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Does Celiac Cause Lack Of Sleep?


dmeagan

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dmeagan Apprentice

My blood test said that I have celiac, but my biopsy said I did not. I was tested because I have Hashimotos and I guess a lot of time you get both if you have one of the diseases? But I have kept eating gluten for like 2 years since that test. I have never been able to sleep through the night..never. If I sleep 3 hrs in a row I am amazed and so I was just wondering if gluten could be a factor


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mushroom Proficient

Yes! I used to feel totally wired, like my head was plugged into an electrical outlet :o

Brigit Apprentice

I've been gluten free for 10 days now, and I've not slept a full 7 hours since about day two of the diet. When my husband realizes I'm awake, normally around 2 or 3pm that I start tossing and turning, he puts his arm around me and says; "come let me help you". He thinks it'll calm me to be held, but I can't lie still for longer than a few moments. It's the weirdest thing. I've never had a problem with sleeping. I love it, and normally would try get around 8 hours minimum.

Good luck to you though, hope you get it sorted out!

hnybny91 Rookie

I could never sleep - NEVER! I had no problem falling asleep but I would always be up three to four hours later. I was on the highest possible dose of Lunesta for almost a year it got so bad but that really only put me to about six hours a night. I have been gluten free since Jan 2nd and I have not taken a Lunesta since about a wweek later. I have very few problems sleeping now. There have even been nights I slept for 11 - 12 hours!

cyberprof Enthusiast

I've been gluten free for 10 days now, and I've not slept a full 7 hours since about day two of the diet. When my husband realizes I'm awake, normally around 2 or 3pm that I start tossing and turning, he puts his arm around me and says; "come let me help you". He thinks it'll calm me to be held, but I can't lie still for longer than a few moments. It's the weirdest thing. I've never had a problem with sleeping. I love it, and normally would try get around 8 hours minimum.

Good luck to you though, hope you get it sorted out!

Have you tried sublingual Vit-B supplements (especially B6) and magnesium supplements? If not, give them a try.

IrishHeart Veteran

I was a raging insomniac for years. Always felt like I was "wired for sound" tossing and turning. Since going gluten-free, I sleep a few hours and wake up still, but now, I can almost always get a few hours more. At one point, I could barely sleep 1 or 2 hours. It was horrible.Now, I manage 5-6.

I was always surprised by people who said gluten made them sleepy.... :huh:

I notice you said in your post "I tested positive for celiac, but have kept eating gluten for two years since the test"....may I ask.... WHY ON EARTH ARE YOU EATING GLUTEN IF YOU ARE A CELIAC?? :blink: !!!!!!!

shopgirl Contributor

I notice you said in your post "I tested positive for celiac, but have kept eating gluten for two years since the test"....may I ask.... WHY ON EARTH ARE YOU EATING GLUTEN IF YOU ARE A CELIAC?? :blink: !!!!!!!

Uh, second this? A false positive on a Celiac blood test is astronomically rare to the point where I've yet to actually find documentation on it. But a negative biopsy isn't uncommon at all. Celiac damage can be patchy in the intestine.

It really sounds like you should have stopped eating gluten two years ago. Either get yourself retested or drop the gluten, pronto.

(And, yes, I was an insomniac before diagnosis too. I would wake up multiple times and just couldn't go back to sleep. I usually sleep fine now.)


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  • 3 weeks later...
kellynolan82 Explorer

I find I have trouble sleeping whenever I've been glutened. Not when I'm gluten free. Though since being gluten-free, I believe my fitness levels are much lower than they once were. I used to do really well in athletics when I was young however that seemed to change as soon as I went gluten free :(

Strange... :rolleyes:

liss7217 Newbie

My blood test said that I have celiac, but my biopsy said I did not. I was tested because I have Hashimotos and I guess a lot of time you get both if you have one of the diseases? But I have kept eating gluten for like 2 years since that test. I have never been able to sleep through the night..never. If I sleep 3 hrs in a row I am amazed and so I was just wondering if gluten could be a factor

When I was diagnosed with Hashimotos my Natropaths wife who also has Hashimotos, told me it was a good idea to stop eating gluten. Some of the research I have done shows that it can increase the thyroid antibodies. It makes my normally more hypothyroid change to hyperthyroid. When I stopped eating gluten about a year ago, I started sleeping much better, I could focus better and my hot flashed became much less frequent.

