The Daily Report
I am a bit behind where I wanted to be in the week right now, because yesterday ended up being kind of a scattered day, but overall still in good shape. I'm going to try to finish the commentaries today so tomorrow can be completely focused on finishing the chapter that's due.
The State of the Me
Things are going well. I'm trying that 5-HTP stuff, but really, I think dropping melatonin and using the valerian by itself is already having an effect.
I made the mistake of thinking that since melatonin had the stronger effect on my sleep that it was also responsible for the effect on my moods... I thought of melatonin as the main thing I was taking and valerian as just like a little minor side thing. But I've been doing research into the actual chemical mechanisms behind the two, and melatonin can actually impair serotonin production (because the brain sees it and thinks, "Oh, guess I must have made enough serotonin, then." and shrugs and walks away). And the typical OTC dose of melatonin is actually really high.
So while maybe I wasn't wholly wrong in thinking that melatonin was taking an edge off my mood swings, it wasn't so much improving my mood. The benefit to sleep was definitely a net positive, but if I can sleep with just the valerian, I think that'll be for the good.
Now, the bad news is that two nights in a row now I've had badly delayed sleep onset. The good news is that 5-HTP may promote the body's natural melatonin production and is associated with a decrease in insomnia symptoms, so maybe once I've acclimated to it (I'm starting with small doses because this is some serious stuff, as herbal supplements go) that will even out anyway.
Plans For Today
Like I said, I'm focusing on the commentaries. My plan is to basically put the book to bed today, then spend some time Friday and Saturday re-reading it on various screens to catch errors and submit it Saturday night.
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