help with insomnia

[Guest]

Hi all, just checking in to see if insomnia can be normal for the first week or so?

 

Despite meditation, avoiding coffee after lunchtime (when I rarely have it anyway), less starchy vegetables for dinner etc unfortunately my sleep is really broken at the moment.

 

dark room, phone turned off, usual tricks aren't working 

[AllyB]

I've had insomnia before when eating cleaner.  The other thing that keeps me up is taking vitamins with dinner.  I think it's the B vitamins?  If you take your supplements with dinner, switch to breakfast.

[LadyM]

I think it just takes time. Though my understanding is that starchy carbs in the evening actually help induce sleep. You might try that.

[tiva]

I added a chunk of plain sweet potato ( maybe 2 bites) just before bed and it really helped, along with magnesium and melatonin. I used to have a spoonful of honey before whole30. Good luck. A sleep mask and white noise can also be useful.

[Tina R]

I drink nighty night tea with Valerian root. You might have to drink it for a couple of nights for it to build up in your system. I still don't get 8 hours but it helps.

[GlennR]

Sexytiems.

[DanielleM]

You can try taking magnesium at bedtime. I have used Natural Calm before with a cup of camomile tea before bed and it can help. Just make sure you get the non-flavored one if you're on a W30 as the flavored ones have stevia. 

[Brewer5]

Sexytiems.

What?  lol

 

OP -- I'm in favor of starchier carbs in the evening.  I've heard several convincing arguments for eating your carbs at night, actually.  Definitely give it a shot.  

[Guest]

tried starchier veggies for dinner, still no success with sleeping sigh

[LadyM]

It's more than likely going to take longer than one day to see a diff. Try a few things consistently and then see what happens. Try a relaxing wind down routine+starchy carbs in the evening+magnesium+no screens for at least an hour before bed+a truly dark room for at least two weeks. That along with your great job on consistent template eating should get things moving in the right direction.

I'm on day 76 of my second w30 and it only just struck me yesterday that my sleep is finally where it should be. And I didn't have insomnia before.

Be patient and persistent.

[Coco Nutter]

Along with the advice from LadyM, I highly recommend introducing some lavendar into your life. In the form of candles, room fragrance or the actual real stuff tucked into your pillowcase. Its sucha  soothing smell. Have a lavendar bath an hour or so before bed time and start a wind down routine, have some light reading material to read through before you go to bed.

 

It is all about routine, once your body starts to recognise the signs that its coming up to bed time it will respond positively. Keep at the tricks for the rest of your whole 30 and hopefully you'll see improvements.

 

I am on day 24 and it has only been these past couple of days that I've really noticed the difference in my sleep, and my concious effort to actally enjoy and appreciate winding down in the evening and trying to get in a good 7.5-8 hours sleep.

 

good luck