Increased heart rate and energy in the middle of the night

Please, can you help me determine why I’m having these bright eyed and bushy tailed episodes lasting hours in the wee hours of the night?

3:20 am and I still have not fallen asleep. My heart beat it stronger in the middle of the night than during the day (unless I’m exerting myself)

Is this likely hormonal? I’ve had sleep issues my whole adult life but this is worse.

Yesterday I did the following:

Mornjng walk for circadian rhythm.

Coffee before 10 am

1 hour vigorous exercise ending at 4 pm

Blue blockers after 8 pm

Red light before bed

Deep breathing with long exhale and stretches

No news or anything stressful at night (but day had stressful confrontational work issue)

Before bed I took: Mag threonate, Melatonin, phosphatydlserine (spelling wrong) niacin & zinc

I’m exhausted physically and mentally but I’m not sleepy. Is this cortisol due to stress? Hormone issue? Or just the joy of Parkinson’s?

Addictive sleep meds that cause dementia are not an option.

Knowing how important sleep is for glymphatic drainage has actually added to the stress of not sleeping and made this worse.

Tomorrows (or now todays) To Do list whirls in my head.

Please if you have any advice , or thoughts on what I should look in to , I’d be very grateful.

🌸 Tired but Wired Newbie

[pvw2]

Are you acting out your dreams at night?

[Hidden in reply to pvw2]

No neverBut point of post is I’m not falling asleep in the first place

[Stillstandingstill]

From my own perspective, temperature is the difference between a sleepless night and a good one.

[Goldie25]

Is your bedroom cool? Poor sleep can be allied to over warm room.

[Debgiffen]

You could try taking some amino acids and magnesium. This is what works for me. Your mileage may vary.

1-2 hours before bed, have some herbal Sleepytime/chamomile tea with:

A heaping tsp of Natural Vitality Calm (magnesium)

1/4 tsp (1000 mg) Glycine

1/4 tsp (1000 mg) Taurine

If that doesn’t help, add 1 or more of the following 1 hour before bed:

5-10 mgs melatonin

500 mgs GABA

500 mgs Tryptophan

I also listen to bedtime stories for adults. I highly recommend this podcast. Her voice is so soothing that I am usually sound asleep before she is done mentioning her sponsors.

nothingmuchhappens.com/stories

Here are some videos describing the benefits of the above supplements:

Taurine youtu.be/tY9j4jgmSy8(Not working as expected?)

Glycine: youtu.be/MB58-mFWgTI(Not working as expected?)

GABA: youtu.be/KkrhXU1YdrA(Not working as expected?)

Tryptophan: youtu.be/HMEsvAc3XIc(Not working as expected?)

Iodine youtu.be/fIZSnYSrNL8(Not working as expected?)

[Hidden in reply to Debgiffen]

THANK YOU SO SO MUCH!!!❤️❤️ Up all night

Listening to birds now

I will listen to all the videos and try the ap

❤️

[Enidah in reply to Hidden]

If that doesn't work for you you can try other audiobooks. Jeeves and Wooster is one that helped me for a long time. And there are lots of books by PG Wodehouse.I also have a Xanax prescription which although I don't use it often can be very helpful when I am spinning with anxiety and what is going to happen the next day. I take very little but it can be effective. I really think this is so much part of PD. My brain will often latch on to whatever it can find to worry about and mull over.

[Godiv in reply to Hidden]

Hey New. Two things I can think of. Maybe try to exercise in the morning. Don’t let it all get close to your bedtime. It should be four hours away from bedtime I believe and maybe you’re sensitive. So it might be worth trying that. Also, are you going to bed fairly early? I kind of have different experiences with this sometimes if I go to bed later I’m tired and it’s all good. Sometimes I start to get sleepy much earlier like at nine. Or even earlier and I sort of fight it and stay awake. And it’s almost like at that point I’m in another up cycle I guess you would say. And like everyone said, everyone said definitely keep your room cold.

Not that I sleep that wonderfully myself but I do better when I got the air conditioning on something in the lower 60s believe it or not. And some of my buddies swear by a long hot shower hot hot right before bed or bath. Your temperature goes up and then it drops and you get sleepy. But I know what you mean also because I’ve gone through bouts of waking up at three or four and I am wide awake also. If it’s at four or five I just usually get up and that seems to help for the next night. But it’s definitely a struggle at times. And of course don’t lie there and fret. It’s better to get up and get out of the bed. I think I read somewhere where if you can get more than two hours of more sleep it’s worth going back to bed for. If she’s just gonna go back to bed and alarms alarms gonna go off in an hour it might not be.

