My #1 Biggest Issue on Carnivore - Insomnia
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 มิ.ย. 2024
- Carnivore insomnia. It started 1 month into carnivore and has only worsened. I'm hoping to figure this out, to find answers and to connect with anyone out there who has had this issue.
The low carb, keto and carnivore communities online are super supportive.
Thank you so much for watching - Holly.
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If you've been dealing with sleep issues since going low carb, keto, or carnivore, please share your experiences in the comments & also please connect with me and others on my new forum here: lifeanddiy.com/forum/diet-fitness/carnivore-keto-insomnia-sleep-issues-and-solutions/. I created a post to address the sleep issues, hoping we can help each other through the forum.
I had to eat bread pancakes and beans again to be able to sleep. I was finally able to sleep last night. I think is because my body is not used to eating only meat. I’ll slowly transition into carnivore for now
5 years carnivore here.
Best decision of my life.
I eat dairy too. My insomnia went away when I up the saturated fat to 200 grams per day, during a day(butter, tallow, bone marrow, fatty meat).
I eat butter or fatty kefir before bed, and I sleep like a babe. I eat all the dairy an hour before going to bed.No more heavy gym sessions, sauna, fasting any more as that was putting too much stress on my body aka adrenaline, cortisol. For me high fat carnivore + grass fed liver 3 times per week (blue rare) and lowering stress did the job for my sleep.
Awesome, I need to up the fat & see how that helps. 👍🏼
@@rexswank6068 Cool, if you eat butter, eat it cold and not in liquid state. Eat un pasturized dairy if you can get it, preferably from local farm.
I do notice when my animal fat if above 180 grams I feel better BUT I rapidly gain fat at those levels too..
@@allie9462 Cool, if you have 10% to 20% body, that is very good for hormonal balance and relaxed body. I noticed once I upped my fat, I gained muscle and kept it too. I always struggled to keep muscle, but not now any more. After years of training to have a six pack, I realized, the best for my body is to have at least 20% body fat. Lean body was a disaster for me, I lost so much hair too trying to stay lean. I have noticed less stress, on body during the day = better sleep. No more heavy gym workouts, cold showers, sauna, fasting.....etc,
@@desmomotodesmomoto2033 bingo! You nailed it. The insomnia is a result of lower calories to stay around 18% bf. The truth is women’s bodies want to be at least 20% and if you fight it your body won’t sleep!
Hi Holly, I hope this helps. I am 61yrs old and have been carnivore since Feb 2019. My sleep during this time has been I would say normal, not great but the same as prior to carnivore. A typical night would be to wake at 1.00am to 3.00 pm and I usually go and pee. returning to sleep is difficult. I bought a Fenix 6 pro watch that records my sleep and found that it was poor in many ways. I was OMAD but recently started having lunch and then dinner. I found my sleep improved!!! Hhhhmm, so then I started having dinner earlier and my sleep improved again.
I now have a big breakfast and good size lunch and fast until breakfast the next day. I now sleep right through the night, no waking to pee and I feel great in the morning. This is opposite to what most people say and do but for me it is a game changer. Even my heart rate has dropped to 52bpm while sleeping, my deep sleep, REM, have increased and my stress and light sleeping has dramatically reduced. I hope this helps you?? My thoughts are with you!!
Do you drink coffee?
@@juanitalantang8636 I have given up coffee for the first time in 40yrs. This life changing in a great way. Digestion and energy has now improved greatly but it took a month. It was TOUGH. :)
@@gdaymate8920 Do you think that contributed to your improving sleep? I've read that some people fixed their sleeping issue on carnivore by quitting coffee.
@@juanitalantang8636 I think it depends on the person and how long they have been drinking coffee, how much and when they drink it.
Myself it was 40yrs, between 1 cup and 4 cups but aways in the early morning. So in my case It may have helped me sleep a little..... What was big for me was getting my energy back after quitting it!! :)
Thank you for sharing!!! I will try right away!!
I've been doing carnivore since August 9,2022, and waking up at between 2am and 3 am since November of 2022. I get up and do so so much. Today, I actually stayed in bed til 4 and now the day is gone!! LOLs. It's 5:30 am. I go to bed as early as I can- usually around 8:30p.m. I asked Dr. Berry in chat about it and he called it "sequential sleep"or something like that. It's not as common now as it used to be before electricity became so ubiquitous in our homes. I'm retired, and I can't fathom having to work after waking up in "the middle of the night" but now, it's just when I get up. The family has made a joke about it-- "well, if we need to wake up early, Mom's awake, she'll make sure we get up" Try not to fight it; if your family hears you and they can't sleep try moving where you sleep? It's just me and the old man (my husband), so I don't have to worry about noise. Good Luck, my dear. Don't stop Carnivore- the health benefits weighed against the amount of sleep I don't need anymore? I'll keep waking up early if I get to feel like I'm 30 again!!
Try fatty kefir, un pasteurized before going to bed.
I'm on carnivore now for the third time, having had tried twice previously and quitting due to the insomnia for a prolonged period of time. This time around, I've been allowing myself small amounts of carrots and blueberries (some of the only fruits/veg that don't cause me autoimmune issues and cystic acne), and have noticed that while I still wake up around 1-3 am as well, I fall back asleep for another 3-5 hours no problem. Collagen before bed has also helped me massively due to the glycine I suspect.
For this I heard up the fats.
Love that you shine light on some of the negative things, that some of the guru's won't touch! Bravo!
For sure! I have also checked out Stephanie Keto's channel and content on insomnia recently. Thank you!
@@LifeDIYI too just found her channel. She has some really good info. From what I've researched I think women suffer from this more than men do.
This is the reason I can't fast past 48hrs. I eat no carbs in the morning but for dinner I eat some sweet potato or any fruit after my meal and magically I sleep very well. I also take a lot of magnesium and take Epsom salt baths.
I had sleep issues on carnivore, until i fixed my circadian rhythm. This means I get sunrise light EVERYDAY. When I work on computer screens I use yellow tinted glasses. I get mid day sun everyday even in the cold. After dark, I put on red tinted glasses and block all blue and green light. I do my best to cut off non native emfs especially at night, by unplugging wifi. You need to get a ton of sunlight, sunlight helps serotonin production. Glycine supplementation helps boost serotonin as well. Taurine can help with electrolytes and countless other processes. Improper Light signaling is a real problem for many people.
Thanks for sharing this - great tips! I've been using blue light blocking glasses too. I get sunlight as soon as I can if there is any sun. We have very little sun during our very long winter here. I've been taking Glycine for a couple years now at night - love it, but it isn't enough to help me here with this issue. I will look into taurine. I do think I figured out the main cause of my problem and you can read about it in the sticky comment if you like, otherwise I will do an update video this week asap. All these comments have been super helpful. Thank you!
@@LifeDIY We are meant to get large amounts of sun exposure everyday. There is research on how sunlight on the bare skin can produce serotonin which eventually leads to melatonin, once full darkness is achieved. If I wake up before sunrise, I put on my red glasses and avoid bright light until sunrise, then as so as the sun sets I turn off all the lights and put on red glasses. Human beings evolved outside with much sun light hitting our skin. We have now broken away only recently and are paying the consequences. I am a male and had the same issues, waking up at 3am wired. I never added carbs and the more i fixed my light environment the better my mood and sleep became. I notice everyone quickly points to carbs as a quick fix, but never gets to the root of the problem. Wish you the best of luck on your issue and hope to see some good progress. look into Carrie B wellness and sarah kleiner wellness for more good information on circadian health.
Thank you and I agree! I wish I had access to sunlight but it's not available where I live in the winter. :) Sometimes we have some sunlight but most days we don't. Today the sky is just gray. Sometimes there's a slight amount of sun in the sky (minimal) and I go outside to try to get that into my eyes, but often that doesn't even happen until the afternoon, so it's random. I was looking into a home UV light (for people with skin issues) and it requires a prescription. I'm not sure if that would work but I am trying to find something to help. I think as an alternative that if I had a sauna it may help in some other ways. So I am looking into that too. Even with this said, I've never had sleep issues like this and I've lived in this environment for years or most of my life. For me it seems quite diet related. I am going to get more bloodwork done this week to see if I can figure it out (with my integrative health doctor).
You are not alone. I am in my late 40s and did a five week strict carnivore test back last June and my sleep was destroyed. I added in strawberries, banana, water melon, blueberries after a steak in my last meal of the day and this magically solved the issue. I was no longer waking up constantly at 1AM, 3AM, 5AM etc or having problems falling asleep. During that 5 weeks I could not do my job effectively, was like a zombie and could not finish a sentence plus I had blurred vision. I was not a very pleasant person to be around plus I have a family and children. I felt like my body was in fight or flight mode, under stress and anxious.
My brain was wired and alert plus I was very restless. I saw a sleep specialist /neurologist and was told I had restless leg syndrome and mild positional sleep apnea (only when sleeping on back). They prescribed me all sorts of Parkinson's medication and other toxic stuff which I did not take. Adding carbs back in totally resolved the sleep issue with zero meds. I was a little concerned with mixing all that saturated fat with the sugars from the fruits so I just ate all whole foods again with tons of vegetables. My joints became inflamed and slowly began to pile on excess fat again.
