r/fasting • u/d3ep4k • 1d ago

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/SAGirl1 19h 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.