I can't Sleeping enough

indysteve
indysteve Posts: 13 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Does anybody else have a problem with sleeping after they started to loose weight, and if so how did you over come it. I've been battling insomnia for bout 3 months. Coincidentally that has the been the time I've started to work out, eat less and loose weight. For the past month or so I've been getting only about 3 to 4 hours of sleep and that is with sleep aids, but no deep sleep. A co-worker mentioned that I'm loosing the weight so maybe I have more energy and my body doesn't want to rest or sleep that long now. Any thought from anybody

Replies

  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    This could be due to hormonal issues with weight loss.

    You can try slowing the weight loss down, or even taking a "cheat day" as they are called. Cheat days help keep hormones in proper order.

    Basically, a caloric deficit causes a slight stress on the body. This hormone is called cortisol. As it slowly builds up over time, it makes it more difficult to fall asleep at night. To make matters worse, an effect of lack of sleep is elevated cortisol levels.

    So, having a cheat day to help bring them down, and planning for plenty of sleep to get the sleep pattern in order is very helpful!

    There is a concept called "sleep debt" which is where the body somehow knows how much sleep you OWE it. This is only tracked for roughly 2 weeks. So, and changes to sleep patterns need a full 2 weeks before fully showing.
  • Firefox7275
    Firefox7275 Posts: 2,040 Member
    I have chronic insomnia, diet does play a role in the hormones that control mood and sleep. Are you getting enough long chain omega-3s, magnesium, B vitamins, protein, carbs before sleep? Your diary looks heavy on processed/ read made/ low nutrient foods to be honest, not the sort of foods that will supply the extra micronutrients the body needs when dieting or exercising. Are you exercising too close to bedtime, some need several hours to wind down? Do you sweat heavily when exercising? Has the new exercise regime killed your old wind down/ sleep hygiene system? What sleep aids are you relying on?
  • indysteve
    indysteve Posts: 13 Member
    For the vitamins, i take one-a-day multi-vitamins daily. For the foods, i eat what my job provides daily. i know its not the best but i can't afford healthier meals for what it cost there. I usually exercise after i get off work, prob 4 hours before i consider going to bed. I don't break a sweat unless I'm lifting weight, and then its not a lot. I have tachycardia, basicly means my heart can race very easy, so I try not to let it get the best of me. I don't think working out had messed with anything directly, i know i feel alot better afterward i work out. For the sleep aid, i got some melatonin to help but it doesn't help much. The doc gave me something that raises my blood pressure.

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