Sudden Insomnia After Going Gluten Free

[soulcurrent]

I've never had issues with sleep in the past (unless I was particularly stressed about something, then I might lay awake for an hour) but since going gluten free a couple of weeks ago I've been having trouble every single night. I'm having trouble getting to sleep then staying that way (but part of that is my cats who prefer my bedroom for their mischief at night) and I am feeling less rested as a result. Not that I normally feel rested after a night's sleep, even if I get a full night. I attributed that to full time work and school but I hear that celiac can be to blame also.

So what's with with insomnia now that I don't have gluten? Actually I can't say I don't have it.. I *think* I don't have it but I'm just learning that I should get a new toaster and things like that to avoid cross contamination so there could be traces but I'm making a valiant effort.

*yawn*

[ang1e0251]

Many people experience low blood sugar in the night which messes with their "sleeping clock". You may need a high protein snack before bed. Have you been extra hungry? If so, you will need some hunger killing food to sleep through the night.

[homemaker]

Many people experience low blood sugar in the night which messes with their "sleeping clock". You may need a high protein snack before bed. Have you been extra hungry? If so, you will need some hunger killing food to sleep through the night.

Wow, I have not heard of this...I too seem to wake up around 3pm feeling that sort of weak in the knees blood sugar thing...

How strange, I wonder why that is?

[soulcurrent]

Many people experience low blood sugar in the night which messes with their "sleeping clock". You may need a high protein snack before bed. Have you been extra hungry? If so, you will need some hunger killing food to sleep through the night.

I've noticed some extra hunger but nothing that's kept me up at night. I usually eat several small meals throughout the day at the advice of the nutritionist. I'll try adding something closer to bedtime.

[tmbarke]

My sleep pattern goes thru spurts.

Meaning I can go to bed, sleep about 4 hrs and then I'm up.......the longer I'm up, the more apt I am to have coffee.

If I try to go back to sleep, I just lay there with my eyes closed and mind wide awake.

I've never had the coffee issue before going gluten-free - I could go to sleep after a POT of coffee!

Now it's all different.

I am not always tired when I know I have to get sleep.....so I usually end up having a drink (mixed or wine) before bed to 'relax' me....and I've never been a lightweight on that either.

But it does the trick.

There's times that my sleep is good and then times that it is restless or limited......due to dreams or nightmares or noises.

I do notice that the sleep patterns have definitely changed.....along with my senses.

I'm guessing my hightened senses has something to do with the sleep issues.

The only time I really get tired is at work after I've eaten a lunch that was bigger than I'm used to.

Maybe there is some truth to what was said about eating and sleep.

But I'm not one to eat before bed.

It just doesn't seem normal..........but then again, I'm learning to be abnormal compared to the gluten life.

[travelthomas]

I've never had issues with sleep in the past (unless I was particularly stressed about something, then I might lay awake for an hour) but since going gluten free a couple of weeks ago I've been having trouble every single night. I'm having trouble getting to sleep then staying that way (but part of that is my cats who prefer my bedroom for their mischief at night) and I am feeling less rested as a result. Not that I normally feel rested after a night's sleep, even if I get a full night. I attributed that to full time work and school but I hear that celiac can be to blame also.

So what's with with insomnia now that I don't have gluten? Actually I can't say I don't have it.. I *think* I don't have it but I'm just learning that I should get a new toaster and things like that to avoid cross contamination so there could be traces but I'm making a valiant effort.

*yawn*

I will get insomnia with diet changes. Because I like to travel there are times when my dietary habits change pretty drastically.

Before going on a Gluten-Free diet I had read that eating a whole grain snack, and something high in calcium helps with sleep.

With my last dietary change, traveling to Texas, I used rice crackers and Tums with good success as a nighttime snack before sleep.

Because my trip to Texas was to visit with people I had been talking to for years on the internet, I did quite a bit of eating out in restaurants, plus their home cooked meals. Talk about a change in diet! None of the people I visited had Celiac Disease (around 10 destinations), but they knew to try and keep Gluten out of the meals.

