young, APO4/3 and sleepless

Newcomer introductions, personal anecdotes, caregiver issues, lab results, and n=1 experimentation.
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adriana268
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young, APO4/3 and sleepless

Post by adriana268 »

Hi all! My name is adriana and I am 33 apo3/4.
To say I have trouble sleeping is an understatement, however for the past 6 months I continue to walk up around 4 am and can't go back to sleep. Overall I can usually fall asleep with the help of theanine and magnesium. Has anyone tried 5htp for those nighttime awakenings? Getting 7 hours is almost impossible but trying to aim for atleast 6. I have already tried melatonin and have all the sleep hygiene down ( dark room, candle light at night, no eating 3 hrs before bed, no alcohol etc). I already do meditation, yoga and yoga nidra ( can you tell I've tried it all!). Obviously the night time awakings worry me due to the lack of sleep and apoE status. If you take 5htp when do you take and how much? any brand? other suggestions are welcomed :)
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floramaria
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Re: young, APO4/3 and sleepless

Post by floramaria »

adriana268 wrote:Hi all! My name is adriana and I am 33 apo3/4.
To say I have trouble sleeping is an understatement, however for the past 6 months I continue to walk up around 4 am and can't go back to sleep. Overall I can usually fall asleep with the help of theanine and magnesium. Has anyone tried 5htp for those nighttime awakenings? Getting 7 hours is almost impossible but trying to aim for atleast 6. I have already tried melatonin and have all the sleep hygiene down ( dark room, candle light at night, no eating 3 hrs before bed, no alcohol etc). I already do meditation, yoga and yoga nidra ( can you tell I've tried it all!). Obviously the night time awakings worry me due to the lack of sleep and apoE status. If you take 5htp when do you take and how much? any brand? other suggestions are welcomed :)
Hi Adriana, at a time when I was struggling to sleep, I took GABA and CBD. The GABA, especially , seemed to help. It was a liposomal GABA and I took a couple of squirts right before bed. First I used both the CDB and the GABA but found that for me, the GABA alone was enough to help me sleep more soundly. The combo also worked for a friend of mine who was having terrible sleep issues.
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lucytownsend
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Re: young, APO4/3 and sleepless

Post by lucytownsend »

adriana268 wrote:Hi all! My name is adriana and I am 33 apo3/4.
To say I have trouble sleeping is an understatement, however for the past 6 months I continue to walk up around 4 am and can't go back to sleep. Overall I can usually fall asleep with the help of theanine and magnesium. Has anyone tried 5htp for those nighttime awakenings? Getting 7 hours is almost impossible but trying to aim for atleast 6. I have already tried melatonin and have all the sleep hygiene down ( dark room, candle light at night, no eating 3 hrs before bed, no alcohol etc). I already do meditation, yoga and yoga nidra ( can you tell I've tried it all!). Obviously the night time awakings worry me due to the lack of sleep and apoE status. If you take 5htp when do you take and how much? any brand? other suggestions are welcomed :)

Hi adriana268,

I'm sorry to hear about your lack of sleep. Many of us can relate to your story. An hour before I get into bed I take an epsom salt bath. At bed time I take Theanine, Magnesium - Threonate, 100mg 5HTP and niacine 250-400mg. (Please consult with your doctor before taking these supplements). This regimen has worked well for me, however everyone is bio-individual. I've attached a recent article
you may find useful SLEEP: the antidote.

Warmly,

Lucy
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adriana268
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Re: young, APO4/3 and sleepless

Post by adriana268 »

thank you so much to both of you for your suggestions.

@lucy, do I need to be a paid member to access the article? I clicked on it but it lead me to a link for paid access
NF52
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Re: young, APO4/3 and sleepless

Post by NF52 »

adriana268 wrote:thank you so much to both of you for your suggestions.

@lucy, do I need to be a paid member to access the article? I clicked on it but it lead me to a link for paid access
Hi adriana268,

The article link Lucy provided is part of the Apollo program, so it does appear behind a paywall. This section of our wiki may be helpful to you: Sleep

This section of the Primer on sleep is written by a doctor with ApoE 4/4:Primer:Sleep

Hope great sleep is in your future!
4/4 and still an optimist!
mamaj2040
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Trying to accept that this is happening!

