Hello all,

I've spent the last 2 nights trying to get some sleep and having little luck.
I did not overdo the protein, in fact I'm not sure I got the minimum amount.
They were hectic days and I was on the road and could not get my snacks.
When I got home, it was half a can of tuna and some broccoli and a little bit of cheese. It was too much to ask me to cook too! Although the day was hectic, it was not stressful, so I'm ruling stress out too.

I know Dr. S sometimes prescribes sleeping aids for those who experience this. What do you think is causing it? While I did not have my quota of carbs for dinner, I did have some at lunch, stopping to get a roasted turkey sub, and taking most of the breed off. But eating a little.

Just 2 nights of this and I'm a walking zombie.
I'd appreciate your comments.
Donna

I know I can't sleep if I don't eat enough. Even though you say your day wasn't stressful, just having hectic days can get your adrenaline levels up. Are you doing anything for relaxation or downtime? I don't remember which plan you are following, but the latest book recommends 125g carbs/day for most people on the healing plan. This is total carbs (not net carbs) but does not include carbs from non-starchy veggies.

HTH.

Jen

I'd like to know how to sleep well too since this is a huge problem for me also. I felt lousy all day yesterday having a headache and being excessively tired (as usual). I couldn't wait to get the last kid to bed so that I could go to sleep too. I layed in bed for a long time trying to fall asleep, but couldn't since my head was throbbing. Despite my sleep problems, last night was worse than usual, I have found a few things that have helped. First you said you didn't make your carb requirement. Eating carbs are important for the release of serotonin which then converts to melatonin. I usually have my best sleep success if I consume a balanced meal before bedtime. My best choice so far has been a small dish of cottage cheese, which is a slow digesting protein, and a fruit with flax oil or fish oil caps. You can also have difficulty sleeping if your blood sugar drops to low which is apparently common for those of us with the fluctuating female hormones. So making sure that you are getting balanced meals containing enough carb and enough food over the day is important. I am a big believer in getting your carbs for the second half of the day as well. I know that some people think you shouldn't eat carb later in the day because they think they won't be burning it off.

Other things I have found helpful: not looking into a computer monitor or tv after supper, avoiding bright lighting if I can, get sunshine during the day (although this is hard at this time of year where I come from), calcium/magnesium supplement before bed, and darking my room as much as possible for bedtime.

I look forward to seeing replies on how to sleep well because this is such a struggle for me too. I think alot of it is hormonally related. Back when I wasn't pregnant or breastfeeding, I noticed a problem with sleeplessness at a certain point of my cycle every month. I don't know if there is a way to overcome this or if it is just the reality of fluctuating hormone levels. It seems to me that sleep problems are also a common complaint of menopausal women.

Thank you. I do have some cal/mag supplement in the cupboard, so I'll try that. And I will try to have my quota of carbs too. I tend to leave them out because they are a big weakness and it is too easy for me to overdo them.

I should be well past menopause having had a hystorectomy 5 years ago, and I don't take HRT. I used to use progesterone cream with a small amount of soy derivative estrogen, but I only noticed a difference with one symptom and I was just as happy without the "help". Happier, in fact. So I'm guessing that any hormone swing is due to imbalance of the non-female type hormones.

Right now it is only 7 PM and I can hardly keep my eyes open, so I'm hoping that I can sleep well tonight. But I have not had supper yet.

I find that it has helped me to stay with the program to get into the mindset, "I don't have to enjoy it, it is just fuel". But that is also what makes it so easy to skip it. It is just dull and I don't care if I have it or not. Oh how I long for actual bodily cues that tell me when I'm hungry and when it is just recreation. My body is strangely silent on the subject. And my mind and emotions tell me "pizza".

For those who have been on Schwartzbein a long time, do you ever get in touch with those hunger/full signals? I sure would love to have a built-in mechanism for this.

Donna

Donna,

You just have to read the book "It's Your Ovaries, Stupid" by Dr. Elizabeth Lee Vliet. In this book she describes how estradiol (your main estrogen) is the main driver of the female metabolism and that not having it causes all sorts of health conditions. Insomnia is one of the biggest signs that you do not have enough estradiol. Estradiol is also responsible for maintaining insulin sensitivity so if you are insulin resistant you might never get well without HRT. Dr. Vliet says in this book that you can't go by symptoms; some people with almost no symptoms have major health risks and other people with lots of symptoms might not. If you are concerned with preventing heart disease and diabetes, I think you should rethink your position on taking hormones. Just make sure you take the human bioidentical stuff, not premarin and all that animal derived junk. I'm positive if you were a patient of Dr. Schwarzbein, she would have you on estrogen and progesterone.

KRST

Geez. I will take this into consideration. But, if HRT is involved, I will have to rethink this whole program. My goal is to feel better, and HRT doesn't do that for me. I've never had the synthetic type. Only the bioidentical vegetable-based ones.

About 2 years before the hysto, I read a different Dr. Lee's book about it, a man. There were lists and lists of health benefits, cardio being only one. But I don't remember metabolism being mentioned. Dr. Lee was a pioneer in getting MD's to consider natural hormone instead of synthetic. Wonder if Dr. E. Lee is related?

Anyway, I was prepared to shell out the $$ for the testing, but it has been suspended for now. Guess I'll just hang in there guessing for now.
Donna