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

Can't Fall Asleep!


amber-rose

Recommended Posts

carolinelee Newbie

Hi! I'm 14 (15 on Nov. 5th!!) & I've been gluten-free for about 6 months now. I had trouble on getting all the gluten eliminated, up to about a month go. And now I have absolutely no problems now that the glutens is all out of my diet!! :D.

But I do have trouble getting to sleep...and its really frustrating. I'm homeschooled, so I can sleep in later, which is good when I have those nights when I only sleep 2 hrs.

I don't even start to get tired until about 12:30 am.! I try to read a book from 11:45-12:??. but once i close my eyes to go to sleep,,BAM, i'm wide awake again! its so frustrating. My mom had me take benadryl a couple nights in a row, just because I was like a zombie for 2 weeks, only getting about 3-4 hrs a night. But usually once I'm asleep, I'm definiteley asleep. For about the last two nights I fell asleep at about 1 am (which is REALLY good for me), & I slept for about 11 hrs! I did grow an inch in about a week! lol, & I know that can make you tired. But the problem for me is, trying to get to sleep!!

Anyone have the same problem or have any ideas for this? I dont want to get addicted to Benadryl if I take it every night. Like last night, I didnt take it & i just layed in bed til about 2 am, then I got tired of not being tired, so i took one. :unsure:

I am glad to hear that I am not imagining these symptons. my son is 5 and was diagnosed 4 yrs ago and was really very ill. we have not had a proper nights sleep since! I have tried sleep programs from the Dr , but the boy wont sleep! He can lie awake till 1 in the morning or if we manage an early night he will be awake early hours of the morning. I am really strict with his diet at home. Apart from bread the whole family eats gluten free. He also has nightmares and gets really anxious about sleeping. We just have to give him lots of love reassurance and sleep in shifts!! Hope you get some sleep soon! :lol:

  • 1 month later...

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



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



Guest keegans_mommy
Hey Grump, yes, I have had ringing in the ears for many many years. As long as I can remember. It was about 30 years before I was dianosed with celiac disease and now it is better. But the ringing continues day and night. Nothinbg stops it.

WA4MOE

I also suffer with the constant ringing. Sorry to know others have it too.

As for the sleep issues:

I have been an insomniac for YEARS!!!!! For as long as I can remember I have issues falling asleep. About a year or so ago, I started having panic attacks/palpitations and horrible anxiety at nights only. I never got the connection but when I went gluten free, they vanished! I know without a shadow of a doubt when I have accidently eaten gluten because I can't sleep that very night because of panic attacks! Funky huh?

JNBunnie1 Community Regular
I also suffer with the constant ringing. Sorry to know others have it too.

As for the sleep issues:

I have been an insomniac for YEARS!!!!! For as long as I can remember I have issues falling asleep. About a year or so ago, I started having panic attacks/palpitations and horrible anxiety at nights only. I never got the connection but when I went gluten free, they vanished! I know without a shadow of a doubt when I have accidently eaten gluten because I can't sleep that very night because of panic attacks! Funky huh?

That is the cutest avatar ever.

shimo Rookie
I have ear ringing and buzzing from "white noise" the quieter the room is the louder it is for me. I sleep with a fan on. The breeze keeps down the sweating and temp differences and the noise of it lulls me to sleep and gets rid of the ringing. T.v. helps little because I don't fall into a deep sleep-whatever is on t.v. becomes part of my dreams and I hat ewaking up to an infomercial-it pisses me off then I'm up for hours on end all mad. I have used benadryl for a long time-I learned in college from my professor that you cannot get addicted to it. It won't harm you if you use it continually as long as you follow the directions. It knocks me out until my alarm goes off-although it takes an hour or so to really wake up and sometimes I have a really bad "Benadryl hangover" where I'm tired until the afternoon. I stay on a schedule and take it around dinner time so I know when everyone else is going to bed I'll be in half pass out mode already. Ambien never worked for me and I like to feel sleepy to the point where I can't keep my eyes open any longer instead of lying there waiting to fall asleep.

Any hoo....try a fan. It does wonders!!!-Not a quiet one though-the cheap little $10 dollar ones work the best.

