Sleeping issues and Keto
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NasherBasher
Posts: 9 Member
Hi,
So I have been on Keto for around three weeks, and it's going well. I have just found that I am struggling to sleep and I sleep less than 5 hours a night. Are there any recommendations on what to do? I eat my last meal between 6 to 8pm, and aim to be in bed by 11:30 pm. Do you think that I am eating my meals too late? Would exercise help?
Thanks x
So I have been on Keto for around three weeks, and it's going well. I have just found that I am struggling to sleep and I sleep less than 5 hours a night. Are there any recommendations on what to do? I eat my last meal between 6 to 8pm, and aim to be in bed by 11:30 pm. Do you think that I am eating my meals too late? Would exercise help?
Thanks x
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Replies
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Hi NasherBasher
When I first started keto a few years ago the same thing happened to me. I was high cortisol from doing keto along with low calorie. Being a professor of biochemistry, I finally realized what was happening. Cortisol is the hormone that wakes you up in the mornings and allows you to cope or flee from stressful situations so it's important but too much of it will cause insomnia and eventually drain your adrenal reserve. This in turn will cause dysregulation of your adrenal glands which, over time could cause hypothyroidism. Having said that, keto is a great way to lose weight and maintain health long term! A few minor changes make all the difference! There are a few supplements that will go along way in reducing cortisol output or regulating it at the receptor site. These include
RELORA
PHOSPHATIDYL SERINE
RHODIOLA -my favorite
Along with a good multi and some l-glutamine.
You could also try upping your total calorie intake via fat and avoiding intermittant fasting for a little while because that also raises your cortisol.
I used a double dose of RHODIOLA before bed and RELORA at half dose during the day for 2.5 months and gradually tapered off. I think you will find that once you are truly adapted and not just creating ketones that the body reregulates and is no longer under stress from your transition.
Hope this helps!
Hang in there...your health is worth it!
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get to bed earlier - start turning off electronics (blue light) and lights down around 8:30. aim to be in bed by 10. expose your eyes and skin to morning light and sunset.
smoothing out and regulating your circadian rhythm will help you with cortisol related sleep issues.0 -
katherineanewlon wrote: »Hi NasherBasher
When I first started keto a few years ago the same thing happened to me. I was high cortisol from doing keto along with low calorie. Being a professor of biochemistry, I finally realized what was happening. Cortisol is the hormone that wakes you up in the mornings and allows you to cope or flee from stressful situations so it's important but too much of it will cause insomnia and eventually drain your adrenal reserve. This in turn will cause dysregulation of your adrenal glands which, over time could cause hypothyroidism. Having said that, keto is a great way to lose weight and maintain health long term! A few minor changes make all the difference! There are a few supplements that will go along way in reducing cortisol output or regulating it at the receptor site. These include
RELORA
PHOSPHATIDYL SERINE
RHODIOLA -my favorite
Along with a good multi and some l-glutamine.
You could also try upping your total calorie intake via fat and avoiding intermittant fasting for a little while because that also raises your cortisol.
I used a double dose of RHODIOLA before bed and RELORA at half dose during the day for 2.5 months and gradually tapered off. I think you will find that once you are truly adapted and not just creating ketones that the body reregulates and is no longer under stress from your transition.
Hope this helps!
Hang in there...your health is worth it!
Thank you, for the Rhodiola would you recommend a liquid or tablet form?0 -
tmdalton849 wrote: »get to bed earlier - start turning off electronics (blue light) and lights down around 8:30. aim to be in bed by 10. expose your eyes and skin to morning light and sunset.
smoothing out and regulating your circadian rhythm will help you with cortisol related sleep issues.
Yh, I have just been busy with work and working on a computer in the evenings as well. I already use black out curtains but I will try to reduce the blue light as well.
