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What do you avoid to reduce insomnia?
- Thread starter JoeyJo
- Start date
Mary
Moderator Resource
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- 17,376
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- Southern California
@JoeyJo - I used to be extremely sensitive to anything that contained msg or any of its related substances. It took me quite awhile to figure this out. Anyways, if I ate anything at dinner that contained anything on this list, I was guaranteed to be wide awake until 3:00 a.m.: https://www.truthinlabeling.org/names.html That basically includes all processed foods. I don't think there's any processed food that doesn't contain something on that list. I fell into the third category on the list, extremely sensitive. Any supplement with "citrate" in the name gave me insomnia.
I had been taking pantothenic acid for several years, I needed it for my adrenals in the early years of being ill, so just kept taking it. It's a very long story but discovered that pantothenic acid depletes taurine, and taurine is necessary to mitigate the excitotoxicity of msg and its relatives. When I read this, i immediately stopped the pantothenic acid and started taking taurine (at night) and after perhaps 6 months, I discovered I no long reacted nearly as severely to soy sauce, etc. Actually I don't seem to react at all any more, and this had gone on for years, a periodic inability to fall asleep until 3:00 a.m., feeling like I was all revved up. I just happened to notice once that this coincided with a visit to a Thai restaurant, and something clicked. I read up on msg, started avoiding it religiously at night (at lunch it didn't seem to be a problem), and that sleep issue got resolved.
I still have some sleep issues. You might want to check out this thread: What has helped you with sleep/insomnia - post links
Another thing that helps me with sleep is this: simple position/pose to calm/balance ANS & STIMULATE THYROID??? Actually I don't think my thyroid is an issue any more with the pose, I should probably update the thread.
I had been taking pantothenic acid for several years, I needed it for my adrenals in the early years of being ill, so just kept taking it. It's a very long story but discovered that pantothenic acid depletes taurine, and taurine is necessary to mitigate the excitotoxicity of msg and its relatives. When I read this, i immediately stopped the pantothenic acid and started taking taurine (at night) and after perhaps 6 months, I discovered I no long reacted nearly as severely to soy sauce, etc. Actually I don't seem to react at all any more, and this had gone on for years, a periodic inability to fall asleep until 3:00 a.m., feeling like I was all revved up. I just happened to notice once that this coincided with a visit to a Thai restaurant, and something clicked. I read up on msg, started avoiding it religiously at night (at lunch it didn't seem to be a problem), and that sleep issue got resolved.
I still have some sleep issues. You might want to check out this thread: What has helped you with sleep/insomnia - post links
Another thing that helps me with sleep is this: simple position/pose to calm/balance ANS & STIMULATE THYROID??? Actually I don't think my thyroid is an issue any more with the pose, I should probably update the thread.
That's so interesting Mary! I never would've thought of it, but now that you mention it, my brother gets terrible migraines anytime that he goes near MSG so it'd probably be a good place for me to start. I can't tolerate pantothenic acid either so I might have to look into the taurine (thanks for the tip!).
Amazingly, I slept so much better last night than I have done in years. This week I've cut out soy, most fortified foods including cereal ( which is my favourite food but as I'm highly sensitive to most B vitamins, I figured I'd have to at least try and give it up), apple cider vinegar, probiotics and most processed food apart from bread, pizza and Penguin biscuits! Haha.
It could also be down to being on antibiotics, having the first major flare up of fatigue last week that I've had in 7 years, and a fluctuation in hormones. I also switched my Melatonin supplement to one which doesn't contain B6. I've done this before and it didn't make a difference, but perhaps it helped when combined with the other things. I also skipped my usual fruit smoothie with yoghurt and spinach.
Going to try and replicate what I did yesterday today and hope it brings the same result. Might try removing the fortified bread too.
It's weird, my whole brain chemistry feels different. The space inside my head feels full and heavy again, like the blood and everything else is flowing to where it needs to be. Whereas for the past few years it's felt completely light and empty ( day and night) and been lacking that lovely heaviness behind your eyes that makes you feel tired at the end of the day.
Hope you manage to see further improvements with your sleep too!
Amazingly, I slept so much better last night than I have done in years. This week I've cut out soy, most fortified foods including cereal ( which is my favourite food but as I'm highly sensitive to most B vitamins, I figured I'd have to at least try and give it up), apple cider vinegar, probiotics and most processed food apart from bread, pizza and Penguin biscuits! Haha.
It could also be down to being on antibiotics, having the first major flare up of fatigue last week that I've had in 7 years, and a fluctuation in hormones. I also switched my Melatonin supplement to one which doesn't contain B6. I've done this before and it didn't make a difference, but perhaps it helped when combined with the other things. I also skipped my usual fruit smoothie with yoghurt and spinach.
Going to try and replicate what I did yesterday today and hope it brings the same result. Might try removing the fortified bread too.
It's weird, my whole brain chemistry feels different. The space inside my head feels full and heavy again, like the blood and everything else is flowing to where it needs to be. Whereas for the past few years it's felt completely light and empty ( day and night) and been lacking that lovely heaviness behind your eyes that makes you feel tired at the end of the day.
Hope you manage to see further improvements with your sleep too!
Yes, B vitamins can be a problem, and there are lots added to processed foods. I couldn't tolerate cereals either, probably due to the niacin.
As for what to avoid to reduce insomnia, I'll add "raking grass in the evening". That "feel more energetic in the evening" trickery of ME caught me again, and I was nearly finished raking before it occurred to me that it might wreck my sleep...which it did. I really should avoid going outside in the evening, where temptations lurk.
As for what to avoid to reduce insomnia, I'll add "raking grass in the evening". That "feel more energetic in the evening" trickery of ME caught me again, and I was nearly finished raking before it occurred to me that it might wreck my sleep...which it did. I really should avoid going outside in the evening, where temptations lurk.
That's interesting. I was just reading the thread on here about how Niacin has helped people to sleep and was wondering whether to try it again. Back when I was feeling particularly desperate I had my hair analysed and it said that I was deficient in Niacin, but I'm not sure how sketchy that science is. I tried it, but unlike the other B vitamins, I seem to remember it made no difference either way.
Even though I went back to sleeping badly last night ( I think the previous one was a fluke!), I'm going to stick with my plan to cut back on things, rather than looking for a miracle cure in the form of new supplements as they all seem to be overstimulating.