Trouble Falling Asleep

[Gfresh404]

I can never seem to fall asleep on my first try. I always rest for about 20 minutes and then get up and eat a decent size meal. After the meal I usually fall asleep pretty quickly. It is just getting annoying to have to keep eating something to get myself to fall asleep. I am not overweight by any means. If anything I could probably stand to gain a few pounds. I'm 6 '2, 160lbs. which is in the medium-low range scale for a normal healthy weight. This seems to happen quite often. Am I just not eating enough during the day? And that's why my body won't let me fall asleep?

I've only been gluten free for 5 months and recently just picked up some digestive enzymes. And ever since then it seems like I can never get enough food. When I do get full, which only occurs thanks to peanut butter, it doesn't last for more than a couple of hours. My energy levels never seem consistent either. Some days I feel completely healthy and on others it is just a struggle to get up in the morning.

Any Ideas?

[mushroom]

I don't want this to seem flip or sarcastic, cos it's not meant that way, but have you tried splitting up your meals and saving a small one for just before you go to bed??

[chatycady]

I can never seem to fall asleep on my first try. I always rest for about 20 minutes and then get up and eat a decent size meal. After the meal I usually fall asleep pretty quickly. It is just getting annoying to have to keep eating something to get myself to fall asleep. I am not overweight by any means. If anything I could probably stand to gain a few pounds. I'm 6 '2, 160lbs. which is in the medium-low range scale for a normal healthy weight. This seems to happen quite often. Am I just not eating enough during the day? And that's why my body won't let me fall asleep?

I've only been gluten free for 5 months and recently just picked up some digestive enzymes. And ever since then it seems like I can never get enough food. When I do get full, which only occurs thanks to peanut butter, it doesn't last for more than a couple of hours. My energy levels never seem consistent either. Some days I feel completely healthy and on others it is just a struggle to get up in the morning.

Any Ideas?

Protein. Are you eating enough protein? Calcium will help you fall asleep - eat some yogurt before bedtime. Too many carbs will keep you always hungry. I eat a big bowl of yogurt every night before I go to bed and fall asleep fast and sleep all night. I think it's calcium that solved my many sleepless nights.

[Gfresh404]

I don't want this to seem flip or sarcastic, cos it's not meant that way, but have you tried splitting up your meals and saving a small one for just before you go to bed??

Yes, it seems like even an hour or two after that meal when I wake up, I'll eat again. It's like I cannot fall asleep without something in my stomach. Perhaps I am just eating my feelings as I am under a good amount of stress being college as a freshman hundreds of miles away from home? College is also where this whole thing blew up, but I'm not so sure it's that since it is usually the same thing for being at home.

[Gfresh404]

Protein. Are you eating enough protein? Calcium will help you fall asleep - eat some yogurt before bedtime. Too many carbs will keep you always hungry. I eat a big bowl of yogurt every night before I go to bed and fall asleep fast and sleep all night. I think it's calcium that solved my many sleepless nights.

I think I am getting enough protein, I always shoot for around 50 grams of protein a day. If anything I would say I am not getting enough carbs, probably only around 100 - 125 a day.

I think the calcium is a great idea though --> Open Original Shared Link

I did notice I had no problems falling asleep when I ate only nuts which are loaded in magnesium and some are also good sources of calcium. I also get really sleepy after eating bananas and raisins which I usually eat in the morning, but that's probably the potassium? Don't all those minerals just relax the muscles, inducing sleep?

[RiceGuy]

In doing research on this and other things, I found that several nutrient deficiencies can mess up a person's sleep patterns. B vitamins (B12 in particular), magnesium, and others are vital for production of serotonin and melatonin.

Celiac tends to cause deficiencies in several nutrients, including the ones noted above. Many on this board (including myself) have found some supplements to be very helpful.

I was ravenously hungry for quite a while, until I started taking supplements. After that, things gradually improved.

[Gfresh404]

In doing research on this and other things, I found that several nutrient deficiencies can mess up a person's sleep patterns. B vitamins (B12 in particular), magnesium, and others are vital for production of serotonin and melatonin.

Celiac tends to cause deficiencies in several nutrients, including the ones noted above. Many on this board (including myself) have found some supplements to be very helpful.

I was ravenously hungry for quite a while, until I started taking supplements. After that, things gradually improved.

At first I thought this was the issue, so I took my supplements, multi-vitamin, B Complex, and Calcium everyday and still little to no improvement.

I still cannot seem to fall asleep when I want to. Could it be because before I try to go to sleep I usually have a tablespoonful of peanut butter? I have heard that fats can mess up a person's sleep cycle.