I really believe in the carnivore way and was so disappointed in the sleep issue so two weeks ago I gave it another shot. This time with eggs, bacon, ground beef and ribeye steak. Same thing happened after a couple of days: Problems falling asleep and problems staying asleep.
This time I added Celtic sea salt to all my meals (instead of rock or pink salt), drank plenty of electrolytes and took night magnesium before bed. This did not help!
Even though this is not carnivore I am going to add in one baked potato with butter in one of my main meals and some fruit three hours before bed. Therefore the diet will consist of plenty of red meat, eggs, fat and a starch root vegetable. Atleast they are all whole foods with plenty of nutrition (animal based, with no greens, sugar or processed junk). I just simply do not perform well being in ketosis and also have a history with Keto.
I just think we are all different: Some people can tolerate junk carbs and sugars and remain thin but most get sick and fat. I think a similar thing applies with keto /carnivore.
I have an open mind and always open to suggestions. Eating meat seems very logical to me and as the cabal are trying to ban it just reinforces that meat is good for you.
When you said "strawberries, banana, water melon, blueberries", I immediately thought about what would our ancestors eaten thousands of years ago. I bet that they would have been eating berries, etc. I have sleep problems too but I haven't gone to a complete carnivore diet yet and I plan to add strawberries, banana, water melon, blueberries to my diet.
Wow, thanks for sharing this! Did the blurry vision go away? I've read that it can be related to blood sugar issues, or low blood sugar. When you were having the insomnia, did you ever test your glucose levels? I have been testing things so much and I'm still not sure what my issue is. But, sometimes when I do wake up really early my blood sugar levels are lower and when I sleep more, they tend to be higher (I am still investigating this). I also have had some on and off issues with blurry vision. Personally, I can't eat fruit within 6 hours of bedtime or I wake up at 3 AM or sometimes earlier. But, it has no impact on me if it's earlier in the day.
@@LifeDIY I did test my glucose before and after food manually and at various times of the day. I only had one recording of low blood sugar. It was 3.6 mmol/L 2 hours after eating 6 scrambled eggs + 400g 80% ground beef.
The glucose varied from 4.1-5.9 mmol/L averaging 5.3. If I woke up then I would also test and it was in the same range.
I did fit a CGM but it malfunctioned after a couple of days. I have a replacement and I will fit it this evening to see whats going on throughout the day and night.
I did not see any abnormal figures when I was fatigued with blurred vision. However lets see what the CGM reads.
Wow, thanks for sharing this. For me, I recently had one episode of reactive hypoglycemia after consuming 2 tsp of honey as I was doing some experiments with my blood sugar. My blood sugar went down to 79 four hours after having that, which doesn't sound super low, but I had horrible symptoms. My face was numb and tingling, I felt really out of it and kind of anxious almost, fuzzy feeling, shortness of breath and it kept getting more severe and worsening. I'm just sharing that because it's kind of surprising as my glucose was 79. I've had it as low as 79 since then without those symptoms. I've also noticed that when I'm in the low 80s or lower when waking up, that I am very very hungry. I have also noticed that many days when I've slept past 3 AM, that my glucose is in the 80s or 90s and I'm more often not totally starving at those times... But, even with saying that, it still varies and I am still testing this out to see.
It does seem that adding in more carbs can help me sleep more, but it depends on the carbs and time I eat them, etc.. It's so interesting that you mentioned the blurred vision as I was having this in the evenings when my sleep issues were worse than they are now. Nowadays I'm getting more sleep here and there or on and off, but I still haven't figured out the exact cause/solution. Just the other morning my vision was very blurry and it was another early more wake up at 2:45. My glucose was 85 that day. Maybe that's just "too low" for me, but I am not sure. Thanks for sharing this info here. I wish I could figure things out. When I eat fruit before bed like you do, my blood sugar seems to drop off in the middle of the night and I wake up hungry and get up early again. But, I did test something yesterday by having some carbs (not fruit) and I slept an hour later than normal. I hope I can figure it out soon. I'm keeping an extremely detailed log now to figure this out. I am using this program called Julius.ai to analyze all my data for any patterns.
. Carrie Vitt and dr Isabela Wentz address this. Sleep issues were such a factor for me. I hsd to stop but I'm going to try low carb next week.
Great video. Fwiw I've been carnivore for over a year now. Before carnivore I slept 7-9 hours every night and woke up tired every morning. Now I sleep 5-6 hours every night and wake up refreshed. I just roll with it, I don't ever feel tired during the day. I just assume my sleep quality is better so I need less of it. Carnivore makes me feel invincible.
Love your honesty!
Thanks, Sofia!
@@LifeDIY forgot to say that I truly wish you find the solution! 🙏
Thank you so much, Sofia! I think I did figure it out and I will do an update video this week. It's all thanks to all these awesome comments. :) 🙏 I wish more people spoke about the challenges, not just the benefits of carnivore.
@@LifeDIY I'm really glad for you. I completely agree with you when you say that people should mention challenges and not just the benefits, and I think this applies to everything in life. Keep up the good work. Wish you tbe best.
I'm so happy you're posting more often! Do you think you can make another video about chemical peels? I just ordered the Bliss incredi-peel after you recommended it and I'm really excited to try it
Thank you! I hope you like that peel and I plan to make another peel video this week. :)
59 year old female, 6 months into carnivore. first half slept great and now last 6 weeks started dealing with insomnia. Trying all the different suggestions, but nothing seems to help, I think my IBS is kicking back up because of the stress of being so tired and lack of sleep. Had great energy in the beginning now that seems to be reversing. Ugh.
After a few weeks on carnivore I started waking up every night at 2am and wasn't able to fall asleep, but then I started drinking a cup of fresh goat's milk before bed and it works for me - 7 hours deep sleep every night . I was dairy free due to autoimmune diseases but obviously fresh goat's milk doesn't have any side effects on me. We are all different and you have to test a lot of things until you find what works for you. If you include dairy make sure you buy it from local farmers, always fresh and raw, no super market skimmed garbage.
Wow, that's amazing. I hope others will see this comment because I forgot to mention milk as a carnivore option to trigger insulin and get a small amount of carbs before bed. I've heard a few people say it's helped with their sleep.
I feel your pain & frustration. My insomnia began in my thirties & continues to this day at 65.
I've tried the sleep drugs, natural remedy's, yoga, hypnosis, & so on. I was told that I may not be a person that needs the 8 or more hours of sleep. Maybe, most days I'm okay with it.
I sincerely hope you find your solution.
Thank you and I am sorry you've been dealing with it for so long now. Interestingly, I was told that I am a person who needs 8+ hours of sleep. A neurologist mentioned it because I had a past brain injury and he said that it's common for people with this, to just need more sleep to recover and recharge. I think I'm getting it figured out now thanks to all these wonderful comments. I'll do an update video in the near future. :) 🙏
workout harder . if ya not tired ya wont sleep no matter what ya do
I’ve just accepted that on carnivore I need less sleep, I’m coping great on 5 hours sleep.
You are GORGEOUS
I am exactly the same as you, i wake uo at 2 or 3 am, i go to be early, i have tried meditaion. One thing the same, i made a pasta for my wife, I had a small bowel and i slept well that night. I am still doing carnivore and adjusting to the new sleeping patten.
Hi Holly...you have my sincerest empathy, i have struggled with insomnia at various degrees for longer than I care to think. For me, I've found that relaxation is important, both mind and body...I'm not working beyond a couple of hours before bed, I also wear full wraparound blue-blocker glasses about an hour before bed which sounds weird but they are amazing to relax your eyes and mind. I have recently started taking chamomile tea with milk, no sugar, just before bed which is simply nice. I also drink a lot of RAW milk which contains tryptophan which may be of benefit to you. Natural sunlight on the skin is important to set your day/night cycle as is being outdoors without sunglasses which helps balance serotonin and melatonin. Finally, I find that an early afternoon nap can help reset me, and theres a lot of documented benefits to this regardless of any other sleep issues one may have. Best of luck, I know how you must be feeling and hope you find some benefit from the many suggestions posted.
Thank you Dave! I appreciate your comment a lot. I too stop working many hours before bed and recently started wearing my blue light blocking glasses again. I think the tea sounds very nice, though I can't have any dairy. I am so incredibly intolerant to dairy. If I could drink milk, I'd go for the raw stuff, if I could get a hold of it. The afternoon nap sounds wonderful. At this point, I go to bed so early that I am not sure when that nap would be. But, I will try!
@@LifeDIY I find that if you feel self-conscious wearing the blue-blocker glasses, then if you also put on a white bathrobe and carry around a test-tube it doesn't look at all out-of-place 😃
Im on my 7th day into the carnivore diet and I can't fall asleep. Its 4 am now, gotta go to work soon. I generally always had periods where I have severe sleeping problems, but it got so intense the last 4 days, that I started to think there may be a connection to my carnivore diet. If it does not stop I will start eating other things agaain. Thanks so much for your input. I wish you all the best!
Did it ever get better?
