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Message: [QUOTE="thepokerdoctor, post: 854690, member: 41390"] [SIZE=3]I’ll try to answer this with as little words as possible. I’ll forewarn you though. It will include a little anatomy/physiology though. Like someone stated above, this happens quite often, especially with hobbies. Where there is passion, there will also be stress. I’ve worked with numerous athletes who have actually made themselves sick, to the point of vomiting, over mistakes made during games. They couldn’t sleep. They couldn’t eat. It ruined any fun they once had in the sport. [/SIZE] [SIZE=3] [/SIZE] [SIZE=3]More than likely, your lack of sleep is directly related to the stress of poker. Whenever we are stressed, no matter if it is mental or physical stress, our body response is fight-or-flight. Acutely, we’ll release hormones, mainly noradrenaline and adrenaline to help stimulate our body. I’m sure we’ve all experienced this during a big hand. Your heart rate will increase, blood pressure rise, you’ll get a little anxious, and your stomach will turn. Blood is diverted to your brain, heart, and muscles. Basically, your body is getting you ready for an intense situation. This doesn’t last long though, only during intense situations, not likely what’s causing you to not sleep at night. Over the long-term though, your body relies on another stress hormone called cortisol. It basically does the same thing as adrenaline, but not to the same degree. It also helps control your sleep-wake cycle. During normal times, cortisol release actually follows a daily rhythm, the majority being released in the morning and the least at night. Thus, it’s thought to promote wakefulness. However, during times of chronic stress, your cortisol level will remain elevated. Thus we have the cause of your insomnia. Elevated cortisol levels caused by chronic stress from worrying over your poker games. [/SIZE] [SIZE=3] [/SIZE] [SIZE=3]It happens all the time though. When I wrote my article for Bluff magazine, I slept like crap for a week worrying about what to write. I’ve seen athletes time and time again suffer from stress. In severe cases, it’s actually broken down their bodies leading to numerous physical injuries. What’s particular concerning to poker players is the effect chronic elevated cortisol levels have on the brain. Studies have shown that elevated cortisol levels can actually harm the brain leading to impaired mental functioning. Prednisone, a prescription medication similar to cortisol that’s used to control inflammation, causes mania and cognitive impairment when dosed too high. It’s actually quite frequently in elderly patients. So not only is it making you sleep like crap, but it’s also impairing your mental functioning. Not good if you want a career in poker. [/SIZE] [SIZE=3] [/SIZE] [SIZE=3]The easiest way to fix this is visualization. Instead of worrying about your past performance, visualize what happened, card by card, hand by hand. Don’t think of solutions. Don’t think of what-ifs. Don’t think of anything except replaying the entire past performance. Then try to fall asleep. I guarantee the next morning you’ll have solutions to your answers. Until you realize that worry does not fix anything, you will always struggle with your sleep. Visualization is key. The top athletes in the world use it. If that doesn’t work, relax. Do whatever relaxes. Soaking in a candle-lit luke warm bath with incense does it every time. There are some good tea products out there that also promote relaxation, along with certain types of incense. [/SIZE] [SIZE=3] [/SIZE] [SIZE=3]As far as supplements go, magnesium citrate or glycinate is excellent for promoting restful sleep along with relaxation. Also, because the majority of Americans are deficient in magnesium, it’ll also help you in various other ways. L-Theanine is also excellent. There’s actually been a couple studies released that showed when l-theanine is taken with caffeine it’s not only superior to caffeine alone with regards to cognitive performance, but it also prevents some of the negative side effects from caffeine. Kava kava is another one. You just need to make sure you are getting a legitimate brand. Relora is also another herbal that has been shown to not only caused relaxation, but also decrease cortisol levels. For your particular case, Relora and magnesium should do the trick. However, they should only be tried after you’ve exhausted all non-pharmacological methods such as meditation, visualization, and other relaxing techniques. [/SIZE] [SIZE=3] [/SIZE] [SIZE=3]There’s my two cents. It was a little more wordy than I thought. I apologize. [/SIZE] [/QUOTE]

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