To Jackie and others,

I vaguely remember being told long ago that a little snack can help some people go back to sleep. Whether the effect is real or a placebo it appears to help me.

I generally munch on the small amount of nuts and a section of banana. Maybe a couple of spoons of yogurt.

Any more details on good things to use in the mini snacks?

Also the causes of why they appear to work which may help in choosing foods.

Thanks

Alex

If you wake early due to a too low drop in nocturnal cortisol levels ( which should be at a daily nadir during the night hours of sleep in a healthy adrenal response) but if the drop is too severe in cortisol building blocks necessary for producing cortisol on demand, which can happen if the person has an excess production of melatonin at the same time or takes an exogenous dose of supplemental melatonin for sleep that is too large a dose, it can further suppress cortisol production and function which can lead to a nocturnal crash in blood sugar levels leading to reactive hypoglycemia at night.

The person in such a low cortisol induced by excess nocturnal melatonin (for example) will often become hypoglycemic and the body which cannot them marshall enough cortisol needed to restore good blood sugar balance, will resort to the fall back , back up adrenal hormone substitute for cortisol called Adrenaline and then good luck on getting back to sleep anytime soon! in such a scenario the person will often wake with a night terror or startle response waking abruptly out of a nightmare and will likely feel very out of sorts from the hypoglycemia combined with the rush of adrenaline .. a perfect storm for too for triggering AFIB for those prone to triggering.

If such a person gets up and eats a little fat containing snack and perhaps even with some slow carbs, that can boost the blood sugar some and the eating with boost too some added cortisol production to a degree and end the hypoglycemia as well as tamp down the adrenaline .. all making getting back to sleep a good deal easier and more likely.

Shannon

Hi Alex - as Shannon mentions... eating something with a fat and/or protein content at that time helps. The holistic MD I had at the time I was experiencing the hypoglycemic 'attack's that brought on AF, shared that he also had nocturnal hypoglycemia and always kept a container of full fat yogurt at his bedside so it was ready to eat quickly. But, unless the yogurt is "plain"... meaning no sugar added, that's counterproductive.

I settled on using coconut oil... which doesn't need refrigeration and is a soft solid at room temperature. A tablespoon before bed and more, if you wake up, will manage the 'surges' that promote wakefulness. Choose organic, expeller- pressed coconut oil.

I experienced the hypoglycemia-driven AF during the day as well. Eventually, I learned from my new F. M. MD's testing that I had adrenal burnout and after following protocols for re-establishing healthy adrenal function, that issue was resolved.

An excellent reference and guide for addressing the adrenal problem is "The Schwartzbein Principle II - The Transition"... by Diana Schwarzbein, MD. [www.amazon.com]

Jackie