I feel for you believe me. Oh fully darkened room also. Because even if threes sometimes there’s a little bit of light or something or the bird starter something so I’m trying to sleep in the dark cave and do what I can to keep it quiet also. Good luck. It’s a tough one I know.

[Hidden in reply to Godiv]

“Also, are you going to bed fairly early? I kind of have different experiences with this sometimes if I go to bed later I’m tired and it’s all good. Sometimes I start to get sleepy much earlier like at nine. Or even earlier and I sort of fight it and stay awake. And it’s almost like at that point I’m in another up cycle I guess you would say. “Yes! A lightbulb went off when you said that! At 10pm when I should go to sleep I’m like a hamster in need of a wheel!

But at 8 I’m yawning. Maybe I need to go to bed super early ?!

Nothing to loose. Well it’s 9pm now so too late for tonight but I’m going to try it!

Thank you!

[Godiv in reply to Hidden]

I hope it helps. I hope it doesn’t make you wake up super early. But I guess you’re anyway. Sometimes I wonder if we really need to sleep straight through like we want to and expect to. Because it seems like nobody does that except maybe little kids!

[park_bear]

Day/night sleep reversal is a common Parkinson's symptom. In my case it was relieved by carbidopa levodopa extended release. Definitely worth giving this a try my opinion if you are not already doing it.

[arty-fact]

Do you take any C/L or other meds last thing at night? I feel like I have similar symptoms when I am a bit over-medicated.

[Lyricist]

Your condition mirrors mine. No hormones involved just Parkinson’s! Just learn to deal with it by grabbing sleep when your body suggests it might cooperate. I get my admin chores done at 3am.

[Hidden in reply to Lyricist]

“I get my admin chores done at 3am.”So relatable!

[beehive23]

i have this issue with sleep . i just except it as pd. its not fun but the more i worry about it the worse it gets, i also listen to jeeves and worster, swiss family robinson and other calming audiobooks on low volume all night and sleep with lights on so when i awaken with vivid dreams i can quickly orient myself to reality...pd for 20 yrs.....hang tough.

[Hidden in reply to beehive23]

Will try boring audio books. 👍🏻 Thank you

[rescuema]

Since you've been on the keto diet for a while, I suspect you may be deficient in potassium, especially with your heart pounding at night. Do you pee a lot when drinking coffee up to 10am? When you urinate and sweat a lot, you lose K with it. Many supplements will also exhaust & drain K.

Try completely avoiding coffee for a week and eat lots of potassium-rich foods to see if it helps. One strong coffee in the morning can be enough to cause problems in some sensitive people, which includes me. I'm currently avoiding coffee to help against potassium loss.

anxiety-stresscenter.com/lo....

[Hidden in reply to rescuema]

keto is a very broad term. It’s the easiest label to use for brevity but about 80% of my diet in volume is veges so I’m not “true keto.” I’m closer to Wahls but with eggs. And I eat far too many nuts. (It’s a problem) But at least they have potassium? And I take potassium chloride powder up until very recently. And I just started green banana powder for even more resistant starch. Maybe that’s good? Maybe I should resume the potassium chloride powder?

Does matcha deplete K too? K is synonymous with potassium? (Not K2)

If I increase potassium is there a risk of overdoing it or can I error on the side of more?

I haven’t read the link yet but definitely will. Thank you.

I am more easily made anxious and worried and sad than ever before. I’m 46. Hormonal maybe?

[rescuema in reply to Hidden]

How much of your overall daily macro is Fat? This can be measured by using a cronometer. That should define whether you're actually on a ketogenic diet typically at around 70% fat or more, not just a low-carb diet. Regardless, in both cases where you rarely trigger insulin (yes a hormone) through carb intake, you risk depleting potassium even as fast as you can supplement. K (potassium) supplementation does help but your [healthy] kidney will excrete it as fast as it could to retain safer osmolality, and in the process can also excrete other electrolytes making the situation even worse. It's best to eat foods high in K for slower absorption (so that kidney doesn't simply pass it through) while also making sure you're also intaking enough sodium for proper renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS). Some people have real problems with electrolyte balance while on Keto, and part of why it's not sustainable.

Yes, any high caffeine beverage can cause K loss, but I found coffee is worse and I can drink a cup of matcha instead.

[Hidden in reply to rescuema]

Inspired by Dr. Wahls, I’m having fruit just 1 serving a day bc it is fruit season. I’ve therefore reduced my fat intake (except I eat too many nuts) So I should presently not say Keto but Wahls when describing my diet. (Socially I say keto to avoid explaining Wahls) Okay, so from what your saying dietary K far better than supplements.

I will seek out increasing more. Beet tops? Spinach? I stopped those out of concern for anti nutrients but maybe I should resume.

