I Can't Get Enough Sleep

[lizjay]

Ever since I have been diagnoised with Celiac I can't seem to get enough sleep. I used to be ok with 7 hours a night and now sometimes a 10 hour sleep is still not enough.

[tarnalberry]

Are you getting:

1) enough vitamins and minerals from the foods/supplements you are taking?

2) enough regular exercise?

3) not too much stress?

(Just a couple things that come to mind.)

[gf4life]

lizjay, how long have you been gluten free? It can take a while to heal. Once you start the diet and you start the healing process your body is using a bit more energy for healing and that could be making you more tired. Tiffany's suggestions above are also excellent. Make sure that you are giving yourself plenty of time to rest during the day and getting as much sleep as you can at night. Don't push yourself too hard. If you are tired that is your body telling you to take it easy. If it persists then I would speak to your doctor about it. They should run some tests to see if you are getting enough nutrients. If you are anemic then you might need some extra iron. There are also other deficiencies you could have that could make you tired and having the lab tests done could help you to make sure your vitamins are providing the right amounts of the things you need.

God bless,

Mariann

[KaitiUSA]

What was suggested is a good thing to look into.

Also not eating chocolate or caffeine a few hours before bed.

Calcium right before bed can relax you and help you sleep.(I used to have the same problem but most of it went away when I went gluten free)

How long have you been gluten free?

[mom]

I can sleep lots of hours if no one wakes me up. I am wondering if I am still healing or if I still more supplements. My iron is up to low normal range which is much better than it was 4 months ago. I know that I need more exercise than what I am making myself do. I take lots of supplements besides a mult vitamin. Another side issue could be menapause along with celiac if a female is at the age for this wonderful time in life. Let me know what you think? Always a joy to hear from you guys.

Mom

[cdford]

You may also want to time your exercise and vitamin regimen. Try doing them earlier in the day and only stretching prior to going to bed. The calcium is a good idea. I use it and make sure it has a good dose of magnesium in it. I also sometimes have to soak in a tub of hot water to relax my muscles, but I also have fibromyalgia.

I am not sure there is a fix for the menopausal problem aspect. Some people swear by the soy supplements, but I react to soy and cannot use them. Between the FMS, the celiac, and the menopause, I am a hopeless cause!

[mom]

cdford

I don't think that there is a miracle for menapause symptoms either. I know before the new wave of hormone treatment,soy products etc., our ancestors just had to "grin and bear it". That is kinda what I am doing, just hoping it will pass with age. I am more in to- trying to keep my nutrition up to par, as well as as my mental state(EXERCISE HELPS). Thank you so much for your response , I really appreciate all the communication than I can recieve.

Mom

[Guest usulasula]

I have sleeping problems too. I go to bed at about nine but I can't get to sleep until at least eleven. The I wake up about five am. 6 hours sleep for a 12 yr old. Have you got any suggestions??

[namnammo]

I alway fall asleep around 1 like usally and now I can't get up w/ out feeling sick past 9!

[Ashley]

I feel like that sometimes too. I have to go to bed around 9:30 and get up at 5:45 to feel right. If it's too late, then I feel absolutely miserable. Sometimes I'll let myself sleep until 6:30 if I'm real tired. I use to go on five-six hours, but I wouldn't be able to stand myself now if I did that. But, as already suggest, try to get good meals in, exercise. Also, keep a regular bed and wake up time.

[nurse diesel]

I know before the new wave of hormone treatment,soy products etc., our ancestors just had to "grin and bear it". That is kinda what I am doing, just hoping it will pass with age.

Hi, Mom.

Just my 2 cents worth on the joys of menapause...

You're right about the natural approach that seemed to work for generations and still works for other countries (the US is by far the biggest market for hormone replacement). Several years ago I began using progesterone cream, made from some type of wild yam. Check with a trusted health food store to see which brand they recommend. You just rub it on your belly or breasts (it's absorbed into the fat). The research behind this is explained in a book called "What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menapause", and I'm sorry, I can't remember the author. Hang in there!

[Canadian Karen]

Another thing to mention about being tired all the time - make sure you get your thyroid checked. That could be a symptom of hypothyroidism, which is common with celiacs......

Karen

[JBlue]

Ever since I have been diagnoised with Celiac I can't seem to get enough sleep.  I used to be ok with 7 hours a night and now sometimes a 10 hour sleep is still not enough.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have never needed much sleep (6 hours and I was fine), but once diagnosed, I seem to wake earlier all the time....4-4:30 am, cant go back to sleep...etc....cant help but wonder why?

