Jennifer D. Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 As suggested by the title, I've begun another Whole30 but this time I'm having a new problem. It seems like every night since I've started I've had trouble both getting to sleep and staying happily asleep -- tossing and turning, frequently waking up, awake ten minutes before my alarm goes off.. Since I obviously expected the opposite to happen, I'm not sure how to troubleshoot. But I'm so tired! I've been keeping my food real simple this time. For example, yesterday I had: Brekky: eggs with broccoli, onions, and a small portion of leftover chicken, coffee with a bit of coconut milk Lunch: 5oz of leftover pork and collard greens in olive oil, and a handful of nuts Dinner: Brussels sprouts, an egg, and salmon. Spoon of coconut butter. Does anyone have any ideas about why I can't sleep this time? Any similar experiences? Thanks, Jenn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GFChris Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 How close are you eating dinner to when you try to go to bed? You want to make sure you have 2-3 hours between when you stop eating and bedtime.I wonder if you could try eating a bit more? Shoot for 1-2 cups of vegetables per meal.Do you have a lot of stress in your life right now? That could also cause trouble with getting to sleep and having a restful sleep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roz Griffiths Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 I had trouble sleeping when i started my 2nd Whole30! I wondered if it was because i was expecting too much? It did get better during the second week, & now I'm on about week 5 it's back to excellent :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krista Billows Rodriguez Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 I've heard some have had success with adding a little extra starchy veg with dinner. I'm a fan of chamomile tea-just make sure it's compliant. I've also used melatonin with success. Is your bedroom dark and noisefree? Are you under any unusual stress? Exercising too close to bed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer D. Posted July 18, 2013 Author Share Posted July 18, 2013 Thanks for the suggestions. I don't eat too close to bed, if anything I'm a bit hungry by then. I'll try eating more/something with starch and maybe that will help. Maybe my body's in "get up and hunt something!" mode haha. No unusual stress and since this sleep problem began with the whole30 I'm sure they're connected. I keep the bedroom quiet and dark, wear an eyemask to further block light, and have been making an effort to not use backlit screens before bed. Which makes it further frustrating that sleeps been an issue! Glad to hear it's not just me, hopefully as my body adjusts again I'll be able to sleep better! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krista Billows Rodriguez Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 and the more frustrated you become the harder it is to sleep, vicious cycle! hope things even out for you quickly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmyS Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 If you're a bit hungry at bedtime that might explain some of it. You might try increasing size of meals a smidge (starting with breakfast, which, oddly, has more impact than increasing size of dinner) and see if that gets you to bedtime without hunger. Also, I've done six Whole30s and each one has had its own challenges, so it may just be that. Each one is different. This go-round, for instance, I felt exactly no difference from how I felt on my vacation food free-for-all that preceded it - NONE - until week 2.5. Then overnight (literally) every single bit of inflammation dropped off my body and I felt like a human being again. It was shocking. I'm just saying that to point out that your adjustment to this Whole30 is going to be different from your last one, and so feel free to tweak (like increasing meal size a bit, for instance, plus all the suggestions above) even if you didn't have to the last time around. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Physibeth Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 So what was your eating like before you embarked on your 2nd whole 30? What specifically changed? I 2nd trying more starchy carbs. You may also need some added magnesium. I know natural calm is a big favorite around here but I've read magnesium is better absorbed through skin so epson salt bath or a couple of sprays of magnesium oil could help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer D. Posted July 21, 2013 Author Share Posted July 21, 2013 After further experimentation, I think it was indeed hunger. I increased my serving sizes, included a little sweet potato, and have been sleeping better the last few nights. Thank you guys for your suggestions! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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