Foods causing insomnia

[Lumpymom]

Hello

Not sure if this is related to my gluten intolerance or not. I’ve recently become sensitive to paprika, chilli, in that even small amounts in my evening meal cause insomnia. I can fall asleep but will have night waking and difficulty getting back to sleep.

obviously just cut them out but wondered if my gut is the cause and if there is anything anyone else has experienced and anything I can do?

Thyroid levels are ok I’m medicated for that. I take individual vitamin supplements. I’m caffeine free. I don’t eat chocolate as it keeps me up too.

[Penel]

Hi Lumpymom

Insomnia is rotten, hope it doesn’t affect you too badly.

I was diagnosed with IBS a few years ago and get insomnia if I’ve eaten the wrong foods (various vegetables!) but am ok with coffee.

One suggestion on improving gut health, and making it generally more robust, is to increase your probiotics /prebiotics. Best done with food if you can, such as fermented foods like live yoghurt or kefir. Have a Google of what else is available if you can’t take dairy.

Good luck with sorting this out. Perhaps talk to your doctor if it persists.

[Lumpymom in reply to Penel]

Thank you. Just find the probiotics prebiotics a bit of a minefield in terms of what is best and how much of it to take. Any tips?

I tried taking live sauerkraut but it wasn’t making much difference. I did mention to gp but they sort of shrugged it off.

It seems I need to just avoid these foods, it’s annoying how it’s just come from nowhere like my sudden gluten intolerance. Wish there was something to explain why, or even do something to resolve it but maybe not.

[Penel in reply to Lumpymom]

Sorry, I can’t advise you about supplements. There are some studies which suggest that very few are effective and the ones that do appear effective are very expensive (Symprove is one).

Fermented foods are not to everyone’s taste and quite possibly have no effect on intolerances. I drink some kefir most days, hoping it’s helping with the symptoms of IBS. I really don’t know if it is, because like you I’m avoiding the triggers.

Unfortunately it seems that once you have one intolerance, it’s very common to get others .

Not much help, I’m afraid! Hopefully there are other spices you can use.

[Lumpymom in reply to Penel]

Thank you so much for your reply. I’m managing with cumin garlic and coriander for now! Wondering if I’ll be safer at lunchtimes as it’s not so near bedtime. Hope you are keeping well, appreciate your help.

[DesperateLastResort in reply to Lumpymom]

I started with sauerkraut and prebiotics and a raft of other things recommended by Isabella Wentz, Sarah Ballantyne etc and actually wonder if I made my symptoms worse. I’ve had to find a BANT registered nutritionist as I was struggling to work out what I could actually safely eat as I was triggering a range of weird and wonderful symptoms. A starting point is a list of low, medium and high histamine foods which you should be able to find online.

[Ruthi]

Read Tim Spector’s books! We are all eagerly awaiting the launch of the Zoe project in the UK. If you join you get an in depth analysis of your gut micro biome and advice on what to do but his general advice is to

1) cut out ALL ultra processed food and as much processed food as you can

2) increase the variety of veg you eat

3)eat a variety of fermented foods you eat Sauerkraut/kimchi, yoghurt, kombucha all have different bugs.

I used to have insomnia from magnesium supplements and fermented cabbage foods of all things. I kept asking on various forums what might be the cause and eventually someone suggested that it might be a histamine reaction. So I started reading up and tied it in with a gut biome testing pilot I’d been in that showed that I was short of two groups of bacteria, lactobacilli and bifidabacteria. And these are the very ones implicated in histamine intolerance! I tracked down a stupidly expensive supplement called Probiota HistaminX and that works. But I have yet to be able to sustain these bugs in my gut without the supplements, probably because I am a sugar addict!

I think it’s worth doing the Zoe test when it becomes available in the UK but in the mean time you could try altering your diet, and/that particular probiotic to see if it helps.

[Lumpymom in reply to Ruthi]

I’m already vegetarian so lots of different coloured veg. We cook from scratch but as for processed foods I do like the odd crisp or biscuit, I could make my own treats though. Interesting about the different bugs. I tried sauerkraut and it didn’t help so maybe I’m short on others. Trial and error. I’m scared to eat the paprika or chilli now though but would be good to see if increasing my bugs will help would be worth a go but maybe on a non work evening!

. Thanks so much I’ll do a bit more specific research. I do the Zoe app so I’ll look out for any trial. Great info!

[T808 in reply to Lumpymom]

I did read somewhere that paprika was apart of the nightshade family and certain people don't do good with nightshade especially people who have autoimmune issues or are gluten intolerant. I started to avoid paprika and potatoes (except sweet potatoes) because of that article. I've been gluten free for 3 or 4 years now.

[T808 in reply to Lumpymom]

Also check your estrogen and thyroid hormone levels. When they are too low or too high it can definitely cause sleep issues like insomnia or not being able to stay asleep, cold sweats in the middle of the night etc

[Lumpymom in reply to T808]

Thank you. I’m post menopause and thyroid levels are checked regularly so it’s not that. I’m fine with potatoes thankfully. I’d really struggle if I couldn’t have those!

[Narwhal10 in reply to Ruthi]

Thanks Ruthi,

For the information.

[Ruthi]

That’s interesting! No wonder I struggle with them then!

[DesperateLastResort]

Hi you may have developed histamine intolerance and/ or mast cell activation syndrome. Google Dr Tina Peers and mcas and long Covid and there’s a support organisation see ukmasto.org/about-mcd/#gsc.... and a Facebook support group. See if your symptoms match those listed there. I’ve spent years wondering what was causing my insomnia and am finally edging closer to a possible mcas diagnosis having had bloods taken on Monday. Good luck.