 4 cuts of .001g a month. oregonlady

 

Edited February 25 by [or...]

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That’s good info. I think I’ll order a scale so I can make smaller reductions. Since I’ve just made a pretty large one (although it looks like about like half a breadcrumb) I guess I’ll hold until I feel somewhat normal and then try your method. I’ve read that the closer we get to the end, the worse the sx get. But that may be an individual thing and due to tapering too fast. And anxious as I am to get off of this stuff I sure don’t want to rush it. 

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14 minutes ago, [[A...] said:

That’s good info. I think I’ll order a scale so I can make smaller reductions. Since I’ve just made a pretty large one (although it looks like about like half a breadcrumb) I guess I’ll hold until I feel somewhat normal and then try your method. I’ve read that the closer we get to the end, the worse the sx get. But that may be an individual thing and due to tapering too fast. And anxious as I am to get off of this stuff I sure don’t want to rush it. 

it's surprising to see how little of a crumb can weigh more than I'd think.  A scale is good, but I think the cheaper one I got is as good as any because it calibrates, tares, and does all I need. I did order more expensive and the cheaper worked the best for me. 

The one I got is no longer on Amazon, off-name brand, but the Gemini's are popular if they're still there. 

Well, here's a page full, but mine is most like the first one (19.99) with little dish which I don't use, lol, but to each of us, what works the best for us   the Geminis are more but I did not like the Gemini, some do though Actually the Maxus looks most like mine 2nd link I'll put:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=jewelry+gram+scales&crid=CVROJC16JRMU&sprefix=jewelry+gram+scales%2Caps%2C247&ref=nb_sb_noss_2

see attached below

 

Edited February 25 by [or...]

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Thank you for the link! I had just put one in my Amazon cart when I noticed your reply. But the one I picked only went down to .01 g and I can see this one will be much better since it goes to .001. It’s supposed to arrive tomorrow so it will be interesting to measure the “breadcrumbs” I’ve cut for next week. Really appreciate your help.You’re great! And we’re gonna get through this!

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It was so interesting for sure @[Ad...] as I had only got down to breaking in quarters, and a quarter was surprise.  The most important thing I learned was how to make sure there is no breeze coming through windows, fans or my air-purifier you can just breath on the little scale-plate and the weight fluctuates.  I'm careful but like I mentioned, if I'm only off a teenie bit, heck with it, I'll take it.  Don't need the stress of worrying about .001 more or less of weight.

I calibrated a lot at first, then slacked off a little, but I still feel the urge to calibrate again hugs, oregonlady PS I did buy a decent set of tweezers, for me anyway as the plastic type I got were too hard for my shakey hands

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Thank you for the link! I had just put one in my Amazon cart when I noticed your reply. But the one I picked only went down to .01 g and I can see this one will be much better since it goes to .001. It’s supposed to arrive tomorrow so it will be interesting to measure the “breadcrumbs” I’ve cut for next week. Really appreciate your help.You’re great! And we’re gonna get through this!

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And I just saw on another thread that you were diagnosed with ST…same thing as Cervical Dystonia. I have shaky hands too, and the constant no-no head tremor. That’s the other part that will be interesting, to see if our tremor diminishes once we’re done with withdrawal. I can’t say mine is any worse since going down by almost .5 mg, and my brain fog is better than it was. I’m hopeful the GABA receptors may already be rebuilding.

Edited February 25 by [Ad...]
Omitted word

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23 minutes ago, [[A...] said:

And I just saw on another thread that you were diagnosed with ST…same thing as Cervical Dystonia. I have shaky hands too, and the constant no-no head tremor. That’s the other part that will be interesting, to see if our tremor diminishes once we’re done with withdrawal. I can’t say mine is any worse since going down by almost .5 mg, and my brain fog is better than it was. I’m hopeful the GABA receptors may already be rebuilding.

You're the first to be so close to my issues, as well as the same type of taper.  Yes, I had heard the term CD as well so I did believe they were the same but wasn't positive.  And yes, y head shakes left and right, no no no, 

This should be really interesting because many here are not going slow, not that I have found.  I simply couldn't risk worse things happening, especially when I want quality of life, as much as I can get now, not just wait til later   So happy I've got to meet you Adella!  Looking forward to seeing both our progress which can get down and discouraged but never give up, and never loose total hope   oregonlady/Denise PS I wish I'd picked my real name for user name but you can call me either

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I’m so glad we met too. We owe it to your Sleep Bombs post. By the way, my name isn’t Adella. I just picked that as my user name (my mom’s and great grandmother’s names). My real name is Mary. So hello Denise from Mary. Are you an Oregon lady? I’m a Florida lady, but haven’t really recovered from leaving northern Michigan, 30 years ago. It will always be home, and Florida has always seemed like a weird place to me. 
Looking forward to staying in touch and sharing anything we learn that may help us. 

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Yes, I grew up in Oregon, left when I was about 21, came back later about 24.  I only moved down here in CA about 8 years ago, going on 9 and counting. I'm going to PM you so we can chat freely

I wanted to put a pic of the trays I use so everyone that come up on the thread knows the best type, imo hugs, oregonlady PS there are several types though, but in our small town, I don't find these. 

 

Edited February 26 by [or...]

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Thanks for posting the cube tray. My fingers are so weak and arthritic, maybe this will help.

I'd PM you, but I can't figure out how! I did find the mailbox but nothing in it. Don't know how to do outgoing. Someone posted the mailboxes aren't working.

Hope you have a great day. I got my scale yesterday so I'm going to play around with it today.