I am having some serious sleeping problems. I don't sleep, well let me take that back, I only sleep about 4 hours a night. I get so tired in the afternoon and take a nap for about 45 minutes and then am back up.

I know some of the craziness has to do with school. However I used to take sleeping pills and then would have soda in the morning to wake up. Since I have started Atkins I have cut out soda and sleeping pills.

Do any of you know of an alternative way to get my body back to sleeping a normal schedule?

Hi Synn

Welcome!

There are alot of things that can contribute to sleeplessness. Stress, diet, weight, etc...

I used to have the same problem with sleeping. I had an endless circle of too much caffene, too much sugar, carb blast of energy, followed by carb blasts of lethargy....ugh. Weekends would result in adding a boat load of booze (I'm a dancing fool!)

To top all of this off I would agonise over all sorts of issues and stress myself out completely...

My answer: The Atkins thing has really helped because I stopped all that nonsense with the food and booze. I also have taken to going to bed at the same time every night and waking up (refreshed) at the same time - weekend or weekday. if I am a little tense I take a shower or a bath before bed and I have a little quiet time to read a magazine and listen to some nice music.

I used to love to nap, but I think that it can disrupt sleep too. I ain't a scientist, I just know that I need to go to bed tired...

I hope some of this helps....

K

HI SYNN

try and drink decafe more, and plenty of water!
I was out for the day yesterday and had two cups of coffee, I was awake half the bloody night, should have called each other for a chin wag! No seriously, it may be the fact you are a 'newbie' like me, it takes a while to adjust. I'd go along with Katy though, a good book, hot tub and warm drink! wind down slowlyyyyyyyyyyyy!
good luck
toodle-pips xx

I had the same problem for years. I'd wake up 8 to 10 times a night, almost fall asleep driving to work, and yawn all day long. My doctor suggested I work on my sleep habits.

Since I usually get up at 4:00, I was trying to get to bed by 8:00 (which doesn't leave much time for a life). He told me that for the next week, I should stay up until 10:00 no matter what (so that I would get only 6 hours of sleep). Don't get in bed, don't read in bed, don't watch TV in bed. Just stay up whatever it takes. The next week, I was to try 7 hours of sleep a night.

His theory was that I was getting TOO much sleep and being in bed way too long. He said I was never allowing my body to get down into the deep sleep it needs.

Know what? Worked like a charm! I now find that I do best with around 7 hours of sleep, that I fall right to sleep within a couple minutes, rarely wake up in the middle of the night, and I wake refreshed.

It's certainly worth a try!

I would also think that you're body is still trying to get rid of the sleeping tablets and coffee in your system - so I would do as every one suggests above and see how it goes... give it time though - how long were you on sleeping tablets?

I sleep about 5 hours a night - always I don't need any more, and I rarely sleep solid throughout the night without waking up all - Atkins does help the sleep pattern so please continue and just don't stress it and let your body sort itself out

Sarah

I have been off caffeine and sleeping pills for over a month, pretty much when I started Atkins. I quit smoking 2 weeks prior to starting Atkins.

My biggest problem is that I need to try and get a normal schedule and can't seem to. It is starting to interfere with graduate school.

Thanks for some of the ideas. I am going to try a few. If they don't work then I am just going to force myself to stay with a schedule and hope my body decides to adapt.

Being a stay at home mom to 3 little girls(the newest one 3mo old)people think that I wouldn't have any trouble falling asleep at night. But I would just lay awake for hours and in the morning I'd feel terrible. So, I switched my work out to the evenings and take a long hot bath after the kids are in bed. I try to stick to this because adults, like children, need set schedules. Hope this is helpful.

Synn: Before I started Atkins I had a terrible time with sleeping. I would wake up several times during the night and, more times than not, would not be able to get back to sleep, and of course would be exhausted the next day. Also had sinus problems and trouble with waking up much too hot. Slowly...slowly, slowly, slowly, I have gotten to the point where I am getting "healthy" sleep at night. My sinuses have completely cleared up and even if I have to get up to use the bathroom during the night, (because I drink so much water all day long, including in the evening), I am able to get back to bed and go right into a sound, deep sleep. Used to be if I woke up, that was it for the night. The problem of getting too hot at night has also cleared up. I have no way to prove this, but I think a lot of the problems were related to food allergies, given the fact that now that all the sugar, refined flour, etc. are completely out of my diet...and no processed carbage, either. I gave up my dearest friend, Diet Coke, and coffee for the first three months, but have noticed that now that I have added the coffee and occasionally one or two (as opposed to 7-8 per day) Diet Cokes back in, that I still have no problem with the sleep. And, OBTW...I see nothing wrong with a power nap if you need it. Loads of very successful executives swear by them and need them to get through long, busy, stressful days. You might just need to find where the line between a power nap and a "nightime" sleep pattern is...the purpose of a power nap is to refresh you, not to replace the good, deep restoring sleep you should have at night.


You have made several lifestyle changes in a short amount of time...quiting smoking and changing your way of eating. That has to have had a major effect on your system, along with the elimination of sleeping pills and caffeine. That last alone would take your body some time to adjust to. You will have to give your some time and I would think you will be feeling better after awhile. These are such major changes I wouldn't think you can expect results in a short amount of time. If I am wrong, trust me, someone on this board will set you straight!
Good luck!

I would try lowering the temperature in your bedroom. The body lowers it's temp in preparation for sleep and it rises again the in the morning before waking up. In a hot room, the body cannot cool. Our bedroom (basement) is about 55-60 degrees in the winter and maybe 65 in the summer. Sure saves on the heating bill too! Just pile on the blankies if necessary.

We also leave a large box fan running year round. It helps with the cooling and also provides a constant background noise.

Jaimie

*giggles*

My ac is on 74 at night and 78 during the day. It hasn't cooled off long enough to let it get cold in my apartment. Hopefully we will be getting some weather below the mid-80's soon because my electric bill is hellacious.