Can't sleep
 

I have lost 27 pounds since January 1st. :D I still have over 100 pounds to lose. Currently I am having difficulty sleeping and am wondering if anyone is having a similar issue. My mind is tired and I want to go to bed but either I can't fall asleep or I wake up a lot during the night. I get up around 6 every morning and do not nap at all during the day. I have one cup of coffee in the morning and sometimes have a diet coke at lunch other than that I don't take any stimulants and I have not been drinking alcohol either. Just wondering if anyone else is having a similar issue or has a suggestion to improve my sleep. Thanks!

At one point in my life, when I was eating (unhealthily) too few calories, I would not be able to fall asleep or sleep well at night. I don't know why that happens... just an experience of mine.

Thanks for the advice! Hopefully this will be short lived.

I've had sleeping issues my whole life, it actually runs in the family. The best thing I've ever done for this problem is to start my day with a solid workout. Gives me a ton of energy for the day, and then when evening comes around I drop off like a rock.

Similar problems
 

I know how it feels to not be able to fall asleep. I have that problem all the time.

I take a supplement called Melatonin. It works naturally with your body to help you fall asleep and stay asleep and it doesn't make you groggy the next day. Melatonin is naturally found in the body, and it's what makes us go to sleep, really.

I take it right before bed and within an hour I'm out. And I feel great the next day too. It also helps my to get a more restful sleep. I had a real bad problem with nightmares for the longest time. I had them so bad I would be afraid to sleep. One night, a friend noticed my lack of sleeping and gave me a whole bottle of these pills. I was scared to take them at first, but I've been on them for four months now, and I've maybe had one or two nightmares. Nothing like what it was before.

You can find them at a local drug store usually and if not, GNC. Or try an herbal supplement store. Any place that has supplements..

Sleeping problems can be due to a large variety of reasons. Have you spoken to your doctor about your insomnia?

I have difficulty with waking up in the middle of the night too. jj gave some great advice, as those are the same things that I do to help :)

Melatonin can also work, though you need to be wary of the dosage. It is a natural hormone produced in the pineal gland of your brain, and supplementation can help if you're experiencing an age-related decline of it (or other problem). If you're going to take it as a supplement, make sure you take synthetic melatonin (not natural melatonin --> It's collected from the brain of animals, and if the animal is sick etc. you can catch viruses, even if it's checked for quality control) and take a dose of 1 mg to 5 mg about an hour to an hour and a half before bed :) It can have some side effects, but usually nothing life-threatening. The most common side effects are headaches and vivid dreaming...and you shouldn't take it if you have certain diseases (Liver and kidney disease come to mind, I think depression too) or if you're very young (under 21)

You can also try eliminating alcohol before bed (even though alcohol makes you sleepy, it actually disrupts sleeping patterns), don't work out 2 hours before bed, and getting yourself into a "relaxation routine" before bed - turn off the TV and computer, maybe read a book or take a bath. Things that will signal your body that it's "time to sleep now."

If it persists, it's always a good idea to check with your doc, too! Good luck!

I have used melatonin in the past too and it works like a charm-- and doesn't get you hooked at all. Just the nights where I don't "feel" tired yet, and want to get to bed early, I take it and sleep soundly. Otherwise, I usually work out in the morning (get up at 6am) so by 10 or 11pm I am ready to drop.

Good luck!

Having same problem, but don't have melatonin here. Will be up 24 hours, then crash during the day for 12..it's ruining my day...

I think it's a mixture of thinking too much at night, wondering what I'm going to do for food exercise the next day, and possibly not getting all that extra energy out during the day...could be many things...