Try a potato in the evening
Hi, I’ve had exactly the same issues - I’m currently taking high dose of omega 3 and 5HTP before bed for tryptophan. Which has helped - I also found my hormones were whacked out too (part to do with perimenopause), so I’ve had to add estogen & progesterone which worked. I have to watch b6 levels too - that def has depleted since carnivore and higher fat has helped too. I also tbh add occasional carbs once a week such as some roasted parsnip. I’m not quite there yet - but it’s definitely improved significantly and now getting good 6 hours. I was literally 3 hours for a couple of weeks. Do what feels right for you. Even with adding some carbs - I’ve lost weight and don’t have bloating like I did before… as said, do what is right for you. Oh and forgot to mention - I’m also doing warm cup of water, fresh lemon squeezed and apple cider vinegar 30 mins after eating protein meals…seems to help on digestion. Good luck!
I sleep well when I eat until fat is no longer palatable. If you are not disgusted by the thought of having the best juicy juicy (fat), salty, hamburger patty you ever had... then you're still hungry. I am not trying to be flippant either. It's a struggle for me to eat enough on carnivore. I keep thinking "that's too much" logically and it ends up compounding my laziness when I have no energy, to not want to make any food. Also, it's difficult to find palatable ways of delivering fat without dietary protein with it. Browned butter bites have helped.
Not meaning to be flippant but I wish I had the problem of not being able to eat enough! I’ve always been able to eat a lot at one sitting, I can gain weight on KETO, OMAD and now carnivore on a single meal a day.
What are browned butter bites?
I’m not sure when I’m full, this is a problem when you’re on steroids, which I am. I just ate 1/2 lb of lamb and an egg, along with a piece of high fiber bread. I just started this diet for the second time, the first time around I had a terrible time with brain fog and it increased my pain, so I’m slowly reducing carbs this time. Anyway, I don’t feel stuffed, but I’m not sure if I’m full. I see people eat piles of food on this diet and I don’t think I can do it. I got to sleep at 5am the first day, and the second day, last night I didn’t sleep at all. I hope this won’t be an issue for me.
I don’t know how much fat to eat🤷🏻♀️ I just counted my macros for yesterday, they were: 125.7g fat, 107.7g protein, and 9.4g carbs. That’s 1,599.7 fat calories, 430.8 protein, and 37.6 carbs.This was before I couldn’t sleep and got up and had some carbs, along with more protein and fat. This is more than I usually eat in a day! Do you think that’s enough fat?
Thank you and I look forward to following what you find out. I never had sleep issues in my life but for the last four months (after weaning off Prozac) I wake up anywhere from 1-4 every night and can’t get back to sleep. B/c of my living situation I’m confined to my room until six so I just lie in bed until then. It’s miserable. Have tried HTP melatonin carbs fat and a variety of other sleep aids and nothing helps. I haven’t resorted to the Dr yet as I don’t want to hear objections to my ketovore diet. Thankfully it’s not disrupting my life but I want my sleep back
Thank you for sharing this! I hope you figure something out and get back to sleeping again. Sounds like you've tried some of the things I've done too. I have spoken to two doctors, but forgot to mention it in this video. I'll create a sticky post with the details of what I was told. I have one excellent integrative health doctor who had a little insight.
Thanks for sharing as I(68) too have been struggling with insomnia on seaSonal ( (trying to only eat keyo veggies from Farmer's markets))carnivore and I have been keeping a journal or record of how carnivore days have impacted my lifelong hypothyroidism not just with insomnia, but with much too low body temps, which I take upon waking, and before moving, which is recommended for hypothyroid patients.
I had been following a whole foods, organic, low
Histamine diet and even with insomnia, I still force myself to get up , in time to watch the sunrise, which is supposed to create melatonin ,to be able to sleep at night, according to quantum biology principles, but at times it is a killer, to get up to do that! I also watch lighting, so as to block bluelight & also not eating after sunset , most of the time, ( going by memory)but when I have eaten more carbs that day, My sleep has improved.
I was also watching protein macros on Carnivore.Like you. Been a superchallenge to find the infor.
Marilyn, thank you for sharing a bit of your story. I am sorry you're dealing with this too! I am experimenting daily to try to find a solution. I hope things are going ok with your hypothyroidism. I'm working on lowering my medication dose, while also keeping an eye on any potential symptoms. That's smart you're careful with lighting at night. I do the same thing. That's helpful to know the carbs have helped you. I need to experiment with it more as lately I've been experimenting with adding in more fats and unfortunately that did not work for me.
This is exactly what I’ve been dealing with. Same thing. Walking up between 1-3am and I cannot go back to sleep. I signed up for the weed card. Indica has been helping me sleep through until my alarm goes off. Hope you find what works for you. ✌🏼💙😊
Interesting!
At 70 and 4 years carnivore, this year I started having the same issues with sleep. Thought it was age related until I started listening to younger people having the same issue. I have a prescription for CBD so got back on that. Also a dose of magnesium just before bed. I’m finding that I still partially wake up but my brain isn’t wired so I fall back asleep. Interesting about upping the fat content. I have to play around with that. Good luck everyone
Dotmatrix, thanks for sharing this. After testing things for about 6 months (tracking every aspect of my life) I think I've figured out one real potential cause and I will try to get my video published today (on this topic). I am curious about your thoughts on it and if it could be what you're dealing with too. I will share more soon. Thanks for your comment because you are part of what inspired my video I plan to post today. I just need to finish up the editing.
Hi Holly! Good topic! Do you do any type of high intensity training (HIT) training, such as sprinting? After I started HIT, I noticed that I fall asleep faster and have deeper sleep.
Thank you! I haven't been doing enough of it since having these sleep issues, but I love HIT. I am getting back into working out now - even if it's just short periods of it, I know it helps with my health. :) I'm going to incorporate it in as much as I can.
Have you researched biphasic sleep ? Many of us are not built to sleep 7-8hrs straight. In fact it was uncommon with our ancestors. I typically sleep 11pm to 3am and then again from 10am until noon. I do not feel sleep deprived. You actually require fewer hours of sleep when it is broken up like this. I can not however have the second sleep cycle late in the afternoon or I will not fall asleep easily at 11pm. I eat eggs, meat and vegetables almost exclusively however I have to have a sweet potato each day or my sleep is terrible. For me there is a min amount of carbs that is non negotiable. We are all unique though and self experimentation is key. And I would not bother with the cortisol testing. I wasted lots of money on them. It will indicate your sleep cycle is "off" but the cortisol levels are just a result not the cause of what is going on. Kind of like buying a new thermometer because you are too hot, yet your AC is broken. I honor your journey and the courage to put yourself out there like this. Best wishes from Tampa Bay🥰
I thought of this too, because I might be one of those people, only my lifestyle will not support being awake several hours in the middle of the night
Interesting, that is something I noticed as well. If I wake up at 3 or 4 AM I feel quite often perfectly refreshed and can not sleep anymore. Then later on, especially after a meal I get tired and very sleepy. I was usually fighting it, because I was afraid I will not be able to sleep well during the next night. But if I fell asleep before noon, my next night was OK. If I fell asleep later afternoon, my next night was a nightmare. The only problem with it is, that it is a lifestyle suitable for retired people or people who work only afternoon.
How we sleep and wake on carnivore is natural . Biphasic sleep could mean that you wake up in the middle of the night because you're supposed to wake up. You could maybe go for a walk or do some yoga or read a book for 15 or 20 minutes then go into the second phase of sleeping, with an even deeper or enhanced level of sleep!
I had the same problem. Higher the fat (raw fat) and extra salt - try a teaspoon in water twice a day for a few days. Or electrolytes. I’ve only used sea-salt 🌊
Great topic, I have been mentioning a solution that work for me but most people brush it off. Pretty much I would wake up about 4 hours after going to bed everyday. I have always heard about salting food to fight leg cramps since I have been watching carnivore videos and followed suit. While salting does seem to help I stopped lsalting my food because Dr Chaffee stated one day he doesn’t add salt to his meat anymore. I decided to experiment to see what would happen if I stopped adding salt. First morning after no salt previous day my sleep time increased markedly. I did wake to a calf cramp though. I was disappointed about the cramp but did it again for a second day, same results better sleep and the cramp was less intense the second day. Within one week my cramp issues were better than they have ever been while adding salt to address them. Bottom line is I wrote this long comment to say it appears adding too much salt causes this sleep issue. Not saying salt is bad but it should be added more sparingly or not at all if you don’t want to. For got to mention I sopped all added salt including electrolytes as part of the experiment. Cheers,
Interesting as just today I realised my boyfriends water has lots of added electrolytes and this could be making me feel wired as magnesium has same effect on me
Did you find reducing electrolytes helped you?
@@slinkyminx2010 I believe it did. I cutout all electrolytes and stopped adding the Redmond’s salt. I felt the difference the next day. I was experimenting with the cramps and found this benefit by accident.
Thanks for sharing this - as these comments are helping others. It's nice to have all these ideas to try out and it's great that this helped you. I don't use electrolytes all the time - some people say to load up on them and others don't. If I feel like I could use them, then I do. I don't notice a sleep difference either way.
My carnivore insomnia is so severe I've had to leave ketosis until I figure it out. We're talking SEVERE sleep deprivation. Takes me 10 hours to get 7 hours of sleep and I still wake up badly sleep deprived to the point that driving becomes dangerous.
