most recent 30 from http://paleohacks.com 2013-05-24T18:08:31Z http://paleohacks.com/feeds/question/152470 http://www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/rdf http://paleohacks.com/questions/152470/insomnia-during-paleo-trial Angela 2012-09-28T21:38:03Z 2013-01-29T04:17:54Z

<p>Hello! I started a paleo trial (well, primal I guess since I’m still eating dairy) a little over a week ago and these past four nights I have had terrible insomnia. I’ve been waking up after only an hour or two of sleep and can’t get back to sleep until the wee hours of the morning. The past few nights I’ve only gotten 2-4 hours. Oddly I’m not that tired during the day, but it’s still pretty frustrating. The reason I am doing the trial is because I was curious about the health benefits that so many people have reported – more energy, better sleep, increased strength, better skin, etc, etc. However, lying awake all night doesn’t feel very healthy at all. Did anyone else experience this when they first made the switch? If so, did you eventually sleep better? </p>

http://paleohacks.com/questions/152470/insomnia-during-paleo-trial/152473#152473 gifford 2012-09-28T22:08:49Z 2012-09-28T22:08:49Z

<p>I get insomnia, but it's not because of how I eat. I'm anxious about school.</p>

http://paleohacks.com/questions/152470/insomnia-during-paleo-trial/152481#152481 Nili 2012-09-28T22:53:35Z 2012-09-28T22:53:35Z

<p>This exact thing happens to me as well in the first few days to a week of cutting out grains, sugar, etc. I have found that if I am consistant with my diet it goes away after that. If I keep "cheating" and going back and forth beween paleo and sugar/grains etc. it continues longer. Motivation to keep with it! </p> <p>Good luck! Hope you get some sleep soon! </p>

http://paleohacks.com/questions/152470/insomnia-during-paleo-trial/152488#152488 MiMintzer 2012-09-28T23:30:51Z 2012-09-28T23:30:51Z

<p>Some people sleep better with a few carbs before bedtime, and some do better with a little fat. I'm in the fat camp. You could also try magnesium citrate. It has several benefits, one of which is sleepiness. Others have soaked in epsom salts for the same benefit. Definately no coconut oil before bedtime, that <strong>will</strong> keep you up.</p>

http://paleohacks.com/questions/152470/insomnia-during-paleo-trial/152612#152612 Renee 2012-09-29T16:59:28Z 2012-09-29T16:59:28Z

<p>Just curious, are you eating coconut oil with/after dinner? That can rev your metabolism and make you feel a bit wired. </p>

http://paleohacks.com/questions/152470/insomnia-during-paleo-trial/155556#155556 bj 2012-10-13T21:18:38Z 2012-10-13T21:18:38Z

<p>Try some sweet potatoes before bed. I had the same problems with insomnia when I started paleo, but I found that consuming some safe starches before bed helped enormously. You might want to include a little fat/protein too. </p>

http://paleohacks.com/questions/152470/insomnia-during-paleo-trial/176459#176459 SethBD 2013-01-29T03:04:37Z 2013-01-29T03:04:37Z

<p>Wow, I am having the same issue and have been drinking tons of coconut water and cooking exclusively with coconut oil and milk.. Thanks for the info, hopefully now I can start getting some sleep..</p>

http://paleohacks.com/questions/152470/insomnia-during-paleo-trial/176484#176484 Sarah 2013-01-29T04:17:54Z 2013-01-29T04:17:54Z

<p>There are a couple of things that could cause insomnia that are often associated with switching to primal/paleo:</p> <ol> <li>When are you exercising? Have you started exercising closer to bed time?</li> <li>Changes in alcohol use? This can have a big impact on sleep.</li> <li>Any heavy lifting that might be leading to muscle tenseness, making it harder to rest?</li> </ol>