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I had the sleep problem in the beginning too and took 1 melatonin before bed ... http://www.drugstore.com/search/search_results.asp?srchtree=1&Ntt=Melatonin+1++Tablets+-+120+ea&Ntk=All&N=0 you can get it at Walgreens.... I took it for a little while and then my body adjusted to the change. Good luck to you. Keto worked for me and it is not easy being insulin resistant and hypothyroid
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The sleep issues will eventually sort themselves out. I had the same problem the first month. It was like my body had all of this excess fuel to burn and wasn't about to let sleep get in the way. I would often wake up at 3:00 AM feeling like I had a full night's sleep and ready to go.0
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I'm the same. Come 9pm I'm buzzing around the place and have to get out for a run - which wakes me up even more...0
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Hey NasherBasher
I use the capsule form and open and pour it into my mouth just before bed for quicker absorption.0 -
katherineanewlon wrote: »Hi NasherBasher
When I first started keto a few years ago the same thing happened to me. I was high cortisol from doing keto along with low calorie. Being a professor of biochemistry, I finally realized what was happening. Cortisol is the hormone that wakes you up in the mornings and allows you to cope or flee from stressful situations so it's important but too much of it will cause insomnia and eventually drain your adrenal reserve. This in turn will cause dysregulation of your adrenal glands which, over time could cause hypothyroidism. Having said that, keto is a great way to lose weight and maintain health long term! A few minor changes make all the difference! There are a few supplements that will go along way in reducing cortisol output or regulating it at the receptor site. These include
RELORA
PHOSPHATIDYL SERINE
RHODIOLA -my favorite
Along with a good multi and some l-glutamine.
You could also try upping your total calorie intake via fat and avoiding intermittant fasting for a little while because that also raises your cortisol.
I used a double dose of RHODIOLA before bed and RELORA at half dose during the day for 2.5 months and gradually tapered off. I think you will find that once you are truly adapted and not just creating ketones that the body reregulates and is no longer under stress from your transition.
Hope this helps!
Hang in there...your health is worth it!
That's a great post - thanks for this great advice. My problem is not getting to sleep, it's staying asleep. I often wake up between 4 and 5 and then can't get back to sleep before I get up at 6 or 7. Would those supplements help with that too? I do IF in the form of 16:8 but am thinking it's not tough enough to be a stressor?
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I posted a question similar to this not long ago. Ketosis sends my sleep absolutely crazy!
The higher my ketones (as tested by blood strips) the more spotty and patchy my sleep is. After a couple of weeks, it seems to even out for me but I am an still experiencing the frequent waking and early mornings even now. I find exercise in the evenings often makes my wakefulness worse but its often the only time I can find to exercise so I still do it.
Personally, I've found magnesium helps a bit for me as does extra sodium if I get the palpitation-like wakefulness. Other than that, I just have to wait it out knowing it will get better.
I also experience really crazy, quite distressing nightmares when I first transition back into ketosis. These eventually go too. I IF regularly, but ultimately find that the level of ketones in my blood seems to regulate how well and how long I will sleep.0 -
Hi guys,
In response to sleep issues, intermittent fasting, and exercising in the evenings:
In a nutshell, adapting in ketosis is a stressor. If you have other stressors in your life or a lot of added stress due to job, family, or even dietary and exercise issues it will be much harder for you to get a good night's sleep because stress in any form causes your cortisol levels to become elevated.
When your cortisol is elevated for prolonged periods you may end up with inverted cortisol, which is where cortisol is high at night and low in the mornings. Recall that we need cortisol first thing in the morning to wake us up. Therefore inverted cortisol means you are wide awake at night and sleepy in the morning. This is the beginning of adrenal dysfunction.
This is why it is imperative to focus on being properly and COMPLETELY adapted before attempting intermittant fasting.
Intermittant fasting is yet another stressor. In fact, for some people, intermittant fasting is more physiologically stressful than keto adaptation itself.
Hard workouts are a like scenario, demanding your adrenals to pump out even more cortisol.
Over secretion of cortisol not only will affect your adrenal health in general but may prevent weight loss because cortisol mobilizes glucose from muscle and liver. Hepatic glucose output is in fact mostly regulated by cortisol when it is high.
Therefore
-Fully adapt before:
Intermittant fasting
Hard workouts
After adaptation it is important to mention that the cortisol profile actually improves long term. This is yet another way that eating keto long term will save and extend your life.
