Getting Less Sleep on Keto or Carnivore = Normal

(Robert C) #2

I have not heard of this theory that less energy spent digesting means less sleep necessary. It does not sound correct - how would an ultra-marathoner cover 100+ miles and stay awake if energy expenditure and sleep were associated that way (i.e. a lot more energy expenditure does not require sleep in this case)?

What I have heard is that the body is driving you to go find food. As with other fasting adaptations (like extra growth hormone to preserve muscle) its goal is to get you to get more food (i.e. not sleep while starving - instead you become hyper-vigilant for sources of calories). I think that with fasting - the initial short night’s sleep does not feel so bad - mental acuity is up due to fasting and (I think) most people generally feel better fasting after day 2.

But, I also think that multiple extended fasts with short breaks can really mess you up. There is no “magic” that lets you sleep a lot less on an extended basis - restorative processes in the brain and body will not be happening as they should and one will suffer.

(Davy) #3

Course, Energy used from a 100+ mile run is massive compared to the energy need to digest ‘hard to digest’ foods.

(Davy) #4

You have research on this?
Perhaps Keto DOES introduce some magic.

(Robert C) #5

Yes…here’s some research…

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #6

It’s anecdotal evidence, but there are many people on these forums who have reported needing less sleep and having higher energy levels from eating ketogenically. I’m not sure how long this effect persists after the change in diet, however, and it is clear that some of us don’t have the same experience (it appears to depend on one’s baseline at the start; for example, I don’t have boundless energy on keto, but then again I’m no longer dragged down by fatigue, the way I used to be). When I joined the forums, people were joking a lot about how they’d get up at four a.m. to spend the day taking care of the lawn or deep-cleaning the house, when they’d really prefer to be sleeping, lol! :bacon:

(Robert C) #7

Yes … from the article linked below (which does not mention digestion energy differences) …

Sleep, Serotonin and the Keto diet...I wake up in the middle of the night...?
Confused about daily carbohydrate intake
(mole person) #8

I do need far less sleep on keto than I did in SAD. About 6 instead of 8 hours. Unfortunately, I often wake now long before I’ve even had that so it’s not all roses. I’d say it’s the one thing that has been clearly worse in my life since I began a ketogenic diet.

The explanation that I’ve heard for why we don’t seem to need as much sleep is that oxidative repair is a large part of what the body does during sleep but keto metabolism produces less oxidative stress during energy production.

(Davy) #9

Bingo. And thus we need less sleep.

(Davy) #10

“as well as higher than normal energy levels.” which is caused by lesser energy used to digest. This proved my point.
“Long-term, the keto diet can lead to deeper sleep and less required sleep overall.” which is the point of this thread.

Just roll with it. It’s a good thing.

(Keto Koala 🐨) #11

I only got 4 hours and it sucks. I keep trying to go back to sleep but my body won’t let me.

(mole person) #12

@Bubby1 It’s the same for me. It’s been three years and I’m still waking after a few short hours.

I’m about to give up coffee and see if that helps.

(Keto Koala 🐨) #13

I’ve only been on keto 14 days and I feel like crying. I feel SO sleep deprived. I just cannot sleep and then the moment I fall asleep my friggin body wakes me back up. It’s a double edged sword because I’m so tired from lack of sleep that I need coffee in the morning to function. I’ve also hears that lack of sleep stalls weight loss. I’m actually crying as i type this :sleepy: I’m so sleep deprived that I feel like vomiting. I’m quite depressed at the moment. I gave up my pain meds a month ago too and have been withdrawing from that for a month. So I have had about 3 to 4 hours a night for a month.

#14

I noticed I need a bit less sleep on keto and I wake up easier. It’s not a massive change, just noticeable and a very good thing for me. I probably always will have problems with mornings but it’s better on keto and I am thankful for every little thing on that front as it’s horrible being unable to wake up in the morning without a way more serious reason than work (why to go to work early when I know my brain will be asleep until noon and it will work just great after 17pm?). But I need to get up somewhere in the morning for multiple reasons. Not going to bed super late would be nice too but keto helps a bit even if I can’t do that.

(Keto Koala 🐨) #15

God I wish I could sleep like that :disappointed:

#16

It must be very bad, I am sorry for that. I am physically unable not to get enough sleep in normal circumstances, if I lack sleep, I just fall asleep eventually, almost no matter what. I am a super slow zombie without even appetite for brain without sleep.

