Restless at Night as you Burn Fat?

debomommyforhealth

Oh my goodness! I have had the same thing happen to me since I've started training for a half marathon in September. I toss and turn and eventually have to go in the other room to read since my husband gets annoyed! It's like I have more energy than I know what to do with. It's not caffeine related, but man, wouldn't my poor body be exhausted from all of this hard physical exertion!? Didn't think about fat-burning. Anyway, let me know if you find a solution. Mine is just to go read a book and get good and tired before hitting the pillow!

choppie70

Hmmm.... I have been feeling the exact same way lately. I am having such a hard time falling asleep and then staying asleep.

I used to get the jittery leg feeling a lot. I even did a bit of research on RLS. Then is just went away. Now that I have been exercising and changing my eating habits it is back. Maybe I need to look at iron and potassium? With the change in my diet and changed eating habits I may not be getting enough.

ninerbuff

Hate to tell you that "restless" sleeping doesn't "burn fat" as effectively as DEEP SLEEP. When you deep sleep, HGH is released in higher quantity and helps to burn more fat. If you're restless when you sleep, this doesn't happen.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

suziecue66

"RLS is extremely real.” Fortunately, real remedies exist for it. Here are four to try:

Iron: This nutrient appears to play an important role in dopamine metabolism and, thus, nerve health. More than a fourth of RLS patients are deficient in ferritin (the form in which your body stores iron). Before taking iron supplements, get your ferritin levels checked. Standard blood tests dont measure it, however, so you have to ask for the specific test. Doctors recommend supplementation only if ferritin levels measure less than 50 ng/mL. For those with a deficiency, studies show that taking 200 to 300 mg of oral ferrous sulfate one to three times daily (depending on the degree of deficiency) can improve RLS symptoms if taken over several months. For optimal absorption, take the supplements on an empty stomach, an hour or two after your last meal. Intravenous iron therapy can alleviate symptoms faster and keep them at bay for up to six months. Since taking too much iron can cause you serious harm, make sure to have your iron levels monitored while supplementing.

Folic Acid: For 30 years, researchers have hypothesized that taking folic acid (a key component in nerve health) may alleviate restless legs, particularly when the condition runs in a family. “People who respond best to high doses of folic acid are people who have a family history of RLS,” says naturopathic doctor Dean Neary, chair of the physical medicine department at Bastyr University in Seattle. “Perhaps there is some deficiency that gets passed from gene to gene that causes malabsorption on the folic acid end.” Start at 5 mg daily, and if symptoms persist, you can work your way up to as much as 30 mg. Keep in mind that these dosages are very high (the RDA for folate is 300 to 600 micrograms), so work under the supervision of a healthcare provider.

Magnesium: Restless legs can sometimes occur because of an underlying electrolyte imbalance, says Cuellar. For instance, patients who have an eating disorder or who undergo gastric-bypass surgery, both of which disrupt electrolyte levels, often develop RLS. If an electrolyte imbalance is the culprit, taking extra magnesium may help. This mineral promotes muscle and nerve health, and anyone with RLS can safely supplement with it to see if their condition improves. Try taking anywhere from 200 to 800 mg of elemental magnesium a day at bedtime (start with a low dose, and move higher if necessary.)

L-theanine: Studies have shown that this amino acid, found in green tea, promotes the brain wave activity associated with deep relaxation. It’s also a critical precursor to the relaxing neurotransmitter GABA (gamma amino butyric acid). Even though there’s little research specifically on the use of L-theanine for restless legs, Jacob Teitelbaum, MD, medical director of the Fibromyalgia and Fatigue Centers, says it has proven itself as “one of the best natural remedies for sleep.” He recommends 200 mg of Sun Theanine one hour before bedtime."

http://www.nursing.upenn.edu/media/Documents/Sept09/remedies-for-restless-leg-synd healthy living.pdf

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/remedies-for-restless-leg-syndrome.html
Edited by suziecue66 on Fri 07/06/12 02:00 PM

secretlobster

Are you sleeping in a fire?

LarStar

Hate to tell you that "restless" sleeping doesn't "burn fat" as effectively as DEEP SLEEP. When you deep sleep, HGH is released in higher quantity and helps to burn more fat. If you're restless when you sleep, this doesn't happen.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

I wasn't saying that restless sleep burns fat, I was saying that since I have started burning fat by working out/changing my eating, I have become quite restless

LarStar

Hey Everyone! Just wanted to say thanks for all the info and that I'm no longer restless at night. I've been working out later in the day, but giving myself appprox 4 hrs between swimming and sleeping. I've also got back to taking my vitamins and supplements every day, including a banana for potassium.

Here's what I take, the Iron, Potassium, and Magnesium all helped with the feelings of restlessness, as well as cramping in my legs.

-B12
-D
-C
-Calcium
-E
-Magnesium
-Iron (Proferrin - it doesnt give you stomach aches or cause constipation, as I have heard other iron supplements do)-
-EFA - Salmon oil in a gel tablet.
-Potassium (by eating a banana)
-Oil of Oregano (if you decide to take this, it is kind of a miracle oil in the name of immunity, but make sure you do not have gall bladder concerns and that you read about the side effects. I never take more than a drop or two and I only take it a couple times a week or if I am feeling sick, because I have a sensitive gall bladder.)

itgeekwoman

I wasn't sleeping well either, but then started drinking the magnesium at night and it helped balance my sleep times. I sleep through the night now with no issues!!

tom_olech

Hey, i am the same. I get restless at night if i have an empty stomach. I find that a glass of 1% milk before i got to be helps quite a bit. It has a little bit of fat, some card and protein, so it satisfies my me long enough for me to pass out. Plus, its only 120 cal or so; so its easy enough to make room in my diet for it.

As for the skin crawl thing i have something similar. My body tingles slight when i'm hypocaloric and burning fat....