Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

2

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?

flag	asked Sep 28 at 21:38 Angela 21●1

	Perhaps inclusion of how low-carb you are? Any symptoms during the wakefulness? Racing heart? Need to pee, especially lots of clear urine? Frustrated/edgey or just alert? – Satchmo Sep 28 at 22:15
	I haven't been counting carbs, but I don't think its low since I eat lots of fruit and vegetables. For the most part I have been feeling really good. My constant hunger and blood sugar dips are blissfully gone. I have had some light headedness, but that’s the only negative symptom I’ve noticed. – Angela Sep 28 at 23:33

Renee · Answer 1 · 2012-09-29 16:59:28Z UTC

2

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

answered Sep 29 at 16:59

Renee
11.2k●1●4●42

No, actually I've never even had coconut oil. I do eat coconut flakes occasionally, but not every evening. The problem has been much better these past few days! – Angela Oct 2 at 16:25

gifford · Answer 2 · 2012-09-28 22:08:49Z UTC

0

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

answered Sep 28 at 22:08

gifford
238●6

Nili · Answer 3 · 2012-09-28 22:53:35Z UTC

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!

Good luck! Hope you get some sleep soon!

MiMintzer · Answer 4 · 2012-09-28 23:30:51Z UTC

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 will keep you up.

bj · Answer 5 · 2012-10-13 21:18:38Z UTC

0

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.

answered Oct 13 at 21:18

bj
413●6

SethBD · Answer 6 · 2013-01-29 03:04:37Z UTC

0

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..

answered Jan 29 at 3:04

SethBD
1

Sarah · Answer 7 · 2013-01-29 04:17:54Z UTC

There are a couple of things that could cause insomnia that are often associated with switching to primal/paleo:

When are you exercising? Have you started exercising closer to bed time?
Changes in alcohol use? This can have a big impact on sleep.
Any heavy lifting that might be leading to muscle tenseness, making it harder to rest?

Insomnia during Paleo Trial

7 Answers