Anyone Recover From Chronic Insomnia After Going gluten-free?

[Merre]

Hi, I'm new here. Had something I wanted to post but saw this one on the way. I have not yet been diagnosed, but think this has been my problem for the past 10 years. (It's a long story; I'll spare you.) Anyway, after my daughter was worked up for the disease and I did a little research on it, I saw all of my symptoms on the descriptions for celiac disease. It blew me away! I've avoided gluten for about a month now, and the first thing I noticed was that I could actually sleep past 3 a.m. I used to wake up then and be wide awake until about 5 a.m. It was really hard on me since I had to go to work. Now, I usually sleep past, but if I do awaken, I fall asleep easily. The second thing that I saw disappear after going gluten free was my joint pains. I know I shouldn't have gone gluten free without getting tested first, but after going through years of testing for everything else under the sun, I just decided to take matters into my own hands as the cure was within my own reach.

[alwaysafter8]

I had insomnia my whole life until going gluten-free. I had accepted it for the most part & lived on a 'night owl' schedule, sleeping in until 3pm. Before I cut gluten I was taking 5HTP, & that helped a lot get my sleep back on schedule. Cutting gluten helped the rest of the way; now I have a normal sleep schedule! Now, if I have gluten on accident I can always tell because it messed up my sleep; I sleep forever (okay, 12+hours) & still wake up tired.

[Dnnysm]

I can never get to sleep. I avoid it until its super late and unfortunately work at 6am so rarely get more than 4-5 hrs. I can fall asleep like its my job during the day however since I'm always running on fumes. I'm still in the pre -dx stages but am certain this is my issue. Once I'm given the go ahead for gluten free Iiving I'm hoping I feel a difference sooner rather than later and maybe even try b12!

[amahones]

I have had insomnia and vivid dreams and nightmares my entire life. I've only been gluten-free for about a month now and this is actually the biggest change I've noticed... I now sleep through the night, even without taking medication. If I do wake up, I fall back asleep quickly, and I no longer remember my dreams.

[WhoKnew]

Great thread, running for over 2 years, obviously a popular topic and a common question, about whether poor sleep improves after DX and going Gluten Free. I wonder how the original poster is doing?

My experience... My sleep was absolutely terrible for years. At the same time I was diagnosed with celiac, I had blood tests for vitamin D3 levels. I was chronically low, which apparently is not unusual in Celiacs, due in large part to malabsorption.

Now I take 8000 units of D3 at bedtime, and sleep like a baby. This may sound like a high-dose, but I have my blood levels checked every three months to make sure I'm in the normal range. I have read that D3 can be very helpful with sleep, if taken at bedtime. I'm certainly way too perky without it!

[foam]

B12 will cure insomnia 100%, that's the cure job done game over etc. If you can't sleep you need B12 injections. The reason people with gluten intolerance can't sleep is because we have compromised intestines and can't absorb nutrients very well and the one that causes insomnia is one of them (and that's B12) get the injections, seriously that is that answer.

[foam]

P.S. that's how I gauge my time interval for b12 shots, as soon as I start staying awake much past midnight I get a shot, even if my levels are 900.Take the shot and I got to sleep before midnight like a a baby for the next several months

[Dejibo]

I have not read all of the responses (im sorry) but wanted to say that I have been completely grain free for over a month now and I am amazed at how much deeper I am sleeping. I really needed the rest.

[AlwaysLearning]

Totally had insomnia when gluten was heavy in my diet. Totally went away right away when going gluten free.

[happycamper]

Hello everyone, I am newly diagnosed with a biopsy of celiac sprue. I am so grateful for all your posts these past weeks as I began the adjustment process to a gluten-free lifestyle. I also have huge issues with insomnia. I have heard this may be related to anemia which is known to cause insomnia, I am lucky to sleep 6 hours and then I still feel awfull, after staying awake till usually 3am feeling stress and pain.

I have hypothyroid, anemia, asthma, constipation, early menopause, symptoms of arthritis which are easing since going gluten-free, wild mood swings and mostly depression..... which I am hanging tough through since I figure it will eventually pass, three years now like this and I've never experienced anything so awful.

I mostly take valerian with some hot tea before bedtime and melatonin right as I'm climbing into bed and then shut off the light and hope I sleep .

Hope this helps, valerian is not addictive and you can adjust the amount you take depending on how it affects you. Also it wears off better than benadryl.

