A case study, from an anonymous Reddit poster.

He was plagued by relentless insomnia for years. A 35-year-old man who was in good physical shape (180 cm., 75 kg.) began experiencing severe sleep problems at the age of 30. His insomnia wasn’t just about taking a very long time to fall asleep, but also involved waking up at 2 or 3 a.m. and not being able to fall back asleep. He tried everything, such as: perfecting sleep hygiene, being in a dark, cool room, using different pillows and beds, blue light blockers, as well as relaxing sounds, meditation and a variety of supplements and sleep medications. He was unable however, to get to the root cause of his insomnia. The medications all had side effects and some are dangerous and some (he mentioned mirtazapine) actually made him sleep too much and affected his circadian rhythm in a negative way. He ultimately found that blood sugar stability was significantly linked to quality of sleep. Here’s what he learned and how it transformed his life.

The Problem: Blood Sugar Instability and Its Impact on Sleep

The connection between cortisol, insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome has already been well researched. We know that cortisol should be high in the morning and low in the evening. The imbalance of blood sugar and related metabolic hormones can impact sleep quality such that all of our other attempts to do CBT-I and supplements, and sleep hygiene will be ineffective.

The American diet isn’t that great even if we are eating from health food stores. We still tend to eat high-carb processed foods, baked goods, pasta, fried foods, ice cream, pizza. Even if we’re supplementing that with Whole Foods of meats and vegetables, we can still eventually develop a metabolic syndrome in our later years, where we have insulin resistance. This can cause hypoglycemia and lead to diabetes. If your sleep is disturbed, you might want to look firstly at diet and gut related issues. For many it’s finally a revelation when they understand that unstable blood sugar levels can create a cascade of sleep related issues:

Hypoglycemia at Night: Eating large high carb meals~even healthy ones like brown rice, can cause spikes in blood sugar, followed by a rapid insulin response that drops blood sugar below baseline. This can trigger the brain to release stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, waking you up in the middle of the night. So maybe your sleep problems are not in anyway stress or behavioral health issues but they could have very measurable blood sugar markers that can contribute to your body not being able to to get to sleep. If this is happening, no sleep hypnosis or affirmation, or even medication will get to the root cause to cure it, until we are willing to make dietary changes.

Circadian Rhythm Disruption: Late-night eating, especially carb heavy meals, can interfere with the body’s natural rhythms, leading to poor sleep and hormonal imbalances.

The Solution: Stabilizing Blood Sugar Through Diet

This man got a panel of tests a complete blood analysis, fasting glucose test- and went to a gastroenterologist to do digestive testing to make sure that he didn’t have h-pylori, or lactose intolerance so it’s good if you know what your baseline health blood sugar and digestive issues are through requesting extensive testing from your doctors. If your blood sugar is high, when you were testing or you have pre-diabetes, you might want to try a continuous blood sugar monitor. Those of us struggling with insomnia, often find that the root cause is our diet and related blood sugar and endocrine system issues.

Our author’s condition improved within days of following these steps below. After a month, his sleep had been better without the aid of any of his before mentioned sleep aids.

Here are the strategies that worked:

1. Avoid Refined Sugars and Overeating

Please forgo dessert. If you must have sweets and you’re battling with insomnia, have a small treat after lunch but not for dinner. Eliminate as many processed food and added sugars from your diet as you can. To prevent blood sugar spikes, eat small, balanced meals. Overeating anything, even with healthy foods, can destabilize blood sugar levels.

2. Practice Early Time-Restricted Feeding (eTRF)

Permitting people to eat from 9 am. until 5:00 pm.

Breakfast: Around 9 am.

Lunch: Around 12-1 pm.

Dinner: By 5 pm.

These eating times aligns with the body’s natural circadian rhythm and day and night cycles and prevents late-night blood sugar fluctuations.

3. Choose Low-Glycemic Foods.

Focus on foods with a low glycemic index to minimize spikes:

Proteins and Healthy Fats: Chicken, fish, or tofu and eggs for vegetarians, avocado & olive oil are all good sources of protein and healthy fats.

Fiber-Rich Vegetables: Like broccoli, spinach, kale.

Moderate Carb Intake: Consume 150-200 g of moderate carbohydrates per day and consume 50 gram or less of it per meal. Choose complex carbohydrates such as quinoa or sweet potatoes.

4. Sequence Meals Wisely

Eat fats, fiber, and protein first, followed by carbs. This helps slow the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream.

5. Stay Active After Meals

Regulate blood sugar levels by walking after eating or doing some light exercise.

6. Balance Caloric Intake

Eat a little bit bigger earlier in the day and less calories in the evening. A huge dinner is one of the untold culprits that contributes to insomnia, and can make it very hard to fall asleep. Most of us back-load all of our calories and don’t eat very much in the morning and then eat a progressively higher amount as the day and evening progresses. This is the opposite of what our bodies need.

Result: Better sleep quality, better health!

Our author recovered from insomnia in a matter of days, without even needing his “sleep stack” supplements, which included: tryptophan, magnesium glycinate + l-theanine, apigenin, inositol. His blood tests, which included glucose and HbA1c, and his test for insulin sensitivity all came back normal after two months.  Changing your diet and eating times is crucial to avoid high blood glucose levels.

Practical Tips for Stable Blood Sugar and Better Sleep

1. Limit Late-Night Eating: When eating at night, limit your intake to water and no food beyond 5 p.m.

2. Don’t Go to Bed Hungry: Ensure your earlier meals are filling enough to prevent hunger pangs at night.

3. Stay Away from Extreme Diets: Ketogenic and low-carb meals did not produce the desired outcome. He argued against the consumption of high amounts of carbohydrates (150-200 g/day), suggesting a more moderate intake.

4. Stay Hydrated: To prevent unnecessary nighttime bathroom breaks, drink water all day but avoid over hydration at night.

5. Check in with yourself. Everyone is different. Experiment with meal timing and composition to find what works best for you.

Further Reading and Resources

If you’re interested in learning more about the connection between blood sugar and sleep, check out the following resources:

* Sten Ekberg’s YouTube Channel: A great resource for understanding insulin resistance and blood sugar regulation.
* National Sleep Foundation: Tips for improving sleep hygiene and understanding sleep cycles.
* American Diabetes Association: Insights into blood sugar management and its impact on overall health.

Final Thoughts

While everyone’s experience with insomnia is unique, addressing blood sugar stability may be a game-changer for those who’ve tried everything else. By making small, consistent changes to your diet and lifestyle, you can improve not only your sleep but also your overall well-being. If you’ve been battling insomnia, consider exploring these dietary changes. It worked for him, and we hope it may very well work for you too!

Photo by Nataliya Vaitkevich: https://www.pexels.com/photo/white-and-blue-candy-cane-on-pink-textile-6942170/