disrupted sleep pattern

chutatip_t · 09-07-2004, 02:47 AM

Hi,

Since i started this WOE, i have problems getting a restful sleep at night. Some nights i can't go to bed until 4 am in the morning. I feel very active.... For the night that i can go to bed within normal time ( 10 pm), i woke up many times in the night.

Any explanation why this happens and what i can do about it?

thanks,

susies1955 · 09-07-2004, 04:26 AM

I know for me since I starting low carbing I have been only getting about five hours of sleep. I normally go to bed between 9 and 10pm and I'm up and going anywhere from 2:30 to 3:30am.

Susie

curves730 · 09-07-2004, 06:54 AM

I know, I am up usually until at least 2:00. The only problem with that is that I want to sleep during the day.

Atkins_Nutritionist · 09-07-2004, 12:06 PM

This may be hormone related. Have you spoken with your doctor?

There are supplements you can take to help you relax, melatonin, Inositol...You should speak with a doctor about these before you start using any supplement.

wingwang666 · 09-17-2004, 04:56 PM

Let me tell you about my experiences with insomnia!

Mine was mostly due to job stress. I saw a Dr. about it, hoping to get a sleep aid, such as Ambien. He wrote me a prescription for Desyrel, an antidepressant because my insomnia had "lasted longer than 2 weeks".
I didn't really give it time to kick in, one of the side effects is it can give you stuffy sinuses. I can't sleep if I can't breathe! Plus, taking chemicals to alter natural brain chemicals makes me a little nervous. And I did some research on Ambien and it can have some scary side effects when you try to stop taking it.

What'd I do? Well, I checked out several herbal remedies. I had taken melatonin before....sometimes it works beautifully, sometimes I get weird, disturbing dreams.

But I read about some different supplements on the 'Net. I don't work for any of these companies, I've just tried a lot of different stuff:

There's a supplement called Calms Forte', I have seen this in the vitamin section of bigger grocery stores and you can get it online at places like drugstore.com. It worked for me several years ago, but I tried it again a few years ago and it didn't work. I still think it's excellent, I just may have needed a different mix of the ingredients.

From time to time in the past, I have taken valerian. Very stinky smells like a wet, stinky dog. Lately however, just plain valerian no longer works for me. A clerk at Whole Foods told me just the other day that valerian is a bit closer to "muscle relaxant" than "mental relaxant". To me, that means if you're a bit sore from physical labor and are having a hard time sleeping because you can't get comfortable, I'd try just the valerian.

I had also tried taking 5-HTP once a few years ago. Supposed to be for good mood, right? Made me very short-tempered and I am a pleasant person normally! Again, a couple of weeks ago, I was talking to the Whole Foods clerk about this and she indicated that 5-HTP works better on stress and tension that is more "hormone related". Hm, ok. I'm 38 and I don't think I've hit peri- or menopause yet so that makes sense.

I have also tried Serenite and MindSoothe made by Native Remedies. I ordered those right after I decided I wasn't going to take the antidepressants and they worked really well. Native Remedies is online at nativeremedies.com.

After that, I tried the health food store again for some similar ingredients to the Serenite and MindSoothe. I am currently using a few different things, they may all be working or it may be one or two of them------
I am using white chestnut by Bach Flower remedies. You can find out about these flower remedies if you search the internet for "bach flower remedies". I have seen these in lots of health food stores and I'm sure you could find them online. Here's what it says on the bottle:
"encourages a peaceful and calm mind when thoughts and worries go round and round in your head.' See? That's the problem, I can't shut my mind up.
It's a liquid and I use a few drops in a big glass of water or decaf tea when I get home from work.

I am also using something by Solaray called Total Calm. Contains L-theanine and magnolia bark and philodendron bark. Seems to help me relax. I didn't realize I had a "bark deficiency".