[Kerri Krause]

I have been gluten free about a year and a half.  I noticed better sleep after only a week or so, but I may not have been eating much wheat prior to that for a while anyways.  When I'm diligent, I sleep like a baby, but every once in a while something sneaks up on me.  Tonight is was Johnny's seasoning salt, my husband used on the pork chops, apparently contains soy sauce powder....ugh!  My stomach hurts and I know what's coming with sleep for the next two days. 

 

Has anyone found any enzyme supplements that can be taken after the crime to help with at least the stomach upset?  Does it help with sleep afterward?

 

I'm going to try the B12's as well, but really intrigued by the enzyme idea....thanks in advance if anyone has any comment on that.

[foam]

The best thing I found to cure insomnia is vitamin B12. It makes total sense too, because B12 is vital for the production of serotonin and melatonin, amongst other things. These are critical for regulation of sleep/wake cycles, mood, energy production, and lots more. Also, those with Celiac Disease are very often deficient in B12, so there again it makes sense. I find I sleep quite well now, especially if I take the B12 about 30 minutes or so before I go to bed. The one I prefer is a 5mg methylcobalamin sublingual tablet made by Source Naturals.

Other nutrients are also helpful with sleep. For instance, magnesium is known as the calming mineral. And interestingly, people with Celiac Disease often have a deficiency of magnesium too. A co-enzyme B-complex can also be very helpful, as can a multivitamin/mineral, so I'd suggest these as well.

 

I agree. For me B12 injections CURE insomnia.

[foam]

I have been gluten free about a year and a half.  I noticed better sleep after only a week or so, but I may not have been eating much wheat prior to that for a while anyways.  When I'm diligent, I sleep like a baby, but every once in a while something sneaks up on me.  Tonight is was Johnny's seasoning salt, my husband used on the pork chops, apparently contains soy sauce powder....ugh!  My stomach hurts and I know what's coming with sleep for the next two days. 

 

Has anyone found any enzyme supplements that can be taken after the crime to help with at least the stomach upset?  Does it help with sleep afterward?

 

I'm going to try the B12's as well, but really intrigued by the enzyme idea....thanks in advance if anyone has any comment on that.

 

.You might want to try the allergen test I did the other day, mix some bakers yeast with some water in a cup and drink it. If you get a sore stomach it will explain the soy sauce and a lot of other things (Like an auto immune cycle due to Candida antibodies).

[wartburg03]

My blood sugar went crazy after I went gluten free, and I was waking up every few hours due to that. I would keep a piece of fruit by my bed to eat and then I could fall back asleep. Going on a sugar control diet for a couple of months got my body back to regulating my sugar normally and my sleep is much better now.

[CeeLeighacLady]

I wonder why so many people who can't have gluten have insomnia. My daughter has had severe debilitating insomnia for about 20 months. We have gone to so many specialists and no one has been able to help her. She went gluten free in October after finding out that she tested positive through Enterolab. We still haven't seen any improvement. She is on several supplements (B12, B6, zinc, b complex to name a few) and nothing is helping her.

It is so bad that I had to pull her out of school last fall and have been teaching her at home. It is even difficult for her to learn at home. She can never fall asleep before 3:00 and often not until 4 or 5. Then she wakes up pretty much every hour and can't get back to sleep. I let her stay in bed until 10:00 but she still isn't getting very much sleep. It is so difficult for her to get through the day.

Any more suggestions?

 

 

I am newly diagnosed. I suspect my daughter has it too. Her labs were normal, but she has other symptoms. Her upper endo is in January. Your daughter's sleep pattern sounds just like hers! Up every hour. They have done all kinds of testing and found nothing.

[love2travel]

I have been gluten free for 2.5 years and unfortunately my chronic debilitating insomnia has not improved whatsoever. :-(

[GF Lover]

I still have Insomnia also.  I take medication to get about 4 hours every night.

 

Colleen

[foam]

I'm still taking B12 shots. I just go and get one when I start waking up during the night or not falling asleep before 2am or so. That's still how I schedule the shots we don't even bother measuring the levels any more. I need one on average every three months to fall asleep properly. Vitamin D does similar things to B12, best to take both. About 7,000 IU of D3 a day is good.

[love2travel]

I can relate.  Sleep is so rare for me that when I actually do, it is like a miracle, like last night.  I would give almost anything to be able to sleep normally.  Didn't fall asleep during sleep study whatsoever.  Many nights drag on and on and on because I literally do not fall asleep.  However, I do take a rx drug once a week otherwise I could not stand it. 