Different subject, resuming fruit has (I think) caused food and sugar cravings. I’m having a harder time with portion control and time restriction since resuming fruit and I was really really disciplined with less natural sugar in my diet. I’ve gained weight and keep wanting to nibble! Is blaming reintroducing fruit reasonable? Sugar has a history of making me NUTS which is why I have to completely abstain from ALL added sugar. Even when I baked I couldn’t eat it. I think I wanted to bake in part bc I was fixated on it and wanted some outlet even though it was torture to some extent.

[rescuema in reply to Hidden]

"Okay, so from what your saying dietary K far better than supplements."

A bold YES, In fact, it's almost impossible to replenish K through supplementation alone.

No, avoid Beet top and Spinach - they're the devils for oxalates and kidney health.

Do Kale, greenish bananas, avocados, squash, etc...

Nope not acceptable - you saying you can't do this and you're simply that...you have better self-control than that, but that's part of insulin resistance and certain mineral deficiencies can also trigger it.

[Hidden in reply to rescuema]

Thank you. Adding back in kale and squash. More green bananas. Is banana powder okay too?

I don’t understand the last part Rescuema. I have a ton of self control with diet relative to most people. I’m just having less than my normal self since reintroducing fruit.

My insulin is extremely low and I ingest zero added sugar with the only exception being 85% chocolate. So I don’t understand what you are saying. But as always I know you are being supportive and encouraging and I truly do appreciate you.

[rescuema in reply to Hidden]

"I don’t understand the last part Rescuema."I'm saying don't tell yourself you can't portion control and accept sugar makes you nutts. With fluctuating blood sugar/insulin with introduction of higher carbs (Wahls) and less ketones, your body/guts will crave sugar, but you must still stay displined or tell yourself so to not not give into temptations. Remember no negative self-talk? 😏

Try to eat wholefoods as minimally processed as possible. You're better off chewing than making/drinking smoothies with powdered stuff unless you have no othe rchoice.

[Hidden in reply to rescuema]

❤️❤️❤️. That was the kick in the pants I needed. You are right. I think of myself as disciplined but clearly not enough. I need to do better, raise my standards.

No powders. 😳 I’m trying to pack in as much nutrition as possible without massive volume so I don’t pop like a 🎈and look like a 🐡. ☺️

Did you see the cranberry powder study recently posted? Do you think it’s valid? I bc wonder it it’s something in the cranberries specifically or if it’s just getting nutrients in nutrient deficient people?

I put it in my smoothies a couple days a week. I alternate what goes on. (Moringa, dried parsley, pomegranate, etc)

I’m working my way through that gross freeze dried kidney. How do you get it down.

🤢

[rescuema in reply to Hidden]

I haven't seen the cranberry powder study, but I'm a fan of organic cranberries. I love using them in cooking and also drink diluted juice occasionally. It's too bad I can't find the organic fresh products reliably and they tend to be seasonal. The reason I recommend against smoothies is that you're more likely to spike insulin and burden your kidneys all at once, especially if you drink more than around 8oz at a time. Most people tend to overdrink them after making a huge batch.

Be careful of all excess supplementation. Supplements are valuable but you can also easily overdo them where they can cause more problems, as I have found with practically all supplements, and that includes some staples such as omega 3, turmeric/curcumin, antioxidants, etc.

Incorporate them carefully, but focus more on removing and identifying the "bads" or the ones that may be causing problems.

Sorry, you're having trouble with the FD kidneys, but I personally have a handful here and there and don't mind them personally, and my dogs love the treats as well. 😀

[LAJ12345]

If you are taking c/l in the evening it might be that. I would take any vitamins first thing in the morning not at night as they can make you feel wired. Funnily melatonin makes me wake up in the middle of the night with vivid dreams too.

[Hidden in reply to LAJ12345]

Not on CL. Maybe too much melatonin? Actually, speaking of hormones, I just reintroduced fruit in to my diet. Maybe my body is reacting to the natural sugar and maybe insulin is a factor in sleeplessness? I have historically had extremely low insulin.

I will try reducing melatonin and take a break from fruit.

[LAJ12345 in reply to Hidden]

Definitely sugar definitely makes me wired. We don’t eat sugar at all but I would not cut fruit out as it has lots of useful chemicals in it. Just limit it, and keep it varied. But perhaps keep to earlier in the day eg on breakfast with berries or at lunch.

[Hikoi in reply to Hidden]

I don't try and find causes for many of my symptoms because I know most if not all are due to PD. Instead I accept them as part of the disease and seek ways to cope. As to sleep I have been through different stages. At the moment I find that podcasts help. In medieval times they had two sleeps at night known as first sleep and second sleep. medievalists.net/2016/01/ho...