I totally understand and I am so sorry you're struggling with this. Do you have any symptoms when you wake up - hunger or having to go to the bathroom? I am just curious as I am still working on fixing my issue too. Has it helped for you to add in carbs? I have found so far that it hasn't helped me. In my experiment though, I have not added in many carbs, as I don't like how I feel if I do that. But, I've been testing out several things and it hasn't made a difference yet. Maybe it will take some time.
I'm having this as well but I'm wondering if it's my body detoxing. It did the same thing when i started sleeping on grounding sheets, and quit gluten, then dairy, etc. each time i've made significant changes my sleep can tell.
Add a potato in the evening
Magnesium and vitamin B1 have helped me tremendously.
Girl I am so happy I ran across these videos because I have been going through the exact same thing. I am in bed some days at 7:30 I have also tried going to bed later to turn it around but just like you between 1:00 and 3:00 I'm awake and I work 12-hour days and some days I am so exhausted. I did run across the video that talked about electrolyte imbalance which is different from just taking electrolytes. I did order Dr Barry's daily minerals and I'm giving that a try. And I did read something about sugar dropping while we're sleeping this wakes us up so I did buy a glucometer to start testing my blood sugars just to either rule this out or prove that maybe it's true I've only been testing for a few days but I really don't think that this is the issue Time will tell. I'm so thankful for this video too because I knew nothing about tryptophan but after watching your video I did order a supplement to see if it helps so between those three we'll see what happens.
Thank you so much for sharing this! I didn't realize Dr. Barry was involved in creating a daily mineral product. I just looked it up and that's a good price. I am going to buy it and give that a try too. I also think my blood sugar might be to blame. I am going to continue testing this out. If you figure anything out, please come back and share it!
@@LifeDIY oh I definitely will and please do the same!
Your welcome about the minerals info I hope they help
Thanks again because I bought the product and have been using it for a couple days. Love it!
@@LifeDIY your very welcome
@@jazmin1044 I have exact same problems and I tested with a CGM and it wasn't low blood sugar keeping me awake. But the darn alerts on the CGM woke me up! Make sure you turn off the alerts - the CGM will still collect the data that you are looking for. Please keep us posted!
I have had bad Insomnia, or shall I say can't go to sleep until 3am and can't go to sleep unless I watch some youtube programs until I get to sleep, I tried Pho serine to affect Cortisol but it didn't work I am addicted to English tea, and drink even before going to bed which doesn't help. I think in my case the initial reason was psychological or emotional, I lived in Beijing and was alone in my apartment and so I started watching youtube (English sitcoms from the 1970's and 80's) and had this playing in the background and it felt calming for me ad I felt not alone, this became a habit and so now I feel I need to do this, my wife now sleeps in her own room as she needs to have silence to sleep, the answer for me is to get tired by the end of the day so I collapse, so doing some exercise during the day, waking up early and getting light into the eyes and taking some magnesium at night and some nights taking Epsom salt baths just before bed helps
This I completely understand. When my son was little, he always had a problem falling asleep, so I bought a nighttime meditation for kids audio book through audible. It was incredible because this was over 10 years ago and I'd play it and he'd pass out. It had almost a hypnotic effect. I was in the same room many times back then and I couldn't keep my eyes open when it was played. I could never remember the stories because it would knock me out. So now my kid is over 18 and I was so used to listening to that with him years ago that I must listen to it (or something else) when falling asleep. I cannot sleep in silence anymore. :) Hopefully your sleep issues resolve. Maybe you can switch out the English tea for a more calming sleep tea. :)
Try a potato in the evening
Seems like you got alot of ideas to try. Hope you find relief soon!
Some people swear by eating a banana with cinnamon sprinkled on it (Ceylon is the healthiest) just before bed. I know several people who get a great night’s sleep from doing that.
6 months carnivore (with dairy), 33 years old. Got some insomnia intermittently in months 1-3. Would go to sleep around 10 and wake up between 3 and 4, much like yourself.
Things I tried:
- Magnesium bisglycinate supplements. No noted change other than some diarrhea haha.
- Re-introducing some carbs in the form of honey. No noted change.
I think it just sorta went away for me after the third month, I can't think of anything I changed.
My theory about the cortisol spikes everyone talks about is that that should only be temporary as your body and brain adapt to adequately regulate blood glucose levels all 24 hours long.
For reference though, I do a few sleep related things anyways (since before carnivore) that I do think help:
- Daily sun exposure in the mornings
- lots of physical activity (climbing, weightlifting, running). Probably 10+ activities a week.
Best of luck on this! I hope you make it through the other side!
Did you cut out all caffeine?
Thank you for your honesty. You might be interested in Stephanie Person's video called "Waking up to pee? Why is my blood sugar high? Ketosis & Carnivore Diet"
Thank you! I was just checking her videos out earlier, but I will check this one out too.
Hey, maybe this can help. in my experience, when I eat a lot of protein late in the day/evening I wake up around 3 in the morning. If you try, keep me updated on that for you too.
Some things to try. Methylfolate(b9), magnesium gluconate, taurine, glycine, melatonin, salt lite(potassium sodium mix). Research them a little. Try some of them and see if it helps.
Magnesium malate seemed to put me to sleep whenever I would take it. Also, getting in a really good strenuous exercise session helps me if I just cant seem to get to bed as early as I want. I have found out over time...that I only need 5-6 hours of deep sleep now to operate optimally. Before Carnivore, I could sleep any amount of hours...even up to 12...and it was never enough. Hope you find a solution soon, Holly. :)
None of that helped me with sleep. I tried it all.
Thanks, Adam! I just added magnesium malate to my Amazon cart, since you and some others have recommended it. I do take magnesium, but in a different form. I think you're also onto something with the exercise. I find myself sometimes in a bad cycle with the tiredness and then I don't exercise because of that. I'll try to push through that and just be more active. It's interesting that 5-6 hours is enough for you now. I think I am better with less sleep sleep on carnivore, but not that amount! I used to "need" 9 hours and now I'm fine with a bit less, but 6 is not enough for me. :) I am also tracking my sleep and activities with an Oura Ring, and the other issue I'm having lately is that my deep sleep is way lower than it used to be and on those days, I really feel it. Thanks for your tips here. I think it will take a little time to fix, but hopefully I can figure things out and fix it.
I became an insomniac when my late husband became ill and then, after he died, my Mom got Dementia and I wasn't able to get to sleep because of taking care of her. I've been carnivore for 15 months and I usually wake up around 1 to 3 and then go back to sleep after a couple of hours. I don't seem to need the sleep. Now, it seems my dogs are the ones keeping me up. I decided to get off of dairy, too, and today is my first dairy free day.
I hope you do an update video. I have the same problem and triptophan didn’t help me. if I add some carbs I finally sleep but I have digestive issues and allergies and I would rather stay on a strict carnivore diet. magnesium glycinate and L-triptophan supplements didn’t help. I am so disappointed. I hope you found a solution and want to share it with us.
I noticed on my second day I am getting about 6 hours of sleep. Awake for 40 min then back to sleep. Do you sleep in a cold room with adequate air flowing in? Hot showers before bed a part of the plan. I'm also going to incorporate more meat fat in the diet and goats milk instead of glucose from
I’ve having issues too. So I ate a little carbs and it helped a little bit. Try eating more fats it might help. Keep you updated this week
Yes for some people adding in fats is the solution and for others, it seems that adding carbs works.
did your sleep improved now or did you add some carbs?
I had it and couldnt handle it I came to the conclusion we need some carbs to sleep, not ideal because i put on weight with them but it really made me rethink whether carnivore is the best
what carb are you eating now
Thanks for sharing this. I have done some short experiments with eating carbs here and there and it was hit or miss, regarding if it helped my sleep. One time recently it majorly helped my sleep. But, it took me a full month to develop the insomnia, so I really think it will take some time to fix it - once I start making some changes. I think I've figured out the cause for me - thanks to all these awesome comments - and I will do an update video shortly. I also shared it in the sticky comment above.
I really am so sorry to see you going through this, Holly. I have suffered from severe, chronic insomnia for over ten years and it has been life-wrecking for me.
I feel as if I am about to be incredibly obtuse here by asking such an obvious question, but why would you hold to a diet that is giving you insomnia ...? If you were sleeping OK before you started, it seems likely that your old sleeping pattern will gradually reassert itself if you return to your old diet.
Is there something specific that you are hoping to achieve with Carnivore - something that you did not have before? After all, you were already looking beautiful, and more than a decade younger than your actual age. And I had the impression that your mast cell issues had subsided.
It also strikes me that you are missing out on plant compounds that could aid your anti-aging protocol and keep you looking gorgeous, such as blueberries, broccoli sprouts, phenolic compounds etc. You wouldn't need to reintroduce things like lectins, gluten or lactose, and you could easily minimize oxalate with a little basic data. And you could still eat all of the staples from your carnivore-diet ...
So, what holds you to this when you are staring at the ceiling at 3AM? Forgive me if I am being stupid, and please know that I fully support your dietary choices, whatever they might be. But it just seems like the million dollar question, right now.
A sort of cost vs benefit analysis.
