Suffer from insomnia? Try the Roman solution!

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21 Jul 2009, 1:17 pm

Romans (and Egyptians too actually) discovered that eating lettuce helps people get to sleep, so apparently ate it just before they went to bed.

I'm going to have to give it a try. I have trouble sleeping.

exhausted
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21 Jul 2009, 1:26 pm

maybe i'll try it too. for now, i like Calms and melatonin. (and holding a pillow to my front. the pressure seems to help.)

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gina-ghettoprincess
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21 Jul 2009, 1:32 pm

I don't normally have trouble sleeping, but when I do, I find that counting helps. Last time I tried it, I was asleep before 100.

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Vanilla_Slice
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21 Jul 2009, 2:15 pm

Romans, the same guys that used to beat their bare legs with stinging nettles to fight off the cold. Now you want me to try rabbit food

What have the Romans ever done for us? ROMANES EUNT DOMUS!

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Callista
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21 Jul 2009, 2:20 pm

Huh... well, the inflammation caused by stinging nettles probably would cause blood to flow to the skin, and it would ward off frostbite... possibly at the cost of a small drop in core body temperature.

One assumes these Romans were not in danger of dying of the cold; otherwise this solution would be just as silly as drinking alcohol to feel warmer.

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exhausted
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21 Jul 2009, 3:25 pm

is there a theory or rationale behind the lettuce? (ex.: turkey makes you sleep because of the L-tryptophan sp.?)

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OddFinn
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21 Jul 2009, 3:35 pm

That's the Honeymoon Salad: lettuce alone.

But seriously, I would like to know more, so please report how it was with you after trying.

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21 Jul 2009, 4:36 pm

Lettuce Opium

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21 Jul 2009, 4:38 pm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iceberg_lettuce

Quote:

Lettuce is a fat free, low calorie food and is good for a well balanced diet. It is a valuable source of vitamin A and folic acid. Lactucarium (or “Lettuce Opium”) is a mild opiate-like substance that is contained in all types of lettuce. Both the Romans and Egyptians took advantage of this property eating lettuce at the end of a meal to induce sleep.

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21 Jul 2009, 5:18 pm

Lettuce all relax now topic

Now I know why the lettuces have been disappearing out of my garden!

Drug addicts. :lol: :roll:

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22 Jul 2009, 2:58 am

I ate a baked potato, baked beans and a side salad of lettuce last night and after doing a bit of reading in bed I fell asleep after about an hour. The lettuce didn't make me sleep instantly but once I was asleep I slept like a baby. I didn't feel like getting up this morning.

Usually when I read in bed it doesn't make me tired. Nothing can get me to sleep usually except for staying up for hours watching TV until I'm unable to have any energy to stay awake anymore.

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22 Jul 2009, 3:53 am

So my lack of sleeping is due to me running out of lettuce? To Subway I go!

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22 Jul 2009, 8:12 am

I eat salad most days.

It doesn't seem to make a difference.

sjamaan
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22 Jul 2009, 2:12 pm

pensieve wrote:

So my lack of sleeping is due to me running out of lettuce? To Subway I go!

mmmm... Subway...

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22 Jul 2009, 2:22 pm

Green with hunger topic

This thread makes me hungry, not tired. :evil: :lol:

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22 Jul 2009, 3:35 pm

There's also this.

These teas actually work quite well. I was curious as to why my "Tension Tamer" tea had catnip in it, though. I was hoping for silvervine.

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