Trouble falling asleep since starting a healthier diet

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Fitorbust73
Fitorbust73 Posts: 80 Member
in Introduce Yourself
Hello,

I am having a really hard time falling asleep since I started to eat better and work out... Why is ths? And how can I get my sleep back :-). I am a Mom of 3 kids ( one is only 3 months old --- lack of sleep is affecting my nursing)

Any tips beyond the normal watch caffine in take and quet time before bed would reaaaaalllly be welcome!
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  • T34418l3angel
    T34418l3angel Posts: 474 Member
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    Try to get yourwork out in shortly before bed, then drink some hot tea, and take a hot shower or bath. This should tire you out. :)
  • om3guz
    om3guz Posts: 48
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    Healthy eating has the opposite effect on me - I sleep better when I eat well. It probably boils down to individual differences (people react differently to the same things).

    I have always had issues falling asleep and getting a good night's rest. Have you tried herbal teas? Or melatonin? Valerian? Chamomile? I use all of these on occasion and take melatonin every night. I'm not sure whether nursing limits your options, but I think that herbal tea would be safe.

    Wishing you a good night of sleep!
  • kmhenry84
    kmhenry84 Posts: 96 Member
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    Maybe its just staying up on MFP :-P

    or maybe that's just me......
  • Levedi
    Levedi Posts: 290 Member
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    Are you exercising within two hours of bed time? That could be doing it. I find that if I exercise in the morning before work, I'm wider awake all day and I sleep better at night. If I get a serious workout at night it keeps me up a few extra hours. A little leg stretch around the neighborhood before bed can be soothing - just don't get the blood pumping too much.
  • gramacanada
    gramacanada Posts: 557 Member
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    So many things. Exercising too late. Post Partum Blues. Being hungry. Not eating the right foods. New baby, that on its own.
    General change in daily routine. The stress that comes with any major change. Maybe you're dehydrated. Maybe you're too busy.
    Exercising too much. Simple carbs an hour or so before bed, cereal and milk. Things like that raise seritonin (sp) Helps you sleep.
    Sorry no real tips. Just a lots of possibilities. Things to check out. If nothing works soon a visit to a Doctor might be in order.
    Good Luck.
  • TheRealParisLove
    TheRealParisLove Posts: 1,907 Member
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    I was going to check your diary to see if you are eating foods known to cause alertness, but you have it closed. Some basics would be:

    Don't eat 2-3 hours before sleep.
    Don't drink caffeine beverages after lunch.
    Finish exercise 4 hours before sleeping.
    Don't use electronics in bed.

    I hope this helps.
  • californiagirl2012
    californiagirl2012 Posts: 2,625 Member
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    I wouldn't blame the food but I know I have a hard time sleeping when I have sore muscles or I worked out super hard, like on HIIT running days.

    Everything I would suggest is listed in the other replies.

    I have trouble too because of hormones at my age.
  • girlinblue0
    girlinblue0 Posts: 10 Member
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    Dont use electronics in bed?
    I do some of my best 'electronic' work in bed.... lol ;)
  • georgie181
    georgie181 Posts: 68
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    I have been like this, it was too few calories for me, I wasn't eating enough. The other thing I found the further along I got into my journey was, the harder I work out the better I sleep. hope that helps.
  • Anamdalta
    Anamdalta Posts: 56
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    I'm finding that my sleep pattern is changing as I eat better, and work harder... Part of what I've found is that if I start feeling tired, I have to just go to bed (sometimes, it's 9pm, which is somewhat sad, but...) If I fight it, I end up awake half the night because I've caught a second wind or something. I don't know what would cause it, but I've resigned myself to just listening to my body, even if it means going to be right after my 8yo. :shrugs:

    Hope you are able to find something that works - lots of great suggestions here. Lack of sleep is killer.

    ~k
  • dodihere
    dodihere Posts: 490
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    I'd like to know too. I feel great now that I am eating healthy and exercising, but I don't sleep as well.
  • ashleyh3156
    ashleyh3156 Posts: 177 Member
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    theres plenty of ways to increase your milk supply if you are worried about that. I tend to not sleep as much when I am thinner, I don't need the amount of sleep i would heavier...if that makes sense.
  • tnjackso1
    tnjackso1 Posts: 312 Member
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    Try to get yourwork out in shortly before bed, then drink some hot tea, and take a hot shower or bath. This should tire you out. :)

    this worked for me!! I workout hard and then take a hot shower and I end up sleeping throughout the night when I use to only get two hours of sleep a day.
  • MissFit0101
    MissFit0101 Posts: 2,382
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    Are you going to bed hungry? That was a problem for me in the beginning. When I'm hungry my tummy roars LOL. It is an uncomfortable feeling and would keep me awake. So now I just make sure I have a few calories to grab a snack at night time and don't have to go to bed feeling hungry and I sleep fine.
  • GEMINI_STL
    GEMINI_STL Posts: 93 Member
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    I have trouble sleeping regardless. Looking into trying Melatonin. It's a natural Supplement sold at GNC, Vitamin world, Walmart, Walgreens, etc. Your body already produces is, but it helps to relax you so you can sleep. The best of the ones I have done, has been the fast released one that helps knock me out in about 15 mins. I know I got that one from GNC. If you try this, I hope it helps you out!

    http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/tc/melatonin-overview
  • jcpmoore
    jcpmoore Posts: 796 Member
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    Another thing is to pay attention to *what* you're eating. I tried to eat healthier when I was nursing and it backfired. If I didn't keep plenty of carbs in my diet, my production went way down. So plenty of carbs it had to be. Sigh.

    How do you sleep and does the baby nurse overnight still? (Mine did at 3 months.) I co-slept at that age and it did wonders for my sleep. I would literally feed him just before I went to sleep at night, round 9pm, and we drifted off together that way. Nothing else helped me get to sleep.

    HTH
  • Amberonamission
    Amberonamission Posts: 836 Member
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    I am having the same trouble. But, I am liking the thought that my body doesn't need as much sleep as it used to. A solid 6 instead of 8 to 10 and a lil cat nap.
  • jeme3
    jeme3 Posts: 355 Member
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    Make sure you are eating enough calories for breastfeeding (+500 per day is the usual recommendation) and drink lots and lots and lots of water. So, calculate what you should be consuming for you, then add 500 calories to that.

    Also, babies usually have a growth spurt at about 12 weeks and you may need to let him/her nurse more often and longer for a few days to a week to increase your supply.

    Your hormones are still settling back in after being pregnant and there are a lot of changes going on right now, so it's not a surprise that your sleep is a little wonky.

    When I eat better and exercise more, I sleep better, but less.

    I hope something there helps!
  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
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    I take a magnesium supplement 1 hour before bed, helps me.

    Cheap and no morning after 'side-effects'.
  • tacormier
    tacormier Posts: 20 Member
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    Are you exercising within two hours of bed time? That could be doing it. I find that if I exercise in the morning before work, I'm wider awake all day and I sleep better at night. If I get a serious workout at night it keeps me up a few extra hours. A little leg stretch around the neighborhood before bed can be soothing - just don't get the blood pumping too much.


    That is the exact same for me. I cannot exercise before bed or in the late evening otherwise I'm up for hours.

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