Salt and Insomnia

Interesting article:

[url=http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/11/08/does-a-low-salt-diet-trigger-insomnia/]Does A Low Salt Diet Trigger Insomnia? - The People's Pharmacy®[/url]

I've been having massive salt cravings for the last few weeks and yesterday I really went gung ho with it. Last night was the first time I slept a straight 7/8 hours (without waking / tossing turning) for a long [B]long[/B] time. Don't want to speak too soon, but it's definitely intriguing. I've been a no-salt person for most of my adult life.

If this were true, I'd be the most well-slept person on earth. Nope.

I never had sleep issues related to salt intake, even from my low-salt days. Anytime I did have difficulty sleeping, I could always trace it to some other more obvious cause.

[QUOTE=Drumroll;1072663]I never had sleep issues related to salt intake, even from my low-salt days. Anytime I did have difficulty sleeping, I could always trace it to some other more obvious cause.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Damiana;1072660]If this were true, I'd be the most well-slept person on earth. Nope.[/QUOTE]

Well, it doesn't mean it's not true! There are a lot of causes for insomnia. Generally it's multi-factoral.

Now that I think about it, HE WHO SHALT NOT BE NAMED (Ray Peat) does suggest salt before bed as a sleep aid.

And Tim Ferriss suggests bathing before sleep as a sleep aid as well. Particularly a cold bath.

Yup. Salt restriction increases adrenaline, which leads to racing pulse while sleeping and restlessness among other things. I always eat some ice cream with salt before sleeping.

My sodium intake is probably roughly 2x higher than the RDA, for whatever that's worth.

[QUOTE=Derpamix;1072691]Yup. Salt restriction increases adrenaline, which leads to racing pulse while sleeping and restlessness among other things. I always eat some ice cream with salt before sleeping.

My sodium intake is probably roughly 2x higher than the RDA, for whatever that's worth.[/QUOTE]

Chocolate ice cream sprinkled with salt is soooo goooooood.

[QUOTE=YogaBare;1072610]Interesting article:

[url=http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/11/08/does-a-low-salt-diet-trigger-insomnia/]Does A Low Salt Diet Trigger Insomnia? - The People's Pharmacy®[/url]

I've been having massive salt cravings for the last few weeks and yesterday I really went gung ho with it. Last night was the first time I slept a straight 7/8 hours (without waking / tossing turning) for a long [B]long[/B] time. Don't want to speak too soon, but it's definitely intriguing. I've been a no-salt person for most of my adult life.[/QUOTE]

Yep some saturated fat, sugar and salt before bed almost guarantees a good nights sleep. When i was strict paleo i had the worst sleep, getting up to pee 2-3 times, restless legs and never getting comfortable due to soreness. Now i sleep 8-9 hours straight through and atill dont need to pee when i get up. Its awesome.

Yoga, did you read Matt Stones "Eat for heat" book? Check it out if you havnt.

I was never a low salt person, and had severe sleeping problems. So I can't either confirm or not based on my experience. But interesting anyway.

What's intriguing to me is that my husband and my kid don't ever use salt at all, and are perfectly happy. Though my kid loves pickles. Go figure.

Salted ice cream sounds so wrong, and yet so right...!

Yeah, I've noticed that I always have a great sleep after a sugar binge which always surprises people cos' they imagine that the sugar would give you energy and thus keep you awake.

[QUOTE=Zach;1072859]Yep some saturated fat, sugar and salt before bed almost guarantees a good nights sleep. When i was strict paleo i had the worst sleep, getting up to pee 2-3 times, restless legs and never getting comfortable due to soreness. Now i sleep 8-9 hours straight through and atill dont need to pee when i get up. Its awesome.

Yoga, did you read Matt Stones "Eat for heat" book? Check it out if you havnt.[/QUOTE]

Hey Zach, haven't read it... yet :) I [I]am[/I] noticing though since reintroducing starch that I'm warmer, and my pulse has changed - it's still roughly the same rate but the beat is stronger, deeper (I studied some Chinese medicine so usually monitor this. TCM differentiates between different kinds of pulses - when I was low carb my pulse was was they describe as "floating").

[QUOTE=Leida;1072866]I was never a low salt person, and had severe sleeping problems. So I can't either confirm or not based on my experience. But interesting anyway.

What's intriguing to me is that my husband and my kid don't ever use salt at all, and are perfectly happy. Though my kid loves pickles. Go figure.[/QUOTE]

Hey Leida, well I think it's down to that individuality thing. I wouldn't say low salt intake is the [I]cause[/I] of insomnia, but in certain people it probably has physiological repercussions - low blood pressure, elevation of stress hormones (as Derp said) etc. that manifest as bad sleep.

As an aside, I actually think posture can impact on insomnia. I notice when I sleep really high I fall asleep much faster as it opens my chest and I can breathe more deeply.

[QUOTE=Drumroll;1072673]And Tim Ferriss suggests bathing before sleep as a sleep aid as well. Particularly a cold bath.[/QUOTE]

I actually took a cold shower last night too! I'll have to try it with normal salt intake some night.