Does anyone else here fall asleep 3 - 4 hours and then be wide awake? Or is it just me?

I haven't slept well on a daily basis for more than ten years now. Part of it, I think, has to do with my family's scheduling problems. My husband works nights, my daughter goes to school, and I live somewhere between their schedules. It keeps us going, but 4 hours in a stretch is doing well, for me.

I'm an insomniac since my teens....and have a problem with restless legs and leg cramps.

If anything, I think the insomnia and restless legs has gotten better....but the cramps are the same.

Are you taking your supplements? Are you exercising? And not too close to bedtime? Are you hungry when you wake up?

Wish I could be of more help!

Cindy

I guess there can be a lot of things that affect sleep!!
Thank you both for the ideas. The funny thing is I do not do anything different from before Atkins, but I used to hit the bed and be out like a light till morning. I go to bed and am out like a light just the same, but then wake up and am wide awake and alert , makes me kinda wonder if food intake had to do with it.

Hi Edie!

Some people report a brief period of insomnia when they first start low carbing due to the increased energy. I personally haven't had a problem with this, but I've heard and read that taking a calcium/magnesium supplement before bed can help with this greatly. If you haven't had a problem with trouble sleeping in the past it will most likely clear up once your body adjusts to the new eating and energy levels.
My dad also had trouble with insomnia right after my mom passed away. I got him to try having a cup of chamomile tea about an hour before bed and it really did the trick for him.
Here are some other tips to help you get a good night's rest:

-Don't exercise in the evening hours
-Try not to watch exciting or stimulating tv programs before bed
-limit caffeine consumption after 4 pm
-develop a bedtime routine that is calming and soothing

HTH

This happened to me too the first time I went on Atkins. It gradually went away, but it took about a month for me. When I woke up I felt great- ready to start the day & bursting with energy. Unfortunately nobody else was at 2:30... I started going to bed a bit later, too.

Well I already feel better talking about this, silly as it sounds! I do take Cal-Mag-Zink pills Lisa because I started doing that years ago, when I had kids at home, (4 in High School at once!). Needed the calming effect.....tee hee........any wonder, and I just kept it up. So that's a plus. Catspaw, being alert at that hour is the main problem, as you had. I feel better then I do in the afternoon. I could try. note the key word "try" to go to bed later. I seem to fall asleep even if I want to watch a special tv show, at an early hour, but we'll see. When our children grew up (? lol), and left home we sold our large house and built a small one, so when I'm up it is a problem being quiet, so's not to wake my husband. One of the great things about the computer! Well thank you folks for sharing with me, seems to lighten the load. Don't think I could keep this up without reading other peoples experiences and advice, makes me realize I am in a group of people with similar interests, and a lot of concern with one another!

I went through a severe period of grief in my life and one of the side effects was not being able to eat. With the lack of food and calories came the lack of carbs. I researched insomnia and it said it can happen due to lack of carbs, so I started to force myself to eat something with carbs at night and I slept better immediately.

Now, I obviously wasn't on a low carb diet at the time. I did have a hard time sleeping the first week of induction, but now on my second I'm doing just fine.

If you've been locarbing for awhile and still not sleeping, perhaps eating a carb snack before bed would help. Otherwise, if it's still early in the diet, you might just try toughing it out a bit longer and see if you adjust.

That's a good idea AnnetteW, why didn't I think of that!
Being just done 2 weeks induction, I could add the 5 grams of carbs at bedtime. Think I'll give that a try. We'll see.

Hi --

Many people, especially those who are overweight, suffer from a condition known as sleep apnea. Breathing is constricted and one never attains the level of sleep necessary for a good rest. In some cases people report being awakened and not being able to go back to sleep.

This condition is potentially very harmful. Not only do we need sleep, but some people have died from sleep apnea. Now I don't mean to scare you -- I certainly don't know if you have the condition, and even if you do serious injury is very rare. But you need to know that this can be important, and you want to talk to your doctor if:

• you snore
• you have ever awoken choking or having difficulty breathing
• if you suffer from acid reflux

If the doctor thinks you may have sleep apnea s/he will prescribe a sleep study. You go into a sleep lab for a night, where they hook you into some machines and measure your sleep patterns. It's really not as bad as it sounds -- the rooms are usually very homey, etc. If you are experiecing obstructions you'll be asked to come back for titration, that is, they'll do more exact measurements to see how to set the machine (called CPAP, or continuous positive air pressure) that will help you get a restful sleep.

