regarding sleep and meet anxiety

[IrishPower]

5 - 6 hours of sleep is a necessity for sure the night before a meet. you dont really need a full 8 but if you get only 3 - 4 your energy is going to wear out before the meet is over AND your mind is slower. You need your wits about you to make important decisions.

I have always had a problem sleeping. I used to get so bad I'd stay up all night and even throw up a lot from the adrenaline.

Here is the secret my friends: go to the doctor (any general practioner), if he is cool, tell him the situation, if he/she is a old-school or doesnt understand the importance of the meet, tell them you have to fly across the country and you have bad panic attacks on airplanes. Ask for valium or xanax. I have never had a doctor say no to this request. Don't settle for one. Tell them it is a long flight and you'd like some for the trip back.

If you are lighter than 200 lbs, one valium or xanax should put you down (if you dont take it regularly). If you are > 200 lbs, take 2. Enjoy your sleep.

 

[spatts]

Or get more experience competing and learn to relax.

Don't mean to take a thing away from your post, Irish, just throwing out another option.

Easier said than done, I guess. I got about 8 hours, woke up to a bubble bath, and even stole a power nap between squat and bench.

If I were going to go the drug route, I'd try something like tryptophan first. Or at least do a trial run with the drug. It may knock you out for longer than you think. Also, these types of drugs can have an effect on insulin response/glycogen uptake. I will get the pubmed report on that for you if I can find it.

 

[IrishPower]

a bubble bath, haaha.... i got stuck in the tub last time i tried that one.

good idea about the trial run, though!

you forget, i take 3 yellow jackets to get back up in the morning, but that is just me and i am old.

 

[spatts]

a bubble bath, haaha.... i got stuck in the tub last time i tried that one.

I'm getting there.

 

[AnimalMass1]

well, this has been a major problem for me.

I very well may have to resort to this for my next meet. I didn't sleep at all for about a week before the meet. The last two nights before the meet were unbearable.

AnimalMass

 

[DBCooper]

I'm usually pretty calm,occasional fucked up dream, nothing a beer won't fix, just 1-2 though can't dehydrate.

 

[1-dawg]

I use nyquil. This won't work for some of you though esp if youdrink. I haven't drank in 10 years so it knocks me right onmy ass. I make sure I take it early -- like 7 in th eevening so I am not groggy in the am.

 

[IrishPower]

the fred hatfield approach

Rumor has it that Fred Hatfield used to get wasted as hell the night before the meet and show up to squat reeking of whisky.

Well, i took a similar approach this last meet. i save hard liquor consumption for after the meet, but I had about 10 beers throughout the night, went back to my hotel room, drank a 1/2 gallon of water w/protein, and 4 ibuprofen and crashed.

i got about 6 hrs of sleep and felt great in the morning.

warning: i have the irish blood so I cannot get drunk on beer. For those of you lightweights, I wouldn't recommend this

it should go without saying, but if you are going to go the benzodiazepam route, i would NOT combine these!

 

[Vulgar_Display_Of_Power]

Tylenol PM is godsend as far as Im concerned.

warning: i have the irish blood so I cannot get drunk on beer. For those of you lightweights, I wouldn't recommend this

Irish BLood!!--yeah yeah yeah...Im part Italian and german, so the lightweight part really has no bearing on me!

 

[AnimalMass1]

Dammit - I'm Swedish.

AnimalMass