Hi,I am Dr. Shanthi.E (General & Family Physician). I will be looking into your question and guiding you through the process. Please write your question below.
I have gone to a whole plant based diet (Dr. Greger) for cardiovascular reasons including CAS, high cholesterol and high blood pressure (I exercise daily, aerobic and yoga, am normal weight, meditate, but have family genetic predisposition to these ... I am 61 years old) . Since going to plant based, I feel great and BP is going down. I feel great! However, I am having trouble sleeping through the night now. Weird. Wake at 3:00 and can t get back to sleep. Nothing else has changed. Any plant based ideas?
Hello and Welcome to ‘Ask A Doctor’ service.
I have reviewed your query and here is my advice.
Eat a few handfuls of almonds, peanuts, or hazelnuts. Nuts contain tryptophan, an amino acid needed to produce melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep. Also you can take bananas it contain tryptophan, and are easy to digest, making them a good before-bed snack. Chamomile tea will helps calm you down and chamomile in particular is very relaxing. It contains powerful antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory compounds that help you relax so you can get to sleep. A bowl of oatmeal or side of quinoa will stimulate insulin production in your body. Insulin helps rid your bloodstream of other amino acids which might compete with the tryptophan. Whole grains also contain a good amount of magnesium. If you suffer from chronic insomnia, a magnesium deficiency may be part of the problem.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Rajesh Raghuwanshi
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What Causes Insomnia While On A Plant Based Diet?
Hello and Welcome to ‘Ask A Doctor’ service. I have reviewed your query and here is my advice. Eat a few handfuls of almonds, peanuts, or hazelnuts. Nuts contain tryptophan, an amino acid needed to produce melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep. Also you can take bananas it contain tryptophan, and are easy to digest, making them a good before-bed snack. Chamomile tea will helps calm you down and chamomile in particular is very relaxing. It contains powerful antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory compounds that help you relax so you can get to sleep. A bowl of oatmeal or side of quinoa will stimulate insulin production in your body. Insulin helps rid your bloodstream of other amino acids which might compete with the tryptophan. Whole grains also contain a good amount of magnesium. If you suffer from chronic insomnia, a magnesium deficiency may be part of the problem. Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further. Regards, Dr. Rajesh Raghuwanshi