Finally, I am also using Sound Sleep by Gaia Herbs, I got a 5-day trial size at the health food store a couple of months ago and have been buying it ever since. It's around $20 at the local Whole Foods but springvalleyherbs.com has it for around $14. I ordered a couple of bottles last week to make it worth it to have it shipped rather than driving over to Whole Foods. Gaia Herbs has a couple of other formulas for stress, too.

But I feel that I need something for mental stress to help me relax when I get home from work, then I need something else to help me sleep and STAY asleep. The above combo of white chestnut, Total Calm and Sound Sleep is working for now.

WOW, I rambled. But insomnia is just not cool and I know herbals and "natural" supplements are not regulated but I feel a little better taking something "natural".

Also, if you check out some of these supplements, you may see a warning about kava kava, which is an ingredient in MindSoothe, Serenite, & Sound Sleep. It helps with relaxation but in high doses, it is supposedly bad for the liver. I asked my friendly neighborhood Whole Foods clerk about that and she said that warning had to be posted on products containing kava kava because some people were practically OD-ing on pure kava kava because it made them kind of "high", like from muscle relaxants or Valium or something, and they hurt their livers.

So, just so ya know, if you use a little kava kava as a sleep/relaxation aid, that's one thing but don't go nuts.

You may have to try several things before you find one that works. Good old chamomile tea has worked for me in the past, too. Also, people have recommened extra magnesium right before bed.

Exercise has worked in the past for me. But lately, it winds me up too much for the whole day, particulary since starting lower carbs.

SO I think different things will work for different people and at different times in thier lives. So do some research, try to get some samples from your local HFS.

wingwang666 · 09-17-2004, 05:00 PM

Almost forgot:
centerfornaturalhealing.com has Gaia Herbs products in trial sizes for $4.99. I don't work for them either. I just like their stuff.

09-07-2004, 02:47 AM	#1
chutatip_t Senior LCF Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 132 Gallery: chutatip_t Stats: 5", 110/103/95 WOE: Atkins Start Date: December 2003	disrupted sleep pattern Hi, Since i started this WOE, i have problems getting a restful sleep at night. Some nights i can't go to bed until 4 am in the morning. I feel very active.... For the night that i can go to bed within normal time ( 10 pm), i woke up many times in the night. Any explanation why this happens and what i can do about it? thanks,

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09-07-2004, 04:26 AM	#2
susies1955 Senior LCF Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 366 Gallery: susies1955	I know for me since I starting low carbing I have been only getting about five hours of sleep. I normally go to bed between 9 and 10pm and I'm up and going anywhere from 2:30 to 3:30am. Susie

09-07-2004, 06:54 AM	#3
curves730 Senior LCF Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: TN Posts: 64 Gallery: curves730 Stats: 290/264/170 WOE: Atkins Start Date: 09-24-03	I know, I am up usually until at least 2:00. The only problem with that is that I want to sleep during the day.

09-07-2004, 12:06 PM	#4
Atkins_Nutritionist Nutritionist Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Atkins Health and Medical Information Services Posts: 684 Gallery: Atkins_Nutritionist	This may be hormone related. Have you spoken with your doctor? There are supplements you can take to help you relax, melatonin, Inositol...You should speak with a doctor about these before you start using any supplement.

