Sleep Deprivation Significantly Exacerbates Insulin Resistance

(Windmill Tilter) #1

This video from Dr. Rhonda Patrick just popped up in my email this evening and I was really blown away. I had no idea how much of an impact sleep deprivation can have on insulin resistance. Just 1 night of 4hrs of sleep spikes insulin by a huge amount. I had no idea. The silver lining is that a HIIT workout can greatly ameliorate the effects.

I know a lot of us here are struggling to overcome insulin resistance, and we track our carbs and mind our fats with great dedication. Apparently not getting enough sleep has been undermining me the whole time and I didn’t even realize it. It’s a thought provoking vid that’s worth checking out if you find yourself burning the candle at both ends a little too often…

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(Robert C) #2

Hi @Don_Q,

If you want to deep dive - there is lots of good information in the video below and in Dr. Matthew Walker’s book “Why We Sleep” (the book has good ideas on how to get good sleep too!).

What you’ll find if you do deep dive is that turning around the insulin spike with HIIT after a 4-hour night’s sleep wouldn’t nearly begin to undo the overall damage such a short night’s sleep does. Of course, a Keto forum will focus on insulin but, there are many other aspects of physical and mental repair that get skipped when shorting sleep.

(Windmill Tilter) #3

Sounds like a book worth reading. I’m adding it to my book list. :slight_smile:

(Robert C) #4

FYI - It would be a long read, I went with the 14 hour Audible version.

(Kay) #5

I can also recommend the ‘why we sleep’ book -( and the audible version here as well.) It’s amazing how important sleep is for so many reasons.

(Doug) #6

****… No wonder I got messed up. :smile:

:neutral_face:

(Cindy) #7

Yeah, I’m in trouble too, then! I have time to sleep, but I still get a fair number of aches and pains (shoulders and hips) when I’m sleeping, plus, weird dreams. Most of it I blame on being menopausal. :frowning:

(Kay) #8

My worst habit is waking up and then being annoyed that I’m awake, so I can’t get back to sleep, which makes me more annoyed, and on and on. I need to work (if work is the correct term!) on my sleeping

(Robert C) #9

I think you mean “I need to sleep on my sleeping”. :grinning:

I remember (way back) when people used to say “let me sleep on it” when faced with an important decision. Can you imagine that today in an email at work or in some messaging app? Your turnaround time - regardless of how good your decision ability is at the time - is supposed to be in seconds.

#10

I wish I could get more sleep. I seem to spend about half of my night either awake or only half asleep so I’m lucky to get 5 hours in a 10 hour night half the time. Sometimes it’s worse than that. I just wake up after two or three hours and then on and off. I don’t seem to be able to roll over without waking up and I toss and turn a LOT. It started about a year ago. It’s probably why I cant get my a1c below 5.4 even on keto.

(Robert C) #11

Do you have a sleep ritual?

  • No coffee after 8 AM (the half life of coffee in your system lengthens as you age - a large cup with lunch is like a small cup at bedtime)
  • Cut off all liquids (except to take meds) at 4 or 5 PM
  • Zero alcohol
  • A shower 2 hours before bed
  • Lights out an hour before bed, only book reading with a yellow light or blue blockers (no email, internet news/controversy, exciting movies, ketogenic fourms etc)
  • Totally dark room

These habits have moved my sleep from the 4-5 hour range to 6.5 to 7.5 hour range consistently.
Especially important to get away from video, sounds, controversy, email etc. that last hour before sleep.

Lots of these are from the “Why We Sleep” book.

Just as knowing why Keto works (the hormonal changes) helps you more than just following a food list, that sleep book helps you understand why all of those habits help so much (so you can design your own plan).

He also spends time on why bad sleep causes weight gain and hinders weight loss.

#12

I might try a “campfire” in the back yard before bed for a while just for the red light.

(Omar) #13

I got much better after quitting coffee

no tea beyond noon

(Doug) #14

Omar, was it hard to give up coffee?

Happy Anniversary to you. :cut_of_meat: :slightly_smiling_face:

#15

I dont know why coffee would keep me awake at night when it wont keep me awake in the day time LOL. If I take a benadryl it works for one night but not two night out of four. It only works if I try it once a week. I actually stay awake better in the daytime if I drink only one cup of coffee a day or two that are half decaf.

(Omar) #16

thanks Doug

yes it is hard to quit coffee specially I went cold turkey

after few weeks I came back to drink coffee. and start suffering from the digestion issues I mentioned in many posts. So this time when I quitted coffee I replaced it with tea.

tea seem to be OK. So as I mentioned in a previous post, coffee has about 200 substances and caffeine is not bad. something else in coffee has negative impact on me while most people seem to tolerate it.

while It maybe difficult to quit coffee, the health benefits in my case worth it.

Yes one year ago I never realize there is a hope for my health.

thanks To the forum and members like you with adding value.

(Hyperbole- best thing in the universe!) #17

I was using over the counter sleeping pills for quite a while, on and off. Would always stock up when I went back to the States. I knew that it wasn’t great, but I was desperate. They helped me get to sleep quickly, but not earlier… cause you have to take them for them to work. Dr Boz mentioned in one of her videos that OTC sleeping meds do help you get to sleep, but prevent deep sleep. So sleep without sleeping. I decided I’d rather be awake. Honestly, not taking them hasn’t changed my sleep cycle any. Hopefully it is improving my sleep quality though. It’s a struggle!

(traci simpson) #18

I do all of that and I still have trouble. I’m sure it’s due to my age rather than the other stuff. It’s no better now than 5 years ago. Last week was really bad so who knows why. We all are different people with different reasons for the same affliction/problem/issue.

(Robert C) #19

If doing all of those things does not get rid of trouble - you may want to visit a sleep specialist (and maybe have a sleep study done).

(traci simpson) #20

Its hormonal. Sleep study won’t fix it.