Insomnia caused by dieting?

candistyx
candistyx Posts: 547 Member
in Motivation and Support
I have not manage to get a full 8hrs for what seems like a fortnight (I think I actually got one in that time, but only one).
I am currently up on the computer because yet again I can't sleep and my fidgeting was keeping my partner up and he has work in the morning so I got up so he can kip.

I feel ridiculously tired but sleep won't come.
I used to get insomnia when I was hungry, I don't feel hungry but I noticed my stomach is making grumbling sounds like it does when I haven't eaten, even though I have eaten 2000 calories today.

I wish I could sleep :(

Replies

  • EvelineUK
    EvelineUK Posts: 97
    I've been going mad with insomnia. Seems every couple of days I get little or actually no sleep at all at night. I sometimes grab an hour or two during the day, which I know can get me stuck in a vicious circle, but I can't live on 23 hrs of no sleep...

    This month alone I've had 8 nights of little or no sleep....

    Coiuld this be related to weight loss? I've lost 11 kg. in the last couple of months, and am on 1500 cal. here on MFP but sometimes go under. Going back in my food journal there does not seem to be a connection between lower cal-days and higher ones, but maybe it's the overall? I really hope not as I've got a lot more weight that needs to come off, but I also need my sleep.......
  • dhall2011
    dhall2011 Posts: 209
    I don't know but I am having the same problem. Bump.
  • jakicooke
    jakicooke Posts: 149 Member
    I have noticed a difference in my sleeping in that sometimes I getting up at silly oclock or im struggling to get off.

    I found that making sure I had some carbs in the evening seemed to help? so even if its just half a round of toast (within my calories of course) ha ha I seem to get off to sleep better
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
    Undereating and overtraining can both mess with your sleep patterns. As can excessive caffeine consumption (especially too late in the day)

    In any case, don't fight it by stubbornly staring at the back of your eyelids. Get up and read a book - or something calming. Avoid TV and internet and stimulating stuff like that.
  • zenalasca
    zenalasca Posts: 563 Member
    I got the same problem, so I ate something and found that just having something in my stomach made me able to relax enough to sleep. All this while reading about how only obese people eat during the night and falling to my lowest weight... lol. I often didn't feel hungry in the morning after that, though
  • amysewsit
    amysewsit Posts: 8 Member
    I used to have that problem when taking diet pills. I no longer take them and sleep much better. I don't know if that is an issue for you, but it is something to think about...

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  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
    Undereating and overtraining can both mess with your sleep patterns. As can excessive caffeine consumption (especially too late in the day)

    In any case, don't fight it by stubbornly staring at the back of your eyelids. Get up and read a book - or something calming. Avoid TV and internet and stimulating stuff like that.

    That is the exact opposite of what my doctor recommended when I was having insomnia problems. Mine were from mental stress, not physical.

    A couple of suggestions:

    - Never do anything in your bed but sleep, or be trying to get to sleep. No reading, no TV, no extraneous physical activities ... ahem.
    - Set up a routine before you go to bed. Do it the same way every night. At the same time, if possible.
    - Don't exercise within a couple of hours of going to bed.
    - Take a hot bath and get out shortly before bed. The rise and fall of your body temperature encourages sleep. This did help me.
    - Drink a glass of milk about 30min before bed. This is supposed to encourage sleep. Couldn't tell if this helped or not.
    - You can try taking melatonin. This didn't help me, I ended up with seriously disturbing dreams. Made it worse than not sleeping at all.
    - If you wake up in the middle of the night (and don't need the bathroom, etc), don't get up. Don't open your eyes, don't move unless you need to get comfortable. Just wait until you fall back asleep. This was a big help, though it took many nights where I'd be waiting for hours :/. Over time, the time I waited to fall back asleep got shorter and shorter.

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