Haha same thing here. It's easier for me with either a fan or heater on, don't know why - probably the noise :)

  • 3 weeks later...
loraleena Contributor

Try 1-3 mg of melatonin. I take this 30 min. before bed and it knocks me out. Try and stay away from those prescription meds - lots of bad side effects. You can also take Valarien with the melatonin. I found the Natrol brand of melatonin works great!! Melatonin is a natural hormone our bodies produce for sleep and some of us are lacking in it!

loraleena Contributor

Try 1-3 mg of melatonin. I take this 30 min. before bed and it knocks me out. Try and stay away from those prescription meds - lots of bad side effects. You can also take Valarien with the melatonin. I found the Natrol brand of melatonin works great!! Melatonin is a natural hormone our bodies produce for sleep and some of us are lacking in it!

sneezydiva Apprentice
I want you to read this and REALLY think.... what if they key to falling asleep is what time we got up...not when we went to bed the night before. This is what most sleep studies have found... I had a friend with a girlfriend who was bad enough to be admitted into the national sleep disorder clinic.... and they told her basically you have to FORCE yourself up at the same time EVERYDAY...

They will refuse to treat anyone that won't do this.... and the place is incredibly hard to get into... you need a VERY persistant GP... it is massively overbooked.

I agree with this 100% I also have been having trouble sleeping since going gluten free. I used to have to sleep 11-12 hours. Really! I'd go to bed about 10:00-11:00pm and wake up about 10:00 am. After going gluten free I found myself staying up until 2:00 am and still waking up at 10:00am!

Articles I've read suggest you can graudually change your wake-up time. Every 4 days, set your alarm for 10-15 minutes earlier and head to be 10-15 earlier and eventually you'll be waking up at a decent time. I'm in the process of trying it now. I'll let you know how it goes.

Also, in addition to melatonin, plain old magnesium taken in the evening can help relax you and fall asleep. The effect is subtle, it's not like taking a sleeping pill, but it helps.


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



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



  • 1 month later...
SqueakLAG Newbie

The more I research, the more I find little problems I have that coincide with others. You don't really hear about gluten problems until you think you have one. Insomnia is a problem for me as well, but I haven't found anything that does help. I may try the melatonin.

Insomnia, osteoporosis, hypothyroid, itching on elbows and wrists, BLOATING, etc. Where does it end? Gluten sure seems to be a terrible curse from some.

mdcr Newbie
Hi! I'm 14 (15 on Nov. 5th!!) & I've been gluten-free for about 6 months now. I had trouble on getting all the gluten eliminated, up to about a month go. And now I have absolutely no problems now that the glutens is all out of my diet!! :D.

But I do have trouble getting to sleep...and its really frustrating. I'm homeschooled, so I can sleep in later, which is good when I have those nights when I only sleep 2 hrs.

I don't even start to get tired until about 12:30 am.! I try to read a book from 11:45-12:??. but once i close my eyes to go to sleep,,BAM, i'm wide awake again! its so frustrating. My mom had me take benadryl a couple nights in a row, just because I was like a zombie for 2 weeks, only getting about 3-4 hrs a night. But usually once I'm asleep, I'm definiteley asleep. For about the last two nights I fell asleep at about 1 am (which is REALLY good for me), & I slept for about 11 hrs! I did grow an inch in about a week! lol, & I know that can make you tired. But the problem for me is, trying to get to sleep!!

Anyone have the same problem or have any ideas for this? I dont want to get addicted to Benadryl if I take it every night. Like last night, I didnt take it & i just layed in bed til about 2 am, then I got tired of not being tired, so i took one. :unsure:

gfp Enthusiast
I agree with this 100% I also have been having trouble sleeping since going gluten free. I used to have to sleep 11-12 hours. Really! I'd go to bed about 10:00-11:00pm and wake up about 10:00 am. After going gluten free I found myself staying up until 2:00 am and still waking up at 10:00am!

Articles I've read suggest you can graudually change your wake-up time. Every 4 days, set your alarm for 10-15 minutes earlier and head to be 10-15 earlier and eventually you'll be waking up at a decent time. I'm in the process of trying it now. I'll let you know how it goes.

