Jump to content
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

How Long After Being Gluten Free Did Your Sleep Improve


Guest marshlakemom

Recommended Posts

Guest marshlakemom

I am curious if any of you can remember approximately how long after being completely gluten free that you noticed an improvement in your sleep patterns.

I have been having problems with my sleep for all of my life, and although diagnosed with Celiac at the age of thirty two, didn't remain true to the diet at all times, and consequently have major sleep issues.

I have been completeley gluten free now for just over a week, and haven't noticed any improvement yet, should I be looking at a three months off???

I know this sounds nuts that I haven't been following a completely gluten free diet, but I just have tested my fate for so long now, but I think I am finally getting it into my head that I NEED TO STAY OFF GLUTEN, and just maybe my sleep and exhaustion will improve.

Thanks guys,

Deb


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



Lisa Mentor

Deb:

I am sorry that you have been had a long line of sleep problems. This has not been one of mine, but quite the opposite.

Therefore, I am not the one to answer you questions, but perhaps others will post with similar experiences.

Be patient, there are others out there. :)

Kaycee Collaborator

Deb, sorry you are not sleeping well. That was me too prior to being gluten free.

I think it took me about a month or two to see any improvement in my sleeping. To start with I was quite on edge when I first found out I had coeliac, so sleep was more of a problem at the start. But now I sleep like a log. Unless of course I have eaten something that does not agree with me, and that is usually gluten by mistake.

So Deb, it might take a while, it can be a bit like withdrawals as well, which does not help with sleep. But hang in there and I am sure you will notice an improvement in you sleep soon, and not only that but other things you probably never realised were gluten related.

Catherine

IrishKelly Contributor
I am curious if any of you can remember approximately how long after being completely gluten free that you noticed an improvement in your sleep patterns.

I have been having problems with my sleep for all of my life, and although diagnosed with Celiac at the age of thirty two, didn't remain true to the diet at all times, and consequently have major sleep issues.

I have been completeley gluten free now for just over a week, and haven't noticed any improvement yet, should I be looking at a three months off???

I know this sounds nuts that I haven't been following a completely gluten free diet, but I just have tested my fate for so long now, but I think I am finally getting it into my head that I NEED TO STAY OFF GLUTEN, and just maybe my sleep and exhaustion will improve.

Thanks guys,

Deb

It took me 4-5 months (and a Super B Complex vitamin everyday...i take nature made because they are gluten free ;) ).

jerseyangel Proficient

Sleep was something that improved for me right away after going gluten-free. I was having problems sleeping prior to that--both falling asleep and staying asleep.

Guest marshlakemom

Hi All

You guys are great, thanks for the responses, I appreciate each one. I know I'm being a "bit" optimistic by thinking my sleep should improve within a week, and I agree that our body probably does go through a bit of withdrawal once becoming completely gluten free.

I will keep you posted.

Deborah

TestyTommy Rookie

I had lots of sleep problems before going gluten-free. It took a few months til it got significantly better. I'm 8 months gluten-free and still having problems sleeping. I haven't slept through the night in over nine years, but it's getting better.

So be patient. Especially if you've been damaged for many years like a lot of us, it will take many months of being strictly gluten-free to get better.


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



marciab Enthusiast

Mine got a little better after 6 months, but it has only been in the last month that I can sleep all nite and wake up rested. So, one year for me ... marcia

elonwy Enthusiast

I used to have really bad insomnia, the "not able to fall asleep no matter how tired you actually are" kind. This started to get better after about 2-3 months on the diet. I now only get that way if I've been glutened or am really stressed out. Its really nice to know that when I'm going to bed, I'll probably be asleep soon. I fall asleep so easily now that sometimes I wake up and I've fallen asleep with the light on.

I have Sonata as a backup for emergencies, and that helps me supplement when I'm having falling asleep issues.

Elonwy

georgie Enthusiast

The day I was Glutened last week - I ended up having a nightmare that night. Is that a normal reaction ??

sspitzer5 Apprentice

I'm 1.5 years gluten-free and my sleep has improved, but not dramatically. My main problem is staying asleep. I've recently started taking time realeased melatonin and it's helping a lot.

