Sleep in the mountains

H

HardLoadHunter

New member
Jun 13, 2014
83
i was listening to a podcast from championship bowhunting, they were talking nutrition and health in the mountains. They talked about getting sleep and using Melatonin (sleep aid). Was wondering what other use and maybe dosage.
 
Never had much of a problem sleeping during a elk hunt.I'm usually to tired to eat even..lol
I do find a bull screaming nearby will keep you up.... ::)
 
agreed hank4elk.  i'm usually so exhausted that the hardest part is getting my butt out of the bag on time in the morning.  every now and then i'll have some unwelcome visitors or screaming bulls in the night that mess with my sleep...but i usually get more sleep in the woods than i do during my regular work week.
 
i seem to toss and turn alot. sleep 45 mins roll over back to sleep repeat
going to try a new pad this year hopefully

 
I usually take a couple of regular Advil before getting in the bag. If I use a sleep aid, it makes an already dark and early wake up call really really hard for me. I do pack a pair of earplugs for snoring hunting partners or nearby bugles though.

 
HardLoadHunter said:
i seem to toss and turn alot. sleep 45 mins roll over back to sleep repeat
going to try a new pad this year hopefully
Click to expand...




I have the same issues. Some nights are a lot better than others but for the most part I have a hard time sleeping. I don't like taking sleep aids due to the grogginess in the morning. IMO its something to do with the elevation. If you try it out this year, please post some information back up on how it worked for you.
Middle of the day naps are a decent substitute.
 
I use the "breathe right" nasal strips when I am hunting in Colorado. Being a low lander they help open the nasal passages which give me more air flow both while in the field  and when I sleep at night. Might help you guys sleep at night. They also help keep me from snoring.
 
I have an extremely hard time getting to sleep year-round and elk season is no different. Physicalexhaustion isn't the issue. It's a mental thing. I just can't turn off my brain. My entire family is the same way. Melatonin has been a near miracle for me. I'm definitely taking some with me this fall. It does not create grogginess like a sleeping pill does, for me anyway. You can buy it at wal-mart or the grocery store.
 
I've been taking melatonin for years.  They sell it in 3,5 and 10 mg doses usually.  3 would help tip you over, 10 will help put you down.  I take 10 at home, but pack 5 for the woods (as I'm tired enough that I need less help)  Tend to wake up to my watch vibration no issues.
 
i have tried them several time now to make sure there would be no issues coming up in a couple weeks. definetly adding melatonin to the kit. no issues and i sleep better also got a better sleeping pad and that helped alittle
 
BrentLaBere said:
HardLoadHunter said:
i seem to toss and turn alot. sleep 45 mins roll over back to sleep repeat
going to try a new pad this year hopefully
Click to expand...
I have similar issues as both of you guys.  I recently just finished watching the EXO mountain gear "whats in my pack" series and several of those guys are using Tylenol PM (500 mg Tylenol and 25 mg Benadryl). Picked some up and going to give it try before I head in the woods, sometimes Benadryl has a tendancy to wire people, hopefully I'm not one of them! 



I have the same issues. Some nights are a lot better than others but for the most part I have a hard time sleeping. I don't like taking sleep aids due to the grogginess in the morning. IMO its something to do with the elevation. If you try it out this year, please post some information back up on how it worked for you.
Middle of the day naps are a decent substitute.
Click to expand...
 
I'll usually pop a sleeping pill and sleep like a rock. Suggested dose is 2 pills, so 1 just helps take the edge off. Also helps that I sleep in a camper with a heater!


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I use to cook and eat my big meal after coming back to camp and then go to bed.  Sleepy at first but then would toss and turn a lot.  In general you can find all kinds of recommendations from doctors other websites and others not to eat just before bed as hurts sleep.  I started eating my big meal in mid-afternoon before evening hunt, and then at most a half bagel before bed.  If I don't eat anything before bed, I'll get some hunger pains late in night and that will keep me up.  I sleep much better now. 
 
Nothin like a lil shot or 2 of whiskey before bed for me, unwind and enjoy the days events
 
Such a good topic and rarely discussed. Sleep is so important during a hunt. Last weekend I was out and ended up coming home Saturday night instead of hunting Sunday morning, half because I was so damn tired I could barely see straight, half tho due to it being so early and me not seeing shit.

The first night my dumb ass didn't come up with a good plan on where to park the truck and I was right by a well known camp site so I thought fuck it I'll go pass out there. Turned out I got the very last site and everyone else didn't come camping to go to bed early. Slept for maybe an hour total woke my ass up at 4 and hunted pretty hard all day but after that I was toast.


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Get in early, get in deep, get comfortable
These are two items that help me sleep like a baby. I am warm, I am comfortable. If I get off the beaten path I don't have much traffic to wake me or disturb me.
When all else fails, take ear plugs.

https://www.klymit.com/insulated-static-v-luxe.html
https://www.thenorthface.com/shop/inferno-20f-29c-2
 
I agree with GreenTimber. Melatonin are amazing. They just help you get your mind to relax. I have never felt groggy in the morning. The first night in camp is my killer. I am so excited to be there, I start thinking about my game plan for the next day. My mind will not shut down. If you start out behind with sleep on a week long hunt, it is going to be even harder to keep hunting hard.

 
I sleep great when Im in the mountains something about being away from the rat race around home, the hiking, and fresh air.

Only night I had a problem last year is when I was packed in and had a bull walking around my tent in the middle of the night screaming his head off.
 
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