Major Sleep Problems on week 2.....freaking me out

[behandsandfeet]

Hello, this is my first whole 30 and I'm on day 12. So far its been going pretty well, once I made sure I was eating enough food at each meal. However, since day 8 I've been having major trouble sleeping. I've never had trouble sleeping pre-whole 30 and on the first week I slept great. On day 8 and ever since then, I fall asleep just fine by 9:30pm but wake up anywhere from 2-3 hours later wide awake and cannot go back to sleep. I"m then up for 3+ hours and I try anything I can to get back to sleep (read, relax, pray, etc). It's really getting hard to be this sleep deprived 4 days in a row and it's freaking me out. Last night I was so afraid I wouldn't be able to stay asleep that I took a benedryl at bedtime (which in the past has knocked me out). I woke at 11:30 with a surge of energy and felt my heart racing. I even had white noise on with ear buds to make sure noises didn't wake me up (I' sensitive to noise) and it literally was like someone flipped a switch and I woke up on cue at 11:30. I was able to go back to sleep a little later but it's really disconcerning.

 

Some background:

I do not use my phone for 2 hours before bedtime. I have an established bedtime routine to relax. I usally eat dinner 3 hours before bedtime. I run 3 days per week. I'm not particularly stressed this week (aside from not sleeping) but was last week (rain all week= crazy kids). I don't have caffeine past 10 a.m.

 

Meals for 3 days

 

day 1:

 

breakfast: 3 eggs, 1 sausage patty, 1/2 cup butternut squash with clarified butter, 1 cup sauteed veggie, 10 oz 1/2 caf coffee, water

 

Lunch: 1 cup shredded chicken salad with 1 1/2 cups spinach/salad greens, strawberries, almonds, vinegerette, carrot sticks with gauc, water

 

dinner: 3/4 cup pulled pork over 1/2 sweet potatoe, 1 cup green beans with cl. butter, water

 

 

Day 2: 

 

breakfast: 3 eggs, 1 sausage patty, 1/2 cup butternut squash with clarified butter, 1 cup sauteed veggie, 10 oz 1/2 caf coffee, water

 

lunch: left over 3/4 cup pulled pork over 1/2 sweet potatoe  carrot stix, apple with almond butter, olives, water

 

dinner:  3/4 cup shreeded chicken tacos over lettuce with tomatoes, salsa, avocado, 3/4 cup cauli rice, water

 

Day 3:

breakfast: 3 eggs, 1 sausage patty, 1/2 cup butternut squash with clarified butter, 1 cup sauteed veggie, 10 oz 1/2 caf coffee, water

Lunch: 1 cup shredded chicken salad with 1 1/2 cups spinach/salad greens, strawberries, almonds, vinegerette, carrot sticks with gauc, water

 

dinner grilled hamburger with mayo, letttuce, tomatoe, 1/2 cup homemade oven fries, 1 cup steamed broccoli with cl. butter

 

Since day 5 I've felt really satisfied  with my meals and haven't had to snack. 

 

Things to note:

 

The day before sleep troubles started I got mlld food poisoning and didn't sleep well. The following night (sunday) was when the sleep troubles started. On Tuesday (day 3 of sleep troubles) I got my period.

 

The sleep deprivation and surge of energy/racing heart I wake up with the last 4 ngihts at the same is really freaking me out. I've never had trouble like this before. I'm going to give it until the end of the two week mark but if being on the Whole30 is causing this I don't know if I can handle staying on in it. Please help!

[jmcbn]

Hey there
 

Sorry to hear about your sleep struggles - quite a number of people report issues in the early half of their Whole30 so hopefully this won't last too much longer...

 

Your food looks pretty good to me, and you're obviously practising good sleep hygiene...

Do you spend any time outdoors? Particularly in the morning? Are you taking a magnesium supplement?

 

[behandsandfeet]

I do spend time outside almost every day (with 2 little kids its a necessity) and it's usually in the first half of the day (10 am ish).  Plus when I run it's uusally earnly (6:30 am). I've never taken magnesium. Any thoughts on what could be causing this?

[jmcbn]

I'm guessing it's hormonal - as I said a number of people report sleep issues as the hormones come back into line.

Magnesium is known to help with sleep so it wouldn't do any harm adding in a magnesium supplement such as natural calm.

 

You're doing everything else right - hopefully it is just a matter of time.

[tmhampton1]

I always have trouble sleeping during that time of the month. I agree with jmcbn in taking some natural calm before bed. I take it in warm water and it knocks me out within half an hour and helps me stay asleep all night.

 

I also take a progesterone supplement to help with sleep, which is why I think it could be hormonal for you. 

[Mbd105]

Hi behandsandfeet! I found your thread after 4 very sleepless nights.

I am also on round 1 of whole 30 and am naturally very lean and above avg active. 

In the week leading up to my period, I literally had nights where I didn’t sleep at all. In the normal world, I NEVER had trouble sleeping and usually got around 9 hrs of sleep. At this point I’m running on maybe 9 hrs in the last 4 days. 

My restlessness has been accompanied with the much expected mood swings, hunger pangs and exhaustion. I think it just has to do with my hormones actually being allowed to do their thing finally. 

I know it’s not encouraged but i looked at nutrition facts of my foods and I was lacking in carbs for the last week so that may have been a factor as well and my body thought I was not providing it enough foods. I’ve adjusted and hoping to be able to continue for the full 30. Though at this point, I’d be struggling to say I’m looking forward to another “that time of the month” if it continues this way. 

[ShannonM816]

hi, @Mbd105, sorry you're having a rough time. A couple of things to keep in mind for future reference. 

In general, most people seem to do well with a fist-sized serving of starchy vegetables each day, which would be potataoes, sweet potatoes, other root vegetables like beets, turnips, rutabagas, carrots,or parsnips, and winter squashes like butternut or acorn squash. However, some people need more than that -- people who are very active, who are prone to depression or anxiety, or those who are pregnant, nursing, or in the week leading up to their period. This is fine. Whole30 is not meant to be super low carb.

Also keep in mind that the meal template is a minimum amount of food one should eat, and it is absolutely okay to eat more. You can make each meal bigger, or add extra meals or mini meals. We don't encourage mindless snacking or emotional eating, but there is no reason to be hungry during whole30.

As was mentioned above, magnesium helps many people sleep, though it doesnt work for everyone. If you don't want to take it as a supplement or it doesn't work for you in that form, you could try a hot bath or a foot soak with Epsom salts, which is another form of magnesium. Starchy vegetables in your final meal of the day can also help with sleep, as can good sleep hygiene, which includes not using electronics for a couple of hours before bed and having a routine leading up to bedtime.