Also, in addition to melatonin, plain old magnesium taken in the evening can help relax you and fall asleep. The effect is subtle, it's not like taking a sleeping pill, but it helps.

So how is it going ....

Of course this works best for the "trouble falling asleep insomnia", less for the "waking up in the middle of the night can't get back to sleep kind".

Every 4 days, set your alarm for 10-15 minutes earlier and head to be 10-15 earlier and eventually you'll be waking up at a decent time.

I'm not sure if this is always as effective... I find the shock treatment works half because I'm so damned tired... and half because of when I got up... (well half and half is a guess)

So the 10-15 minutes is probably 'less' effective? but I'd be interested to find out because its obviously a nicer way to do it...

However my problem now is usually that the wake up times get skewed by work (I often end up working till 5-6AM or worse I'm on 24 hour callout) and then I have to really be firm...

This really sucks because I still have to be in work by 9AM... and it totally messes up my sleep patterns.

The only thing saves me at all tends to be making sure I'm still up by 9AM at weekends ...(and it can be damned hard)

  • 2 months later...
Beagle Newbie

JNBunnie1 is definitely right when she says melaton works. I have celiac disease and had a problem waking up 2-3 times a night, but I have found melatonin works great. I take 2-3 mg before I go to bed and get wonderful sleep! My husband takes the same amount, but his daughter takes 6mg, so everyone is different. It is a natural hormone & anti-oxidant (no other hormone in a persons body is both) produced in the pineal gland, located in your brain. The fact that it is also an anti-oxidant means it helps build the immune system, not just aid in sleeping. Some people produce less of this hormone than others, therefore getting less sleep. I don't know if this low production is caused by celiac/gluten intolerance problems, but I do know it helps me sleep.

My husband went without melatonin for two nights in a row and didn

  • 2 weeks later...
moonlight Rookie

Hi, my husband had sleeping problems too. he found out that when he feels like he cannot fall in asleep, he sleeps on the floor. He has a yoga mat, he puts it on the floor, and he puts a quilt on it to make it a little soft. This helped him very much. Somedays, if he eats too much fruits, he cannot fall asleep, so now he knows what to do. This might help you too. the other thing is, although you are 100% gluten free you might still be consuming too much simple carbs - you may want to re-examine your diet.

I hope this helps.

Hi! I'm 14 (15 on Nov. 5th!!) & I've been gluten-free for about 6 months now. I had trouble on getting all the gluten eliminated, up to about a month go. And now I have absolutely no problems now that the glutens is all out of my diet!! :D.

But I do have trouble getting to sleep...and its really frustrating. I'm homeschooled, so I can sleep in later, which is good when I have those nights when I only sleep 2 hrs.

I don't even start to get tired until about 12:30 am.! I try to read a book from 11:45-12:??. but once i close my eyes to go to sleep,,BAM, i'm wide awake again! its so frustrating. My mom had me take benadryl a couple nights in a row, just because I was like a zombie for 2 weeks, only getting about 3-4 hrs a night. But usually once I'm asleep, I'm definiteley asleep. For about the last two nights I fell asleep at about 1 am (which is REALLY good for me), & I slept for about 11 hrs! I did grow an inch in about a week! lol, & I know that can make you tired. But the problem for me is, trying to get to sleep!!

Anyone have the same problem or have any ideas for this? I dont want to get addicted to Benadryl if I take it every night. Like last night, I didnt take it & i just layed in bed til about 2 am, then I got tired of not being tired, so i took one. :unsure:

moonlight Rookie

Oh, also, my husband never ever tried a sleeping pill. It is difficult, but it worked -

  • 4 weeks later...
Chari Newbie

HI,

I have just joined your forum as I have so much going on I wondered if others are the same. i could write an essay !!

I have SLE, Sticky Blood(APS) Sjogrens Syndrome, Hypothyroidism, I am Glucose Intolerant on the way to being Diabetic (steroids don't help)and lots of other bits.

I have now found I am gluten intolerant awaiting blood results but I suspect they will be non conclusive as I don't carry antibodies. I had a bad fall last year which I think triggered the coeliac as Iwas in hospital (Warfarin caused a big bleed)

I feel I just about get used to one thing then something else happens. Does anybody know anything about LIchen Sclerosis as I suspect I now might have that.I have read that it is linked to COeliac, it is another auto immune disease.