[munchkinette]

I was about to ask this question too. I did two weeks gluten-free and felt fantastic. I was getting up early. Then I ate wheat for a week to get some blood tests. I was constantly sleeping, but that was with wheat. Now I've been gluten-free again for maybe 5 days and I'm still sleeping all the time. How do I know what is from accidental gluten and what is from healing?

The weird thing is, I'm so tired in the morning, and then I'm a total night owl after about 4-5pm. This is just the opposite of how I used to be.

[Guest gliX]

It may not have to do with celiac. Most people need 8-9 hours a night, and if you sleep 6 on one night, and 10 on the other, it will mess with your sleep patterns. Also, sleeping more than necessary can actually make you more tired, so try to sleep the same number of hours each night.

[TestyTommy]

I was about to ask this question too. I did two weeks gluten-free and felt fantastic. I was getting up early. Then I ate wheat for a week to get some blood tests. I was constantly sleeping, but that was with wheat. Now I've been gluten-free again for maybe 5 days and I'm still sleeping all the time. How do I know what is from accidental gluten and what is from healing?

The weird thing is, I'm so tired in the morning, and then I'm a total night owl after about 4-5pm. This is just the opposite of how I used to be.

I had a similar experience. I think it takes time for the gluten (or the effects of the gluten) to work its way out of your system. I went gluten-free for about 6 weeks (after a long-term low gluten diet) and was feeling much better, including sleeping better and waking up earlier. Then I went back on gluten for a week and felt miserable. I'm at about 5 weeks now and just starting to feel better. It seems to have taken longer this second time to start seeing improvements.

I also saw a change in my daily rhythm. I'd been an extreme morning person all of my life. When I got sick a few years ago, I noticed that I was sleepy all day and didn't wake up until about 3-4:00 pm. The only time of day I felt awake was from about 4-10:00 pm --- pretty much the exact opposite of my normal cycle. I think it has something to do with our cortisol production being screwed up from having a long-term chronic disease. I was definitely waking up earlier and more refreshed when I had been gluten-free for 6 weeks. I'm hoping I get back to that point again soon!

[munchkinette]

Oh good, I'm so glad to hear that this isn't totally weird. I think I'm getting sick anyway right now. (like common cold kind of sick) I have been around sick people a lot and I've been lucky until today! I think it was going into the hospital to get blood tests on Wednesday. So many sick people.

[Sarah Beth]

I sort of had a situation like that, too. Before I was diagnosed, I slept probably 10-16 hours a night if I didn't set my alarm. It was really strange for me, because as a teen I was fine with 7-8 hours (although I have always slept more than the average person, I think - I love my sleep ). I ended up having throid disease and a b-12 deficiency along with my Celiac disease, all of which cause fatigue.

After treating all of that, it started to get better, but I was still having problems waking up in the morning. I was exercising and taking my vitamins, etc. I asked my doctor and she said that vitamin deficiencies can cause depression, but also major life changes (like totally revamping your diet and isolating yourself from social activities that include food) can trigger depression. For some people, depression can cause insomnia, but for others it can cause them to sleep too much. I decided to see a therapist, and shortly I went back to being fine on 8 hours sleep. I have been able to wake up in the morning just fine. It's been great. Even now that I am pregnant, I am tired, but not as tired as I was back then.

So, anyway, if you have other symptoms of depression, it might be something worth looking into. However, if oversleeping is the only symptom (or if the symptoms are only physical), it is probably not depression. Don't let doctors tell you it is depression unless you really feel like you are depressed.

Back before I was diagnosed, my doctors didn't take me seriously and diagnosed me with depression without looking at anything else, solely based on the fact that I was oversleeping, had GI symptoms, and was losing weight. I was like, "funny, I don't feel depressed". I refused treatment and went to another doctor. It was only after then (two years after then, but nonetheless) that I was diagnosed with celiac disease, Thyroid Disease and the vitamin deficiencies. I'm so glad now that I did that. It makes me angry when I think of how much longer I would have suffered before I got a correct diagnosis if I hadn't done that.

Anyway, sorry this is so long.

-Sarah

[Lillyth]

Wow.

I always thought my sleeping problems and fatigue were "just me". Although it sucks that ya'll have been experiencing sleep problems, it does make me feel a bit better that it's not "just me".

I was so shocked to see the sleep forum. I had no idea...

Lil