About 3 months into my gluten free diet, I intentionally glutened myself to see what would happen. Sure enough I woke up that night covered in sweat, had a couple pretty restless nights, and my thyroid was swollen for over a weak. From my personal experience it really made a huge difference to stop eating gluten. Getting a good nights sleep is so important for your bodies healing.

Best of luck to you.

Marilyn R Community Regular

One of my first symptoms of being glutened is insomnia. Then I get a visit from depression. And apathy says hello.

I'm strictly gluten-free, and my sleep is so much better now. So are a number of other symptoms. I appreciate good sleep most of all. :D

Brigit Apprentice

One of my first symptoms of being glutened is insomnia. Then I get a visit from depression. And apathy says hello.

I'm strictly gluten-free, and my sleep is so much better now. So are a number of other symptoms. I appreciate good sleep most of all. :D

Ha ha. I read your post outloud to my husband, we had good laugh, as that was my pattern to. Although along with the apathy I've had a bit of denial as well. Am sleeping loads better thankfully and have found some great resources: reading Wheat-Free, Worry Free, a book about living a gluten free life, and its been super helpful and have also found a health shop that is run by a woman with Celiac Disease. Yay for these wonderful small mercies!

WinterSong Community Regular

It's good to hear that so many other people have had problems with this. Before being diagnosed I'd have problems falling asleep, often waking up several times in the middle of the night. I tried melatonin, but it didn't work. I've always been the type of person to wake up early naturally, but I'm hoping that once I'm gluten-free for a while longer, I'll be able to at least sleep more deeply. Today is day #10, and I'm feeling so much better!

etta694 Explorer

I find when my iron levels are low, even though I am tired, I can't sleep - and since iron deficiency is common with having Celiac, it could be a part of the puzzle..?

Cattknap Rookie

I haven't slept well in many years - I notice no difference since being diagnosed with celiac.

adab8ca Enthusiast

I developed terrible insomnia (ie not sleeping for days) and now that I am gluten-free I have little trouble sleeping...

Medusa Newbie

This is fascinating! The first effect we noticed when we put our youngest daughter on a gluten free diet was that for the first time in her life she slept right through the night. She's nearly 9, and I'd more or less given up hope of ever having an unbroken night again. Right from the start the slightest noise would wake her up - now she sleeps like a log! Her restlessness seemed to be a combination of constant low level stomach pain and cramps in her legs - enough to give anyone nightmares! Interestingly, my mother (not diagnosed coeliac yet) also has similar problems and "restless legs" which she finds resolve when she goes gluten free.

Marilyn R Community Regular

I'm so glad your daughter is sleeping well now, and I'm happy you found out while she's still young...you've saved her from a multitude of problems!

Yay mom!

  • 6 months later...
serenajoy Newbie

I am so glad to have found this forum. I've had chronic insomnia for years. Never connected it to celiac disease. But was having terrible digestive problems -- read that could be helped by going low carb. So...in going low carb, I quit eating grains. The indigestion has pretty much cleared up and some other pesky symptoms. I was having nights and days when my brain was so wired I could not sleep. Now while I still come wide awake after 3-4 hours, after a couple hours I'm able to go back to sleep so am getting about 6 hours sleep. Reading your posts on here, seems you're describing my sleep problems exactly. I'm looking forward to learning about celiac disease and perhap being able to sleep through the night.

millertl2 Rookie

Hey, I have noticed that I am sleeping better now too. I am a newbie with Celiac. I tested positive about 2 weeks ago.

