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Added exercise and now I'm not sleeping

ambergem1969
ambergem1969 Posts: 224 Member
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Hi all! It's 3 am and I'm awake and unfortunately this seems to be my new normal :/

Background - I've been in ketosis since July nod have lost 60 lbs (currently 183). I supplement mag (glycinate), potassium and D3 in the evening. I do take a very low dose anti depressant (25 mg Zoloft) in the morning and I'm trying to keep my sodium up. I was sleeping mostly pretty well until I started going to the gym last week.

I am actually wondering if I should up my carbs a bit before bed - though the idea freaks me out a bit - as I am mostly still at or below 20 g and I'm honestly not sure how carb sensitive I am. Weight loss is slow but steady and I'm trying to focus on health benefits and not numbers. Seems to me that not sleeping is likely worse than a small bit of carb in the evening?

Ideas and thoughts are welcome!!

Replies

  • Expatmommy79
    Expatmommy79 Posts: 940 Member
    Are you exercising at night?

    I'm not keto but find I sleep like a log when I workout in the morning and have terrible insomnia if I workout at night... I get a huge energy rush after exercise.

    Have you tried a long hot bath with Epsom salts before bed or camomile tea? Sounds hokey but I've heard it helps.
  • LiftRunRepeat22
    LiftRunRepeat22 Posts: 25 Member
    If you're exercising in the evenings or night that will do it. If that's the only time you can you will adapt :)
  • totaloblivia
    totaloblivia Posts: 1,164 Member
    I do think I sleep better if I have a very small amount of carbs in the late evening - I don't plan to do it, but have noticed this is often the way. However, if I eat a lot of carbs, I don't sleep either. I think not sleeping often affects weight loss negatively too, so it's a balance. Hope you find yours.
  • ambergem1969
    ambergem1969 Posts: 224 Member
    I am exercising in the morning only - I've had issues with insomnia after evening exercise in the past.

    Thanks for the suggestions - I'll skip the hot bath but try the camomile...
  • Sunny_Bunny_
    Sunny_Bunny_ Posts: 7,140 Member
    Dave Asprey has a lot of suggestions on how to get the most out of your sleep if you're open to the whole "biohacking" idea. Some of it sounds whacky, but other stuff is just supplements and easy enough to try.
  • ambergem1969
    ambergem1969 Posts: 224 Member
    @Sunny_Bunny_ I'll totally check that out! Any easy short term fixes until I can get my paws on the book?
  • Sunny_Bunny_
    Sunny_Bunny_ Posts: 7,140 Member
    ambergem1969 wrote: »
    @Sunny_Bunny_ I'll totally check that out! Any easy short term fixes until I can get my paws on the book?
    If you want to pm me your email I can send you a pdf that discusses the earring carbs later in the day and recommend supplements.
  • ambergem1969
    ambergem1969 Posts: 224 Member
    So mfp hates me (possibly not...I'm tired and dramatic) and won't let me send you a pm...so I sent a friend request with my email instead!
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    My husband and boys like to use melatonin and Hyland's Calm Forte. The second one is a homeopathic remedy that seems to help settle them back to sleep. Seems to work.

    Good luck to you. I hope you find something that works!
  • ambergem1969
    ambergem1969 Posts: 224 Member
    Thanks @nvmomketo - I'm skipping my supplements tonight and will see how it goes!
  • blacktie347
    blacktie347 Posts: 109 Member
    So just to piggyback on what others are saying, I like eating a meal at 9pm, which helps me feel full when I'm going to go to sleep soon thereafter, and also (like others) I don't exercise for hours before I go to sleep.
  • Dragonwolf
    Dragonwolf Posts: 5,600 Member
    How much sodium are you getting? Depending on the exercise you're doing, you might be getting deficient on sodium. Try supplementing with salty broth or sodium tablets or whatever and see if that helps. I know sleep disturbances are one of the big early signs of needing to give my son more sodium when he starts being low (it's something we've struggled with for some time, since his diet is relatively lower carb and primarily whole foods, so he doesn't get a lot of sodium-filled crap).
  • blacktie347
    blacktie347 Posts: 109 Member
    Dragonwolf wrote: »
    How much sodium are you getting? Depending on the exercise you're doing, you might be getting deficient on sodium. Try supplementing with salty broth or sodium tablets or whatever and see if that helps. I know sleep disturbances are one of the big early signs of needing to give my son more sodium when he starts being low (it's something we've struggled with for some time, since his diet is relatively lower carb and primarily whole foods, so he doesn't get a lot of sodium-filled crap).

