Question Does anyone feel improved sleep during fasting ?
I feel my sleep has improved. Appetite reduced and feel calm. Able to sleep easily.
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u/Grand-Ad-9156 1d ago
If my electrolytes are off, terrible.
If my electrolytes are on point, hit or miss.
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u/Jazzlike_Tailor_2984 1d ago
It’s weird because first days i sleep like garbage, body is adjusting or something. But after that yeah i notice i can fall asleep faster and don’t wake up in middle of night
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u/divinecomedian3 19h ago
No, my sleep is pretty bad when fasted. I've read that it could be because your body and mind go into survival mode, telling you to wake up and hunt for some food. I'm at a lowish body fat percentage though, so that may be the difference.
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u/Character-Score-7497 1d ago
I sleep like the dead for the first 2-3 days. And then my sleep needs get reduced and I go from 14-15 hrs of sleep to 4-5 hrs a day and physically unable to sleep more. It's not better or more restful sleep but it's nice to feel awake after waking up, I don't get groggy.
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u/drakothedj 23h ago
This is exactly what happened to me. But lately I realised I can sleep 8 hours now but I wake up full of energy every 2-3 hours and then fall back asleep
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u/suentendo 23h ago
Honestly it fluctuates. Sometimes it’s awful other times I sleep fine.
I’m usually quite anxious for the eating day to arrive, though (I do ADF+). Hopefully that will go away eventually.
I probably should just get on magnesium glycinate + melatonin and call it a day.
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u/Auraaurorora 6h ago
I sleep like 5-7 hours tops while fasting but I lay around a lot. I sleep a lot more when not fasting. I don't think it's improved - just less
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u/Any_Brilliant_4505 21h ago
Honestly, one of the main things holding me back is that after day 2 my anxiety goes up and I sleep terribly (naps help sometimes, but not enough). If my sleep stayed decent, I'd probably push past the 3 day mark more often.
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u/btimexlt 1d ago
Mine is better for sure at least the first day. For extended fasts it’s hit or miss.
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u/dangerous_eric 23h ago
I do, but I think it's more-so that my ability to focus gets much better, so I don't stay up all night on Reddit and go to sleep instead.
Though... I do wonder if I'm gradually getting fewer brain plaques, etc. and that's helping. There's a lot of things I'd measure if I had the resources; sleep quality and brain hygiene is definitely up there.
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u/M4N4W4VE 23h ago
My sleep is absolutely amazing while fasting. I’ve had sleep paralysis at least once a week for the past 18years and once I started fasting three weeks ago, my shadow demon has not come to visit me once lol. Maybe carbs helped open the gate between our realms 😂
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u/NewmanAnlovanit water faster 22h ago
I need very little sleep when fasting. I already don't sleep much but even less while fasting.
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u/coolblue123 21h ago
Harder to fall asleep when stomach is empty, but I get better sleep once I am asleep.
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u/jaydefit Old school water faster 21h ago
Yup. I sleep like the dead when I fast.
I do sleep less, but the sleep I do get is so much more restful and restorative. I love it.
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u/goddess_of_fear 19h ago
Yes, I fall asleep faster and stay asleep instead of waking up every few hours.
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u/Supacalafragalistic 18h ago
Fourth and fifths nights for me are so impossible to sleep i don’t even try anymore. I have insane energy
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u/SAGirl1 18h ago
It’s possible you were eating too close to bedtime before. That can affect sleep negatively because the body is still digesting food when it should be resting. Also blood sugars falling while one is sleeping like in hypoglycemia because you ate close to bedtime can trigger nighttime awakenings.
Stabilizing your blood sugar by leaving more than 4 hours after your last meal before bedtime can produce restorative deep sleep.
However longer fasts, particularly for the longest periods of time like 36 + hrs raises cortisol which is counterproductive for sleeping.
I experienced noticeable improvement in sleep with a 16:8 fasting schedule because I am usually done eating at least 4 hours before bed.
I thought before I started that going to bed hungry would disrupt my sleep but frankly my hunger spiked like 2-3 hours after my last meal. Once I was 4 hrs past eating it calmed down and it didn’t affect sleep at all. For longer fasts it can bother me though.
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u/Desert_Sox lost >100lbs faster 15h ago
There are plusses and minuses to getting to sleep while fasting.
On the negative side, my noradrenaline is spiked and I might feel more hyped, more jittery.
On the positive side, I don't have any digestive issues that might interfere with sleep.
I don't usually have appetite issues when I'm eating. I have food amount control issues - but that's a separate issue entirely - and a main reason I fast.
What really helps me is daily exercise and a complete schedule.
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u/WaftyTaynt 12h ago
I sleep wonderfully, however I keep my workout schedule, which is minimum 1 hour of lifting and 1 hour of cardio per day (or more). That tends to make me very tired and sleep well both fasting and not fasting.
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u/GCS_dropping_rapidly 4h ago
Exact opposite. My sleep is HIDEOUS while fasting.
And I definitely dont feel well rested despite less sleep. I feel like crap in terms of energy and focus.
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u/wunder_peach 2h ago
Horrible sleep while fasting. I can only sleep after I’m full of water otherwise it’s impossible plus my temperature is all over the place. It’s very uncomfortable. But worth it.
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u/fredblockburn 1d ago
No my sleep is terrible