The quality of your sleep is a big part of your overall health and can affect brain function, vision, and even heart health. But sometimes adjustments to your daily eating routine can divert attention away from your eyes.
Low in carbohydrates and high in fats, the keto diet is praised for its ability to stimulate weight loss and increase energy. But if you’ve recently been in the car, this may be why you’re having trouble sleeping. Here’s what you need to know about ketogenic insomnia and how to get a good night’s sleep.
What causes insomnia from the keto diet?
Think about the last time you had the real flu: how was your dream then? Probably irregular. Keto flu, a common side effect of diet, follows the same concept.
To determine why your new diet could be causing sleepless nights, it is helpful to understand what is happening in your body. If you’ve lowered your carbs enough (20 to 50 grams is standard) and have increased your fat intake enough, your body has likely entered a metabolic state called ketosis .
Now, your body no longer has glucose, the by-product of carbohydrate metabolism, as its preferred source of energy, so you must find your second best option, which is fat. The breakdown of fatty acids produces substances called ketone bodies , which can be used as an energy source.
This is a great change for your body and can cause symptoms like headache, bad breath, or muscle pain. In some cases, the keto flu can also leave you hanging around all night.
So you are really tired, but you can’t sleep. And you have some other symptoms to boot. Overall, it won’t be a great week.
Other reasons why you can’t sleep on the keto diet
There may be other, more specific explanations behind your interrupted sleep while on the keto diet:
You’re actually hungry
The keto diet claims to outperform other diets because of the fat’s ability to keep you satiated. After following the diet for a period of time, you may start to feel less hungry, but that may not be the case at the beginning of the diet.
Fat is a satiating macronutrient, but it may not be enough to keep your appetite suppressed, according to a January 2015 study published in Obesity Reviews. If the diet leaves your stomach grumbling at the end of each day, you may have difficulty falling asleep or falling asleep.
Fat or fiber is causing digestive problems
You may experience stomach upset as your body adjusts to all the extra fat and fiber you are eating. Bloating, gas, and diarrhea are common effects of high-fat diets, and can certainly prevent you from getting a good night’s sleep.
High fiber diets can also be heavy on the digestive system. If you are following a more plant-based ketogenic diet approach, high fiber intake can cause your body to produce excess gas .
New ingredients keep you awake
People who start the keto diet often add new foods to help adapt to the diet. Bulletproof coffee , a blend of black coffee, grass-fed butter and coconut oil, is one of the most popular keto-diet drinks, and may explain why you’re hanging around. An increase in caffeine can increase energy levels, making it harder to fall asleep.
Did you start taking supplements aimed at this type of diet? Collagen, medium chain triglyceride oil (MCT), or beta-hydroxyketones are popular additions to the keto diet. These supplements claim to increase energy, but few are regulated by the FDA. Therefore, they can cause difficulty sleeping.
Supplements may also contain other ingredients that can disrupt your sleep. Cocoa powder , which contains caffeine, is a common additive. Green tea, yerba mate, guarana, and horsetail are other caffeinated ingredients that are often found in supplements.
Solutions for ketogenic insomnia
Lack of sleep can wreak havoc on your productivity, lowering your energy, concentration, and driving, and can also affect immune function. Combined with the other side effects of the keto diet, it can make you feel miserable.
The good news is that if you’ve just started this type of diet, your symptoms, including insomnia, are likely to decrease as your body adjusts to the change in diet. But if you’ve been on this diet for a while and are experiencing insomnia, it probably isn’t the best diet for you.
No matter the cause, finding a solution, fast, is a high priority.
It never hurts to consult your doctor for advice. In the meantime, here are some tips to reduce insomnia:
- Find a bedtime routine that promotes sleep: take a warm bath, listen to soothing music, or read a book. Avoid electronic devices, including phones, tablets, computers, and televisions, before bed.
- Exercise at least five hours before bedtime and avoid eating large meals just before going to sleep.
- Make sure your room is conducive to a good sleep: dark, quiet and cool. Keep pets out of your room at night to minimize distractions.
- Establish a schedule for sleeping, going to bed, and getting up at the same time every day, even on weekends. If possible, avoid working night shifts or rotating hours.
