Ketogenic diets and Mood/Insomnia

  • Hi All.

    There was a discussion in the newbies thread about insomnia and mood changes. Below I have attached a nice study published in the medical journal
    "Obesity" which clearly demonstrates that insomnia is frequently found in ketogenic diets.

    I had terrible middle insomnia ( falling asleep but waking up for hours in the middle of the night) when I first started the diet. Melatonin has worked wonders for me.


  • THANKS!! I am so looking forward to reading that article. I have an appointment with a LONG wait later today. Already have printed off the article to take with me.

    I am wondering from your user name, are you a doctor? What specialty? If so, are you thinking of offering Ideal Protein to your patients. I hope that isn't asking too much.

    Thanks again for the article! I love reading these things.
  • Ideal Protein
    Hi,

    I have never heard of this. Would you mind explaining it to me. Do you follow this plan? Thanks so much, G-P
  • I suffer from insomnia too, so I look forward to reading the article. My neurologist suggested taking a supplement called GABA at night to aid my sleep. It works best if you take it with a Super B vitamin containing Inositol (sp?) for best absorption. It does help most nights, but I have yet to find a perfect fix. I suffer the same as you, skiingdoc, falling asleep easily but I can't stay asleep after 12:30 no matter how late/early I went to bed.

    Thanks for sharing the article.
  • Interesting, since starting IP I am going to bed earlier and sleeping much more? Odd...
  • I'm also having sleep issues. I go to bed exhausted and fall asleep quicker then before, but I am waking more during the night and occassionally not being able to fall back asleep if it is close to time to get up. Annoying for someone who is definitely NOT a morning person!
  • My biggest problem is not being able to fall asleep until I am so very exhausted. Then I sleep but with extremely vivid dreams. I wake up tired most of the time. Occasionally, I wake up in the middle of the night, 310am, and will be awake until 430 or so.
  • Quote: My biggest problem is not being able to fall asleep until I am so very exhausted. Then I sleep but with extremely vivid dreams. I wake up tired most of the time. Occasionally, I wake up in the middle of the night, 310am, and will be awake until 430 or so.


    I find I have to go to bed a little earlier and watch tv in bed for a half hour or so before I start to feel tired. I will sleep great from about 11.00pm-2.30/3.00am, and then I tend to wake up every 30-40 minutes until I wake up at 6.15am. Of course at that time Im exhausted. I've never really slept well, but I have found as someone earlier had post that Melatonin works well.
  • Wow I never connected to the diet, but I fall asleep way too early (8-9) and wake up around 1:30 am and can't fall back asleep until 3am. I am up early every day (5-5:40) to do Wii and be out the door for work by 7:10 am. Last night was awful. I lost alot of sleep.
  • Quote: I'm also having sleep issues. I go to bed exhausted and fall asleep quicker then before, but I am waking more during the night and occassionally not being able to fall back asleep if it is close to time to get up. Annoying for someone who is definitely NOT a morning person!
    I'm having this exact same sleep pattern as you. It's a bit annoying, but the results are so great. I'll just work with it. My naturopath said it was very common in this diet and was in fact asking me specifically about my mood(s) and sleep at my last WI. She prescribed some UNDAs (they are homeopathic drops for irritability and sleep). I just started them on Friday, so I haven't noticed a change yet.
  • Yep, me too... waking up about 3:30 a.m. & staying awake for at least an hour... most days it doesn't make too much difference, but every now & then, I'm so sleepy by mid-afternoon, I can't keep my eyes open... oh, well, the price we pay for excellence!..

    hugs
  • This is an old thread but I think for the dreaming this is something for us to read so I am bumping it
  • Thanks for bumping Wuv.
    I feel like I fall asleep a lot earlier than before, I literally 'knock out'. I haven't really noticed any weird or vivid dreams, just the change in sleep pattern. I used to stay up all night studying without a problem, but now it's harder. I spoke to my coach about it, and he said that on days that I plan to stay up later, to eat an extra protein pack (bar, pudding, etc) to give me the energy to stay up.