Any Suggestions To Survive The Days Following Sleepless Nights?

[StrongMom]

Hi everyone,

I tend to suffer from insomnia. At least a few nights a week, I do not get enough sleep and as you can guess the following day I feel miserable. I try to do my best before going to bed, i.e. in terms of sugar, salt, and getting enough calories. But sometimes it just happens; that is something I haven't totally figured out. Besides, sometimes it happens because of having two toddlers at home even though I have potential to sleep well. So for those days, do you have any suggestions in terms of food, supplements, etc. to help my body?

I tend to have strong sugar cravings on those days and now that I know Peat I response to my cravings by eating sugar. What else? Any ideas?

 

[InChristAlone]

I am a stressed mom of 2 boys as well! I have had days of insomnia and just giving myself a break the next day is mandatory. Magnesium vitamin b1 lots of sugar can all help with stress. But for me I had to solve the stress reactions at night, so I am taking cyproheptadine its a antihistamine with anti serotonin qualities, it helps me sleep. Some people say it is too sedating but if you start low and build a tolerance it is manageable. I have been sleeping 3 nights in a row which was unheard of! I will keep reporting if it keeps going that way. Also low thyroid high adrenaline can cause insomnia. An Epsom salt bath can be helpful.

 

[StrongMom]

Thanks Janelle525. Yes, I know I have to solve my stress issues at night as well. How much Vitamin B1 are you taking? Also, I suppose you take magnesium at night, right? That is what I am doing, just before going to bed. I wish I have time for an epsom salt bath!

I heard about cyproheptadine and probably it would work me as I have a history of depression but I would like to hold off for a while trying other options. But please keep us posted.

 

[BobbyDukes]

Niacinamide knocks me right out in doses high enough. I think you need to take it with sufficient sugar.

Cypro is great as well, but too much can linger into the next day.

If you're really desperate, a low dose of melatonin can help a lot. It's not Peat approved, but if it helps you get to sleep, that's healthier and more beneficial to your metabolism than not sleeping. I wouldn't go above 1mg, personally.

Taurine can help sometimes, but can cause insomnia sometimes if I don't dose it correctly (dosing too early, then when it starts wearing off). Plus tolerance occurs with frequent use.

I'm pretty sure tryptophan can cause insomnia, so laying off protein late in the evening/night.

My body struggles to process large amounts of fat. I find a lower fat diet helps a lot. Eating ice cream or chocolate late at night, for me, seems to keep me awake.

Endotoxin will keep you awake like nothing else. I've learnt this the slow way. Carrot salad hasn't done much for me, but the bamboo shoots really do work. I eat it about 15.00, with salt and vinegar. So, anything that helps your gut should theoretically help with sleep (lysine, cypro).

Vitamin D helps some people.

There's probably other stuff, too.

 

[jyb]

My body struggles to process large amounts of fat. I find a lower fat diet helps a lot. Eating ice cream or chocolate late at night, for me, seems to keep me awake.

I find enough good fat at night (and during the day) is key for a good night. No protein in evenings. During a few years, some of my Peat inspired diets involved eating a whole tub of Haagen-Dasz vanilla before bed. I did it because I found it helpful, not for the taste (although I do like it a lot). Since then, I discovered that eating pure dairy cream was just as good (double cream is in large part what makes up ice cream) and I think considerably healthier (and cheaper) too, so I don't eat ice cream at all anymore. So, I conclude good fat is very useful for my sleep. I have decades of experience with quite severe insomnia (since I was born), so when something helps me I definitely notice it.

I'm very careful with supplements. Some can seriously affect sleep in ways you don't expect, even simple vitamins. However I confirm that cypro is interesting for sleep. However I feel like its more of a band-aid. In my case, the problem was solved to a larger extent by eating enough of something I needed. On this note, there seems to be good reasons to take some glycine before bed too (a few mg's are enough), according to studies. So, even though I avoid protein at night, I would make an exception for a bit of glycine or gelatin.

 

[StrongMom]

It is interesting that some people do better some do worse with fat. How do you understand that your body struggles with fat? What is the function of fat anyway? Yes, it provides energy but not the ideal source of energy, right? It slows down digestion, right? So, maybe it helps with the slower absorption of starches and prevents insulin spikes, but maybe. That is something I haven't totally figured that out.

Ice cream helps me a lot, but not all the time. Case in point: last night. I didn't get enough sleep, tossing and turning most of the night. Just before going to bed, I had a milk shake though.

Endotoxin is probably an issue for me as I am constipated all the time. Nothing seems to work, except maybe magnesium sometimes. Carrots do not work for me. I have not tried bamboo shoots but I am quite skeptical. Where do you get bamboo shoots? Do Asian stores carry them?

Melatonin is something I decided to avoid at all costs. In the past I used it a lot and maybe abused it a bit. Usually it works for a few days and then stops working. I have taken it so much for years that after reading Peat's work I made up my mind not to touch it again.

I am not sure about Niacinamide. I tried it but it does not seem to help much. Last night I took it twice, no effect.

How about Vitamin D? Does it help with sleep or is it for sleepless days?

 

[Peatri Dish]

The B vitamins, especially B1 & B6 - but make sure you get plenty of sugar with them!

 

[StrongMom]

The B vitamins, especially B1 & B6 - but make sure you get plenty of sugar with them!