Thank you for such a nice comment! I should have elaborated more on this topic in the video, but I was trying to keep the video short. :) For the last month or so, I've added fruit back in a few x a week (berries) and it's less than 10g of sugar, but giving me more of a variety. I am also a fan of broccoli sprouts, as it is nutrient dense and there are so few vegetables that I can tolerate (but that is one that I used to be fine with). So thank you for reminding me about them. I haven't made them in so long, but I love that I can make them at home. Yes, I am not having any mast cell issues or symptoms. The reason I don't just go back to how I was eating is because I have more food intolerances now, so I am finding it difficult & certain things are causing me GI problems. I believe I'll be able to slowly add in the avocado and that may be the key - as it was my main staple with how I was eating before, in addition to eating a small amount of berries a few x a week, or even daily. I'm also fine with pure coconut milk, olives, pickles, Primal sauces, certain nuts, and a few other things. So I have incorporated those back in, but it seems like the thing that helped me the most in my diet were the avocados. I live in a super rural area and I've became more lazy with grocery shopping since doing carnivore, doing a big shopping trip monthly. I have to drive pretty far for groceries. But, that doesn't work when buying anything fresh. I'll have to see if I can freeze some avocados, to work around this issue. I really appreciate your comment! 🙏
@@LifeDIY Yes, I understand.
And I think you are right to reintroduce foods slowly. Your microbiome must have changed radically in the last six months, so I'm not surprised that you are getting GI issues, reintroducing carbs and fiber.
Just a passing thought: Have you ever experimented with raw flax seed that has been ground in a coffee grinder, preferably washed down by a drink? Be warned, they don't taste great, but flax seeds have some really interesting qualities. For a start, they contain zero-lectins, are low oxalate (unlike most seeds and nuts) and are one of the only plant-based sources of omega 3. But, more importantly, they generate a unique form of mucus that is claimed to protect your GI tract and aid bowel-transit.
You can actually test this: If you soak some some raw flax seed for about 12 hours, you should find that they turn into a kind of weird crunchy frogspawn. Which is a bit gross, TBH. But that gooey mucus is supposed to be great for our GI health.
They are also one of the highest known sources of phyto-estrogen - so much so, in fact, that men who body-build are advised to avoid them. But, what with you being a girly an' all, the estrogen could be a nice little boost.
They are still full of fiber, though, so take it slow.
Just another thought to add to the ever growing list.
Thank you so much for sharing this! It's interesting to hear about the flaxseed. I believe I have some here. I'll look into it a big more for GI health. And, it's true the microbiome has really changed. I am sure it will take time to make any changes. :)
@@LifeDIY I hope you're holding up OK, H. I've been navigating the sleep-deprivation Hellscape for well over a decade, so I know how challenging the terrain can become.
Sending you positive thoughts from across the pond, for what such things are worth.
give it time!
For me your Mom and step Dad same issue. Up at 1 or 3AM. We go to bed at 10PM. I miss a good night's sleep
Add potato to the evening
Hello again. I had to do some bloodwork. It showend that Cystatin C was indicating kidney faiiure. If I rmember right youbhad similar problems. Do you fast anything? If, how long and often?
Sorry to hear that! I have had some similar bloodwork in the past, but it's better now. My results were not really accurate because I took supplements prior to having the bloodwork done and that caused me to have very low EGFR numbers. I explain it more in this recent video: th-cam.com/video/0BzGTXJUST4/w-d-xo.html. My very low carb diet seems to have helped my kidney function too.
Have you tried cutting out all sources of caffeine?
This also has happen to me I always wake up from 1-3 am and I am wide awake it takes at least an hour if I am lucky to fall back asleep. I am 37 and I struggle with anxiety so I am not sure if that’s why but I have read some research that suggests eating carbs with protein before bed to help manage glucose levels during the night. I am experimenting and so far I do notice a slight improvement but more to come ..
Berberine and chromium could help you too if it's a blood sugar issue. little Collagen before bed too has helped a lot of people
Please keep me posted!
I started taking magnesium before bed and electrolights during the day
I have the same issues, wake up between 1 and 3, and have difficulty going back to sleep. I have been doing carnivore for 6 and a half months. Sleep issues started roughly 4 and a half months in. Ive tried adding some carbs back in as well, with no success. I have yet to see any of the carnivore Dr.'s mention it...on Q&A people have asked Anthony Chaffee, and he really didn't answer the question. Im hoping my body makes adjustments and fixes itself! Haha
Hey Forrest Gump :) It sounds like we have the exact same issue. When I tried adding in carbs I had no success either initially. So it's really frustrating because some people will say to just "go back to what you did prior," but it's not exactly working! I also tried what they all recommend by adding in way more fats - and I got sick and when not sick, it just didn't help at all and sometimes my sleep was worse. I'm currently doing another experiment with a bit of carbs. Some days it seems to work and others not so much. One night I made a bit of a concoction and ate a small amount of granola/oatmeal with peanut butter and some coconut oil and I slept for about 9 hours. I have no idea what that was about though and I am looking back at my log (since I am keeping track of every detail in my attempt to figure this out) and I may try to recreate certain meals on days when I did sleep 8-9 hours since I have had numerous days like that. I'll do a video as soon as I figure it out...it's so complicated!
One commenter yesterday said that she read about one potential solution - eating a fingerling potato by itself (no other proteins or anything else) prior to bed. I've heard others say that this has worked for them and one person I know says that eating 1/4 sweet potato does the trick for him.
I have to agree. It's very frustrating. I keep track of my sleep scores on my garmin. There is no rhyme or reason why, but I'll sleep really well once a week. The first fee months my sleep scores we're consistently in the 90's now my scores never leave the 70's to low 80's.
I started adding small amounts of carbs, like green beans and now white rice, but no real changes. It's frustrating because I love my sleep, haha..Ill keep trying, and maybe one of us will come up with something. You would figure that as big as carnivore has grown, this would be a focus.
I found a video right after I had watched yours. The lady was a nutritionist, and she was saying it was because glucose lvls were too low, but she said that usually at the beginning of the diet, and your body would adjust.
The first couple of months of my diet was a piece of cake. Everything went well. Then I had some issues for a while. I still have issues maintaining a proper electrolyte balance, so I still deal with palpations alot.
If I drink any alcohol at all, 1 beer or any type of alcohol, my sleep scores are in the 50's for 2 days.
I do feel good on the diet, just not a big fan of the sleep issues, tho.
@LifeDIY so I just found a video guys name is Thomas Delauer. The video is called Keto Sleep issues. Can't sleep on keto? you're not alone.
Try and find it. It may help, I am going to give it a shot!
@@forrestgump5942 I have seen the video by Delauer! I made a more recent video on sleep carnivore issues and tryptophan...so maybe you can check it out too. If you find a solution , please share!
1. electrolytes. maybe try megadose potassium and magnesium one night.
2. do more during the day if you have the energy for it
3. hot shower 2hr prior to bed and then have ur room ice cold like 17 degrees.
4. try add some carbs in, like a piece of fruit, or maybe have a big glass of raw milk kefir? it would have some carbs and also ive read it does aid sleep.
5. use blue light blockers at night allways
same for me. 1 month carnivore. I had to stop, because could not sleep more than 3 hours. I was taking electrolytes, and extra fat before sleep. What helps is around 60 to 100 g of carb, with dinner. So now i try to limit carbs to 100 g, and have them with my last meal. Milk + honey before sleep helps.
The amount of carbs depend also on your activity level. I work out every day 🙂
Thanks for sharing this! I've been tracking everything very closely and I think for me, I might be having problems with low blood sugar at night. I'm still figuring it out though, so I am not totally sure yet. I am glad to hear that you fixed your problem though!
Generic things that helped me on carnivore. Electrolytes, but that's an easy one most figure out quickly. Iodine (Lugol's). Higher fat and, or higher protein, and sometimes a very high protein meal. Early on I had sleep issues but they eventually went away. I suspect spiking insulin sometimes seemed to help with sleep and early on I would do that with some carbs or a bigger protein meal, but my goal was to be as near zero carbs as possible so that was kind of training wheels for me early on. I basically went cold turkey from SAD to carnivore and pretty quickly went extremely strict without even any spices. Reach out to some people like Nutrition with Judy or Bart Kay for a coaching session and they may be able to help based on more information on how, what, and when you eat along with lifestyle. Try cold shower before bed and lower room temperature? Circadian rhythm hacks, grounding, etc. Get checked for CIRS?
Try to eat earlier in a day and after last meal have some apple cider vinegar mixed with water.
Magnesium / Electrolyte drinks. Carnivore a Year, my sleep is better than ever. You are right, most on Carnivore get better sleep. Good Luck
Biphasic Sleep. Have you heard this term? it turns out that our societies current sleep pattern is a modern phenomenon and biphasic sleep used to be the norm. I've been Keto, ketovore, now carnivore for many years and I experience the same symptoms as you. It's been well over a year this has been happening and I would mention it to my wife. Listening to carnivore based youtube channels I've heard some people mention it then I heard 1 guy mention Biphasic sleep. When I first noticed the issue I also noticed I did not feel tired waking up in the morning so I assumed I was getting enough sleep and that my diet was the reason for not lacking energy. I refuse to take any drugs or supplements and stick to a strict bedtime also not using an alarm clock to wake up. Listen your body and maybe a 15 minute nap during the day is not a bad thing. I'm sure you've heard of a siesta, that's why the exist, it's normal human activity clashing with a modern society. You are not broken and need fixing just listen to your body.
