Insomnia on fast nights – too much energy!

This topic contains 12 replies, has 8 voices, and was last updated by Laure 10 years ago.

Viewing 13 posts - 1 through 13 (of 13 total)

alexa5

1:46 am
27 Oct 14
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Hello lovely people,

After having re-started fasting just three weeks ago after a two month hiatus (silly me) I have been pumped up with energy. During the day that is awesome. At night – not so much. It’s my third fast day of the week and I went to bed at a quarter to 11 – but it’s getting close to 3 am now, and I haven’t slept a wink.
This is a continuing issue for me with the fast diet, but it’s not been as bad as these few weeks before – I just wish I knew what to do to actually get some sleep! (I have lectures in the morning and it wouldn’t be good form to fall asleep, snoring, in the middle of it all… :p )

Does anyone have any tips? I would be so grateful!
Sorry if there are other threads with this topic. I may not have noticed them due to my brain’s fuzziness at this hour…

Alex X

Countrygal

1:57 am
27 Oct 14
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Hi Alex, there are low cal chocolate drinks available, if you could save just enough on fast day just for a night time drink, it may help just before bed, I have one from Safeway AVALANCHE which is 230kj ( you’ll have to convert, about 40 cals maybe a bit more) mix with 200ml skim milk, again more cals but if your fast day is soup or stir fry’s or salads, you should have enough left. Hope this helps. There also different flavours including chocolate and strawberry….CG

alexa5

1:21 am
28 Oct 14
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Oh gosh, hi Country Gal! 🙂 Thanks so much for your help, I didn’t even see this last night as I got too absorbed in the Aussie Determination thread that you happen to frequent! What a coincidence 😀

Ended up doing some dishes and reading up on my lecture, and nodded off at about 4 or 5 am, so got a few hours at least. Next time perhaps I’ll do some meditation as I can’t do chocolate drinks or anything else sweet before bed as I just get even more energetic!! 😀
Thanks so much again xx

Bootsy Badger

8:55 pm
28 Oct 14
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Hi Alex

Sorry to hear you can’t switch off at bedtime, especially as you obviously have quite a demanding schedule. I found I was pretty lively at first on fast nights, too, but this seems to have settled down after about 8 weeks. Maybe your body will get used to the new food routine too (eventually!) I’ve got a few thoughts to offer, hope at least some of them might be useful.

I think good idea to do meditation before bed.

If you are smitten again with insomnia, also thumbs up to getting up and doing boring jobs like washing up. (Ironing is m favourite – so dull!)

I used to drink valerian tea and found it gave a deep night’s sleep. Like many herbal remedies, the scientific jury is probably still out on actual efficacy but even if it’s only placebo effect, it might help. I would search online for further info re any side effects, if I were you. Tea bags might be available these days but I used to make it with a pinch of root and add boiling water, leave to steep for 10 mins. Warning: the dried root smells foul(!) but the infusion tastes pleasant – like licorice or aniseed.

Might it be worth also looking up some general advice on treating insomnia, regardless of the cause (ie fasting in our case)? It can become a recurring habit just by how we respond to it, so the usual idea is to change one’s habits. Have a set ‘wind-down’ routine, including meditation. Make your bedroom really boring: no tv; no reading in bed (especially not college stuff) etc etc. Apologies if you are already doing all this.

You said you were on your 3rd day of fasting this week. I wonder if it would be worth cutting back to 5:2 rather than 3:4, at least until you were in the routine of fasting AND sleeping? Maybe 3 days a week is a bit overstimulating and just possibly somewhere at the back of your mind you are in ‘goal orientated mode’, which then might be hard to let go of at bedtime? I think when I had difficulty getting off to sleep that was a component for me: I was just getting a bit excited at losing weight and wanting to push on a bit too much.

Hope you find something helpful in this – but feel free to ignore!
All the best – sounds like you’re doing great!
Boots B.

Bali2015

9:04 pm
28 Oct 14
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Hi all

I never had any problems going to sleep but sleeping through the night different story.

Last year I read somewhere that taking magnesium helps before bedtime, also helps with tension headaches.

I take a magnesium tablet before bed 5 out out seven night straight to sleep and wake up with alarm. Try it. Last night sleep 8 hours straight.

alexa5

9:16 pm
3 Nov 14
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Hi Bootsy! 🙂

Thank you so much, will look up valerian root teas! 🙂 Yeah, have started making the process of going to bed and to sleep really sort of boring to get me in the zone and on non-fast days am working at eliminating sugar/food in general too close to bedtime, as I think that especially sugar has been disrupting my sleep in general…

Thanks so much for the advice. Oh, I did 5:2 instead of 4:3 last week and slept better… Coincidence? 😉 Doing 4:3 this week – that’ll give me a chance to compare 😉

Bali, thanks! Will look up magnesium tablets as well when I’m googling valerian roots 🙂

Thanks again.
Sleep tight,
Alex xx

Ilovepainting

9:44 pm
3 Nov 14
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Hi there,

I am at present under a Sleep Specialist, I have horrendous problems with insomnia. I’ve never been a good sleeper.