B6 as well? I am a bit confused about Vitamin B6. Does it help with metabolism/energy?

 

[jaa]

Mindfulness helps me a lot. Don't shoot yourself twice by fretting over the lost sleep and how tired you feel. Just feel tired. If there's an hour or less before my alarm goes off I just bite the bullet and wake up and meditate. That provides some restfulness and lowers stress. It also makes me feel proactive.

 

[sweetpeat]

This probably goes without saying…but I’ll say it anyway, just in case. :)
I assume your toddlers are still napping. Are you able to nap when they do? I know from experience it’s tempting to try to “get things done” while they sleep. But I was always amazed at how refreshing even 15 or 20 min of just lying down and briefly nodding off can be. I was able to get more accomplished than I did if I tried to push through.

 

[StrongMom]

This probably goes without saying…but I’ll say it anyway, just in case. :)
I assume your toddlers are still napping. Are you able to nap when they do? I know from experience it’s tempting to try to “get things done” while they sleep. But I was always amazed at how refreshing even 15 or 20 min of just lying down and briefly nodding off can be. I was able to get more accomplished than I did if I tried to push through.

Thank you SweatPeat for thinking of that. I am a full-time working mom so weekdays I am in the office. Well, as for the weekends, their naptimes are the only times I can get something done...

 

[tara]

Best way for me to get to sleep early and long is to fall asleep when kids do in the evening - by the time I've lain down and read them stories and had a chat and a cuddle with them, I'm at my most relaxed. If I then get up to get stuff done before I go to bed, I'm wide awake again. Best if I've already taken my supps, brushed my teeth, turned out the lights, so I don't have to get up again. Lately I've been trying to get stuff done after they fall asleep, but it's not working as well.

 

[honeybee]

My go to before bed drink is warm sugared milk with magnesium carbonate and a bit of glycine and dash of salt. If I'm really wound up I might get back up and have a second small drink of the same.
You could also try aforum search for insomnia. lots of threads about it here.

 

[HDD]

Benadryl was what stopped my horrible insomnia. I slept so sound for the first time in years from 25 mg. I now take cyproheptadine instead, .5-1 mg. I also use Progest-e, an aspirin, a snack, and a small amount of thyroid at bedtime. Eggshell calcium also seems to help.

 

[SQu]

I've suffered from both insomnia and constipation for years. Constipation improved first but in both cases it hasn't been one thing that always does the trick - hence confusion when something works then doesn't - but overall improvement in metabolism and energy levels. I recommend working on constipation and digestion generally. And metabolism of course. Lately I've been remembering how peat says in a low energy state you can't relax, and as your energy rises you can get some rest. So it could take time. Try stuff but don't stress if no clear pattern emerges and results are inconsistent. The common underlying theme is low energy.

 

[Peatri Dish]

B6 helps with glucose control, so I reach for that when my energy is low so I can sugar up without too much insulin spike. It's also good for inflammation. A tired body is more susceptible to inflammation.

 

[StrongMom]

Thanks Sueq, that is very encouraging. Are you still suffering from insomnia and/or constipation? How long did it take for you to see some changes? I agree and have been guessing that low metabolism is the underlying issue.

 

[VanillaBean]

This might sound odd, but keeping humidity/temperature low by running the air conditioning at night helps me get a good night sleep- Even with a low body temperature. I just snuggle under the blankets but keep the air cold.

In the winter when it is cold, I sleep like a bear! I can't stand humidity or heat at night.It always keeps me awake.

 

[SQu]

It took a while, ups and downs but gradual upward trend .I still have both but milder. Much milder. With sleep I have better patches out of the blue. In one right now. Currently some chocolate mousse with cream and gelatin in it is working well at bedtime and when I wake in the night, and I think gelatin but in smaller amounts is the secret here, along with sugar and cream. And that it's not liquid. Also a clonidine - lowers adrenalin and stops the lying awake with mind racing. That's the current recipe. I'd work on lowering endotoxin so digestion, carrot, review starches , raise glycogen, lower estrogen, inflammation, all these may contribute. If your bedtime/ nighttime snack is going to help you'll know almost immediately as you feel warm and relaxed and your bed feels cuddly not hard!

 

[XPlus]

from Gelatin, stress, longevity
http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/gelatin.shtml

Although I pointed out a long time ago the antithyroid effects of excessive cysteine and tryptophan from eating only the muscle meats, and have been recommending gelatinous broth at bedtime to stop nocturnal stress, it took me many years to begin to experiment with large amounts of gelatin in my diet. Focusing on the various toxic effects of tryptophan and cysteine, I decided that using commercial gelatin, instead of broth, would be helpful for the experiment. For years I hadn't slept through a whole night without waking, and I was in the habit of having some juice or a little thyroid to help me go back to sleep. The first time I had several grams of gelatin just before bedtime, I slept without interruption for about 9 hours. I mentioned this effect to some friends, and later they told me that friends and relatives of theirs had recovered from long-standing pain problems (arthritic and rheumatic and possibly neurological) in just a few days after taking 10 or 15 grams of gelatin each day.

I take around 12gm with milk and sugar before sleep. No miracle cure but helps.
Also, I find ice cream with little honey and salt to help sometimes
The benefits of the carrot salad takes sometime to show, I believe.
It's not really after few months of eating it my digestion started getting better.