Just a theory
I will say what really helped me was getting cold showers, dark and cold room, without any noise no electric devices on at all. But mostly the cold showers were the most altering thing. It's really hard to get a cold shower I know but if you lower the heat slowly and get to the super cold water after 15 - 20 sec of cold water you numb yourself and you can continue like that for 2 - 3 minutes.
Thanks for sharing this!
Hi, Holly may I ask how your egfr is now on the Carni diet? One point Id like to make is that at times when i tried going Carni my mental health suffered and I do well with carbs, having been on anti-depressants for 30yrs for depression/anxiety I find carns relax me, due to insulin surge allowing Tryptophan to affect Serotonin, this may be affecting your melatonin production, just a thought.
You are right on about your thoughts on Tryptophan, Serotonin and Melatonin. I do think this is a part of my issue for sure. This can be a problem for anyone, but I also have a major mutation related to tryptophan production, which makes me more susceptible to these issues. I mentioned it in a pinned comment, and I"ll do an update video hopefully next week. Update: I am going to wait to the do the video until I figure a few more things out. I am waiting to do some bloodwork this week first. And, I totally understand about the calming effect from some carbs. So, I think it's understandable to add some fruit or other things in to try to help with that. My eGFR is really great since doing carnivore. I share it in this video here: th-cam.com/video/0BzGTXJUST4/w-d-xo.htmlsi=JnYyIRYQio56Ljyj. I also did a cystatin C test which gave me a calculated eGFR too (which is supposed to be a bit more accurate) and I think that one was around 110, so 100% functioning which is amazing.
Thank you Holly for replying, as a Creator on TH-cam (not this channel) I know how stressful YT can be, especially when we get hatemail, they can be nasty and definitely get me down although I've gotten tougher over the years, you end up not answering any messages so Im grateful you answered mine, you seem like a really nice lady, Im more interested in Life Extension and this is how I came across your NAD+ video on NMN and followed you since, some people are calming to the eye, which reminds me - your eyes seemed rather red in the video if Im not mistaken, so yeah insomnia really may have been affecting you when you took the video.
Back to Ketovore/Carnivore, Im not sure exactly what you eat in a day unless I missed that video, can you tell me if you have the time pls.
Your eGFR sounds GREAT!! Wow, but you are young, maybe 30yrs of age, it decreases as you age, Im 56 and mine was 66 and then went up to 69, its a very tricky thing to navigate cause if you don't have CKD and damage to the tiny tubules within the kidney then Carnivore, for example, doesn't seem so risky but when damage has already occurred then all that meat has to be processed through the damaged kidneys and spillage 'should' occur, i.e. protein in the urine or proteinuria (foam in the urine) this I fear speeds up end-stage progression (stage 5 CKD), as I said your Egfr is great but there may be other tests to look at to get a broader view on Kidney health.
*BUN (Blood Urea Nitrogen): Elevated BUN levels may indicate issues with protein metabolism or kidney function.
*Creatinine Levels: Creatinine is a waste product from muscle metabolism. Elevated creatinine levels can suggest impaired kidney function.
*Urine Albumin-to-Creatinine Ratio (UACR): A measure of the amount of albumin (a protein) in the urine, indicating kidney damage.
*Urine Protein Levels: Elevated protein in the urine may be a sign of kidney damage.
*Uric Acid Levels: High levels of uric acid can contribute to kidney stone formation.
*Electrolyte Levels: Sodium and potassium balance is crucial for kidney function.
*Blood Pressure: Uncontrolled hypertension can contribute to kidney damage, Diabetes also will affect the kidneys.
*Imaging Studies: Imaging tests like ultrasounds or CT scans can provide visual information about the kidneys.
Sorry for the long essay, just realized there are other markers to look out for apart from Egfr/Cystatin C, although they are good markers, there are some others.
I heard of an Asian guy in his 30's who went on to a Carni high-fat diet eating once or twice a day, he was slim, athletic type, ate pork, seafoods etc and his egfr skyrocketed to about 113, but after a year haven't seen or heard of him since, this is the problem, do these guys run into problems and don't tell us or what? Another elderly lady online has CKD and after 3 yrs her egfr went up from 40 to 70ish and then she was gone, did the Carni not work out and they just disappeared because of this? Its frustrating when people dont stick around so you end up not being sure if they are healthy or not.@@LifeDIY
Thank you for sharing this info on blood markers! And, I know what you mean about the hate mail and comments. They vary depending on the video topic. :) I too am interested in lifespan and longevity. I'm 41 but my kidney levels were not so good in my 30s. I'm glad they're better now. I'll be sure to followup with other bloodwork. I've had a lot of tests done recently. I'll do a video coming up with more info on what I eat or a general update on my carnivore/ketovore/keto situation.
I've been a carnivore for 21 months and have found an increase in energy at the age of 62. If I am lazy and not doing any exercise to burn off some of this newfound energy I would find it hard to get to sleep and end up waking up early too, you didn't mention if you had some kind of exercise program going. It just may be an excess of energy due to increased protein intake! And also any stress in your life can cause havoc!
Thanks, Kerry! I'm so glad to hear it's helped you. I think I need to add in more exercise and if I could get some sunglight, I really believe it would help, but I don't have much of that where I live.
I had a very brief experience with carnivore and I still have the memory of being awake until 5 am, zero sleep and off to work the next day. I am experimenting with carnivore/keto/low carb during the day and then letting some rice or potato in with dinner.
I've heard that it works well for some people to eat a bit of carbs before bed, to get better sleep (so far it doesn't work for me though). I would love to sleep till 5 AM though! For me, that's super late. :)
Yes sleep can be a tough one! For me it’s a host of ingredients - things that I perceive that help me out unclude: earplugs (wax cotten works best for me) and a weighted blanket. To calm adrenaline, I sometimes plug un a podcast in one ear a a very low level. Outdoor time I also perceive as being helpful along with getting in 10k steps. Take note what helps and what harms your sleep. A full day hiking and I’m out like a light. A stressful day at work and I can be awake forever no matter what I do! Good luck in your sleep adventure! You’ll find your path! By the way I’m 61 and indeed sleep comes harder in these later years.
Thank you so much for sharing this. I appreciate it. Last night I got 9 1/2 hours of sleep and I am amazed. I need to try to recreate that somehow and figure out exactly what helped me. Then I will do an update video if I can continue to improve my sleep. I have heard it is harder as you get older.
🥰👍👌🏻
I had this problem, it went away when I stopped eating liver and came back when I added liver again in my diet
When I first started carnivore my insomnia stopped and I slept like a baby. But I’ve now been doing this for three months and my insomnia has come back….is it to do with lack of fat?
I have the same problem.
Hi. Have you tried red light therapy. Going out for a walk in sunrise. Cold shower therapy in the morning. Hot shower/bath before bed/Sauna.
I was low on iodine that is why I had trouble sleeping. My metabolizim was to fast. I was always waking up every 2-3 hours to go to the bathroom and I would loose alot of weight at night. I now take to drops of lugo's 2% in my morning coffee and I sleep 6 hours before waking up and I am not in rush to to the bathroom.
It might also just be metabolic, I was over exercising obsessed with cardio, under eating and not getting enough carbs which resulted in several nutritional deficiencies after 7 years being on a SCD/ Paleo diet. I healed my IBD and thought I was being healthy, felt great in the initial years... unknowingly I was putting my body in a catabolic state which will cause the body to stay awake and alert, as it is meant to. Think about what you are doing and what messages you are sending to your central nervous system via the way you eat, exercise and live...you might be putting your body in survival mode and the body is simply doing what its meant to be doing. I cut back and changed the way I exercise opting for more anabolic promoting activities with ample recovery time, ate more frequent balanced meals, avoided stimulants and recently quit alcohol. It has taken a long time for my body to balance out and recover, I now don't even need to bother with or think about sleep hygiene, I get tired and sleep. I hope this helps someone in a similar predicament, the worst part is not knowing what is happening, how to recover. and no one seems to be able to help. You can't relax, meditate or think your way out of a catabolic state....Give your body what it needs and your central nervous system and mind will calm and deep sleep will return.
Wow Your bone structure looks great! I try to burn all my energy at the gym multiple times a day... i sleep like a baby! You made me wanna try going all in on meat
Nice, thanks for sharing this! I need to workout a lot more. I think it could help. The more I see it in the comments, the more I think it's part of my issue. Another issue is that I get almost no sunlight where I live. So the problems are adding up!
Working out is so glycolytic, it might be hard on carni? unless your eating kg´s of meat.. I know i live in Sweden its dark and COLD! @@LifeDIY
I’ve had sleep maintenance insomnia for decades. Slowly getting better.
I’ve noticed if I fall asleep earlier I’ll get less sleep and wake up in the 1-3 am time. I’m working on doing sleep restriction. Trying to build up to staying up till midnight so I sleep until 6 am.
I’ve also noticed eating too much food too late causes me to only get 4.5 hours of sleep. I.e. - 16 ounce ribeye 2-3 hours before bed = bad sleep for me.