My biggest sleep problem is falling asleep. It easily takes hours sometimes. It was so easy when I was very young but I lost that. It’s more mental than physical I guess and I kind of understand my problem but I am still bad at making it better though I have some ideas. But why am I not SLEEPY at a super late hour, no matter my thoughts and emotional state and whatnot? I am tired, I need sleep, I am perfectly satiated most of the time, I am comfortable and warm but I am very awake even if I was very sleepy not long ago. Going to bed often makes me much more awake. If I manage to wake up near completely in the morning (it takes a lot), I can’t go back to sleep either unlike in my past. Sleeping was a simple decision when I was very young, I did it almost instantly.
Many people have it way worse, I am thankful for the good parts but it really would be nice to be able to fall into sleep easily and early. When I went to bed earlier, I just was awake in bed way longer and it was super annoying. Sleeping at a very wrong time quite seriously interferes with life.

(Keto Koala 🐨) #17

I have always suffered shitty insomnia since I was like two. I was scared at night and thought I saw ghosts (maybe I did :flushed:) I’m not tired anymore but hoping for a bit of sleep tonight. On the plus side, I put a pair of pants on that I hadn’t worn for a weak and they were baggier, that perked me up a bit. Xxx

#18

That’s great! You can be perked up but only until it’s time t go bed. Then this nice development and its warm and fuzzy feeling should calm you, envelop you so you could sleep for a long enough time :smiley:
At least I hope you will get your sleep as you should.

(Keto Koala 🐨) #19

Thanks :blush:. I think where I go wrong is I stay up later than I should even if I’m tired. Hopefully the sand man will visit me tonight :joy:

(Troy) #20

I now have 17 sleep apps
However, They keep me awake all night just trying to figure out all the charts and graphs
Alarms, tones, notifications going off like crazy
Then I awake with some jacked up trends!!
:rofl:
Jk

Back on point
For Me, compared to SAD, I get better quality sleep now…NSV’s
I have always been an early riser.
The difference now, I can get up and not feel fatigued
Sometimes, I do envy those that can sleep in though😡
Once I get up, I can not go back I sleep
During SAD, I was able to hit the snooze. And get more sleep
Again, not good sleep though
Sigh

So I guess yes
I do get less sleep

#21

I do, I do. It is called a ‘real normal natural balanced in tune with the friggin’ universe away from chemical infested, sugar loaded, pollution of the body’ sleep :slight_smile: As life meant it to be. We were not meant to sleep X amt of hrs. There is no written body guideline from the universe. We were meant to hunt/gather our food, find water, avoid predators and live a natural life as intended as any other animal on this planet.

Sooooo……natural sleep is not a magic number. Some of us are detoxing, toxin dumping, changing our ways into a new eating realm of fresh food and dropping the entire line of ‘kill the body’ food and we are thriving but on different paths of our sleep right now. Not everyone will need less, some of us gain more for our better health :slight_smile: :slight_smile: We all find our natural rythym and what suits our lifestyle as we get healthier in the physical body.

I was always a short sleeper my whole life. I was a farmer gal. I got up at around 3:30 am and worked til about 4 pm cause by then the heat of the day in the South where I am is horrible so you melt and give out. I was a night owl. To bed around 11-`12 pm at night and up around 3:30-4 am. Oh yea I got by on little sleep, always did mostly.

But went extreme low carb into carnivore. My gosh I sleep more. I now get like 6 whole hrs of sleep!!! I am thrilled beyond thrilled. Did it take a while to get here, darn right it did but I am hormone balanced, I am toxin dumped by now thru the years and I found me in this. My whole 6 is enough. BUT I am also retired now so I don’t have a job at this point and stress I know that would effect people isn’t in my life from a job right now. find work/life balance if one can and yes, we do truly ‘rebalance our lives’ so much better ‘eating clean’ from the pollution of the food produced out there.

And yes, the body needs repair sleep time, but if it is unpolluted it definitely doesn’t need as much of that and you would get a better sleep if the body isn’t ramped up and trying to deal with toxins/chemicals ya ate thru the day and are killing your body…you are asking less of your body to repair so you could sleep deeper, happier, longer and better but even if a bit shorter, cause that is all your body requires, you still wake up feeling wonderful!

Ok I just let it roll out and that is kinda what I think on it HAHA

You will :slight_smile: You are changing a lot about yourself. You hold strong and as the toxins leave the body you will repair and find a new true great balance in your life!!