I cannot ever stay in a deficit without having severe insomnia. Feeling hopeless, scared.

What you are describing reminds me of someone I know who is bipolar with severe ADHD.

Please do see a psychiatrist, if only to rule out a possible issue that needs to be addressed. Your GP might be a good first stop, for a referral as well as checking your vitamin D and thyroid levels.

I agree that taking magnesium might be helpful, but a lack of magnesium doesn't explain everything you have going on.

charlenekapf wrote: »

I eat huge bags of broccoli and cauliflower and then 20 mins later my stomach feels empty. It's like they bloat me and keep me full for a very short period of time.

I just looked this up for someone else, and it might be worth looking into:

Cruciferous vegetables (cabbage family - cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, bok choi, brussels sprouts ETC) are very nutritious BUT they CAN interfere with your thyroid functioning. ESPECIALLY if you eat them raw (which it sounds like you might, if you'er eating "bags" of them?).

Try cutting back on the cabbage family and finding some other veggie options. Cabbage family veggies can also cause serious gas which makes you feel bloated and uncomfortable and could put pressure on your diaphragm in ways that keep you from sleeping well?

charlenekapf wrote: »

I was not fasting when I developed the IF. But it later became helpful to at least feel more full at night when the insomnia and night eating began. I would at least delay meals so I would eat less calories in the 24 hours. I am now off all herbs as they are not helpful. I'm not taking any meds. was on thyroid medication but got heart palpitations after 9 mos. of armour. I've searched NES and BED and both don't really have cures...kind of feel defeated. I agree about the psychiatrist although not sure how it will help. Definitely can't stay asleep and deficits exacerbate it greatly. When I overeat I sleep throughout the night but obviously don't want to keep doing that. Thank you for understanding how horrible the insomnia is

Meghanebk wrote: »

Well, my first suggestion is that if you are doing IF now and have this insomnia and binge eating issue, try not doing IF. Were you fasting like that when you first developed insomnia? And if you are taking any of the many supplements/herbs on your list currently, stop them to see if that helps. If you are taking any medication at all from aspirin to birth control, check to see if there is any possibility that could be affecting sleep or hunger levels.

I guess you've tried eating right before bed? If yes and that didn't help, you may want to look up the eating disorder "night eating syndrome": waldeneatingdisorders.com/popular-searches/night-eating-syndrome-nes/

By all means, make an appointment too with a psychiatrist for the anxiety and depression. Both are often linked to insomnia. Though it sounds to me more like "hunger waking you up" than "can't go to/stay asleep."

Next suggestion if those don't help is to actually find a sleep specialist doc. Look for a doc that specializes in insomnia and sleep disorders, your standard general practitioner may not be as helpful. You could see if there's an actual medical sleep clinic in your area, they may recommend local docs even if you don't fit that specific clinic's patient profile.

Best wishes that you find a solution! I just have regular insomnia, that's bad enough without midnight hunger, that must be terrible.

The bold is important! Being hypothyroid can make you more hungry. It is important to get your thyroid hormones right! What right is is different for every person. Don't think of the pills as medication but as a hormone your body needs but doesn't produce anymore in sufficient quantities by itself. Being hypo can also result in sleeping poorly. I know if my thyroid medication is too low I don't sleep well and wake up a lot. Being too high on the hormone can cause palpitations, as can being too low. It's all a question of finding the right dose. That's not something you'll find in a few days as it takes 6 weeks approximately to build up a steady level. Just looking at blood results isn't right either as every person is different. It's probably best to start with a low dose, see how you feel, do a blood test, and then slowly go higher every 6 weeks or so. Also, most hypothyroidism is of the autoimmune type. That means your body attacks your thyroid and destroys it. Especially early on, bigger chunks of tissue might get destroyed which releases higher amounts of hormone. Then it's very easy to have periods where you're actually hyperthyroid, and your medication will be far too high! The palpitations might have originated from one such episode. Thus taking thyroid hormone is a necessity, but it doesn't mean you need to same amount all the time. Get started with this: get a proper doctor who can help you with that.