[Lizzo]

My insomnia got way better after removing gluten, but I still have a pretty hard time falling asleep. Some nights I will be EXHAUSTED, but I just can't get my head to calm down and I find myself staying up two or three hours later than I wanted. I used to take ambien every once in a while, but then I found out that it is really really bad for you! I had crazy withdraws. My mom got me this all-natural blend that works like gangbusters though. It's got valerian and hops and melatonin and a bunch of other natural crap in it that are supposed to help you sleep really well. I can never remember what it's called though, so I always have to have her get it for me LOL. 

 

MAN I wish I could remember the name, because it's really really good! I will have to ask her this weekend.

[greenbeanie]

I had horrible chronic insomnia for 20 years that HUGELY improved within two weeks of going gluten free. I'd been to many doctors about it, had a sleep study, tried prescription medications as well as herbal supplements, and basically tried everything else that anyone suggested to me. Nothing helped. It was so miserable and I could barely function. The sleep study found that I had a very few deep sleep waves even when I did fall asleep, but they couldn't figure out why. For lack of other explanations, they kept insisting that I must be having too much caffeine or alcohol that was keeping me awake - even when I'd had none whatsoever for months and had never been more than a light coffee of alcohol drinker anyhow! But the improvement after going gluten free was rapid, and now I have the occasional rough night, but it's nothing like it was before. My celiac tests were negative and I still don't have a clear diagnosis, so it's not entirely clear why being gluten free has had such a tremendous difference to my health in so many ways. But the sleep issue alone would be enough to keep me far away from gluten even if that were the only benefit. Finally having a cure for the chronic insomnia was life-changing. I hope that others suffering from this get relief soon.

[Serielda]

Hello Carrieanna76,

I can empathize quite well, plus in my situation I work a 3rd shift overnight so daytime sleeping has become even more interesting.  There are times here that I feel getting a good day's(feels weird saying things in that order) can be a bit daunting when people are out and a bout making a bit of noise.  Does anyone here know of any bubble bath's or such that help calm and encourage sleep that is gluten-free.  I know for myself recently being  dx'd and all the changes going on for me may have something to do with things. 

 

Serielda

 

hi, i'm new to the forum. i was recently diagnosed with gluten sensitivity and i have been gluten free for about three weeks now. i discovered i was gluten sensitive after going to my naturopath for chronic insomnia, which i've had for the past seven years. as of now, i can see no improvement in my sleep and am worried that gluten is not the cause of my insomnia...

so i'm just wondering if any of you suffered from chronic insomnia before going gluten-free, if going gluten-free cured the insomnia and if so, how long did it take after going gluten-free before you got sleep?

thanks so much! i've really enjoyed this site and look forward to hearing from other gluten intolerants.

carrie

[GF Lover]

Hello Carrieanna76,

I can empathize quite well, plus in my situation I work a 3rd shift overnight so daytime sleeping has become even more interesting.  There are times here that I feel getting a good day's(feels weird saying things in that order) can be a bit daunting when people are out and a bout making a bit of noise.  Does anyone here know of any bubble bath's or such that help calm and encourage sleep that is gluten-free.  I know for myself recently being  dx'd and all the changes going on for me may have something to do with things. 

 

Serielda

 

 

Hi Serielda and Welcome to the Forum.

 

The member you replied to is no longer active on the forum so you may not get a reply.

 

You might try lavender in a bath.  Also melatonin and valarian root supplements might also help you sleep.  As always, check them for gluten ingredients if you purchase.

 

Good Luck

 

Colleen

[Needleup]

@Jackay, Char and Bluebonnet � wow, it�s really fascinating that so many of us �gluten intolerants� have sleep issues. My insomnia has been so bad that it prevented me from going to grad school and I could only hold a part-time job, so needless to say, I feel for all of you! Thanks so much for your comments and suggestions. Around the same time I went off gluten, I also discovered I�m hypothyroid, as well as melatonin, vitamin d, zinc and b12 deficient, so this might be contributing to the insomnia as well� Just out of curiosity, do any of you have thyroid issues?

Thanks to all of you and sweet dreams!

I do have thyroid issues. That is how they came to find out that I have Celiac Disease. 

[LauraTX]

I do have thyroid issues. That is how they came to find out that I have Celiac Disease. 

 

Welcome to the Forum, Needleup.  The post you are replying to is from 2010 so you may not get a good conversation going with the old posters who may not be around.  Feel free to start a new post about any of your issues to get some better responses.