Keeping a good Sleep Hygiene Plan is a must, don’t play on computers etc late in night (stimulates the brain) Caffeine and Alcohol to a minimum, keep to the same routine for sleep.
Im a light sleeper I wear ear plugs, and make sure everything is a dark as poss. in my room. Blah blah blah…you probably know that anyway.

I am prescribed Melatonin by my Sleep Dr. (not just over the counter stuff) but apart from Melatonin, I swear by Magnesium!!! I take Magnesium Colloid every night before bed. Last month the Health Food Shop ran out…and did I notice a difference without it, some nights not a wink of sleep, or waking at 2 – 3 am and not going back to sleep. As soon as I started again, sleeping like a baby.

AdamF

2:03 am
4 Nov 14
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Hi Alexa5,

I have had similar issues and found the cause for me to be sleeping on an empty stomach. I eat my 600 calories on a fast day as one meal at night time and this seems to cure that insomnia. My meal will be made up of protein and fibre (a piece of meat or eggs with as much vegetables and pulses as I can have). I always make sure that my meal fills me right up, and will use a lot of low calories vegetables to build up as much bulk as I can on the plate. I will easily power through the day on nothing but water and a few cups of black coffee knowing that I will be having a filling meal at the end of the day and a decent nights sleep as a result of a content stomach.

alexa5

12:16 am
10 Nov 14
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Hiya!

Adam, I always have just one high-protein evening meal on FDs as well, and I am always full and never go to bed hungry (and never overly stuffed either!). Ah yes, coffee is my best friend on a fast day too. And the occasional diet coke… 😉 But you know what? I have slept like a content, saintly baby this week and I assume my insomnia-stricken nights are over! Fingers crossed.
Thank you for weighing in on this thread 🙂

Alex x

Laure

2:37 pm
13 Nov 14
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Alex, did it resolve on its own or did you take any valerian root/melatonin? The latter isn’t available in my country but I do have some valerian-based herbal sleeping tablets somewhere in the house. 🙂 I just started fasting for the first time on Monday and it went great apart from the fact I felt so wired that I was awake most of the night. I am fasting again today and going to try having the majority of my 500 cals later in the day.

alexa5

3:56 pm
13 Nov 14
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Hi Laure! I was lucky enough to be able to power through without any sort of supplement 🙂

Happy to hear it’s going well for you aside from being wired. I can relate. The best way for me in terms of overcoming that was to exercise and spend all that energy! 🙂 It shouldn’t be strenuous, as that might just improve hunger and make you even more alert and wired up, but a long, semi-brisk walk is recommendable. For instance, I went for a 9 km walk on my FD on Tuesday and I felt great and slept like a baby (for a whole 11 hours, actually!) 😉 (I can also recommend audiobooks… You won’t even realise how long you’re walking for!)
Additionally, it’s very beneficial to exercise in a fasted state!

Personally, I think it’s a great idea to have all your calories in the eve (or at least the majority) as you’ve both increased your fasting period and you’re more likely to feel a bit sleepy after a semi-large meal 😉

Let me know how it goes! I’m also fasting today and have just come home from a tiring day of cleaning a 200 m2 house and babysitting (my side jobs while I’m studying) so looking forward to something to eat! Have only had a few sips of a 2 cals light peach iced tea so far 🙂

Good luck xx

lalavalhalla

11:29 am
14 Nov 14
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i have just had my 6th fast day and I have to say I’m finding it a lot easier than I thought and I’m seeing results!!!

I too feel ultra alert on my fast days and find it really hard to sleep.When I do eventually fall asleep its broken and I have really peculiar dreams 🙂

I’m going to try the valerian tea and see if that helps.

Laure

5:03 pm
14 Nov 14
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Good to hear it’s going well, lalavalhalla. On Thursday’s fast day I felt tired which made me feel hungrier as I want to snack when tired, but actually slept fairly badly the night before in anticipation! I took a valerian tablet last night anyway as at that point, I didn’t want to risk a 2nd bad night in a row.

Alex, I should try the night exercise. I recall when I used to go to yoga or pilates evening classes some time ago, I slept better those evenings. I’m mostly using stationary bike right now but did that first thing on the Thursday fast day.