Carnivore Challenge #3 Tips for a Better Night’s Sleep

In last week’s article Carnivore Update “90 Day Carnivore Challenge, Week 2 Update”

I talked about getting my lab work done and the results. I also discuss artificial sweeteners and how they affect my blood sugar. In this week’s article I want to share information regarding sleep. Tips that can help get you to sleep faster and stay asleep longer.

TIPS TO A BETTER NIGHTS SLEEP:

SLEEP! As I write this, the mere mention of sleep makes me take a deep breath. I have been frustrated, to say the least. It has been about four years since I have slept through the night. Often I wake up because I’m overheated, and then I get chills. Usually, this happens several times a night. Sometimes I just kick the blankets off, then I get the chills and pull the blankets back up around my neck to get warm. Mostly, I wake up completely, and can’t go back to sleep for twenty, thirty minutes, or sometimes over an hour.

My bedtime has gotten earlier and earlier because I know my sleep will be interrupted and I figured the added hours would add up to enough sleep. It doesn’t work that way for me. It’s just a longer time of interrupted sleep. The frustrating thing is I know what good, quality sleep is like. I used to be that person who, once my head hit the pillow, I was fast asleep. And I stayed in the same position throughout the night.

Three weeks into the 90-day Carnivore Challenge, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

In the week 2 update I touched on the importance of sleep. And what can happen when you don’t get the right quality sleep?

The Cycle:

When your primary stress hormone “Cortisol” levels are too high, it can affect your sleep and your insulin levels, blood pressure, inflammation, and proper function of your cardiac system. Regarding sleep, it is a never-ending circle. If you don’t get enough sleep, your cortisol levels go up. If your cortisol levels go up, you don’t get enough sleep.

There are many reasons one can have a hard time getting to sleep and/or staying asleep.

Sun and Exercise:

Not all Blue light is created equal, the natural blue light from the sun plays an important role in setting our circadian rhythm. A morning walk in the sun kills two birds with one stone. It helps to set your natural sleep/wake clock (molecular circadian rhythm) The blue light from the sun stimulates the brain and exercise jump-starts your energy for the day and then makes you tired at night.

Blue Light:

Artificial Blue light can be a major factor in disruptive sleep for many people. When exposed to blue light almost all of it passes to the back of your retina. Too much will stimulate the brain and can block the release of melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep. To reduce this, you can wear blue light-blocking glasses while watching your favorite TV programs or while scrolling on your phone. Additionally, put your phone on the charger at least two hours before bedtime.

Caffeine:

Caffeine can reduce or block your adenosine receptors. Adenosine receptors are responsible for sleep-inducing effects. Some people are or have become sensitive to caffeine. Their adenosine receptors need more time between consuming caffeine and inducing sleep hormones. If I had caffeine after 4:00 pm I would stay up all night. Now if I consume caffeine after noon it can affects my sleep.

Alcohol:

Many people including myself have thought sleep is better when drinking alcohol. I was dead wrong. For most people, it is best not to consume any alcohol at least four hours before bed.

Stages of Sleep:

There are four stages of sleep; There are three -Non Rapid Eye Movement stages (NREM) and one Rapid Eye Movement stage (REM). According to the Sleep Foundation https://www.sleepfoundation.org/nutrition/alcohol-and-sleep “Based on data from roughly 160,000 Sleep Foundation profiles, nearly 90% of respondents who regularly consume alcohol in the evening have reported at least one sleep-related problem. If you have alcohol in your bloodstream when you go to sleep, you are likely to experience alterations in sleep architecture—that is, how your body cycles through the four stages of sleep.

The typical sleep cycle begins with three non-rapid eye movement (NREM) stages of sleep and ends with rapid eye movement (REM). During sleep, the body cycles through all of these stages every 90 to 120 minutes, with NREM sleep dominating the first part of the night and REM increasing during the second part of the night. Each stage is necessary for sleep to feel refreshing and for vital processes like learning and memory consolidation to occur.

