Waking still fatigued in the morning in spite of sleeping for many hours is referred to as ‘non-restorative sleep’ and is one of the hallmark symptoms of a variety of sleep disorders. The most common sleep disorder is Sleep Apnea.
Sleep Apnea causes abnormal breathing when asleep and leads to prolonged periods of low blood oxygen levels and resulting daytime fatigue and sleepiness. Mounting scientific evidence points to a link between Sleep Apnea and Insulin Resistance, a disorder caused by excessive carbohydrate intake and obesity.
Fortunately, additional studies reveal that a substantial portion of individuals with Sleep Apnea can have their condition put into remission with a reduction in dietary carbohydrate intake.
I have several patients who have successfully resolved their daytime fatigue and sleepiness as well as their dependency on their CPAP machine (a device used by patients to maintain normal levels of oxygen while they sleep) by reducing their carbohydrate intake.
I have patients reduce their carbohydrate intake to a maximum of 150 grams per day and increase their protein intake to 20-30 grams 3 times daily. Other than learning to eat things like eggs and bacon for breakfast, most patients are easily able to maintain this level of protein an carbohydrate intake. The majority have substantial improvement in their symptoms within 4-6 weeks.
If you are on a CPAP machine, I suggest you consult your physician before discontinuing its use even if you feel better.
