I first experienced real insomnia during the pandemic lockdown of 2020. Prior to this I had helped many patients with sleep struggles, but I had not fully understood how terrible it is to wake up in the middle of the night and not be able to fall back asleep. You know that you are tired. You know that you will be a wreck tomorrow if you don’t get some sleep. And yet, despite your best efforts, you remain awake. Perhaps, like me, you move into the next day tired, grumpy and reaching for sugar and carbs for a pick me up.
There are many different reasons why you may have difficulty sleeping, but for many people blood sugar dysregulation plays a big role. When you eat a lot of sugar and refined carbohydrates (white flour products, including gluten free ones), it can cause your blood sugar to spike, giving you that quick energy. Unfortunately these foods don’t provide long lasting energy. Your blood sugar crashes, and leaves you tired, anxious and reaching for more. When these blood sugar dips occur in the middle of the night they can wake you up. You may not feel hungry, but you will be awake.
Now, before I get into how to balance your blood sugar to sleep better, we need to talk about a crucial piece of the puzzle that is often over looked in the natural health community. You can’t shame yourself into better eating, and yet a lot of us (especially women) try to. I knew exactly what I needed to do to feel better, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I spent a lot of time in negative self talk berating myself for not taking better care of myself.
I wish I could tell you that I realized this and, despite being locked down in the house with two small children amidst the fear of the pandemic, I popped right out of it simple as can be. It was not simple. It took me longer than I’d like to admit to come out of the sugar/insomnia/anxiety cycle. It took digging deep into all the tools I have to work through the challenging emotions. It took being gentle with myself. And it took starting with small, doable changes.
I’m going to list of few small changes that can have a big impact. Some of these are directly related to blood sugar balancing. Others are ways to help you feel more balanced emotionally, so that you have the oomph to make changes in your life. My challenge to you is to pick one, try it for a week, and see how it you feel. As I mentioned above, there are many different reasons why you may be having trouble sleeping. If you are struggling, I encourage you to set up an appointment with a naturopathic doctor or other healthcare provider.
- Buy snacks that are high in protein and low in simple carbohydrates to keep around the house/in your car or bag. Try and go for them instead of the less healthy options. Some good choices are: pre-cut veggies and hummus, nuts, plain yogurt with fresh fruit and/or a drizzle of honey, avocado and whole wheat sourdough bread, apples and almond butter (or other nut or seed butter).
- Don’t snack after dinner unless you are really hungry. If you are, eat something that is low in carbohydrates.
- Experiment with 5-10 minutes of exercise per day (more is great, but we are starting small). Find something that you genuinely enjoy. It can be dancing, walking, yoga, etc…
- Ask yourself what would bring you joy, and then start to dream about how to make it happen.
- Ask for help. You don’t have to do this alone. You may need the advice of a naturopathic doctor or other healthcare provider. A therapist can also be an incredible resource in breaking this cycle.