As your body is trying to recover from lack of sleep, it may extend its time in stages one and two. Eseentiently not making it to deep sleep.

Room Temperature:

For many of the women out there who suffer from menopause symptoms as I do, this is huge. Before the 90-day Carnivore challenge, I would have several hot flashes throughout the night. And then immediately following with chills. For me, I find setting the thermostat at 62 degrees is perfect. And having adequate blankets available for the chills. Luckily, since I have been doing the Carnivore Challenge for a mere three weeks, the hot flashes and chills have drastically been reduced.

Routine:

Having a bedtime routine sounds so simple but this has been a game changer for me. Starting with a set bedtime each night improves your circadian rhythm. A hot shower will help relax the muscles and quite literally wash away the day’s stress. Then performing my nightly facial routine, slowly and methodically.

Massaging caster oil on my belly is a new part of the routine as it is an anti-inflammatory. It helps with bloating, digestion, and metabolism. I also use caster oil while doing a self-lymphatic drainage routine (I will cover how to do a self-administered lymphatic drainage and the benefits in an upcoming post).

Dimming the artificial lights will start the release of melatonin. I also implemented a sleep mask, as our master suite has a carbon monoxide detector with a bright annoying light. I also use a technique I learned about twenty-four years ago in Lamaze class. It’s a head-to-toe checklist, (forehead relaxed- check, jaw relaxed- check, throat relaxed- check, and so on). All the while doing box-breathing, deep breathing through the nose, hold at the top of the breath. Then release through the nose and hold at the bottom.

Time will Tell:

It has only been a week with the full bedtime routine and only three weeks of carnivore and though my sleep isn’t perfect, it has improved drastically. Almost nightly before my carnivore challenge, I would wake five to six times a night. Currently, I am averaging two to three times a night.

Recap:

1. Morning sunlight and exercise (set the clock)
2. Blue light (minimize blue light at dusk, use blue light blockers)
3. Caffeine (reduce caffeine eight hours before bedtime)
4. Alcohol (don’t consume alcohol a minimum of two hours before bedtime)
5. Room temperature (set the thermostat between 60 and 69 degrees)
6. Bedtime routine

Time to let it all hang out:

Beginning of Week One:

Blood Glucose- 130 (fasting)
Blood Pressure- 134/88
Waist- 35 inches I measured at high hips, 1.5 inches below the belly button. (D in the image below) Largest circumference.

Weight- 160 lbs (documented Jan 2024)

Week Three:

Blood Glucose- 97 (fasting)
Blood Pressure- 111/63
Waist- 32 inches I measured at high hips, 1.5 inches below the belly button. (D in the image below) Largest circumference.

Weight- 151.6

The scale I purchased was an inexpensive one from Walmart, it’s an IHome smart Wi-Fi scale. Surprisingly, it offers more data than I thought especially for the price point of $19.99 us dollars. The other cool thing is the data is uploaded to my health app on my phone, to keep everything located in one place.

Here I go letting all hang out again:

At the end of Week 2, I added Lugol’s iodine supplement to my routine. During my research by reading, watching many YouTube videos, and listening to podcasts, I found out the importance of iodine. After just a week of taking the lugol’s iodine supplement, I haven’t noticed a change at all. I do know the importance of iodine and will continue the monitor the results.

Consistency:

I also have been more consistent with exercise and striving to hit 10k steps each day. I don’t like to say that I am addicted to any one thing, but I must say I am addicted to walking. It has become somewhat of a little game I play with myself, to stay motivated and consistent.

And consistency is the name of the game and to win in the long run is to stick to it. Eat what our ancestors ate a thousand years ago and move your body.

Imagery Therapy:

I re-learned the importance of positive visualization. To set goals with a positive attitude and reinforcement. Not long ago, while living a keto lifestyle, I used similar techniques. I felt amazing. I was at my happy weight and looked and felt healthy.

Week 4

I will make sleep my bitch!

See ya at the 90-day Carnivore Challenge Week 4 update.

Bell

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