sleep issues and blood pressure

This topic contains 8 replies, has 9 voices, and was last updated by nikkiwade 9 years, 10 months ago.

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seagoat

11:52 am
12 Mar 14
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I have lost 65 lbs on the 5/2 diet over 6 months. Now I am doing 6/1. I have always had problems sleeping on fast nights. I lay there all night and feel like I never really sleep. Recently I have been monitoring my blood pressure. The morning after a fast day I recorded 160/94. The next morning, without a fast, it is 116/84. There is something going on here. Any thoughts or similar issues?

Tobias Karlsson

12:56 pm
12 Mar 14
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Hi Seagoat,

wow, that is an amazing achievement over half a year! You should congratulate yourself :). I think many of us have the same sleeping issue with this fasting regime. Like you, I went to 6:1 some time ago and thought the sleeping issue would go away… well, it did not. It is much less of a concern though to me; it is not that marked as when I was on 5:2 and it is obviously easier to bear one day of poor sleeping a week than 2. So I am not that concerned about it; I rather get up a little earlier to start my day and have breakfast slightly earlier. I try to go to bad earlier on the fasting day as I know I will wake up earlier too. It is still a fasting span of almost 36 hours, within which I have one meal of around 500-600 calories.

As for the blood pressure, I suggest you go see your doctor to be on the safe side. It does seem really high but on the other hand, if it quickly goes away once you start eating again and it remains healthy throughout the “feasting period”, it is probably nothing to worry about. I always feel my heart beating a little more quickly on a fasting day so there is definitely some physiological impact, but I feel otherwise terrific.

kilda

1:08 pm
12 Mar 14
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it sounds to me like the increased blood pressure may be related to not sleeping the previous night. Have you tried experimenting with ways to modify your fast so that you can sleep? (eating some calories right before bed, increasing the total calories on the fast day a little, things like that?) Most of us time the fast so that our last meal pre-fast is dinner the night before. Maybe you should alter the start and end time of your fast day and see what that does? So maybe if your fast day is Tuesday, actually have lunch on Monday as your last pre-fast meal, and then end the fast day on Tueday evening?

It does seem like some people get the problem of not sleeping on fast day, but not everyone. I wonder what causes it.

Mitch

2:16 pm
15 Mar 14
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I always sleep extra well on a fast day, in fact I get drowsy earlier than my normal bedtime, not sure why. But I do arrange my fast day meals so most of my calories are taken at dinner time in the evening, as I don’t like the idea of going to bed hungry. I haven’t noticed any increase in BP on days following fast days either.

It might be you could improve your experience of the diet by eating less early in the day and making up the balance with a slightly larger evening meal?

seagoat

2:07 pm
18 Mar 14
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Thank you all for your thoughts. I have done a careful study over the past week. I had reported high blood pressure the morning after my fast (161/91), and by the next morning it was relatively normal (116/78). Throughout the rest of the week it remained very normal every morning. Monday is my 6:1 fast day. On Monday it was at 106/77 early in the morning. I ate a light fruit breakfast. I ate gazpacho (a cold tomato and vegetable soup)for lunch, and then a more substantial chicken and vegetable dinner. By 9pm, my pressure was up to 134/78. At 11pm, I could not sleep and it had climbed to 162/88. I could not really sleep at all. It remained high all night long, and by morning dropped a bit to 149/87. Still not great.

For me, there is definitely a correlation between fast days and high blood pressure that interferes with my ability to sleep. I am still a firm believer in the 5:2 diet. It has changed my life and I am still able to loose smaller amounts each week with the 6:1 modification. I am 61 years old and have taken blood pressure meds for several years. I have been hoping that with the great weight loss, that I might be able to stop the meds. We will see. Thank you again for your thoughts.

razalaugh

1:00 pm
10 Apr 14
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I have been overweight for years and my doctor prescribed tablets to bring it under control and along with water tablets and a tablet to control high cholesterol, I regularly have blood tests and have my pressure readings taken, since being on the fast diet I attended the surgery for my treatment today and normally my blood pressure is up around 153 today it was 121 over 85 the lowest it has ever been.

Purple Vegie Eater

10:45 pm
28 Apr 14
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In the year we have been on 5:2 we have always found ourselves wide awake on fast nights. I have taken up eating 1 or 2 felafels or tiny vege patties last thing (20cal each). It has made all the difference. Also, as you consume a lot of fluid, a full bladder will wake you often. Try slightly reducing your fluid intake in the evening. Fluid retention can also raise blood pressure.
I also take blood pressure medication and was hoping to reduce/drop it, but even after losing 26kg and down to my goal weight, I still can’t. Better to take the drug and avoid a stroke, I guess. The other benefits of the diet are so great, it doesn’t phase me.

JCC

6:18 pm
13 Jul 14
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Not me I sleep like a log on fast days.

Ledzep

3:48 am
14 Jul 14
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The literature actually stipulates that fasting should bring your blood pressure down. One BP reading sounds to be unreliable but your going to have to monitor it more and keep a log. Over 140 requires medication.

nikkiwade

12:42 pm
14 Jul 14
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I had high BP, I started taking CoEnzyme Q10 (a natural molecule that adults tend to be deficient in). No side effects and blood pressure went to normal in 1 month (I took 90mg a day). Just sharing this in case it is useful, CoQ10 is really good for you in any event.

I have previously had issues sleeping after a fast. I now do not eat all day and have all my calories about 3 hours before I sleep. This works for me!