Anyone who has ever adopted a low-carbohydrate diet knows that it can be difficult to control your appetite on such a plan. The low-carb content of the typical keto diet makes it far more restrictive than other diets. In addition, the diet’s high-fat content makes it inherently unhealthy.
Combining these factors makes the keto diet a very challenging one to follow. Even with the possible benefits of keto in mind, it might surprise you to learn that the low-carb diet has some negative long-term effects. This article will review the negative side effects of a keto diet, including how it can affect your sleep, energy, and mental clarity.
How a Keto Diet Can Affect Your Sleep
The impact of a keto diet on your sleep is difficult to predict. It may improve your sleep in the short term by increasing alertness and energy, but this effect may fade over time. In addition, a diet high in fat can lead to insomnia because of its longer-lasting impact on sleep.
If you experience frequent night sweats and have difficulty sleeping on weekdays, it might be worth considering an alternative diet.
How a Keto Diet Can Affect Your Sleep
One of the most common side effects of a keto diet is sleep apnea, the inability to stop breathing during sleep. While sleeping, Apnea generally isn’t a problem during the day; it can become a big issue at night. Sleep apnea is more common in people with heart conditions, high blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol. People with sleep apnea often have loud and regular breathing during sleep.
They may have periods of no breathing for a long time, or they may be able to breathe only when they’re asleep. Some people find that a low-carbohydrate diet works better than others for getting them to sleep.
How a Keto Diet Can Affect Your Sleep
If you’re struggling to get a good night’s sleep, it can be worth considering the following diet tips.
- Keep Stress Under Control
All of us deal with stress daily, whether we’re aware of it or not. High-stress levels make it harder for your body to get a good night’s sleep and can impact your health. There are many ways to reduce stress, but medication is usually one of the safer ones. Self-management is key: identity what kinds of stress you respond to better than others and spend time relaxing in different ways.
- Eat a Healthy Diet
While a keto diet may sound like the perfect solution to sleep problems, experts recommend adding more fruits and vegetables to a low-carb diet. Fruits and vegetables have a low glycemic index and are great for your body because they contain vitamins and minerals, and fiber that helps with digestion. On the other hand, proteins contain amino acids essential for making hormones, muscles, and tissues.
Since a diet high in proteins can make you feel hungry very quickly, it’s important to include other foods that provide fiber to help with digestion. Additionally, a keto diet may contain too much sodium, which can seriously affect your sleep. Over time, a high sodium diet can lead to high blood pressure. If you’re at risk for high blood pressure, it’s important to monitor your intake and ensure you’re getting enough sodium.
How a Keto Diet Can Affect Your Sleep
Excessive sleepiness is another common side effect of a keto diet, especially for people who are used to sleeping normal 8-hour hours. This can result from several things, but it may be worth considering for people who tend to fall asleep at the drop of a hat.
- Low-FODMAP Diet
Certain foods cause a person to be ultra-sensitive to minerals and vitamins. Fruits, vegetables, and certain other plants contain small amounts of foods that cause problems for people with digestive diseases. Unfortunately, these foods also contain large amounts of vital minerals and nutrients, and a low-FODMAP diet can seriously mess up your sleeping routine.
FODMAPS is a group of more than 100 food items classified as “problems” by the European Association of Gastroenterology. The list includes milk, yogurt, peas, beans, and other legumes. Another big problem food items for many people on the keto diet are sweets. These foods can make sleeping difficult, even impossible because you don’t feel sleepy without them.
Conclusion
The negative side effects of a keto diet are numerous and include how it can affect your sleep, energy, and mental clarity. Even with the possible benefits of a keto diet in mind, it might surprise you to learn that the low-carb diet has some negative long-term effects.
Remember that these effects are likely to fade after you stop the diet, but they’re something to consider if you’re trying out the diet for the first time.