[Desiree49]

I have had the same thing happen to me. I recently went gluten free and it takes me forever to fall asleep.

[Pac]

I didn't experience exactly insomnia, but after going gluten-free and every time after major glutening I got into a kind of 'hyperactive mode'. It felt as if somebody slipped a few extasy pills into my meal. I wouldn't be able to fall asleep before 1-2am and even like that I would wake up at 5am, I wouldn't feel a tiny bit tired working all day non-stop until late at night... (almost feels worth getting glutened ). It always lasted a few days/a week, then after a few lazy days I would be 'normal' again.

[lucia]

I'm going through the exact same thing. I could have written your title.

[conniebky]

I'm glad that you posted this. I am one week gluten free today and every night I turn this way, then turn that way, get up, drink some milk, lay back down, get up again.

I've never been like this my whole life. I sleep fine once I fall asleep, but it takes a long time to feel asleep.

Then, when Im trying to fall asleep, here come the jimmy legs. I get the jimmy legs awful. Have to start turning my ankles and stretching my legs. I don't know if that's what you all call it, the jimmy legs. Do you know what I mean?

[marie1107]

Same here! For years I have had either a toasts or cereal before bed. I thought it was the carbs that were making me sleepy (I was eating pretty much low carb all day). But no! I realised when I went gluten-free that it was actually the bad stuuf that was knocking me out. I have noticed how sleepy I get when I come in contact with the tiniest amount of gluten.

Since going gluten-free (2 years ago) I have tried about every trick and remedy. I good snack seems to help, I also found some natural herbal mix that is quite effective and sometimes some yoga helps. But every night I have to keep the same relaxing routine and I make sure I only go to bed when I'm quite sleepy.

I am now realising I was "using" gluten as a sleeping peel and was quite addicted...

It's frustrating at first but my now sleep (and without a doubt my health) is constantly getting better.

Hope you also find tricks that work for you.

[polarbearscooby]

After I get glutened I suffer from insane insomnia. I have to literally force myself to sit still or even go to sleep. It's like I'm a little kid again who's had way to much sugar or something I tried tylonal PM but even it doesn't help much. I'm only getting a couple hours of sleep at a time falling asleep at 4 or 5 am and waking up at 9am

[SuperMolly]

After I get glutened I suffer from insane insomnia. I have to literally force myself to sit still or even go to sleep. It's like I'm a little kid again who's had way to much sugar or something

I agree with this. I am a night person anyway, but when I get glutened I will be tired but I cannot settle down. I'll get a lot of stuff done though.

[George Knighton]

Doesn't wheat and dairy products generally make you or help you sleep better and easier before going to bed?

[Brigit]

Wow, looks like we all have the same kind of problem. Just under two weeks gluten free, and suddenly awake around 2 or 3am, can't lie on one side for more than a few moments.

Strange thing though, I'm not as tired as what I would have been if still eating gluten products and only had four hours sleep. So, besides that the tossing and turning wakes my husband, its not been too bad!

Would love a solution though. One other than sleeping tablets.

[superfob]

if you are not already doing so, you should try taking sublingual methylcobalamin (b12) everyday, make sure that all of it dissolves in your mouth (under your tongue), instead of chewing it up

i found that it definately had some positive effects on my sleep

[love2travel]

if you are not already doing so, you should try taking sublingual methylcobalamin (b12) everyday, make sure that all of it dissolves in your mouth (under your tongue), instead of chewing it up

i found that it definately had some positive effects on my sleep

How long did the B12 take to work for you? I started taking it about five weeks ago an feel no different yet. My insomnia is severe (due to an extremely painful back injury) and is only helped by prescription drugs. Wonder if B12 would help in my case??!!

[AgainstTheGrainIdaho]

THE BEST thing I could have gotten because of this same problem was Bach's Sleep Remedy Spray and Peter Gilhams Calcium/Magnesium Natural Calm. Those 2 things by night 1 knocked me out!Slept 8+ hours and wasn't graggy at all the next day. I found that I wasn't absorbing minerals well which in turn messed up A LOT of things in my body and being deficient in Cal/Mag which can be a HUGE part of relaxing my nerves and my stress which kept me up "thinking" and my brain staying awake all night it seemed.(Bach's helped with that too) Hopefully you find something that will help you. I got both of those from a Natural food/Supplement store.Good luck!