I picked this thread as I have suffered insomnia since I started to be ill in 2001.Its 11.45pm as I sit here typing.

Hope to pick up some ideas and help from you all

Chari

CuriousOne Apprentice

Okay lets pretend:

you were out in the wilderness away from all artificial lighting. within a few days you would be sleeping at night... you would start feeling sleepy near sunset, and waking with the sun at sunrise!!

the light controls our hormones...

we are built for it...

so i would say, go to lowbluelight.com and order one of their lights, to flick on at the same time everynight. preferably before 9 pm... or just use a candle.

do not use any other type of light..and make sure your room is dark...

and here is the ticker!

every morning when you wake up, go outside and look in the direction of the sun for 1-2 minutes.

the earlier it is, the easier it is to look towards the sun. if its too late then just sorta look at the sky in the other direction. try to focus on letting that light energy go into your eyes.

Let me know how it works for u. i've been researching/experimenting with this stuff for so long... all the posts above are just rehashings of anything else you've find on internet.

IE people don't really know! sorry its just the truth.

Why take melatonin...you end up telling your body to stop producing its own. Plus your body can make its own if there is no "blue" spectrum of light present.

check out photoperiodeffect.com

read Lights Out

but for me the key is the sungazing. thats just me. thanks

CuriousOne Apprentice

By the way sorry if I came across harsh everyone was trying to help. And maybe you have done stuff that has truly helped you. This has been my own experience and I believe it could help so many people, since it is built on the way we actually work within the larger functioning of our world.

tarnalberry Community Regular

you can do it without getting any additional lights, just start turning off/down the lights in your own house along with the light conditions outside (or, if you're in the north like I am, maybe a little earlier ;) ). don't have a bright living room at 9pm. don't watch a bright tv at 10pm. help your body adjust. the eyes are a major input to the circadian circuit that controls our sleep patterns; use it to your advantage!

  • 4 weeks later...
Terbie Apprentice

I have similar problems too!

Does anyone know of a good brand of Melatonin to use? It seems to be the most recommended thing in all the sleep related posts.

Are their any restrictions in taking it? Should you eat with it?

I also notice lately that I've been waking up and all of my muscles are really tense, so much so that it's hard to move. I'm only 24, should that be happening yet? I'm wondering if I tense all my muscles at night so when I wake up they are hard to move. Any thoughts?

solo Newbie

I have many problems sleeping at night. Going to sleep at night is like rolling the dice for me, I never know how it will turn out, but I have used this natural sleep aid, with some sucess rate.

Open Original Shared Link

I tried over the counter medication to no avail, and tried ambien- never again. I won't go as far as to say it's dangerous, as not everyone is the same and some will suffer different side effects or none at all, but when I was on it my life was terrible, depression, suicidal thoughts, etc. I constantly felt like doing a swan dive off a real high bridge. Needless to say I flushed them all down the toilet.

  • 1 month later...
Stevs Newbie
Hey Grump, yes, I have had ringing in the ears for many many years. As long as I can remember. It was about 30 years before I was dianosed with celiac disease and now it is better. But the ringing continues day and night. Nothinbg stops it.

WA4MOE

Hey all forum readers,

I am new to this so bear with me. I have been having insomnia problems and ring of the ears also. I have not been diagnosed with Celiac but have many of the symptoms that accompany it. I know for the ringing of the ears their is an herbal medicine called Ears that has helped some. You can get it through an herbal health food store or there are a lot of catalogs out there that allow you to purchase from them. Another thought is that an ear specialist can recommend a device that is called masking something small worn in or behind the ear. It disquises the ringing and you don't hear it.