I’ve also used a product called Middle of The Night by Sleep Doctor that can help me fall back asleep. It works pretty good.
Hope you find your solution. Definitely interested in learning more on what you try.
Thank you so much for sharing this, and sorry to hear about your sleep issues. I am glad to hear it's getting better. I was passing out on the couch around 5:30 yesterday, but my son made me snap out of it and stay awake. So I ended up doing a test by staying up until 8 or 8:30, hoping it would help me sleep later. But, strangely, I got up earlier. I don't know what is going on with me lately. :) But, I'm going to keep trying things out.
@@LifeDIY hopefully you get it sorted. Nutrition with Judy might be a resource that could help you.
@LifeDIY I was watching some videos on this topic. Several had said to make sure your electrolytes are sufficient. Just wanted to share that.
I had that issue and I got it to go away by eating more food. Eating as soon as I get up. I also upped my water intake. Apparently your body can think there’s a crisis or something’s wrong because of the drastic change? So when I ate more frequently it went away…
Not sure I can offer any help. I've had trouble sleeping for the last 13 years. I was on Zolpidem for a good bit of that time. I've been off that for 3 yrs and carnivore-ish for 6 months. I started having sleep issues again - did just start menopause, so there is that. I actually started Now Quercetin on your recommendation. I can get a solid 5 hrs if I take 2 at bedtime which has been very helpful. I also find I sleep better if I go to bed at 9, not before and not after which is weird! If I remember, I will sometimes have a hot cup of herbal tea with a half tsp of Glycine but I haven't done that since starting the Quercetin. I'm sorry I don't have more to offer but thank you for the video. I am very interested in reading the responses. I hope you find something that helps!
Thank you so much for the comment! I am sorry about your sleep issues. That can really take a toll. I can't imagine having problems for years. ;( I am so happy the Quercetin helps you. I too take Glycine at night normally and it used to help a lot until I developed this issue. It does help relax people and often helps them initially fall asleep. I believe I've figured out the cause for me - thanks to all these awesome comments - and I will do an update video shortly. I also shared it in the sticky comment above if you want to check it out.
@@LifeDIY I read through the pinned post replies. That sounds very promising! I did not add above that after taking 800 mg of Quercetin to fall asleep, I keep next to my bed a couple of 500 mg Tryptophan capsules and a 5-HTP, as a last resort, to take if I wake up and cannot fall back asleep. I'm encouraged and hopeful that you are on your way to a solution!
Have you been checked for nutrients? Could be vitamin or mineral deficiency?
I have! I have been tested for absolutely everything you could imagine - and everything was fine. :)
I'm now 5 year carnivore and I as well have the same problem of sleep, I don't remember which doctor said that we need to eat more organ meat to get B1, and B3 to fix it, since I just started last week on the organ meat, yet not seeing much difference yet.
Sorry to hear that! I can't go that route of eating organ meat as my iron levels were high when I was last tested. I do sometimes add in a B1 vitamin and B3. But, I too haven't noticed any benefits. My experiments with adding in more fat did not work. I am going to continue on with experimenting though.
I am having the exact problem you described in your video. Have you found any solution to the problem??
Add a potato in the evening
I started hrt for insomnia, if i wake up i take a 100 milligram of progesterone, my obgyn said i can take 2 a night if i need , after years and years of insomnia, this has really improved my sleep, I started carnivore a month ago and it got even worse, i have been doing extreme oxalate dumping, i hope when that clears i will get up less to urinate at night.
Exactly the same issue on carnivore. Looking into Histamine intolerance at the moment. Aged & cured meats can be high in histamines, Also egg whites + Avocados!. This can tip you over the edge for this. Seems that Histamines dump at night time (2-3am), and make you wake up feeling excited (heart feels like pumping hard).
A few days ago started taking DAO enzyme supplement before meals to help break down excessive histamines, Not sure how it's going yet. Will asses after another week.
Sorry you're having these issues too and thanks for sharing this. You may want to look into taking Quercetin - which can help with histamine issues, allergies, etc. You can also get some labs done to test histamine and it used to be really cheap through DHA Labs. I made a sticky comment if you have a sec to check it out, explaining what I think is the main cause of my issue. I'll do an update video on it soon.
Yep, histamine intolerance can cause early morning waking insomnia. Histamine is an excitatory neurotransmitter. Estrogen slows MAO-A and increases histamines. So, an early morning rise in estrogen thus increases histamine causing waking up and the inability to fall asleep again. Calcium-d-glucarate (200-500mg) before bed (to help stage 2 elimination of estrogen) can help to confirm if this is the issue.
Carnivore has the potential to increase overall histamine levels, due to high histamine in bacon, egg whites, ground beef, length of time of meat on store shelves and in the fridge, and leftovers will have skyrocketing histamine levels. Slow-cooked bone-both also has high histamine. At the same time, low vitamin C intake can exacerbate histamine issues. So, DAO (e.g., NaturDAO) w/meals, opting for steaks instead of ground beef, getting freshest meat and keeping it frozen until needed will help control histamine intake, and supplemental vitamin C (ascorbic acid) can help some.
Avocados are high tyramine, not histamine. But it is also MAO-A which breaks down tyramines.
It may also be that higher fat carnivore is improving hormone levels, thus ironically increasing estrogen to a problematic level.
Also, @LifeDIY, the 'food intolerances' you mention could also be a result of histamine intolerance.
I have been on ketovore carnivore year and a half . Waking up at 3 all the time . I had a carb relapse and I realized I slept through the night woke up at about 8 am I was like what . When I ate the American diet I would sleep 10 hrs wake up and want to take a nap . So idk now trying to figure out what kind of carbs I should take . One of the carbs was raw milk and I had the middle of a cheese danish But don’t want to continue with that type of carb didn’t make me gain any weight because my calories are low so have to figure this out because I love the benefits of carnivore and how I feel during the day but not sleeping is the absolute worst thing ever.
That's so interesting. Thank you for sharing this! I had the same experience but with chili. I made the most basic chili - just beef plus tomato sauce and seasoning (no beans or anything else) and I slept amazingly well that night. It's not very high carb and it seemed to help. I think as long as you don't go full blown into the carbs you'll be able to sleep, but not the horrible sleep you had prior to changing your diet. I just created a new forum on my site - www.lifeanddiy.com/forum/ and if you could join it and share this in a post, that would be incredible. You're the first person I've told about the forum as I am finishing setting it up. I really hope we can all chat over there and figure out answers to these sleep issues.
Also add magnesium to your diet
I also get night waking on keto or carnivore. I dont undereat, have enough salt and potassium, and take melatonin before bed. I can wake up once, or several times, and feel like i havent slept come morning. I get so frustrated that i just give up. I do not know why.
I’ve been carnivore keto for years & I’m going to stick with it but am WIDE awake at night now that I’ve been super strict for about 2 months. I love not craving carbs BUT having issues! Completely awake at night. Not sleepy. I fall asleep then awaken after just a few hours with horrible calf cramps. I am taking magnesium before bed, LMNT salts, electrolytes plus more of things that I think might help. So I’m having 2 issues. Sleep & cramps even with supplements & plenty of salt & water.
I’m going to pull up an old kindle book. “Carb addicts total recovery program” by Kathleen Des Maisons phd.
She discusses at length little tryptophan competing against big aminos to make serotonin.
And to help this brain struggle then one, especially women?, need to add a small potato WITH skin on it late or prior to bed. NO PROTEIN with this little potato. We need a small increase in insulin, but not a spike. So tryptophan can do its thing. I have to try it!
Robert Cywes just made a video about this recently about some people need to cycle in carbs because their body shuts down ALL INSULIN production & thats bad for us as well. I must be one of these people. No one talks about how many carbs or when to cycle them back in. But I think Kathleen DesMaisons might have the answer.
I’ll try to repost in a few weeks to follow up.
Increasing your fat intake should help bring down your cortisol levels and help with sleep.
Exercising increases cortisol as well, which can harm your stress levels and sleep too.
Thanks! I know this is a problem for some people, but my cortisol is low day and night (I got it tested day/night). I have experimented with increasing my fat intake but haven't seen a difference in my sleep yet.
Have you tried bone marrow?
When is your last meal of the day including snacks? I can't eat past 5pm, it'll mess up my sleep.
Thanks for sharing this. Lately it's between 3-5 PM, because I've also been going to sleep around 6 or 7 PM. I forgot to mention in the video that I have been keeping a detailed log for months - to track what I'm eating and how I'm sleeping. I don't seem to have an issue with eating prior to bed, but I will keep a closer eye on this as it's not something I've even thought about. Thank you. 🙏
I add an additional 1/2 stick butter before bed. No weight gain but i too sleep better.
try magnusium glycninate but the chelated version
Hi Holly, have you started or stopped ashwagandha lately?
Hey Vince, I did try ashwagandha 3 or 4 months ago a couple of times. It really knocked me out and I had the weirdest scariest dreams. I didn't really like the effects from it, so I only tried it for a couple of days.
I've had sleep issues for more than a decade (since menopause) but have only been carnivore for a little over a year. Nothing changed with my sleep as I improved my diet. Like you, I wake up and can't go back to sleep so I keep going to be earlier and earlier. Doesn't seem to matter. I just get about 5 or 6 hours of sleep. I've read all the books and watched all the videos, tried all the tips. I'll be interested to see what others suggest.
