One dad has shared the life-changing impact making a simple change to his eating routine has had on his ability to fall asleep easily, increase his energy levels and even lose weight
A dad has unveiled the common eating pattern which was stopping him from sleeping through the night – and rectifying it has completely changed his life.
Many people struggle to fall asleep, and some struggle even more to remain asleep for the whole evening. Tiredness can have a seriously detrimental effect on people, causing a variety of symptoms from headaches and dizziness to concentration lapses and emotional issues like irritability, anxiety and more.
In more serious cases, tiredness and exhaustion can lead to reduced immune system function, low motivation, and hallucinations. But one dad thinks he’s cracked the code to a good night’s sleep – and he’s even lost weight in the process.
The revelation came about on Reddit, after another user came to the popular social news and discussion website to seek advice on how to stop feeling less tired and more functional in the morning. They described struggling to get out of bed each day and feeling “jealous” of their co-workers, who seem to spring into the office, bright-eyed and breezy.
They listed all sorts of methods they’d tried over the years, all to no avail, before the dad opened up on his own life-changing experience. He said: “I thought I was a night person…..until I started fasting… turns out I was feeding my body way too late and was keeping my body running into the late hours.
“Once I started to fast (besides changing my relationship with food) I would be DEAD TIRED by 10pm…this made me wake up at 6am with soooo much energy… it was wild to me… I had stopped eating but yet I was walking up so lively. This (waking up with energy), losing weight and a few other things made the lifestyle change possible.”
The father-of-one’s advice gained a lot of attention. One person replied: “This is actually a really cool answer. As a lifelong non-morning person, this is one of the few things I haven’t tried. Thanks for sharing this.”
Another asked: “Can I ask how did you fast? Like what hours? I have read about great benefits of fasting, having only a certain amount of time in a day to eat etc. If you are fine with me asking”. The dad explained he initially began fasting to lose weight and then noticed the positive impact on his sleep and energy levels.
Niamh Hennessy, lead dietitian at Cromwell Hospital, backs up his theory. For Bupa, she detailed the positive impact intermittent fasting can have on one’s overall health. Niamh listed the various types of intermittent fasting, from the 5:2 diet – where people “consume only 500 to 600 calories for two days each week” and eat regularly the rest of the week – to alternate day fasting, to the 16:8 plan, which “involves eating during an eight-hour window and fasting for 16 hours”.
This third version seems to be the one the Reddit dad has adopted. According to Niamh, some positive outcomes from partaking in intermittent fasting include “improved gut health; better sleep; reduced cardiovascular risk factors, including lower blood pressure; and lower inflammatory markers, which are linked to many chronic diseases”.
In regards to weight loss, Niamh explained it can often lead to people shedding some pounds because there’s less time to eat in the day, but in some instances, it can lead to weight gain because some people may overeat during their non-fasting hours.
The dietician added: “When you go without eating for a while your body makes more of the hunger hormone ghrelin. This can lead you to eat lots when you break your fast. So, eating healthily and being aware of how many calories you have is still important if you choose to try [intermittent fasting].”