Archived

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


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,553
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Jennifer CCC
    Newest Member
    Jennifer CCC
    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

    • 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!
    • Scott Adams
      Navigating medication safety with Celiac disease can be incredibly stressful, especially when dealing with asthma and severe allergies on top of it. While I don't have personal experience with the HealthA2Z brand of cetirizine, your caution is absolutely warranted. The inactive ingredients in pills, known as excipients, are often where gluten can be hidden, and since the FDA does not require gluten-free labeling for prescription or over-the-counter drugs, the manufacturer's word is essential. The fact that you cannot get a clear answer from Allegiant Health is a significant red flag; a company that is confident its product is gluten-free will typically have a customer service protocol to answer that exact question. In situations like this, the safest course of action is to consider this product "guilty until proven innocent" and avoid it. A better alternative would be to ask your pharmacist or doctor to help you identify a major national brand of cetirizine (like Zyrtec) whose manufacturer has a verified, publicly stated gluten-free policy for that specific medication. It's not worth the risk to your health when reliable, verifiable options are almost certainly available to you. You can search this site for USA prescriptions medications, but will need to know the manufacturer/maker if there is more than one, especially if you use a generic version of the medication: To see the ingredients you will need to click on the correct version of the medication and maker in the results, then scroll down to "Ingredients and Appearance" and click it, and then look at "Inactive Ingredients," as any gluten ingredients would likely appear there, rather than in the Active Ingredients area. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/   
    • Scott Adams
      What you're describing is indeed familiar to many in the Celiac community, especially in the early stages of healing. When the intestinal villi are damaged from Celiac disease, they struggle to properly digest and absorb fats, a condition known as bile acid malabsorption. This can cause exactly the kind of cramping and spasms you're seeing, as undigested fats can irritate the sensitive gut lining. It is highly plausible that her reactions to dairy and eggs are linked to their higher fat content rather than the proteins, especially since she tolerates lean chicken breast. The great news is that for many, this does improve with time. As her gut continues to heal on a strict gluten-free diet, her ability to produce the necessary enzymes and bile to break down fats should gradually return, allowing her to slowly tolerate a wider variety of foods. It's a slow process of healing, but your careful approach of focusing on low-fat, nutrient-dense foods like seeds and avocado is providing her system the best possible environment to recover. Many people with celiac disease, especially those who are in the 0-2 year range of their recovery, have additional food intolerance issues which could be temporary. To figure this out you may need to keep a food diary and do an elimination diet over a few months. Some common food intolerance issues are dairy/casein, eggs, corn, oats, and soy. The good news is that after your gut heals (for most people who are 100% gluten-free this will take several months to two years) you may be able to slowly add some these items back into your diet after the damaged villi heal. This article may be helpful: Thank you for sharing your story—it's a valuable insight for other parents navigating similar challenges.
    • Beverage
      I had a very rough month after diagnosis. No exaggeration, lost so much inflammatory weight, I looked like a bag of bones, underneath i had been literally starving to death. I did start feeling noticeably better after a month of very strict control of my kitchen and home. What are you eating for breakfast and lunch? I ignored my doc and ate oats, yes they were gluten free, but some brands are at the higher end of gluten free. Lots of celics can eat Bob's Red Mill gluten-free oats, but not me. I can now eat them, but they have to be grown and processed according to the "purity protocol" methods. I mail order them, Montana Gluten-Free brand. A food and symptoms and activities log can be helpful in tracking down issues. You might be totally aware, but I have to mention about the risk of airborne gluten. As the doc that diagnosed me warned . . Remember eyes, ears, nose, and mouth all lead to your stomach and intestines.  Are you getting any cross contamination? Airborne gluten? Any pets eating gluten (they eat it, lick themselves, you pet them...)? Any house remodeling? We live in an older home, always fixing something. I've gotten glutened from the dust from cutting into plaster walls, possibly also plywood (glues). The suggestions by many here on vitamin supplements also really helped me. I had some lingering allergies and asthma, which are now 99% gone. I was taking Albuterol inhaler every hour just to breathe, but thiamine in form of benfotiamine kicked that down to 1-2 times a day within a few days of starting it. Also, since cutting out inflammatory seed oils (canola, sunflower, grapeseed, etc) and cooking with real olive oil, avocado oil, ghee, and coconut oil, I have noticed even greater improvement overall and haven't used the inhaler in months! It takes time to weed out everything in your life that contains gluten, and it takes awhile to heal and rebuild your health. At first it's mentally exhausting, overwhelming, even obsessive, but it gets better and second nature.
×
×
  • 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.