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Hi everyone. I’ve known about this website for three years but was in total denial that I needed some support. My husband was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s in 2018. He was 60 years old. I pretended it wasn’t happening until he was forced to retire December 31, 2019. One day he was a senior Vice President in the third largest insurance company in the world. The next day, nothing. He’s always been in great shape and works out like a maniac which has probably saved him. We have followed Dr. Dale Bredesen’s protocol since the diagnosis and we’ve been pretty successful at staving it off. It’s just so very frustrating and disheartening to watch the slow decline. It makes him so agitated with himself when he loses his wallet, money clip, glasses, etc for the hundredth time. We both wrestle with, “is it old age? Does everybody do this? Is it this disease? Maddening. We’ve attached Tile trackers to anything we can which has helped a lot. He still drives to very close and familiar places but I’m wondering if I’m crazy to let him do that. I could go in and on with the daily exhaustion but you guys are all too familiar with it. I am Determined to stay positive and not let this define us. I just need someone to talk to, scream at, cry on, be happy with, etc. Four. Arrived kids are very loving and supportive but they have families of their own. We are planning to serve a mission for our church starting in November but we’re living at home which will be a huge blessing. I just need reassurance that I can do this!
JD2020
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Re: young, APO4/3 and sleepless

Post by JD2020 »

mamaj2040 wrote:We have followed Dr. Dale Bredesen’s protocol since the diagnosis and we’ve been pretty successful at staving it off.
Hi mamaj2040,

Are you working with a doc who is trained in the protocol, or are you doing this on your own?
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Lidaz
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Re: Trying to accept that this is happening!

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mamaj2040 wrote:I’ve known about this website for three years but was in total denial that I needed some support. My husband was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s in 2018. I am Determined to stay positive and not let this define us. I just need someone to talk to, scream at, cry on, be happy with, etc. Four. Arrived kids are very loving and supportive but they have families of their own. We are planning to serve a mission for our church starting in November but we’re living at home which will be a huge blessing. I just need reassurance that I can do this!
Dear Mamaj2040,

welcome and thank you for so courageously sharing your story and concerns. As carers and partners, we sometimes forget the importance of looking after ourselves in order to best help our loved ones, and it is so important that you seek out support and find what works for you. Well done for reaching out to our community and starting that process.

I hope that you find the resources on this website helpful and I'm including some additional information here in case you haven't come across them yet. If you are based in the US, this is the 24/7 Helpline: [800.272.3900] of the Alzheimer’s Association, which is an incredibly helpful resource, and this article on their website, If You Have Younger-Onset Alzheimer's Disease may provide more information.

There is also the Primer on our site which is a good resource for strategies to slow progression and support brain and overall health.

I wish you well with your church mission. If you can't find what you need from the website or the resources above, or have further questions, please reach out to us again.

best regards,
Lisa
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mamaj2040
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Re: young, APO4/3 and sleepless

Post by mamaj2040 »

JD2020 wrote:
mamaj2040 wrote:We have followed Dr. Dale Bredesen’s protocol since the diagnosis and we’ve been pretty successful at staving it off.
Hi mamaj2040,

Are you working with a doc who is trained in the protocol, or are you doing this on your own?
Sorry about the delay. Still learning how to use this website! We are working with “A Mind For All Seasons” out of Boise. Love these docs and yes, they are trained in the protocol. They are great.
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SusanJ
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Re: young, APO4/3 and sleepless

Post by SusanJ »

mamaj2040 wrote:I just need someone to talk to, scream at, cry on, be happy with, etc...I just need reassurance that I can do this!
Sending some hugs and extra resolve to help you through the toughest moments. Although we're not a caregiving site, many of us have been in that role over the years. And yes, it's scary, frustrating, full of grief, and more difficult than many things we've done in our lives, but somehow we all make it through the days, no matter how well or imperfect they are.

Come back whenever you need an extra boost, have a question or just need to see others who are battling this disease on a personal level. That's what we're all here for, to help each other through the unknowns.
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