*Magnesium alone is responsible for helping in over 200 functions in the body, so if your body is lacking, it causes all sorts of chaos. Calcium is up there too!

[No.Wheat.For.Me]

Wow, looks like we all have the same kind of problem. Just under two weeks gluten free, and suddenly awake around 2 or 3am, can't lie on one side for more than a few moments.

Strange thing though, I'm not as tired as what I would have been if still eating gluten products and only had four hours sleep. So, besides that the tossing and turning wakes my husband, its not been too bad!

Would love a solution though. One other than sleeping tablets.

After I went gluten and milk free, I found I didn't need as much sleep as I did before. I think it's great!!!!

[Roda]

My 10.5 year old had been complaining he can't fall asleep for the past few nights and that he is tired after school. He is currently doing a trial of gluten free and has been completely gluten free since Monday. Not sure if it is related or not...hmm

[Kansas]

Might try elininating dairy. I always thought that dairy would be gut issues, but am finding out differently. I stopped dairy a couple weeks ago, thinking it might help another symptom, (cracking, rough skin on fingers) Have found that my sleep has greatly improved. It helped by going gluten free, but it is so much better without dairy.

[peeptoad]

I have chronic sleep-maintenance insomnia and I've been gluten-free for a little over a month now. After the first week I did notice that my insomnia (which is "normal" for me) suddenly got worse, which I think must have been related to going gluten-free. I had other gluten withdrawal symptoms as well like vertigo/ataxia and abdominal pains, which were different than the normal IBS abdominal cramps I usually get. Most of that disappeared in about a week though.

[KaraBoga]

Wow, looks like we all have the same kind of problem. Just under two weeks gluten free, and suddenly awake around 2 or 3am, can't lie on one side for more than a few moments.

Strange thing though, I'm not as tired as what I would have been if still eating gluten products and only had four hours sleep. So, besides that the tossing and turning wakes my husband, its not been too bad!

Would love a solution though. One other than sleeping tablets.

Yeah since I went gluten free I wake up very early in the morning, 3-4AM and cannot go back to sleep. Snacking before bed seems to help a little, but I am not able to sleep longer than 5-6 hours at the most and a lot of times it is less than that. I ordered B12 sub-lingual supplements, will give them a try, but I am wondering how you all have been coping with this.

[azlynn23]

Yeah since I went gluten free I wake up very early in the morning, 3-4AM and cannot go back to sleep. Snacking before bed seems to help a little, but I am not able to sleep longer than 5-6 hours at the most and a lot of times it is less than that. I ordered B12 sub-lingual supplements, will give them a try, but I am wondering how you all have been coping with this.

I have exactly the same issue, lately I've been waking up two to three times in a night where as before it was only about 5 hours in. I'm not as tired as I would have been but I hate laying in bed the last two hours of the night unable to fall back asleep. Eating also helps me a bit. And I know I shouldn't but I generally wake up and have a cigerette, sometimes I feel really shaky and need to vomit but that's usually only the first few days.

BTW My name is also Kara

[KaraBoga]

I have exactly the same issue, lately I've been waking up two to three times in a night where as before it was only about 5 hours in. I'm not as tired as I would have been but I hate laying in bed the last two hours of the night unable to fall back asleep. Eating also helps me a bit. And I know I shouldn't but I generally wake up and have a cigerette, sometimes I feel really shaky and need to vomit but that's usually only the first few days.

BTW My name is also Kara

Thank you Kara So how long have you been gluten free? What do you mean by first few days wrt feeling shaky? I guess when you first went gluten free? I have been gluten free just about couple of months and my sleep has not improved much since it started.

BTW my username is derived from two words, Kara and Boga, in English it would be Black Bull I am a new member, have been lurking for a while. When I discovered other gluten free folks are having similar sleep problems I was relieved in some way and decided to write and try to get more info.