Elizabeth5220 Apprentice

Oh my...there is hope...there is hope!! :)B) B) :rolleyes:

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    • Aretaeus Cappadocia
      I wanted to respond to your post as much for other people who read this later on (I'm not trying to contradict your experience or decisions) > Kirkland Signature Super Extra-Large Peanuts, 2.5 lbs, are labeled "gluten free" in the Calif Costcos I've been in. If they are selling non-gluten-free in your store, I suggest talking to customer service to see if they can get you the gluten-free version (they are tasty) > This past week I bought "Sliced Raw Almonds, Baking Nuts, 5 lbs Item 1495072 Best if used by Jun-10-26 W-261-6-L1A 12:47" at Costco. The package has the standard warning that it was made on machinery that <may> have processed wheat. Based on that alone, I would not eat these. However, I contacted customer service and asked them "are Costco's Sliced Almonds gluten free?" Within a day I got this response:  "This is [xyz] with the Costco Member Service Resolutions Team. I am happy to let you know we got a reply back from our Kirkland Signature team. Here is their response:  This item does not have a risk of cross contamination with gluten, barley or rye." Based on this, I will eat them. Based on experience, I believe they will be fine. Sometimes, for other products, the answer has been "they really do have cross-contamination risk" (eg, Kirkland Signature Dry Roasted Macadamia Nuts, Salted, 1.5 lbs Item 1195303). When they give me that answer I return them for cash. You might reasonably ask, "Why would Costco use that label if they actually are safe?" I can't speak for Costco but I've worked in Corporate America and I've seen this kind of thing first hand and up close. (1) This kind of regulatory label represents risk/cost to the company. What if they are mistaken? In one direction, the cost is loss of maybe 1% of sales (if celiacs don't buy when they would have). In the other direction, the risk is reputational damage and open-ended litigation (bad reviews and celiacs suing them). Expect them to play it safe. (2) There is a team tasked with getting each product out to market quickly and cheaply, and there is also a committee tasked with reviewing the packaging before it is released. If the team chooses the simplest, safest, pre-approved label, this becomes a quick check box. On the other hand, if they choose something else, it has to be carefully scrutinized through a long process. It's more efficient for the team to say there <could> be risk. (3) There is probably some plug and play in production. Some lots of the very same product could be made in a safe facility while others are made in an unsafe facility. Uniform packaging (saying there is risk) for all packages regardless of gluten risk is easier, cheaper, and safer (for Costco). Everything I wrote here is about my Costco experience, but the principles will be true at other vendors, particularly if they have extensive quality control infrastructure. The first hurdle of gluten-free diet is to remove/replace all the labeled gluten ingredients. The second, more difficult hurdle is to remove/replace all the hidden gluten. Each of us have to assess gray zones and make judgement calls knowing there is a penalty for being wrong. One penalty would be getting glutened but the other penalty could be eating an unnecessarily boring or malnourishing diet.
    • trents
      Thanks for the thoughtful reply and links, Wheatwacked. Definitely some food for thought. However, I would point out that your linked articles refer to gliadin in human breast milk, not cow's milk. And although it might seem reasonable to conclude it would work the same way in cows, that is not necessarily the case. Studies seem to indicate otherwise. Studies also indicate the amount of gliadin in human breast milk is miniscule and unlikely to cause reactions:  https://www.glutenfreewatchdog.org/news/gluten-peptides-in-human-breast-milk-implications-for-cows-milk/ I would also point out that Dr. Peter Osborne's doctorate is in chiropractic medicine, though he also has studied and, I believe, holds some sort of certifications in nutritional science. To put it plainly, he is considered by many qualified medical and nutritional professionals to be on the fringe of quackery. But he has a dedicated and rabid following, nonetheless.
    • Scott Adams
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    • Wheatwacked
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    • trents
      I don't know of a connection. Lots of people who don't have celiac disease/gluten issues get shingles.
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