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Thread: can't sleep well unless I binge eat?

  1. #1
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    Default can't sleep well unless I binge eat?

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    Hi Jordan, like many people on this forum I struggle with sleep. I've been having sleep issues for about a year now. It correlates with me actually starting to halfway do the program and get decently strong but I don't know if it's causal. I consume about 400-600 mg of caffeine daily but all of it is before 10 am. I've tried basic sleep hygiene with some minimal effect but there's one thing that works better than anything else. Binge eating. As bed time gets close (11 pm or so) I always feel as if there's more and more adrenaline running through my system and it's often but not always accompanied by increasing hunger and an enormous desire to eat. But whether I feel a need to eat or not, stuffing the hell out of my face always seems to shut everything up and I can finally feel some peace. Seems like the best sleep aid for me is about 1000 calories of cereal and a few apples or maybe an entire pizza at about 11 pm. Obviously this isn't sustainable. Is this normal? Any other ways to create the same sensation without the binge?

  2. #2
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    Eh, I think that for every person who finds overeating improves their sleep right before bed you'll find someone who reports it keeps them awake. I'd wonder about your typical sleep and wake times, daily calorie intake, and what else you're doing before bed.

  3. #3
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    Daily calorie intake is wildly unpredictable, before bed I'm usually on my computer but have tried reading. My training is early in the day. I typically try to nap during the day but most often fail to actually sleep. My waking up time is pretty consistent because I have work at 8 am. I am at least in my room trying to sleep pretty consistently at about 10 pm each night. I'm a graduate student with a dissertation to write so much of my work can be wherever I want it to be. Therefore I spend a good percentage of my time laying on my bed with my laptop. Is there any truth to the idea that doing things in your bed that aren't sleeping can train you to not associate it with sleep and therefore have trouble sleeping?

  4. #4
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    Is there any truth to the idea that doing things in your bed that aren't sleeping can train you to not associate it with sleep and therefore have trouble sleeping?
    Yes. I would stop doing this.

  5. #5
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    Okay will do. Probably can also actually eat normally and just plan for a nice handful of carbs before bedtime so I don't have to binge. Thanks!

  6. #6
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    Probably a good idea to also NOT be in front of your laptop an hour or two before going to sleep. There's a lot of evidence/literature that says the computer screen/TV/Smart Phone provides too much stimulus and can inhibit your ability to go to sleep.

    I'm no expert, so take it for what it is...

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by MarinePMI View Post
    Probably a good idea to also NOT be in front of your laptop an hour or two before going to sleep. There's a lot of evidence/literature that says the computer screen/TV/Smart Phone provides too much stimulus and can inhibit your ability to go to sleep.

    I'm no expert, so take it for what it is...
    Its the blue light thats emitted from screens. Fucks with you rythm. There are apps that will make the screen go yellow’ish which should overcome that.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Maties Hofstede View Post
    Its the blue light thats emitted from screens. Fucks with you rythm. There are apps that will make the screen go yellow’ish which should overcome that.
    I've tried this and yes it definitely helps but not nearly as much as a whole goddamn pizza about 1 hour before bed.

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