It is also important to mention that there are many fat adapted world class athletes who are at the top of thier game in numerous areas due to the keto lifestyle.
As with anything else worth having, its worth taking the time to do it right.
Your health will thank you!
Keep your heads up. ...:)
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katherineanewlon wrote: »Hi guys,
In response to sleep issues, intermittent fasting, and exercising in the evenings:
In a nutshell, adapting in ketosis is a stressor. If you have other stressors in your life or a lot of added stress due to job, family, or even dietary and exercise issues it will be much harder for you to get a good night's sleep because stress in any form causes your cortisol levels to become elevated.
When your cortisol is elevated for prolonged periods you may end up with inverted cortisol, which is where cortisol is high at night and low in the mornings. Recall that we need cortisol first thing in the morning to wake us up. Therefore inverted cortisol means you are wide awake at night and sleepy in the morning. This is the beginning of adrenal dysfunction.
This is why it is imperative to focus on being properly and COMPLETELY adapted before attempting intermittant fasting.
Intermittant fasting is yet another stressor. In fact, for some people, intermittant fasting is more physiologically stressful than keto adaptation itself.
Hard workouts are a like scenario, demanding your adrenals to pump out even more cortisol.
Over secretion of cortisol not only will affect your adrenal health in general but may prevent weight loss because cortisol mobilizes glucose from muscle and liver. Hepatic glucose output is in fact mostly regulated by cortisol when it is high.
Therefore
-Fully adapt before:
Intermittant fasting
Hard workouts
After adaptation it is important to mention that the cortisol profile actually improves long term. This is yet another way that eating keto long term will save and extend your life.
It is also important to mention that there are many fat adapted world class athletes who are at the top of thier game in numerous areas due to the keto lifestyle.
As with anything else worth having, its worth taking the time to do it right.
Your health will thank you!
Keep your heads up. ...:)
thanks for taking the time to post this - it's really helpful
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katherineanewlon wrote: »Hi guys,
In response to sleep issues, intermittent fasting, and exercising in the evenings:
In a nutshell, adapting in ketosis is a stressor. If you have other stressors in your life or a lot of added stress due to job, family, or even dietary and exercise issues it will be much harder for you to get a good night's sleep because stress in any form causes your cortisol levels to become elevated.
When your cortisol is elevated for prolonged periods you may end up with inverted cortisol, which is where cortisol is high at night and low in the mornings. Recall that we need cortisol first thing in the morning to wake us up. Therefore inverted cortisol means you are wide awake at night and sleepy in the morning. This is the beginning of adrenal dysfunction.
This is why it is imperative to focus on being properly and COMPLETELY adapted before attempting intermittant fasting.
Intermittant fasting is yet another stressor. In fact, for some people, intermittant fasting is more physiologically stressful than keto adaptation itself.
Hard workouts are a like scenario, demanding your adrenals to pump out even more cortisol.
Over secretion of cortisol not only will affect your adrenal health in general but may prevent weight loss because cortisol mobilizes glucose from muscle and liver. Hepatic glucose output is in fact mostly regulated by cortisol when it is high.
Therefore
-Fully adapt before:
Intermittant fasting
Hard workouts
After adaptation it is important to mention that the cortisol profile actually improves long term. This is yet another way that eating keto long term will save and extend your life.
It is also important to mention that there are many fat adapted world class athletes who are at the top of thier game in numerous areas due to the keto lifestyle.
As with anything else worth having, its worth taking the time to do it right.
Your health will thank you!
Keep your heads up. ...:)
Thanks for the post, it totally explains why I felt so sleepy in the mornings. I started adding magnesium supplements to my diet and I have been sleeping alot better. I will be buying Rodiola as well.
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NasherBasher wrote: »Thank you, for the Rhodiola would you recommend a liquid or tablet form?
I use the tablets. It also has interesting side effects for male libido too, so be warned
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totaloblivia wrote: »That's a great post - thanks for this great advice. My problem is not getting to sleep, it's staying asleep. I often wake up between 4 and 5 and then can't get back to sleep before I get up at 6 or 7. Would those supplements help with that too? I do IF in the form of 16:8 but am thinking it's not tough enough to be a stressor?
