Protein Rich Food After Sunset Induces Insomnia?

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If tyrosine is converted to adrenaline in absence of daylight does it mean protein rich food should be avoided after 2pm to get better sleep? Im desperately trying to solve my treatment resistant insomnia.
 

nwo2012

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Depends what time you go to bed. Definitely the pre-bed meal should be high sugar, moderate fat and low protein. A little salt helps too. Make the RP ice cream recipe, chase 1/4 tsp salt with tbsp gelatin powder in OJ.
 

Birdie

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Ray Peat advises a salty snack at bedtime. Heavier protein earlier in the day. Not in the evening.

For bedtime, Ive seen him recommend a little ice cream, tortilla chips, and I think a small milk drink. “A salty snack” he says.

I had milky coffee with sugar for a few years. Then ice cream with salt at times. Sometimes a little cheese.

At the moment, I’m having the ice cream around dinner time and having some melon and a pinch of salt at bedtime.
I’m careful to follow his advice about eating something easily digestible and low protein in the evening. I sleep better that way.
 
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methylenewhite
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Since posting this thread I don't eat protein rich food after 5pm and it does improve my chances to fall asleep.
 

jzeno

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@methylenwhite

Seems like you found a work around. This is what worked for me.

I used to suffer from protein-induce insomnia if I ate protein 'after hours' (dinner) before I began with Ray Peat's suggestions.

Once I started getting all my minerals, etc. from OJ (magnesium, potassium, etc.), then I found this problem to go away. I also reduced the amount of meat I would eat in a meal to 2 oz of beef muscle and 2 oz beef liver (4 oz total) at the most in the evening and it does not cause any insomnia whatsoever in me anymore. Before I would just eat a steak to "get all the protein in one big meal" and it would always wire me like crazy. Non-stop, eye opening brrrrrrrrrrrr-like energy running through my head. Very exhausting!

I think it was stress hormones running on high. I changed my diet to my current one and current stack and just focused on eating a more reasonable amount of beef and now I have no issues at all with late night (8:00 PM) beef with dinner with a bedtime of 10:30 PM or later (depending on activity, plans for tomorrow, etc.)

This might help you out, should you choose to want to try meat in the evening again.

All the best.
 

Mauritio

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try some vitamin a retinyl acetate 30 mins before bed. helps alot for me even when ice cream snacks and stuff like that doesnt help at all...
 

Lilac

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Lately, I have eaten cheese and drunk milk at bedtime, and neither of those protein sources seems to be a problem.

But I will never forget, on vacation, eating a large steak dinner around 6 p.m. and being in great discomfort trying to digest it as I lay in bed. So, yeah, no meat for me after 4 p.m.
 
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try some vitamin a retinyl acetate 30 mins before bed. helps alot for me even when ice cream snacks and stuff like that doesnt help at all...

This strategy is surprisingly effective. I tend to take D and A in a ratio of 2:1 (not evidence based), and at 10k IU A the D is more dopaminergic than the A is sleep-inducing. At 40k A with dinner, despite double the IUs of D, I find myself off to bed early.

But good luck convincing any DSG (Disciples of Saint Genereux) to use kryptonite as a sleep aid :D
 

Mauritio

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This strategy is surprisingly effective. I tend to take D and A in a ratio of 2:1 (not evidence based), and at 10k IU A the D is more dopaminergic than the A is sleep-inducing. At 40k A with dinner, despite double the IUs of D, I find myself off to bed early.

But good luck convincing any DSG (Disciples of Saint Genereux) to use kryptonite as a sleep aid :D
Yeah I literally get symptoms from not taking Vitamin A ,if I take my usual amounts of Vitamin D and K ...Soo yeah still not sure about that whole thing it seems to good to be true (cure all) ,but whatever ...
Do you find Vit A better taken orally or topcially ? Empty stomach or full ?
 
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methylenewhite
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What are the causes of your better sleep?
Not eating meat after noon?

Im working on some theory and as far as I see it works. Will post on forum here about it later as I develop and test it further.

I do it protein after sunset. Not eating protein to prevent undesirable conversion helps but it's not a culprit for sure. It's only one more stressor in already disfuncioning system.
 
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I think in general topical is safer, but I've only ever applied Thorne MK4 topically (on my wrist veins and veins on the other side of my elbows). Daily oral Thorne at 1-12 drops gives me headaches; topical, no side effect.

A I take tablets crushed in coconut oil always with a large meal, always with double the IUs of D, and typically once in 3-4 weeks (on average, but more frequently in winter than summer).

This winter I may experiment with zero A and zero D to see if either are essential for me. Since reading Travis' posts, I want to avoid A during months that I will be drinking alcohol.
 

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