Jump to content

One Week of Broken Sleep


Recommended Posts

I have read many posts on sleep troubles on this forum and on other paleo resources and have tried all of the suggested fixes but one week later and I am really starting to feel the effects of this. Background on my sleep habits is I religiously am in bed at 9:30, fall asleep almost immediately after turning off the lights and sleep straight through the night without issues, typically waking up before my 5:30 alarm. I have never had any problems with sleep and have barely consumed caffeine for the better part of three years other than an occasional cup of coffee or green tea (once to twice a week at most). Starting on Day 12 of my first Whole30 I was falling asleep without issue but waking up after two hours or so and then again every couple of hours once I fell back asleep. The last two nights the issue has now spread to difficulty falling asleep, as well as waking up throughout the night. I don't feel over tired in the morning when I had to get up but it is really starting to hit me in the afternoons where I feel like I could sleep at my desk (have not had this afternoon crash in years). 

A typical day for me has been: Wake up at 5:30, leave for work at 6:30, drink a green shake on the way into work (1/2 cucumber/2 cups spinach/kale mix, half a banana, 1 tbsp chia seeds), at work have two hard boiled eggs, two small homemade sausage patties and one cup of roasted vegetables (golden or sweet potato/mushroom/pepper/onion); lunch: 4 -6 ounces meat (turkey meatloaf/grilled chicken/pulled pork), 2 cups veggies (brussel sprouts/broccoli/cauliflower/sweet potato), afternoon or mid morning snack as needed has been strawberries/blueberries and dinner has been mostly the same as lunch. 

I have tried using melatonin, eating something before bed, making sure I am taking calcium and magnesium and I am still waking up. My sleep hygiene is the same as it has been for the two years since I have owned my home and has never been as issue, I go to bed at the same time each night, sleep in a dark room, have been using the AC as needed in the heat and nothing is helping! Is there a chance this could be hormonal? I have had other side effects of the Whole30 that seemed hormone related including an extended period outside of a normal cycle. Any additional suggestions to help me get back to my solid eight hours would be greatly appreciated. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Moderators

You could try eating a template meal as recommended in the Whole30 within an hour of waking.  Smoothies are discouraged and it looks like you have no fat with any of your meals.  You're also not eating enough in general if you need to snack between meals, so take another look at the template and make your three meals a day to match... it's possible that yes, it's hormonal but eating three meals a day, the first within an hour of waking is going to regulate your cortison and leptin which are the hormones that rise and fall around sleep times.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Moderators

Try eating the hard-boiled eggs before leaving for work, and couple it with some veggies and fat.

My go tos when I'm in a hurry:

Option 1

PROTEIN: hard boiled eggs

VEG: sauerkraut or salad greens or reheated sauteed spinach or sliced tomatoes

FAT: half an avocado

OPTION 2

Leftover cold frittata - make it the day before. Include veggies in it. Top with homemade herb mayo or avocado or guacamole for fat.

OPTION 3

Any leftover meat (always make more than you need for the meal you're cooking)

Frozen broccoli (takes 4 minutes to heat up in your microwave)

Add salsa, top with mayo or avocado or just drizzle with olive oil.

Don't forget the salt!

Remember, it doesn't have to be fancy.  You can do this!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you for your suggestions. I will replace the green smoothie in the morning with cooked vegetables and make a point to eat before I leave for work to make sure I am getting that first meal in during the first hour of waking up. I will also bump up my fats, I have been cooking the meats with olive oil or eating avocado occasionally but will make a point of getting more fat. I still had a lot of trouble sleeping last night and it is really starting to take its toll now that it has been over a week so I am hoping this will pass soon. I have 10 more days left but was considering extending it to 45 days depending on how I feel on day 30. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you. 

I have been working on this for three nights now and unfortunately am not seeing any improvements in sleep. 

I started using leftover veggies from dinner with two eggs and some leftover meat for breakfasts and have been trying to make sure that is consuming within that first hour of waking as suggested. I have also been walking at lunch, just under 2 miles in 30 minutes and I did 30 minutes on the elliptical Monday and Wednesday night immediately after work, before dinner. I have been staying away from my phone at night and reading instead (financial homework, thinking that might bore me into a deep slumber), and the last two nights I even delayed my bed time by 30-60 minutes hoping that if I was really tired I would stay asleep through the whole night. 

I have truly never had sleep issues before and I am frustrated but also perplexed at why this change in diet would have the opposite affect on me that many people report. I was eating pretty paleo prior to this because of stomach issues with the exceptions being occasional non-gluten grains like quinoa and brown rice and legumes like soy, peanut butter and chick peas. I was hoping that this elimination could shed some additional light on stomach issues which it has so I am interested in continuing it past the 30 days (maybe a one day cheat for some wine over the holiday weekend) before starting round 2. I have found that things that are high in sugar, even natural sugars have been a trigger for me, I quickly learned Larabars are just as much of a trigger for acid reflux as white wine or canned tomatoes. 

I know three days might not be enough to turn this around but hopefully the end is coming to these restless nights, my afternoons are miserable because of them. IF you have any other suggestions I am willing to try anything! I also want to clarify that my trouble is really the staying asleep part, not the falling asleep. I have tried incorporating things like Sleepy Time tea but I am still up and down at night. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Moderators

I'm sorry you are suffering! You sound like you have good sleep habits. Give it a few more days so that your hormones have a chance to reset with your new habit of eating within an hour of waking. Continue having at least a small amount of high carb veggie at Meal 3 each night.

Anything else that could be a factor?

Stress in your work or family life?

Are you getting some sunshine/outdoor time each day?

You don't say your age, but if you are pre-menopausal that can throw a wrench in the works.

Finally, have you tried meditation? I highly recommend giving it a try even for 10 minutes a day. 10% Happier by Dan Harris is a great book to introduce you to the subject with his biography woven in. And here is a simple how-to explanation on his website: http://www.10percenthappier.com/how-to-meditate

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nothing that I can think of that would impact me like this. Throughout the years I have never had this type of extended sleep troubles even through much more stressful and hectic periods of my life. When I wake up I am not necessarily even thinking or worrying about anything other than going to back to sleep. I have tried some breathing tactics to help me get back to sleep but it still isn't helping me stay asleep. I will check out the meditation recommendation. 

I am a 30 year old female so I do have some time before menopause. I am on hormonal birth control however (same type for about four years) so I have those hormones interacting with my natural ones. I have a pretty active job where I am outside throughout the day, sometimes for hours at a time and I usually take my dog on a walk at night/eat outside/do lawn care so I am definitely getting plenty of sunshine. 

I have been somewhat uncomfortable during this time period and am starting to think that I am either have a hormonal reaction or some type of yeast/bacteria die off or something because of some stomach symptoms. This is a good realization though since I have already eliminated the common food triggers and am still having these "attacks" that I was having before. I am going to make an appointment to see my gastro doctor before I clock out of the Whole30 to see if they have a recommendation on how to keep troubleshooting these symptoms. I guess it is possible that if something is off in my stomach flora, it could be impacting my sleep? 

Other than the sleep issue and intermittent bloating I am feeling good. I am starting to notice a reduction is overall stress/how I react more positively to stress. Now just to get back on track with sleep and I will be all set! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...