How do you sleep?

I'm really curious to hear if a Primal diet has improved your sleep, and how it is doing overall. My sleep has improved quite a lot over the last couple of years, but it is not yet terribly good. I'm starting from a low bar though, as two years ago I quit taking drugs--antidepressants continuously from a teenager, and sleeping pills (mostly benzos) a lot of the time for over 20 years. So it was pretty rough for quite a while.

Now I usually get at least 6.5 hours, but very rarely is it continuous. I often am awake for 2 or 3 hours in the middle of the night, or have periods where I drift in and out of sleep a lot. Some nights are only 4 hours or so, but that is rare these days. Yes, I have very good sleep hygeine, no caffeine, no chocolate, etc. etc...

I'd like to hope that things will continue to improve with a good diet. Or is this part of growing older? (I'm 55, solidly post-menopausal). What things make the biggest difference for you?

Hi Mudhenny, have you seen this thread? https://primalforums.forumotion.com/t140-restful-sleep#2609

Food can have a great influence on the quality of one's sleep. Especially intolerances can wreck it. Do you keep a journal?

I tend to sleep better when the bedroom is cool enough, I got my exercise in for the day (preferably partly outside in fresh air), go to bed on my regular time, turn of devices early, don't have too many/little carbs for dinner (like Goldilocks, just the right amount )

FWIW

"There are three vitamin deficiencies that must be addressed to boost your deep sleep.

They are vitamin A, vitamin B6 and vitamin D.

With a well rounded diet including quality meats, broth, organic vegetables and liver you should not have any issues with vitamin A and B6.

And with plenty of sun exposure (without sunscreen) you should be ok in the vitamin D department."

https://www.alexfergus.com/blog/how-to-increase-deep-sleep

Hope you'll continue to improve yours.

I have to agree with everything LB has said.

If you’ve never tried a W30 to check for food intolerances, it might not be a bad idea. Maybe something inocculous is causing the issue.

Hi Mudhenny,

My sleep improved dramatically since Primal. I had always slept extremely well till having children, then once they stopped interrupting me I never quite got back to the same level of carefree sleep. As menopause approached it was only getting worse. In retrospect I was having night sweats and those times of being awake for hours in the middle of the night. But I didn't really recognise it until they went away.

Since then I have been at times lax with all those things that Lovebird mentions in her third paragraph and so my sleep is not as perfect as I know it could be.

Anyway, I am glad yours is improving and hope you continue to gain ground in this area.

I have been keeping a journal for a little over 2 years, it has helped me identify a few problems. That is why I don't eat dark chocolate late in the day, I don't drink caffeine, not even decaf late in day. I try to avoid sugar, and am almost a teetotaler (last drink at least a couple of months ago?).

But it is true I should try a whole 30 program, just seems really hard, especially without my husbands support! I can knock out one thing completely for a few weeks, but everything is just too much.

I missed that thread--that is exactly what I am dealing with! But last night was good--6.5 hours continuous deep sleep, then awake one hour and another hour sleep. Yum.

The only thing hard about a w30 is the first week and starting unprepared. I did it strict for 90 days last year and then only added back a little 85% choc and bacon (could not get sugar free bacon here). It is very doable once you get going.

When I say the first week is hard, it’s because you will go through carb-flu and how badly is determined by how much junk/sugar you’ve been consuming before getting started.

You got this!