There’s nothing worse than lying in bed wide awake when you’ve got a full day’s work ahead of you. And unfortunately, to some extent, the Keto Zone diet can contribute to your insomnia. Surprised by this? I thought so! The keto diet is supposed to help you subscribe to a healthy lifestyle, and we all know a bad sleep does more harm than good.
However, there’s no need to be alarmed! Here we’ll go through everything you need to know on why you need sleep, what is keto insomnia, and how to beat it to go on living healthily on keto.
Why You Need Sleep
You’ve probably been told your whole life to stick to 7-9 hours of sleep. But according to the CDC, only one in three people get the recommended amount. (1) In this day and age, stress and busy lives easily get in the way of rest, but our bodies have a hard time responding positively to the aftermath.
Lack of sleep slows weight loss progress, amplifies the likelihood of storing fat, raises cortisol (stress hormone) levels, increases appetite, boosts sugar cravings, and lowers motivation. (2,3,4,5,6) On top of that, it escalates your risk for obesity, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. (7,8)
Skimping out on one or two nights of rest a month probably won’t put you in these risk categories. But they’re worth noting if you have a hard time sleeping more than 3-4 times a week.
What Causes Keto Zone Insomnia?
In a nutshell, insomnia is when you have trouble falling and staying asleep, and it isn’t just caused by the keto diet. Those who consume excess caffeine or struggle with stress, anxiety, depression, certain medications, hormonal problems, and sleep apnea can have insomnia as a result.
However, keto insomnia is a different story. Instead, it’s usually caused by these factors:
- Keto Flu
- Extra Energy
- Electrolyte Imbalance
- Excess Urination
- Food Cravings
Keto insomnia is perfectly normal to experience during the first few weeks of ketosis as your body adjusts to burning fat for fuel. And it doesn’t last forever! Check out How to Know You’re In Ketosis: 5 Signs to Look Out For.
6 Tips to Beat Keto Zone Insomnia
Now that you know what’s behind keto insomnia, let’s talk about how to beat it.
1. Don’t Eat Right Before Bed
Try to eat 4 hours before bedtime, so you don’t feel starving when you hit the sheets, but you feel comfortable enough to sleep. Falling asleep on a full stomach interferes with your snooze because it can give you an energy jump and require your digestion to get moving.
2. Focus on Electrolytes
At the beginning of keto, your electrolyte balance might be out of whack since you’re excreting more water. Unfortunately, this imbalance can cause sleep issues. To stabilize them, take Keto Zone Instant Ketones, use Keto Zone Hydrolyzed Chicken + Marin Collagen with Probiotics, and sip on bone broth during the day. (9, 10, 11)
3. Drink Less Water Before Bed
When you excrete more water, you also have to urinate more often, which means frequent trips to the bathroom in the middle of the night. These trips can mess with your sleeping pattern if you have to get up too many times. To help, slow down on your water intake before bed.
4. Balance Out Your Body Temperature
Keep your bedroom cool, but not so cold that your hands and feet can’t warm up along with the rest of your body. If your extremities are warmer than the rest of you, your body naturally relaxes and falls asleep much easier.
5. Banish Blue Light
To regulate sleep, our bodies use the circadian rhythm, which is based on the light of the sun– darkness instigates sleep by raising melatonin levels, whereas light does the opposite. When you stare at the blue light on electronic screens, you can confuse the melatonin receptors into thinking it’s daytime, which messes with your sleep cycle.
Although you can remove the blue light factor from screens, it’s probably best to avoid them altogether to refrain from getting sucked into a social media wormhole. You can also dim the lights as a way to signal your brain that it’s bedtime.
6. Exercise Earlier in the Day
Exercise does wonders for increasing your energy levels, but it also means it’s not a great idea to do it right before bed. You might find yourself too wound up and awake after a 7 pm or later workout.
Instead, stick to a morning or afternoon exercise routine and try to implement them 2-3 times a week to see positive sleeping results.
Bottom Line
Keto insomnia can put your sleep out of sorts. But after using the above tips, purchasing your Keto Zone supplements, and sticking it out for a week or two, many keto-dieters actually claim they sleep better than before they started the diet! (12)