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

Does Celiac Cause Lack Of Sleep?


dmeagan

Recommended Posts

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


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



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



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.)


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



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



  • 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:

Archived

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

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):
  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,221
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Hissyfit33
    Newest Member
    Hissyfit33
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):
  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.6k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):
  • Who's Online (See full list)

    • There are no registered users currently online
  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Jmartes71
      Thankyou because I met up with K B with well known bay area hospital once and she said she knows I don't like to take meds, I said thats incorrect, I have issues.Thats the one that said I was deemed " unruly " when she admitted I was celiac when I asked why am I going through this.
    • cristiana
    • trents
      Cristiana, that sounds like a great approach and I will be looking forward to the results. I am in the same boat as you. I don't experience overt symptoms with minor, cross contamination level exposures so I sometimes will indulge in those "processed on equipment that also processes wheat . . ." or items that don't specifically claim to be gluten free but do not list gluten containing grains in their ingredient list. But I always wonder if I am still experiencing sub acute inflammatory reactions. I haven't had any celiac antibody blood work done since my diagnosis almost 25 years ago so I don't really have any data to go by.   
    • cristiana
      I've been reflecting on this further. The lowest TTG I've ever managed was 4.5 (normal lab reading under 10).  Since then it has gone up to 10.   I am not happy with that.  I can only explain this by the fact that I am eating out more these days and that's where I'm being 'glutened', but such small amounts that I only occasionally react. I know some of it is also to do with eating products labelled 'may contain gluten' by mistake - which in the UK means it probably does! It stands to reason that as I am a coeliac any trace of gluten will cause a response in the gut.  My villi are healed and look healthy, but those lymphocytes are present because of the occasional trace amounts of gluten sneaking into my diet.   I am going to try not to eat out now until my next blood test in the autumn and read labels properly to avoid the may contain gluten products, and will then report back to see if it has helped!
    • lizzie42
      Hi, I posted before about my son's legs shaking after gluten. I did end up starting him on vit b and happily he actually started sleeping better and longer.  Back to my 4 year old. She had gone back to meltdowns, early wakes, and exhaustion. We tested everything again and her ferritin was lowish again (16) and vit d was low. After a couple weeks on supplements she is cheerful, sleeping better and looks better. The red rimmed eyes and dark circles are much better.   AND her Ttg was a 3!!!!!! So, we are crushing the gluten-free diet which is great. But WHY are her iron and vit d low if she's not getting any gluten????  She's on 30mg of iron per day and also a multivitamin and vit d supplement (per her dr). That helped her feel better quickly. But will she need supplements her whole life?? Or is there some other reason she's not absorbing iron? We eat very healthy with minimal processed food. Beef maybe 1x per week but plenty of other protein including eggs daily.  She also says her tummy hurts every single morning. That was before the iron (do not likely a side effect). Is that common with celiac? 
×
×
  • 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.