09-17-2004, 04:56 PM	#5
wingwang666 Junior LCF Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 29 Gallery: wingwang666	Let me tell you about my experiences with insomnia! Mine was mostly due to job stress. I saw a Dr. about it, hoping to get a sleep aid, such as Ambien. He wrote me a prescription for Desyrel, an antidepressant because my insomnia had "lasted longer than 2 weeks". I didn't really give it time to kick in, one of the side effects is it can give you stuffy sinuses. I can't sleep if I can't breathe! Plus, taking chemicals to alter natural brain chemicals makes me a little nervous. And I did some research on Ambien and it can have some scary side effects when you try to stop taking it. What'd I do? Well, I checked out several herbal remedies. I had taken melatonin before....sometimes it works beautifully, sometimes I get weird, disturbing dreams. But I read about some different supplements on the 'Net. I don't work for any of these companies, I've just tried a lot of different stuff: There's a supplement called Calms Forte', I have seen this in the vitamin section of bigger grocery stores and you can get it online at places like drugstore.com. It worked for me several years ago, but I tried it again a few years ago and it didn't work. I still think it's excellent, I just may have needed a different mix of the ingredients. From time to time in the past, I have taken valerian. Very stinky smells like a wet, stinky dog. Lately however, just plain valerian no longer works for me. A clerk at Whole Foods told me just the other day that valerian is a bit closer to "muscle relaxant" than "mental relaxant". To me, that means if you're a bit sore from physical labor and are having a hard time sleeping because you can't get comfortable, I'd try just the valerian. I had also tried taking 5-HTP once a few years ago. Supposed to be for good mood, right? Made me very short-tempered and I am a pleasant person normally! Again, a couple of weeks ago, I was talking to the Whole Foods clerk about this and she indicated that 5-HTP works better on stress and tension that is more "hormone related". Hm, ok. I'm 38 and I don't think I've hit peri- or menopause yet so that makes sense. I have also tried Serenite and MindSoothe made by Native Remedies. I ordered those right after I decided I wasn't going to take the antidepressants and they worked really well. Native Remedies is online at nativeremedies.com. After that, I tried the health food store again for some similar ingredients to the Serenite and MindSoothe. I am currently using a few different things, they may all be working or it may be one or two of them------ I am using white chestnut by Bach Flower remedies. You can find out about these flower remedies if you search the internet for "bach flower remedies". I have seen these in lots of health food stores and I'm sure you could find them online. Here's what it says on the bottle: "encourages a peaceful and calm mind when thoughts and worries go round and round in your head.' See? That's the problem, I can't shut my mind up. It's a liquid and I use a few drops in a big glass of water or decaf tea when I get home from work. I am also using something by Solaray called Total Calm. Contains L-theanine and magnolia bark and philodendron bark. Seems to help me relax. I didn't realize I had a "bark deficiency". Finally, I am also using Sound Sleep by Gaia Herbs, I got a 5-day trial size at the health food store a couple of months ago and have been buying it ever since. It's around $20 at the local Whole Foods but springvalleyherbs.com has it for around $14. I ordered a couple of bottles last week to make it worth it to have it shipped rather than driving over to Whole Foods. Gaia Herbs has a couple of other formulas for stress, too. But I feel that I need something for mental stress to help me relax when I get home from work, then I need something else to help me sleep and STAY asleep. The above combo of white chestnut, Total Calm and Sound Sleep is working for now. WOW, I rambled. But insomnia is just not cool and I know herbals and "natural" supplements are not regulated but I feel a little better taking something "natural". Also, if you check out some of these supplements, you may see a warning about kava kava, which is an ingredient in MindSoothe, Serenite, & Sound Sleep. It helps with relaxation but in high doses, it is supposedly bad for the liver. I asked my friendly neighborhood Whole Foods clerk about that and she said that warning had to be posted on products containing kava kava because some people were practically OD-ing on pure kava kava because it made them kind of "high", like from muscle relaxants or Valium or something, and they hurt their livers. So, just so ya know, if you use a little kava kava as a sleep/relaxation aid, that's one thing but don't go nuts. You may have to try several things before you find one that works. Good old chamomile tea has worked for me in the past, too. Also, people have recommened extra magnesium right before bed. Exercise has worked in the past for me. But lately, it winds me up too much for the whole day, particulary since starting lower carbs. SO I think different things will work for different people and at different times in thier lives. So do some research, try to get some samples from your local HFS.

09-17-2004, 05:00 PM	#6
wingwang666 Junior LCF Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 29 Gallery: wingwang666	Almost forgot: centerfornaturalhealing.com has Gaia Herbs products in trial sizes for $4.99. I don't work for them either. I just like their stuff.