Confused about daily carbohydrate intake

#1

Hi, i have been eating keto for 2.5 months and found this forum recently. I am strictly eating below 20g net carb daily. I mean very strictly only my net carbs come from vegetables and nuts and all of them cannot exceed 10g net carb. When i reading posts in this forum i saw several times something like this “increase your carb otherwise it cause insomnia cause low serotonin low melotonin” etc.

Recently i had sleep disturbances too sometimes, but this maybe sodium issue i don’t know. Because when i get too much sodium i think i get headache and some sleep disturbances.

My question is do i do it right? Should i increase my carb intake? Is carb intake effects for working hormones like serotonin melotonin etc.?

#2

I’ve never read such a thing, and I do TKD/CKD which is keto with more carbs, but I don’t think so. One way to find out, before bed have some carbs, that means good ones, not cupcakes. But see what happens. The world isn’t going to end if you do.

What I do know from a non keto related thing, is there’s a supplement in bodybuilding that causes massive insomnia, carbs (fast ones) right before bed help it enormously. I wouldn’t suggest you use fast carbs before bed, but just the fact that there actually could be something there for some people.

Can you link to the post you’re referring to? Also, are you actually having issues with insomnia that you weren’t having before? Symptoms of either low serotonin or melatonin?

#3

https://www.ketogenicforums.com/t/getting-less-sleep-on-keto-or-carnivore-normal/96953/7?u=megadeth

I saw another things like this but i cannot find ://

I didn’t have any issue, in fact i cannot say now it is a insomnia just i woke up 3-5 times at night. Maybe it is i drunk a lot of water or high sodium levels

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #4

The goal of a ketogenic diet is to keep insulin generally low, and carb restriction is important to that goal, since carbohydrate is the macronutrient that raises insulin the most (fat, the body’s other energy source, has a negligible effect on insulin).

The amount of carbohydrate we can eat without raising insulin above the threshold that prevents ketosis varies a great deal from person to person, and it depends greatly on the person’s degree of insulin-sensitivity. Our recommendation of a 20 g/day limit is a great place to start, because it guarantees success for everyone except the most insulin-resistant. You, however, may have a higher carb tolerance than that, so you might want to experiment to see how much carbohydrate you can eat and still stay in ketosis. (However, this can be risky for someone who is vulnerable to carb addiction, which—trust me—is definitely a thing.)

A quick check of medical Web sites shows that we probably don’t really understand sleep and what causes insomnia. But a couple of suggestions that can easily be implemented are to avoid eating too close to bedtime, and to watch one’s caffeine intake.

I have found that a small amount of carbohydrate just before bed can help put me to sleep, but it’s risky, because I am most definitely a carb addict. And there is that old-time home remedy, a cup of warm milk, which quite often does the trick. (Whole milk in a mug, microwaved for around two-and-a-half minutes, is about right.)

#5

So, you say carb restriction by itself cannot lower serotonin or melatonin?

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #6

There’s too much individual variability to make a definite assertion, but I know several people who have been able to cut back on their SSRI’s on keto. I don’t know enough about melatonin even to guess what the effect of a low-carb/ketogenic diet would be.

Given that we evolved over two million years on a diet that was mostly, if not entirely, meat and fish, I don’t really see how cutting carb intake could be bad for us.

But again, individual variability comes into play here. The two extremes of this are exemplified by two doctors on keto, whom Gary Taubes interviewed for his latest book. The first doctor—whose name I forget, sorry—is on a strict all-plant diet, and the second, Dr. Georgia Ede, is on a strict plant-free diet. Each of them says that she eats that way simply because experience has shown her that’s the diet that makes her feel the best. So we all have to figure out what works best for us.

#7

I am zero carb now but I did Keto Plan back in the day :slight_smile:

2.5 mos is early. You could still be experiencing adaption issues as it effects all of us as such individuals.

Your adaption and what your body is undertaking right now, it is detoxing and flushing out the bad, it is changing your hormone production to re-balance, it is gut adapting thru fat intake and more and believe me, your body right now is doing such a ton of things, yes many of us get sleep issues! Many of us get gut issues! We get fatigue issues! But this is very personal on when and how it does hit us.

Plus remember sleep is a weirdo one in that what is your life stress issues? so varied for all of us on that level too that can effect our sleep but also when doing a health radical eating lifestyle change, our bodies are also finding new sleep patterns that we do require for us in a healthy body…so sometimes it really does take time for that to happen.

you are becoming a brand new you. A new you the body is gonna flip you around some, or maybe alot for some of us, and I say ride it out, but key being, if you feel the sleep is bad, if you can rest at any time in your day do just that. Just ‘work thru and allow’ the rest and relax a bit in your day if you can, slow down a bit and allow’ the body to do its changes and don’t fight them kinda, give in to them and help them along anyway ya can.

Does something like a hot bath with some bubbles a while before bed time help you and relax you? Do it if ya need it.

Does the tv and white noise soothe you to sleep more or do you need dark room, dead silence for better sleep? Do whatever works for ya!!
Got life issues on your mind that upset ya a bit, take some action to correct as you see fit, and this calms the body and soul for better sleep so there is ways to think about how you ‘get thru big WOE changes’ and just do what ya gotta do!

I believe you will be fine cause most everyone has sleep issues with big body healing/repair and healthy changes in our sleep department but in the end, ask us all, when over that beginning, we all sleep just fine, well most of us, lol

wishing you the best!!

#8

Read extensively on Sleep Hygiene. There are probably other factors separate from diet in play here. They include exposure to computer screens after 7 pm, variable sleep-wake times, exercise timing, caffeine abstension after 12 noon, long daytime naps, etc., etc.

#9

For me I’ve had insomnia for years. Sometimes it is reduced. Since starting keto, my sleep has definitely improved. I still have issues but over all, I’m falling asleep faster and sleeping longer. Each person is different.

I didn’t start keto to improve my sleep but rather to lower blood glucose levels and lose weight. Improved sleep was a side benefit.