18 replies to this topic

[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