Unable to Sleep Much--Any Advice?

[WRITE GIRL]

Since low-carbing, I have experienced everything from emotional disturbance (a withdrawal symptom) to nightmares to the inability to sleep eight hours. I tend to wake up too early in the morning.

This is particularly since I started Atkins. Any advice? I don't want to take chemical drugs but the other night, taking a Benadryl was the only way I could get a good night's sleep.

-WRITE GIRL

[RQP]

Hi Write Girl... I don't know anyone else who has experienced this but it should be noted that GENERALLY (very generally) carbs make you relax and protein gives you energy - that's why that glass of warm milk (the sugars in milk) your mom prescribes will eventually calm you down.

I can't think of anything that might help directly although you might consider not having dinner too close to bedtime - especially if dinner is heavy on the proteins.

You may want to use a free tracker like www.fitday.com to track your food intake, perhaps you are getting too FEW carbs and not realizing it?

Lastly, I was curious and so I checked.. Benadryl is full of carbs! Can you believe it? The liquid even lists sugar (they don't even try to disguise it with some +ose name) and the pills list three or four different kinds of starches, including, 'starch', as well as a number of mystery ingredients ending in ose which I suppose are some type of sugar.

Good luck, and I hope someone else here can give you some better advice...

Hugs,
Rachel
165/138/128
Haec trutina errat. (Latin for,"There is something wrong with this scale".)

[WRITE GIRL]

To describe the problem better, I have not been sleeping as DEEPLY as I like to. You know how scientists say sleep involves several levels? I wake up feeling as I've taken nothing but a really long superficial nap. It's horrible, because sleep has always been a major comfort
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Rachel:

Lastly, I was curious and so I checked.. Benadryl is full of carbs! <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Whaaat! Wow, thank you so much for checking up on that I wasn't aware that proteins could provide THAT much energy. I will try to eat dinner earlier and check the natural store for herbs that relax naturally.

-WRITE GIRL

[Terrytoons]

Dr. Schwarzbein makes an interesting point in book 2 about Serotonin and tryptophan. You need tryptophan (an amino acid) to make serotonin. When your serotonin levels are balanced, you are happier and sleep better. This is one of the reasons she doesn't recommend letting our insulin levels get so low, because it throws everything else off. Her low carb diet doesn't let you go into ketosis.

She recommends eating foods rich in tryptophan to stimulate the production of serotonin:

almonds
cottage cheese
oatmeal
peanut butter
peanuts
shellfish
soy foods (tofu, tempeh, etc)
tuna
turkey

Try increasing the amounts of the foods listed above. If you are on Atkins induction, then your best bets would be shellfish, tuna, turkey, soy foods. After induction you can add others.

Teri

[WRITE GIRL]

By gosh Teri (coincidently) I had some turkey last night and slept much better! Yeah I'm on induction, third week today and happy there. Thanks..I'm writing these down and I'll put them into practice

-WRITE GIRL

[WRITE GIRL]

Hey guys,

Funny thing is, the other night I dreamnt of eating a box full of chocolate covered cherries one by one. And that night, I slept like a baby! I woke up with that familiar, fuzzy feeling all over, instead of feeling as if I hadn't slept at all. Hmmm... that's strange. Cheated in my dream and I slept. Oh the human body!

-WRITE GIRL

[Ginger]

I read an article today that indicated that getting a moderate amount of exercise in the morning, as opposed to later in the day, improved sleep. The exercise was moderate in nature... about 45 minutes of bicycle or walking in the morning hours improved the ability to rest at night. The theory is that the lactic acid generated by by exercise later in the day, or in the evening make us more restless at night... also that exercise earlier in the day resets the circadian rhythm (internal clock) so that day time is 'active' and night is 'rest'. Sort of makes sense to me.

Ginger

Life is NOT a dress rehearsal.
159/145.5/139

[MinniePauz]

I'm a little late on this, but taking a magnesium supplement will sometimes help you get a more relaxed sleep. The calcium/mag combination is even better.

Dee
Rebel with the Pause
http://www.minniepauz.com

[darlene]

Write Girl, You are not alone! I too, have problems sleeping at night. Do not feel rested. Because of increased water consumption, I will wake up to go to the potty about 3am, and watch the clock until 5:30. I excercise every morning, eat plenty of veggies, (love the artichoke cheese squares in Atkins 3rd Edition) even modified them to make pizza crust!! Opps, sorry got off the beaten path. I started going to bed earlier, I do not have any problem falling asleep. Then I know I will get some good rest before that awful 3:00 am awakening. On New Years Eve, I was at my sisters and we stayed awake talking until 5:00 am in the morning, my eyes popped open at 7:30 am and I never did get back to sleep till that night! I love the diet, just hate the new sleeping habits! Good Luck, if you come up with some good answers, let me know, (haven't been able to drum up that chocolate covered cherry dream yum!)

Darlene, low carb since 10/03 165/150 and holding ): Would like to stop holding and get on with it!! PLEASE!!!! (: