Sleep and carbs

  • I have a very consistent pattern of immediately getting severe insomnia as soon as I cut back on calories and/or carbs. Last week I was eating about 1400 or 1500 calories, which is a very mild cutback. My carbs were running about 100 to 130 so not hardly hard core low carb. I stopped sugar and grains completely but ate a lot of food. I woke up at 3:30 am every single day last week and never got back to sleep.

    I tried melatonin and benadryl and then a prescription sleeping pill. I ate more of my calories in the evening so I didn't go to sleep with an empty stomach. Nothing worked.

    Yesterday I finally broke and ate about 200 carbs and about 2000 calories and I slept like crazy.

    This pattern happens over and over to me. Does anyone have any ideas what is going on, why can't I sleep when I cut back even a bit. I really can't survive without better sleep!

    Thanks,
    Jean
  • I have the opposite issue where if I eat carbs at night I don't sleep well. If carbs aren't used, it turns to sugar I believe. I wonder why it makes you sleep?