Insomnia
Wifett3
Posts: 24 Member
I’m just starting my 4th week on keto and insomnia is the only issue that is still bothering me from the first week. I’m pretty good about weighing, tracking, and hitting my macros when it comes to food. I’m on top with my electrolytes. Its been weeks since I experience any other weird/keto flu symptoms. It’s not a matter of not feeling sleepy/tired. It’s just feeling extremely alert almost all the time and that feeling overshadowing the desire to sleep.
The insomnia also presents differently. Sometimes it’s trouble falling asleep. Sometimes it’s being wide awake at 2am after only a few hours of sleep. I’ll have 1-2 days a week where I get a good nights rest.
I used to be a person that absolutely needed a minimum 8 hours every night and never had any problems sleeping. I didn’t really worry about this the last few weeks since I figured it was part of the transition into keto. However now that I’m coming up on a month, I’m worried about long term effects of struggling with 4-6 hours every night.
Here’s what I’ve tried: eating earlier, eating later, exercise to wear my body down, putting away electronics over an hour before bed, guided relaxation on YouTube. Any ideas of what else I can try?
The insomnia also presents differently. Sometimes it’s trouble falling asleep. Sometimes it’s being wide awake at 2am after only a few hours of sleep. I’ll have 1-2 days a week where I get a good nights rest.
I used to be a person that absolutely needed a minimum 8 hours every night and never had any problems sleeping. I didn’t really worry about this the last few weeks since I figured it was part of the transition into keto. However now that I’m coming up on a month, I’m worried about long term effects of struggling with 4-6 hours every night.
Here’s what I’ve tried: eating earlier, eating later, exercise to wear my body down, putting away electronics over an hour before bed, guided relaxation on YouTube. Any ideas of what else I can try?
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Replies
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I fall asleep fast but getting to bed is hard. I just got in the house and ate. Now I am here and who knows what rabbit hole I may fall down just reading MFP posts.
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If you’re not feeling tired during the day it’s less of an issue and eventually you’ll either feel tired and sleep more or you will be one of these people who only needs 6hrs most nights and the occasional longer sleep
If you are feeling tired during the day then here are the things that I find help - ensure you don’t nap during the day, create a bedtime routine (maybe even something simple you can replicate at 2am if you’re awake and want more sleep - a specific tea, reading, using a specific scent on your pillow, a shower, whatever it is), try natural sleep remedies assuming they don’t interact with any medicine you take- I use kalms - I’m 99% sure they’re placebo but placebo effect is a real thing so whatever works, try not to exercise too close to bed - a gentle walk is fine, a HIIT/ weights session probably not so much
I’ve always struggled with sleep and as long as you’re getting some then you are getting lots of the benefits - absolutely no sleep is very dangerous - little sleep isn’t great for you but does significantly reduce the dangers of no sleep.2 -
I have been in a cycle of very vivid dreams recently. They wake me up and if I have slept more than about 5 hours, I can't get back to sleep. GOING to sleep initially is not an issue. Head hits the pillow and I am out.1
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Omg YES about the vivid (and for me almost lucid) dreams. I had a bunch of those my first week and the odd one since then. I’m not usually one to remember my dreams so I was very much “Oh so this is what a dream is supposed to be like!”
Guess I’ll try not to stress too much about my new reduced sleep schedule0 -
I have the same problem. No troubles getting to sleep but wide a wake at 2 am. Before Keto I never had any trouble sleeping. I'm not tired during the day so I'm thinking I just don't need as much sleep as before Keto.2
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For me the best insomnia cure was losing weight and getting up at 4:30 AM to run.2