This is stress related. Stress will raise your blood glucose. If you test with a glucometer when you wake, you will probably find that it is elevated.
For IF, the best way is to eat breakfast early about 1h before doing a workout and have your last meal by about 6:30pm to give digestion a chance before bed around 9-9:30pm. Sleep is the time for body repair so if you eat too late, your body is too busy digesting to repair itself. For me, my "fast" is between 6:30pm and 5:30am when I eat breakfast. This is the correct way to IF without stressing the body out with daytime hunger pangs.
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totaloblivia wrote: »That's a great post - thanks for this great advice. My problem is not getting to sleep, it's staying asleep. I often wake up between 4 and 5 and then can't get back to sleep before I get up at 6 or 7. Would those supplements help with that too? I do IF in the form of 16:8 but am thinking it's not tough enough to be a stressor?
This is stress related. Stress will raise your blood glucose. If you test with a glucometer when you wake, you will probably find that it is elevated.
For IF, the best way is to eat breakfast early about 1h before doing a workout and have your last meal by about 6:30pm to give digestion a chance before bed around 9-9:30pm. Sleep is the time for body repair so if you eat too late, your body is too busy digesting to repair itself. For me, my "fast" is between 6:30pm and 5:30am when I eat breakfast. This is the correct way to IF without stressing the body out with daytime hunger pangs.
Thanks for your input. I don't really get hungry during the 16 hours (from 8pm to 12 noon). If I get quite hungry, then I eat something (today I had nuts for breakfast as I was hungry, but usually I don't need to eat). I'm not sure that there is one "correct" way to fast, but I will think about your advice. Can I ask what the source of your advice is please?0 -
Sleep on keto has really been an issue for me. I have tried everything. I think I need more carbs- I was a real stickler for 20-25g/day and I am exhausted, sleep a whole night, every third day. That sleep that I do get, is not restoring/repairing my body at night. I am going to up the carbs and add exercise and see what happens. I just feel so lousy, I have no energy to make myself workout.0
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dawlfin, what time to you get to bed?0
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katherineanewlon wrote: »Hi guys,
In response to sleep issues, intermittent fasting, and exercising in the evenings:
In a nutshell, adapting in ketosis is a stressor. If you have other stressors in your life or a lot of added stress due to job, family, or even dietary and exercise issues it will be much harder for you to get a good night's sleep because stress in any form causes your cortisol levels to become elevated.
When your cortisol is elevated for prolonged periods you may end up with inverted cortisol, which is where cortisol is high at night and low in the mornings. Recall that we need cortisol first thing in the morning to wake us up. Therefore inverted cortisol means you are wide awake at night and sleepy in the morning. This is the beginning of adrenal dysfunction.
This is why it is imperative to focus on being properly and COMPLETELY adapted before attempting intermittant fasting.
Intermittant fasting is yet another stressor. In fact, for some people, intermittant fasting is more physiologically stressful than keto adaptation itself.
Hard workouts are a like scenario, demanding your adrenals to pump out even more cortisol.
Over secretion of cortisol not only will affect your adrenal health in general but may prevent weight loss because cortisol mobilizes glucose from muscle and liver. Hepatic glucose output is in fact mostly regulated by cortisol when it is high.
Therefore
-Fully adapt before:
Intermittant fasting
Hard workouts
After adaptation it is important to mention that the cortisol profile actually improves long term. This is yet another way that eating keto long term will save and extend your life.
It is also important to mention that there are many fat adapted world class athletes who are at the top of thier game in numerous areas due to the keto lifestyle.
As with anything else worth having, its worth taking the time to do it right.
Your health will thank you!