I used one for several years, but put it away after I lost some weight. I could probably still use it now, but a small part broke and I am not going to bother getting it replaced since I won't need the machine at all very soon. It sounds horrible but is not -- you get used the the machine right off, and after a while you miss it when it is not there!

Feel free to ask me for details, etc.
Cheers --

Since doing SP and taking my supplements of calcium/magnisium and St johns wort.
Its still not perfect..but better is good :-)
Poofie!

Well raharris I don't seem to snore, ( or my husband would be more than happy to tell me), snicker, snicker......trust me on that one! However anything like that would definitely disturb sleep, and is a valid point.
PoofieD I actually have not read about SP and can't comment on that. Is that quite different from Atkins? I'm new here and learning my way around to find things, if I can find out about it here I'll read up .Key words being "if I can find where" to find it.
It's 3 degrees here this morning with a couple of inches of snow that fell over night, so it will be a good day to be indoors on the computer.
Last night I tried 2 T. natural peanut butter before bed and I did sleep until 3:00 for a change, which was a treat. That being 7 carbs may have helped under the theory of carbs before bed. Further investagation on that front will tell.
I would like to thank everybody that has responded to my "cry for help", it is so nice to not feel on this path of LC alone. At my house I'm the one that makes the good pies and cakes and treats, and don't eat them now that I am trying this. Non of which makes my endeavor any easier. but then I get on this sight and feel strengthened and reinforced to keep plodding along.
I lost 6 lbs. on induction but for the last week or so am stalled there. Being discouraging, since I baked for days to have the Thanksgiving feast as usual at my house and forgoed all temtations, which took more fortitude than I realized I had!
I suppose stalls are common and shall keep plodding along with your help.

I too have the same problem when I am in Ketosis....I used to think it was because I was anxious to wake up and step on the scale just to see if I lost anything....but later found out it was ketosis...cant get to sleep and cant get back to sleep but when it's really time to wake up, I don't have a problem now like I used to...Don't worry...your normal...Good Luck too.

Edie

Just make sure you have something with those carbs! You should never eat carbs alone...always include a little protein and/or fat!

RAHarris:

Sleep apnea is usually charachterized by a feeling of extreme tiredness....because you're not sleeping well, you're exhausted when you wake up.....it's very rare that someone with sleep apnea wakes up refreshed and raring to go....no matter how long they've been alseep!

It is true that sleep apnea can be very dangerous....it can lead to heart trouble if left untreated....and it should be treated as soon as it's identified....but I don't think that's what this poster's problem is! Apnics' partners often complain about the snoring....it can be intense...but mostly it's that they seem to hold their breath...then gasp for air! Not all are awakened by this. Not all with sleep apnea complain about waking during the night....but just about all do complain about feeling tired, even after a "good" night's sleep! Sleep apnea can be treated with a CPAP machine (tolerance of the machine varies)....and can often be cured with surgery (although it's pretty serious surgery and is (or should be) only used as a last resort! (and often insurance doesn't cover it!)

Waking up raring to go is a pain...I didn't have a problem with low-carbing, but I went thru it with menopause....and it almost drove me nuts! I'd sleep 1-2 hours and that was it! I could have taken on the world! Until early afternoon...then I'd want nothing more than to sleep....but if I did, it was the same thing....1-2 hrs max! Since I've been on HRT I don't wake up....although insomnia is still a problem!

I woke up at 12:30 but went back to sleep at 2:30 till 5:30, so that's something !!



Thank you CindySue48, and Mjsturgl for your helpful information, and taking the time to respond.
Incidently at 59 I am off HRT now for 6 months and past menapausal symtoms, and haven't had a TOM since my mid 40's.
Just thought I'd add that.

Well I'll keep plodding along and would sure be encouraged if I could just drop even one more pound, to show it's slow but coming. I guess not regaining should be reward enough.