I’m doing 41-48h (dinner to dinner) fasts 2x per week and have noticed that the 2nd night of my fast I have trouble sleeping and a little wired through the night. Just wondering if any other long tasters experience this?
I read and hear that sleep gets better but it almost feels like ketones drive up alertness to where I can’t sleep.
During my last 5 day fast I took a hot epsom salt bath before bed. I also used lavender essential oil. The whole thing helped me unwind and I fell asleep much faster. It made such a difference that I’ve kept it as part of my evening routine. I wake up much earlier when fasting but with the change in my routine I woke up feeling more rested which was a big win. The fast before I really didn’t sleep well at all and it made everything more difficult.
I also do all the things they say like getting up at the same time and going outside pretty much as soon as I wake up. This time of year it’s dark but the routine and cold seem to help. I don’t use overhead lights at home in the evenings and I try get some kind out outdoor time in every day during daylight hours, some days this is a meeting that I take freezing on a bench outside my office building, but it’s outside and in the sun. I go for a walk after dinner and when I’m fasting I keep the walk at the usual time. This helps me draw a line under the day. I use the time to mentally plan out my next day so I’m not lying in bed stressing about work. I leave my phone at home for this walk.
There are so many free, easy things you can do to influence your sleep. Pick some and stick with them. You’ll see improvements.