Keep your heads up. ...:)
Well, this is an education for me--thank you for this information! I did a saliva test two years ago which showed I have inverted cortisol. My doctor gave me the test b/c I requested it, but that was the end of the matter. I don't think she knew how to help me; couldn't answer any of my questions or tell me what to do beyond eating 1200cal/day and exercise an hour every day. Which, of course, now I know was wrong. I began keto in March and have done some IF, which hasn't been difficult. I'll drop IF for the time being. I have a number of stressors beyond keto (chronic pain, FM, CFS, SMF, adult son w/ disabilites, etc.) so I really need to get a handle on this. I'll get the supplement mentioned above and hope it helps my sleep. I often wake at 2 or 3 and am unable to get back to sleep. Maybe it's no wonder I have a very difficult time losing weight. Is there more to do to remedy adrenal dysfunction?
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wheatlessgirl66 wrote: »katherineanewlon wrote: »Hi guys,
In response to sleep issues, intermittent fasting, and exercising in the evenings:
In a nutshell, adapting in ketosis is a stressor. If you have other stressors in your life or a lot of added stress due to job, family, or even dietary and exercise issues it will be much harder for you to get a good night's sleep because stress in any form causes your cortisol levels to become elevated.
When your cortisol is elevated for prolonged periods you may end up with inverted cortisol, which is where cortisol is high at night and low in the mornings. Recall that we need cortisol first thing in the morning to wake us up. Therefore inverted cortisol means you are wide awake at night and sleepy in the morning. This is the beginning of adrenal dysfunction.
This is why it is imperative to focus on being properly and COMPLETELY adapted before attempting intermittant fasting.
Intermittant fasting is yet another stressor. In fact, for some people, intermittant fasting is more physiologically stressful than keto adaptation itself.
Hard workouts are a like scenario, demanding your adrenals to pump out even more cortisol.
Over secretion of cortisol not only will affect your adrenal health in general but may prevent weight loss because cortisol mobilizes glucose from muscle and liver. Hepatic glucose output is in fact mostly regulated by cortisol when it is high.
Therefore
-Fully adapt before:
Intermittant fasting
Hard workouts
After adaptation it is important to mention that the cortisol profile actually improves long term. This is yet another way that eating keto long term will save and extend your life.
It is also important to mention that there are many fat adapted world class athletes who are at the top of thier game in numerous areas due to the keto lifestyle.
As with anything else worth having, its worth taking the time to do it right.
Your health will thank you!
Keep your heads up. ...:)
Well, this is an education for me--thank you for this information! I did a saliva test two years ago which showed I have inverted cortisol. My doctor gave me the test b/c I requested it, but that was the end of the matter. I don't think she knew how to help me; couldn't answer any of my questions or tell me what to do beyond eating 1200cal/day and exercise an hour every day. Which, of course, now I know was wrong. I began keto in March and have done some IF, which hasn't been difficult. I'll drop IF for the time being. I have a number of stressors beyond keto (chronic pain, FM, CFS, SMF, adult son w/ disabilites, etc.) so I really need to get a handle on this. I'll get the supplement mentioned above and hope it helps my sleep. I often wake at 2 or 3 and am unable to get back to sleep. Maybe it's no wonder I have a very difficult time losing weight. Is there more to do to remedy adrenal dysfunction?
Look into Dr. Wilson's plan for Adrenal Fatigue. There are a number of supplements, but honestly, no proof (FOR ME) that any of them worked. Treatment of the entire endocrine system is necessary, which requires a knowledgeable endocrinologist. My regular doctor kept treating only one thing, and it didn't restore balance. Vitex is a medication (as is Inositol) that can help with this, but without a full panel of tests to see where you need balance, I wouldn't recommend just adding things in, because they can unbalance things rather than fix them... This ties in with the CFS, too. I don't know what SMF is, but with FM - no one really knows what causes it...but some ideas are diet, stress, and the other related conditions above...
I would start googling, do some hard core research, and start asking a million questions. I just requested a metabolic/blood panel so extensive that the phlebotomist asked if I was having major surgery! LOL I explained that I was in a health change, and I wanted as close to baseline figures and progress markers as possible, and I was looking to overhaul some of my treatments. She was in awe that I am taking charge - and that my doctor is helping! It's a lot because all you awesome folks that I feel empowered enough to do this with enough starting knowledge to make a difference!0
