[pct-l] Sleep Aids

[Anthony Biegen]

Dan wrote:

>Do any of you have experience with sleep aid products while out on the
trail? I find I toss and turn throughout the night which is >disturbing to
my sleep. My sleep is not restful. Exterior noises, except for bears, do
not bother me. It's just the constant movement. I >saw in COSTCO an
inexpensive sleep aid tab. While my goal is not to knock myself out I am
interested in a more restful night's >sleep. I'm thinking a half tab my
work to get me to sleep vs. a whole might impact a normal, motivated
wake-up. Thoughts and >suggestions are appreciated.

>Thumper aka Dan C.

I think you need to start by examining why your sleep is not restful before
popping pills. Difficulty breathing? Uncomfortable sleeping on the ground?
Restless legs? Over exertion?

Most over the counter sleep aids are actually antihistamines.  These will
tend to dry out your mucus membranes. On the PCT you spend a good deal of
time at elevation. One thing that most people don't realize is that at
elevation the atmosphere gradually looses its ability to hold water vapor
and it can be very dry up there.

When we hiked in the Kumbu region near Mt. Everest many hikers got a nasty
cough which was attributed to various causes. I realized that it was really
caused by breathing very dry air at a rapid pace when people were out of
breath from the altitude. I had a bandana that I kept moist and breathed
through that and never got the cough. I now use my buff.

My point is that you will be dried out by altitude and then you may pop
pills to help you sleep that will further dry you out. You may get to the
point that you can't sleep because your throat is too dry. Worse, your body
may over react to the dryness and clog your nose and throat up trying to
protect it from the dryness. Work on the cause of your sleep problem rather
than taking a hammer of antihistamines to your body.

TrailHacker
"I can't think straight when I can't sleep."