Difficulty sleeping while fasting does not happen without reason, you know. There are several habits that can make a person experience this condition. If you’re one of them, don’t worry, okay? Difficulty sleeping at night when fasting can be overcome in simple ways, really.
Difficulty sleeping or insomnia can be triggered by many factors and conditions, ranging from consuming too much caffeine, stress, suffering from certain mental illnesses, such as anxiety disorders, or a messy sleep schedule.
However, in addition to these factors, the moment of fasting also often makes it difficult for some people to sleep. In fact, adequate sleep is one of the keys to keeping the body fit while fasting.
Facts Behind Difficulty Sleeping While Fasting
Difficulty sleeping while fasting is more often triggered by improper eating patterns and schedules, such as the habit of breaking the fast too late, eating heavy meals in the middle of the night, or consuming caffeinated drinks near bedtime.
Consuming caffeinated food or drinks close to bedtime can certainly make you less sleepy. Meanwhile, eating large amounts of food too late at night can increase body temperature. As a result, the body will stay awake, and more difficult to sleep.
In addition, eating heavy meals near bedtime can also trigger the stomach pain. Eventually, this can make you wake up more often, sleep less well, and when you wake up, you feel more tired and less refreshed.
In fact, if you can adopt a healthy diet and lifestyle while fasting, research has shown that fasting can actually strengthen your circadian rhythm, the natural cycle that regulates your body’s activities throughout the day, including waking and sleeping.
Fasting can also increase orexin-A production during the day and decrease levels at night. Orexin-A is a natural body compound that functions to regulate alertness levels.
With orexin-A levels increasing during the day, this will make you more alert and active. Meanwhile, when the levels decrease at night, it will help you sleep better.
The facts above show that if done properly, fasting should make it easier for you to fall asleep and improve the quality of your sleep.
Tips for Overcoming Difficulty Sleeping While Fasting
Difficulty sleeping while fasting can certainly interfere with daily activities. In addition to lack of energy, insomnia that causes a lack of sleep can make it difficult for you to concentrate, remember, think, and even be creative.
In addition, people who do not get enough sleep tend to have difficulty managing emotions, have difficulty controlling appetite and are prone to migraines and headaches.
So, so that this doesn’t happen to you and you can sleep well at night while fasting, you can apply some of the following ways to deal with insomnia :
1. Wake up and sleep at the same time.
2. Try not to sleep less than 4 hours at night after breaking your fast. If you still feel sleepy, go back to sleep after breakfast. However, don’t go to sleep right after eating, OK? Give a pause for a moment until the stomach does not feel full.
3. Create a comfortable sleeping environment, such as turning off or dimming the lights, setting the room temperature to cool, and keeping electronic devices away.
4. If you have time for a nap, just take a nap for a maximum of 20 minutes.
5. Expand the consumption of nutritionally balanced foods, such as fruit, vegetables, lean meats, and nuts.
6. Avoid breaking fast with foods high in sugar, fat, and empty calories, such as junk food.
7. Limit consumption of caffeinated drinks.
8. Avoid smoking and alcoholic beverages.
In addition to getting enough sleep, you are also advised to keep exercising regularly while fasting so that your body stays fit. Choose a low-intensity exercise, such as walking, yoga, or exercise that involves stretching the body.
If after applying the tips above you still have trouble sleeping while fasting, especially if this insomnia has reduced your productivity, you should consult a doctor to get the right treatment.