The FastDay Forum

Boaz, Is that you dog in your avatar. He/She's really cute!
As regards dropping off to sleep, I have a huge hoard of relaxation CDs as I am one of those people who overthink and have a million and one things going through my mind as I lay. I keep meaning to try to get into meditation ... one day!

Boaz, Is that you dog in your avatar. He/She's really cute!
As regards dropping off to sleep, I have a huge hoard of relaxation CDs as I am one of those people who overthink and have a million and one things going through my mind as I lay. I keep meaning to try to get into meditation ... one day!

Yes, that's Alf, my chocolate Labrador

He's sweet. Funny how Labs like to pose.

Dear All having difficulty with sleep on the 5:2...I am new to this, but right from the start ( mid March) I thought sleep might be a problem so decided to start my fast after an early dinner day one and break my fast the next day with a late dinner so there is a 24 hour fast, but with a good meal just before and just after, and no hunger when going to bed. I have BMI of 23, and have kept 10lb off since I started, even though I have sometimes only done 1 day due to various circumstances.

Hi JLmid,
Did you have sleep problems before starting 5.2? I experienced sleepless nights from the start but thought they would ease up. The weight loss was very good so I have been reluctant to stop fasting. However, I am doing 6.1 until I get my sleeping back under control although I know I am scuppering my weight loss I am also thinking it may be an idea to eat on the morning of my fast day (I usually don't eat anything until the evening), something like MM (tuna) but of course that means I don't get any perceived benefits of the longer hours of fasting. I would be interested to know if you have found any sleep problems exacerbated by fasting and any solutions?

I'm surprised at all the sleep comments -- thought it might just be me! For what it's worth: the night of a fast day I sleep SO MUCH BETTER than on other nights; a friend reports the same. Out cold; no waking; no restlessness. I had just assumed it was because the digestion is completely at rest, instead of hammering away at the usual combination of food and booze which I inflict on it. I am told alcohol makes you sleep worse anyway, but I find it difficult to give it up on non-fast days. On fast days I have some steamed vegetables at about 5.00 p.m., and then that's it aside from herbal tea.

My contribution to this thread is that I seem to be having CRAZY DREAMS more now than before 5:2. They last for a long time and are VERY vivid.

I'm sleeping like a log too but that also be because I use a sleeping mask now. I used to wake up at the slightest noise.

I'm in the category that my sleep has been affected negatively I'm afraid. On fast days my body just does not seem to want to switch off and I lie there for ages staring at the ceiling waiting for sleep to come and then when it does its normally fairly broken. I've never had problems with sleep before now.

Non fast days my sleep seems the same as normal pretty deep and solid.

My eating on fasts haven't really settled down to a specific pattern yet though, I'm still trying to find an eating pattern on those days to make it the easiest for me individually as it can be so I wonder if my sleep is bad because I'm making my body adjust each time I do one.

Precilla55 I like you already! Your comment about walking around tescos with a points calculator had me chuckling - still got mine somewhere! I LOATHE counting points and calories and am trying to get myself to a point where I know roughly what to eat on fast days so I don't need to write it all down with lots of sums & crossings out. This has got to feel instinctive and natural or I'll get bored & give up.

I was really worried about sleeping after a fast as I have had problems in the past and have never been able to sleep hungry. It was my main fear about starting. However I have on all but a couple of nights, slept like the proverbial log. I haven't woken up bright eyed & bushy tailed though, I wake up feeling groggy like when I've taken a sleeping pill in the past. I get absolutely exhausted and can't wait to get to bed on fast days - I think just living off your own energy stores must be very tiring.

And Precilla, I am ALWAYS hungry on fast days - distractingly so sometimes. Even when I save all my calories for my evening meal I am still hungry at bedtime, but I am too tired to be kept awake by it. Kris, steamed vegetables wouldn't touch the sides on me I'm afraid, I need protein with mine!

This sleep problem is the bane of my life - well. my 5.2 life anyway! I worked out rightly or wrongly that all day fasts were causing me disrupted sleep and have been trying various things to sort it out.

I can honestly say it is (for me) the only negative aspect of 5.2. I have added magnesium, blackout curtains and tweaking my eating times and arrived at, not a solution, but a lessening of sleepless nights. On the plus side, I have now caught up with a mountain of books, all read in the wee small hours!

I wonder whether another reason why I sleep better is because on a fast day I consume a lot less caffeine. I only ever have decaf during the afternoon & evening on a normal day but can get through 2 or 3 cups of coffee and tea during the morning.

Because I don't really like my coffee black and black tea is undrinkable (to me), on my fast days I have one large mug of coffee (proper) in the morning (for breakfast) and save the rest of the 100ml milk I ration myself with, for an evening decaff ('pudding'). The rest of the time it's herbal tea/water.

Maybe part of the reason I feel so shattered & not really very functional on fast days is a bit of caffeine withdrawal as well. Perhaps I ought to cut down caffeine on normal days and see if there's any change. Maybe those who are struggling with sleep are drinking a lot of black coffee/tea? Just a thought.

I do realise the soporific effect of food though - I have been known to get up and get some oatcakes to stop my tummy rumbling so I can sleep. Interestingly I remember an insomniac loady going on a channel 4 'food doctors' programme, to be told to have a carb-rich meal in the evening which was supposed to help sleep (presumably complex carbs). Maybe having a low-carb day on a fast day makes you feel more alert instead?

interesting point about carbs on a fast day - I think it's the only thing I haven't tried! Where's the spaghetti?......Actually, nothing ventured and all that, will give it a go next fast day.

I've been finding my magnesium really helpful, almost alarmingly so, but clearly this is a very individual thing.

I now take 200mg MgO at about 8pm as then the effect seems to be at its maximum c.4am when I would otherwise often wake up.

Still not sure it isn't a placebo effect, but as long as it's working and not killing me, I keep taking the tablets...

In general I sleep neither better nor worse after fasting. One advantage of fast days is that I haven't had any alcohol. Re the caffeine, I drink this on fast and non-fast days but not (now) after about 1pm - although I do drink tea because I don't think that counts

A reminder about Dr John Briffa's 10 tips for a good sleep (11 actually, I guess he must have had a bad night when he was writing the article...)

Dominic, where have you been? So nice to hear from you. Re. the magnesium I do find it helps, well to qualify, I think it helps. I launched a multi pronged attack using every weapon in my arsenal (nothing violent, just tips and advice from the forum! ) as well as cutting down to 6.1. The strange thing is I am still losing weight, not maintaining, so perhaps it is the dreaded thyroid thing and nothing to do with 5.2 ? I am not due to have a thyroid check for ages, but I am beginning to think that I will just make a slight nuisance of myself at the doc's and ask if I can be tested again. I have never been so health conscious and that is a real side effect of this forum!

Gee, dhana, nice to have been missed! Just other stuff happening, and maybe trying to wean myself off the forum 'drug' a bit...

Oh yes we have put up a blackout blind and that I am sure is helping a lot with sleep.

Do you mean the thyroid might be affecting your sleep or affecting your weight loss? Anyway I'm pleased that you are still losing... yes you be a nuisance to your GP and get that thing tested again!