Bobbi, I like your username. I really hope we can find some answers and fix our sleep issues! 🙏 The 6 hours of sleep is killing me. I need more than that. :)
Same, 4-6 hours sleep, I need more sleep.
Fast MAOA gene or low triptophan (meaning low serotonin > low melatonin).
Obtaining sufficient tryptophan solely from meat can be challenging for some because all amino acids in meat compete for absorption, and tryptophan, being a larger amino acid, is absorbed less efficiently than others. For certain individuals, including carbohydrates in their diet becomes necessary.
*Thank you so much for sharing this!* I think you figured out a big potential issue, or at least part of it.
For anyone interested, I did some initial research on this and found:
There's a paper here: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8511346/ which goes in depth on the topic of tryptophan and melatonin production. And, it basically suggests that insulin plays an important role in regulating the availability of tryptophan for brain uptake, which is critical for serotonin and melatonin synthesis. As a summary - tryptophan competes with other amino acids for brain entry. Even if you're eating high-tryptophan foods, it does not mean it will make it to the brain because there are other amino acids competing for that as well, especially when eating all meat which is high in multiple amino acids. In order to divert those other ones away from the brain, allowing more tryptophan to enter, insulin is recommended. In the paper they said that having a little bit of carbs with the meal will do this. For those who want to avoid carbs, a tryptophan supplement may be worth trying. Please read the full details below. I also have details on how this may impact females more than males.
Some people do really well on all-meat, but there are also many people in the comments who have this insomnia now while on carnivore or keto and it is possible to have issues like this, even without this mutation.
Personally, it took at least a month after starting carnivore for me to develop this insomnia. So, I think it will take some time to get back to normal. I will document what I'm doing and update you guys in future videos.
All I can say is thank you to @shaunci274 for this comment!
*Here are more details for those who want to understand it. And, for the women, please read through to the bottom.*
Only a small portion (1-2%) of this dietary tryptophan is converted to melatonin via the serotonin pathway.
In the bloodstream, tryptophan competes with several other large neutral amino acids (LNAA) for transport across the blood-brain barrier (BBB).
These competing amino acids include histidine, isoleucine, leucine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tyrosine, and valine. Meat is high in all of these amino acids. The transport mechanism for amino acids to the brain is not specific to tryptophan alone but includes other large neutral amino acids. Tryptophan must compete with these other amino acids, which are often more abundantly available in the food supply.
Meat is particularly high in leucine, isoleucine, and valine, which are the most potent competitors for tryptophan transport.
So, even though meat is high in tryptophan, eating only meat doesn’t mean you’ll get the tryptophan into your brain where it is needed.
According to research, the amount of tryptophan that can successfully cross the BBB depends on the amount of other amino acids that it is competing with. Altering the ratio of tryptophan to these competing amino acids can have a significant effect on the concentration of tryptophan that manages to enter the brain.
Eating carbohydrates does not directly increase tryptophan levels, but it triggers insulin release. Insulin promotes the uptake of competing amino acids into muscle cells, increasing the availability of tryptophan for serotonin and melatonin synthesis in the brain.
This results in an increased "tryptophan/CAA ratio," which represents the relative availability of tryptophan compared to competing amino acids.
The research suggests that consuming carbohydrates along with tryptophan-rich foods can enhance tryptophan's entry into the brain. This process promotes the biosynthesis of serotonin and melatonin due to increased availability of tryptophan.
According to a research paper, consuming the carbs + protein with your first meal of the day can have a greater impact on the amount of tryptophan making it to the brain, compared to later in the day.
Factors like stress, insulin resistance, nutrient deficiencies (e.g., magnesium or vitamin B6), and age can also impact serotonin synthesis, but changes in the tryptophan/CAA ratio are the primary factors. Alcohol consumption has been shown to decrease the tryptophan/CAA ratio by about 10% at about 30 minutes and 20%-25% at about 1.5 to 2 hours following ingestion. This decrease suggests that brain serotonin synthesis is impaired under these conditions.
In addition to the general LNAA transporter, there may be a separate transport system specifically for tryptophan. This system becomes more active when tryptophan levels are low, ensuring that the brain receives sufficient amounts of this essential amino acid.
Maybe this is why some people have issues and others do not, as some people have impairments (like those listed below).
There have been numerous studies on tryptophan depletion, which were mostly achieved by giving a drink that contained a variety of amino acids, without tryptophan.
A number of these studies have reported that healthy women are more vulnerable to the mood-lowering effects of tryptophan depletion than men, which is supported by imaging studies that provide evidence of sex differences in brain serotonin synthesis. Individuals with certain predispositions, such as a family history of mood disorders or underlying biological vulnerabilities, or certain genetic mutations, may be more susceptible to experiencing mood-lowering effects from the depletion of tryptophan.
*For anyone who wants to try this theory out, there are numerous ways to do it - either dietary (some carbs) or by adding in some tryptophan in a supplement form. Please do your research if you are going to try the supplement, especially if you're on anti-depressants. Check with your doctor. I've shared this info with mine, and I'll keep you all posted on what she thinks or recommends and what I am doing.*
Studies -
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2908021/
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8511346/
Nebula Genomics - Genome Sequencing for anyone interested bit.ly/3RBcT4v
@@LifeDIY you should be able to test this by taking a low dose timed release melatonin supplement before bed. If you google foods highest in tryptophan they’re all meats, with turkey and chicken highest… so not sure how carbohydrates come into the picture here? Maybe the OP could elaborate?
@@user-fs3fk3jc9z I wouldn't recommend taking a melatonin supplement. It's synthetic and over time disrupt your natural circadian rhythm.
Thank you @shaunci274 and @LifeDIY. The information you have shared definitely is great information and gives me some insight.
@@user-fs3fk3jc9z Carbohydrates have a greater concentration of tryptophan, making it easier for absorption compared to meat, where tryptophan needs to compete with other amino acids.
Additionally, certain individuals possess a genetic predisposition that makes it challenging to convert carbohydrates into serotonin and melatonin (MAO-A is common but there are others). When there is a low intake of tryptophan, the resulting melatonin production is also reduced.
I think the carnivore diet can be beneficial for some individuals, but it's certainly not a one-size-fits-all approach. I'd love to be able to do it myself :-)
If I eat a high starch evening meal I sleep very well. Did Carnivour for 3 months couldn't even walk up a flight of stairs without puffing and low energy. All the best....
It's so interesting because many people say this, but for me it messes up my sleep more. 🙏
My first few weeks on carnivore, I slept like a baby but similar to you, now I'm wide awake at fixed times during the night. I've tried many things to combat this but nothing has worked so far.
Sorry to hear that. I am in the same boat. I know one thing - for me, increasing the fat did not help and if anything it sometimes worsens my issue.
Try higher melatonin to bypass the high amino acids of the carnivore dietary competition with tryptophan uptake into brain. I keep melatonin by my bedside. Also can try jigger your protein slightly lower and fats slightly higher which might help reduce
You can try calcium carbonate before bedtime. Calcium helps keep stress hormones low, and if you increased your meat intake, you need additional calcium to keep the calcium to phosphorus ratio in check. I would recommend drinking milk every time you eat meat, if you want to do it the more natural way. Dr. Ray Peat is a good resource. He changed and saved my life. Good luck!❤
Thank you for sharing this. For me personally, I have very low stress hormones day and night and I'm insanely lactose intolerant. I'm not a fan of sugar. But, I am glad to hear you're doing well!
Oh I feel for you Holly! I can relate with how it can mess up your day. Breathing exercises helped me a bit. Relieving any insidious stress.? 🤷♂Like yourself I used to shoot out of bed as soon as I woke up. Recently though I made an effort to stay in bed, turn over and go back to sleep again. It has worked!…sadly not every time, but hey ho, small wins are better than none.
I’ll be interested in reading the comments on here.
Really hope you find a solution that works for you. x
Thank you! I have been trying to do the same lately. :)
Dr Berry just had a post on this. Said to go out in the cold at night, right b4 bed, wearing only shorts bra and socks till physically shivering. Then jump in to bed and cover up and box breath. Also had how to do this. Anything is worth a try!!!!😊
Really? Hahah! I am loving all these unique recommendations. :) I am surprised that's a recommendation of his, but enjoyed reading your comment! O feel like I want to do a video where I implement many of these fun recommendations here.
Try keeping your last full meal before 5pm or 5-6 hours before bed. Drink some bone broth with 1-2 Tbsp ghee before bed.
Thanks, but my bedtime now is 6 PM to 7 PM since I keep waking up at 1 AM to 3 AM. I tend to do a lot better eating closer to bed instead of hours before, but everyone is different. :)
Thing about trying to heal with diets is that it's matter trying to affect matter its long and arduous. May I make a suggestion? I'm in my late sixties and also have had my challenges, i
have looked into most diets and yes some helped I have settled on vegan but that was not enough. My suggestion is look into the work of Joe dispenza the results I have had are out standing just a suggestion from a seasoned traveller.
I find that if I eat dinner at 5 pm I’m much better off then 6 or 7 pm. Magnesium will help as well