Clean eating = trouble sleeping??

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  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    emmab0902 wrote: »
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    I suspect it's unrelated to the diet, but if you are eating the same calories and have just cut out the "junk," everything else can't have stayed the same, as you'd have to make up the calories elsewhere. So are you eating more at meals (can't tell if the "junk" was between meals), eating more of something else, what?

    Also, it seems like the issue is not being able to fall asleep -- not feeling tired, feeling too tired, mind racing, feeling stressed? Any other changes? Have you tried the normal sleep hygiene stuff: http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/getting/overcoming/tips

    Oops when I said nothing has changed well yes obviously I have replaced the empty calories from junk with more protein and vegetables and good nutritional food. Yes I use sleep hygiene as a matter of course.

    If you've replaced some foods with other foods, then things have changed.

    Yes, this is exactly what I was getting at. OP, you are apparently eating more fiber and protein. Look at the specific foods added/increased in volume.
    But honestly, our minds have a tendency to associate changes that happened at the same time with each other even if there is no real link. It's possible that something else is going on with your sleep and your dietary changes just happened around the same time.

    This is what I think is most likely unless there is some greater reason to associate it with food that is not being revealed.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    snowflake954 wrote: »
    emmab0902 wrote: »
    margotlovesyou wrote: »
    That happened to me too - it’s because you’re hungry when you go to bed. I was waking up 4 times a night and it was driving me mad! Our brains are a lot more alert when we’re hungry, so it doesn’t let you sleep. Save some calories so you can eat half a banana before bed. I sleep just fine once I figured that out!

    I never go to bed hungry. Usually have something containing protein before bedtime. Could be just a coincidence that it's happened after I've cleaned up my diet!

    Easy to prove. Start eating "junk" again within your calorie goals and see if your sleeplessness goes away. That way you'll know.

    ^^ agreed :smile:
  • mortuseon_
    mortuseon_ Posts: 257 Member
    snowflake954 wrote: »
    emmab0902 wrote: »
    margotlovesyou wrote: »
    That happened to me too - it’s because you’re hungry when you go to bed. I was waking up 4 times a night and it was driving me mad! Our brains are a lot more alert when we’re hungry, so it doesn’t let you sleep. Save some calories so you can eat half a banana before bed. I sleep just fine once I figured that out!

    I never go to bed hungry. Usually have something containing protein before bedtime. Could be just a coincidence that it's happened after I've cleaned up my diet!

    Easy to prove. Start eating "junk" again within your calorie goals and see if your sleeplessness goes away. That way you'll know.

    I don't think that would be a very good test, given that it isn't blinded at all...
  • mortuseon_
    mortuseon_ Posts: 257 Member
    Has the balance of your macros throughout the day changed at all? I'm wondering, if you cut out what you perceive to be 'junk' food (hard to tell what you mean by this, so just assuming), maybe WHEN you eat certain macros is influencing how you're feeling. Might be worth seeing if you previously had most of your fats in the evening (or something of that ilk), and seeing if replicating that balance helps at all.
  • sarabushby
    sarabushby Posts: 784 Member
    You haven’t suddenly started drinking green tea too? That has caffeine in that could be affecting your sleep?
  • emmab0902
    emmab0902 Posts: 2,338 Member
    sarabushby wrote: »
    You haven’t suddenly started drinking green tea too? That has caffeine in that could be affecting your sleep?

    Eww no lol. I have a pretty low caffeine intake due to a heart arrhythmia which is well controlled by a very tiny dose beta blocker :smile:
  • MichelleSilverleaf
    MichelleSilverleaf Posts: 2,027 Member
    CaptainJoy wrote: »
    Sorry this makes you mad. There are chemicles in most foods. That’s what I meant.

    Chemicals =/= toxins. Try again. Also if you truly have toxins in your body, you have a bigger problem than electronic devices and junk food and should probably go to the hospital asap.
  • Evamutt
    Evamutt Posts: 2,743 Member
    wow, this is the second time sleep problems have come up. I'm glad to read this because I almost dread going to bed since I've changed my eating. I almost fall asleep then "wake" up & get restless. This happens untill about 3:30 am when I finally sleep till around 8 or so. Before I had no problem falling asleep in 20min & only woke up to go potty. I take a benedryl most nights but not always. I've changed my diet mostly by cutting out rice (I have it once in a while). I used to eat it almost every day. I also cut out potato chips, cream cheese & oil for sauteeing on a regular basis. I never put the two together that it may be my diet. I eat a lot of veggies & about the same amount of protein as before & alot more variety of foods like yogurt & eggs that I hardly ever ate before
  • hroderick
    hroderick Posts: 756 Member
    I save calories for night because I sleep better full.
  • dustyrogueriver
    dustyrogueriver Posts: 1 Member
    Good way to add lots of magnesium to your diet: throw a handful (1/8 cup) of raw pumpkin seeds in smoothies, salads, soups, etc.
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,727 Member
    edited February 2018
    CaptainJoy wrote: »
    Sorry this makes you mad. There are chemicles in most foods. That’s what I meant.

    There are chemicals in all foods.

    Water-Chemical
    Sugar-Chemical
    Salt-Chemical
    etc.

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