S

  • 3 weeks later...
munchkinette Collaborator

My sleep issues are connected to other things. I sleep a lot better when I can exercise, but I never had the energy to exercise because of the anemia. I've started getting enough energy to exercise in the last 2-3 months, so that's about six months since I've gone gluten free.

par18 Apprentice

For me in the beginning there were two issues keeping me from sleeping much at all. One was I was so malnourished I could not get enough exercise to get tired. I was eating a lot of food each day with no appetite. The other more important issue was just plain "anxiety". I could not convince myself in the beginning I would recover. I would lay awake in the bed for hours and stare at the clock. It was as if I was afraid I would fall asleep and never wake up. I had to take some medication for about 6 weeks to help calm me down. Finally I started to notice some positive physical changes (gained a few pounds). When I realized I was not going to die anytime soon I relaxed and was able to give up all meds. Today everything is fine.

Tom

suzannabanana Newbie

I have had chronic sleep problems for ages. Gluten-free since March with slow improvement in various areas. My NP gave me amatryptaline recently instead of Ambien CR (have tried several meds and naturals). She says it slows down the gut and that is what I'm finding. I have averaged probably 6 out of 7 full nights of sleep since starting, where I was getting 1/7 for years and years and years.

Ellen Newbie
I'm 1.5 years gluten-free and my sleep has improved, but not dramatically. My main problem is staying asleep. I've recently started taking time realeased melatonin and it's helping a lot.

My daughter has the same problem...but she's 5.5 years old and part of that is a kid just plain fighting going to sleep! Her doctor told us the melatonin was good for getting you to sleep, but it doesn't keep you asleep. Magnesium is what keeps you asleep once you get there. He reccomended epsom salt baths twice a week to help boost her magnesium levels. That seems to have helped alot...she's sleeping through the night after 2 weeks of baths. Since she's only 5 they only do it twice a week, but I imagine an adult could take the baths more often, or even take a magnesium supplement. Hope this helps!

emi-220 Rookie

I've had sleep problems my whole life. I could never fall asleep and I was always so fatigued (though I'm not sure if the always being tired part was related to the celiac or just because I didn't get much sleep to begin with). I've only been on the gluten free diet for about a week and my sleep hasn't improved much. It sounds like it will get better though according to what everyone else has said so that's good.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,561
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    lamps
    Newest Member
    lamps
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • petitojou
      Thank you so much for sharing your experience and I found myself giggling with happiness as I read how your body reached such spring! And I hope that your current journey is also successful!! Definitely starting the food diary! So many amazing advices. And it’s very scary. It really hits all our soft spots as well as our confidence system. Most doctors I went thought I was underage despite being in my late 20s. Right now I look like am I twelve, but is also this body that’s taking so much, so I might as well love it too! Going to make the necessary changes and stay in this path. Thank you again! 🫶
    • petitojou
      Thank you so much for the information and kind message! Reading this transformed how I’ve been viewing my efforts and progress. Guess there’s still a lot to celebrate and also heal 😌  Yes, I’ve been taking it! Just recently started taking a multivitamin supplement and separated vitamin D! I also took chewable Iron polymaltose for ferritin deficiency 2 months ago but was unable to absorb any of it.  Thank you again! Hearing such gentle words from the community makes my body and heart more patient and excited for the future. 
    • ckeyser88
      I am looking for a roomie in Chicago, Denver or Nashville! 
    • Scott Adams
      Your post demonstrates the profound frustration and isolation that so many in the Celiac community feel, and I want to thank you for channeling that experience into advocacy. The medical gaslighting you endured for decades is an unacceptable and, sadly, a common story, and the fact that you now have to "school" your own GI specialist speaks volumes about the critical lack of consistent and updated education. Your idea to make Celiac Disease a reportable condition to public health authorities is a compelling and strategic one. This single action would force the system to formally acknowledge the prevalence and seriousness of the disease, creating a concrete dataset that could drive better research funding, shape medical school curricula, and validate the patient experience in a way that individual stories alone often cannot. It is an uphill battle, but contacting representatives, as you have done with Adam Gray, is exactly how change begins. By framing it as a public health necessity—a matter of patient safety and protection from misdiagnosis and neglect—you are building a powerful case. Your voice and your perseverance, forged through thirty years of struggle, are exactly what this community needs to ensure that no one else has to fight so hard just to be believed and properly cared for.
    • Scott Adams
      I had no idea there is a "Louisville" in Colorado!😉 I thought it was a typo because I always think of the Kentucky city--but good luck!
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.