    To piggyback on your comment again, I *love* salty broth! It's one of my main staples - high in salt and fat, helps with fluid retention, gets rid of a lot of brain fog, I love it!
  • KnitOrMiss
    KnitOrMiss Posts: 10,103 Member
    I responded on the Keto group, but for me, D3 is a very very energizing supplement, so I take it in the morning with K2. It's a better buzz than a full on energy drink if you're deficient at all, giving your body what it needs. I can't imagine attempting to sleep with that type of energy buzzing through my system.
  • ClaireBearOz
    ClaireBearOz Posts: 64 Member
    I only take magnesium at night, if I take B vitamins at night I don't sleep. And if my salt levels are low I feel dreadful and very lethargic about 5-6 hours after a workout, but I exercise hardest in the early mornings so not sure whether it would wake me.
  • ambergem1969
    ambergem1969 Posts: 224 Member
    Thanks all - I have a tough time with salt but I'm working on it. Tonight is night 2 of no D3 before bed so I'll see how it goes.

    I love the great advice here!!
  • blacktie347
    blacktie347 Posts: 109 Member
    ambergem1969 wrote: »
    Thanks all - I have a tough time with salt but I'm working on it. Tonight is night 2 of no D3 before bed so I'll see how it goes.

    I love the great advice here!!

    A boullion cube (my favorites are beef or chicken) dropped into a 10-oz cup of hot water, letting it simmer for a few minutes, and then stirring it up until it dissolves, is one of my favorite ways to get more salt. It's like twice-strong broth, yummy, and basically just fat and salt - the perfect LCHF supplement ;)
  • stacicali
    stacicali Posts: 137 Member
    I can't speak for the keto, but Zoloft wreaked hell with my sleep. Same thing - up at 3 am. Obviously, I am not a dr so please don't just drop it if you need it, but there are other SSRIs you can switch to by talking with your doc. Wellbutrin is an antidepressant that is not an SSRI and is actually associated with weight loss if you chose Zoloft because of the weight neutral profile. If you are interested in working on anxiety/depression naturally, try 5htp or l tryptophan supplements via reading books like The Mood Cure by Ross or The Anti Anxiety Food Solution (check your local library.) Sounds like your carb budget is really low so this may not be appropriate for you right now, but tart cherry juice has some promising studies behind it for sleep. Good luck!
  • mandycat223
    mandycat223 Posts: 502 Member
    Too bad you don't live in my neighborhood. We could be out walking, safely, at quarter past three every morning. Since we're both awake, we might as well make good use of our time.

    I hope I've found something to at least alleviate the problem. I downloaded 30 minutes of relaxation music on to my Kindle. If I wake up at some unholy hour, I plug in my ear buds for 10-15 minutes. If I haven't gone back to sleep by then, the day has begun and thus it is.
  • KnitOrMiss
    KnitOrMiss Posts: 10,103 Member
    mandycat223 wrote: »
    Too bad you don't live in my neighborhood. We could be out walking, safely, at quarter past three every morning. Since we're both awake, we might as well make good use of our time.

    I hope I've found something to at least alleviate the problem. I downloaded 30 minutes of relaxation music on to my Kindle. If I wake up at some unholy hour, I plug in my ear buds for 10-15 minutes. If I haven't gone back to sleep by then, the day has begun and thus it is.

    @mandycat223 I have a free meditation music app I use for the exact same purpose, including when I go TO sleep!
  • ambergem1969
    ambergem1969 Posts: 224 Member
    Great suggestions all around - will go back to the store for better bouillon cubes - I think I need to hunt for one I like.

    I've been able to eliminate the Zoloft as a cause - when I used to take 100 mg it definitely affected my sleep but now that I'm down to 25 mg in the morning it has not been an issue. I've been on it for years.

    I had a second good night after no vitamin D! I'm thinking a third night will end the experiment (plus I will return to a normal level of sanity!)

    I like the idea of relaxing music but my favourite is white noise. I'm never happier than when the AC is on in the bedroom. So much so that I downloaded a white noise app that has an air conditioner sound and I use that to fall asleep!

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