So your new ‘keto’ diet is working great, but now you’re having trouble sleeping. Those things can’t possibly be connected, can they?
Maybe. Here’s what might be happening.
Your body might be waking you up to survive.
Yup you just might not be eating enough to sleep through the night.
A properly executed Keto diet shifts your main macronutrient intake from carbs to fats. Instead of using glucose as a fuel, you are now primarily relying on ketones ( Keto., get it?) to get things done.
Here’s the cool thing – because you’ve now lowered your carb intake to something below 50g daily, your hunger is now probably significantly diminished if not gone altogether. Why? It’s pretty simple. Carbs tend to cause the cravings that make you hungry, where fat and proteins have the opposite effect and help keep you feeling full all day.
This is all well and good as long as you’re eating enough. (see Weight loss. Are you your own worst enemy?)
Because of the satiating effects of switching to eating manly fats and proteins, you could be under-eating. In other words, you might just be waking up because you need fuel.
Try a casein shake before bed.
50 or so grams of a slow-releasing protein like casein might help. Casein releases amino acids slowly, so taking it before bed can help with recovery and reduce muscle breakdown while you sleep. Several studies have shown it helps boost muscle growth, along with a ton of other benefits.
Give it a try and let me know how it goes.
In health
Joe Venuti
P.S. Still struggling to get enough quality zzz? email at joe@massstrengthandconditioning.com or Book a free intro.
I’ve been wrestling with insomnia for about ten years now, and I know more than a few tricks that can help.
