New vegetarian and can't sleep!!?

Question

I made the choice to become a vegetarian about 3 weeks ago, and CANNOT sleep! I'll toss and turn and once I do fall asleep, I wake up every 30 minutes. Has this happened with anyone else, and if so...what can I do?

Answer 1

I wouldn't be from being vegetarian,just make sure you get enough iron and proteins from your diet,if it keeps happening go to your doctor,it could be insomnia.

Also if it's because theres lots on your mind,keep a diary to write your worries in before you hit the sack.

Answer 2

Have you got the Diarrhea?

That happens you know.

Answer 3

Changing your diet shouldn't affect your sleeping pattern.  Are you under some kind of stress?  Are you worried about something?

Try having a chamomile infusion before bed or have something lavender scented near your bed.  Develop a bedtime routine.  Do all the things conventional wisdom suggests people do before going to sleep.

And if that doesn't help, call your doctor and ask him/her.

Answer 4

I'm not a vegetarian and it happens to me. Mainly it's the heat here at night, but there can be many reasons, not just your diet. Just try and relax. Sometimes if you get up, have a slice of toast, the carbohydrates in the bread will help you relax.

Answer 5

Since becoming vegetarian later vegan, I haven't had a night having trouble with sleeping. I was sleeping better when I became vegetarian. Idk what seems wrong with you.

Answer 6

Go to your doctor and explain the symptoms.

Answer 7

go buy some valerian tablets fast and take before sleeping.

Answer 8

I'm a lifelong sufferer from insomnia(before becoming vegetarian, and after). Your diet may affect the way you sleep, but it is more related to eating too much before bed, drinking something with caffeine, etc. I wouldn't see cutting out meat as something that would keep you awake.

Some people go through periods of insomnia. I would keep a sleep journal, and record when you go to sleep, how long you sleep for, the amount of times(and when) you awaken at night, and when you get up in the morning.

Changes in routine can also affect your sleep. Are you going to bed at the same time every night? And are you waking up at the same time(even on the weekends). Do you nap during the day?

Going to bed at the same time, and getting up at the same time will help you body get into a rhythm.  It you go to bed every night at 10pm, your body will begin to get tired around that time. Waking up at the same time and not taking a nap, insures that you will not have slept too much during the day and are tired again at night.

Is your bed only used for sleep? Or are you watching tv, reading, eating,etc in bed? When you make your body associate other things with your bed, it makes it harder to fall asleep. In order to get rid of my insomnia, I actually had to switch room and get a new bed. When I watched tv, ate, etc in my bed I had terrible insomnia. I now only use my bed for sleeping and reading before sleep(apart of my routine), and ever since cutting out all the other activities, I get tired as soon as I lay in bed, as opposed to hours laying awake. A television in the bedroom is one of the worst things for an insomniac.

Do you have a bedtime routine? Routines will help your body associate those actions with bedtime. I have a simple routine, which is read a chapter from a book and then go to sleep. I begin getting relaxed while reading b/c my body associated reading with getting ready to sleep. You could also put on soothing music, which will get your brain to then associate calming music with sleep. You should also try and cut out stimulating activities 30 min before bed and activities with a lot of light(ie-t.v, computer, etc)

What is your bedroom like? Is there a lot of light? Is there a lot of sound? By removing all sources of light, I sleep 100 times better. I took my television from my bedroom, I turn alarm clocks around(so the front is covered), and I have light blocking shades. Sound can also wake you up at night. I used to be awakened by the neighbors coming in late. I found that a white noise machine, or even a cd of thunder, etc, something that played a constant and similar sound worked well to drown out sound that would wake me.

You may want to speak to a sleep specialist. Insomnia can be very draining. I would think that the sooner you work to get it under control, the better and easier it will be.  

Answer 9

i dont' see what it has to do with being a vegetarian. unless your not sleeping cuz your hungry... in which case eat more protein to fill you up and hold you over. otherwise, i dont' see how it's related.

Answer 10

I had no problem switching to a vegetarian diet.  Perhaps you need to eat something heavier before you go to bed.  Try Grape Nuts cereal with some regular or soy milk.  Grape Nuts has a lot of fiber, which will fill you up and maybe help you sleep.

Perhaps you should also try an OTC sleep medicine.  I take Advil PM.  It helps with my aches and pains and lulls me off to sleep.  There are also herbal sleep medicines if you don't like to take chemically medicines.

Try to limit television when you are getting tired.  It will only keep your brain working and make it harder to fall asleep afterwards.  Try listening to soft music or reading before bed instead of watching TV.

Also limit sugar and caffeine intake after 5:00 PM.  Good luck and remember to have a filling bedtime snack!

Answer 11

Changing your diet should not effect you sleep too much that is unless you are intaking substantially more carbs or refined sugars.