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Welcome to raw energy!!
I’ve been a chronic insomniac(sp?) since I was 11 years old and trying to sleep every night is agony. However, since I’ve been on the raw diet, the few hours I sleep have been much, much deeper and satisfying, with good dreams.
I do read often that normal sleepers after going on the raw diet require less sleep and are more satisfied on it!
My first week of being raw was great! I felt incredible and only needed 5 hours of sleep to feel fully rested. THEN detox started… lol I’ve been needing 9-10 hours to feel rested lately. This isn’t to say you’ll need this much, but take advantage of all the energy!!
Hmmm, you could try almond milk with a teaspoon of nutmeg in it. I hate nutmeg, but it is good for insomnia, so that’s what I do.
Hopefully this helps you get the sleep you want!
Ok, this will sound weird, but last week I hallucinated! Seriously, I went to bed, and normally I would think I was having a bad dream, but it felt so different. I kept saying to myself- this can’t be real, but then I would seriously feel the carpet and think I was on the floor when really I was in my bed the whole time. My husband came into the bedroom later and he finally woke me up. He said my eyes were wide open and I was sitting up when he came in. I thought I had moved all the furniture around in my house and other very unusual themes. Very strange, I’ve never experienced that before. I don’t think I’ve had many detox symtoms yet, maybe I’m not high raw enough yet. I judge myself to be about 80% most days for 6 weeks now, with most of my non-raw stuff coming from condiments like vinegar and agave necter or honey. I’ve had cooked meals probably two or three times a week max. I have felt increased energy, though. Adisciplined- I am with you- although getting to sleep hasn’t been a problem.
i learned in yoga yesterday that if you block off your left nostril by placing your thumb on it and lay on your right side, this awakens the left side of the brain (and your parasympathetic nervous system) allowing you to relax.
alternate nostril breathing also helps and you can do this sitting down, taking one deep inhale exhale through one nostril then switching. repeat until you feel relaxed.
oh, but that wasn’t your question oops. yes, i’ve experienced this too.
A walk in the morning sunlight sets your biological clock if everything’s functioning properly. If you “set your clock” after the morning, your body will think that the first sunlight that hits it is sunrise, and you’ll be off rhythm. If the morning walk doesn’t work, make sure you’re getting all your amino acids because I think I remember hearing that one of the aminos is synthesized to make the brain-chemical that regulates sleep.
Since I’m laid up with the flu anyway, I just took the time to google the details. The brain chemical is melatonin, made from the amino acid tryptophan. There’s differing information on what it’s found in and how the body processes it, so you’ll have to sort it all out yourself.
That’s a really cool fact about the sunlight! I get up at 5:30 every morning and always feel sluggish, even when I get 8-9 hours of sleep. Maybe if I start my day with a walk instead of a shower, I’ll feel more awake the rest of the day?
Since going raw, I feel more energetic throughout the whole day, and both me and my boyfriend, generally are sleeping a lot less.
Thanks to all who responded!!! I’ll try a touch of honey at night. I heard that honey can relax you too.
Sometimes I can fall asleep right away and other times it takes a while but I always wake up throughout the night periodically or really early. When I first wake up I feel great but it only lasts a little while then the rest of the day I feel sluggish and lathargic. Ive been raw for 6 months and Iam not over eating or eating too many nuts so I dont know what is going on! I even tried tryptophan supplements. I feel like Im eating so good and exercising I should be feeling fabulous! I just want a good peaceful night sleep :(
in yoga i have heard that inversions tend to help with insomnia as they increase blood flow to the brain. maybe try a forward bend a couple of hours before bedtime? also, placing your palms together at heart’s center with your thumbs pressing gently against the sternum is instantly relaxing.
I feel your pain. For the longest time while raw, awake was wide awake and sleep became very deep and efficient. That was until the magnesium deficiency—muscle cramps, insomnia, agitation!!! Pumpkin seeds are a good magnesium source, It’s been a long time raw now (2 years)and i’m wondering why the magnesium deficiency—makes me wonder what else?
If you eat enough leafy greens, you shouldn’t have any problem, they are full of magnesium!
I’ve had chronic insomnia since very early childhood, that was completely eradicated after about 3 months on the raw diet. Leafy greens do help a lot. Good luck!
rawrach I hav those weird awake/sleep dreams all the time! Well actually not lately and it hasnt happened at all since ive been raw, but it used to happen all the time when i would take a nap. I would swear i could hear people around me and sometimes i would feel like i had fell off my bed onto the floor but when i would wake i was still on my bed. Other times I would try to move but i couldnt it was like i was paralyzed (which your brain does paralyze your body when your in REM sleep) it was very scary and I would want to badly to wake up but I couldn’t! Anyway I don’t know if you have experience all ofthis but I def know the feeling of being on the carpet when your really not!
Actually, I have been experiencing really vivid dreams lately. Like, I can wake up from a vivid dream, go to the bathroom, and then go back to sleep and continue with the same dream!! I’ve never been able to do that before! I put a couple of teaspoons of celtic sea salt in a glass of water and drink it before I go to bed. I never wake up during the night anymore, and have a steady, peaceful sleep.
yup, i had that problem big time.i would tell you until it gets better to avoid cacao and maca… even in the morning. generally i love them and would recommend them, but they give you mad ENERGY, more than you need until this is resolved. mine went away by itself. also, if you apply pressure to the base of your scalp (on the back of your head, bordering your neck, around the hairline) that can help you relax as well.
smoothielove, OMG I experienced the same thing where the body paralyzes at night AND IT WAS SO SCARY!!!!!!! I WAS SO SURE I WAS BEING POSSESSED OR SOMETHING AND I TRIED TO MOVE AND MOVE OR SCREAM, YELL…I DON’T EVEN THINK I WAS BREATHING!! Very frightening. I’m not exaggerating, it was the freakiest experience ever. I’m still shuttering about it even though it happened to me before last summer.
By the way, I read somewhere that if you chew walnuts before you go to sleep, it will cure insomnia. But you have to chew them REALLY well. This is due to the fact that it releases the brain chemical seratonin which helps you relax, calm, etc. But I don’t know…what prevents me from trying this is being paranoid about eating fat before sleeping! That’s just me though. I’ll post the article as soon as I find it.
I have some other ideas that came to thought. Maybe the matress of your bed plays a role with sleeping issues? Why don’t you try some chamomile tea or other herbal teas at night to help you relax at night? (Now that I think about it, you might need to go to the washroom)
Found the article, but I don’t have the author’s name :( All I know about him is that he is a doctor. I think it was Dr. Ken? :S
Nutty Insomnia Treatment How long has it been since you had a really good night’s sleep?
I know, I know.
With most people working like maniacs just to make ends meet these days, the first thing to go is a restful eight hours in dreamland every night.
Well, if you’re suffering some insomnia, perhaps this nutty all-natural remedy will help you get some zzz’s.
This natural insomnia treatment is so simple, it’s almost embarrassing to describe, but here it is, anway… Before going to bed, eat a one-ounce serving of fresh walnuts. It’s important to chew them slowly and thoroughly and don’t swallow until you’ve reduced them to a liquid. You’re probably wondering, “What’s the deal with walnuts and insomnia?”
Well, walnuts just happen to be one of the plant kingdom’s richest dietary sources of seratonin, the magical chemical that that promotes feelings of relaxation and well-being. As an interesting side effect, seratonin also tends to suppress appetite.
In addition to helping you overcome insomnia, eating fresh walnuts on a regular basis may even help you lower cholesterol and fight depression.