Fish Oil and Sleep

You have my sympathy. As I said, I suffered from insomnia most nights from childhood until the day I started on a low carb diet. I just accidently stumbled across my cure. Some people actually have the opposite result. The low carb diet causes insomnia when they didn't have it before.

It was an agony. I used to lay awake for hours to get to sleep. Then I'd wake up at 2 or 3 am and be awake for another hour or two. It was awful. Now I can lie down, close my eyes, and go to sleep. I usually sleep through - or if I wake up, I get back to sleep quickly.

It's Nature Made. This is what I bought yesterday: http://www.amazon.com/Nature-Made-Ul...6699108&sr=8-2

I take two.

Nature Made seems to be priced out of my budget so I guess I have to stick with the brand that I'm currently taking even though it's only 800 EPA. Thanks anyway.

Yesterday morning I got up at 5am after only 5-1/2 hours sleep and today my sleep (if you can call it that) was terrible after 6am, so this morning I caved and increased my antipsychotic. I just couldn't take not sleeping well anymore. Although my pdoc recommended the increase I'm not sure it's the right thing to do. I'm now thinking that maybe I should ask my pdoc to switch me from Ambien to a low dose of Seroquel just for sleep instead of increasing my antipsychotic, but I also have reservations with Seroquel due to some of it's other side effects (weight gain, diabetes, etc.). Currently, I take Geodon and my bloodwork all comes back excellent so I'm wary on adding or changing anything and rocking the bloodwork boat.

Sorry you're having so much trouble with the sleep. I know how important it is, and I know how frustrating it is when it just doesn't come. Lately I've been incredibly sleepy during the day even though I'm getting adequate sleep.

Is it possible for you to nap during the day? I work in a library, and there's an area in the stacks I used to like to go for a nap on my lunch break. Unfortunately a really rude student has been assigned to a carrel in that area, so I don't go there anymore. Sometimes a nap helps; sometimes it makes me more groggy.

I envy you that you're getting adequate sleep. You're just taking fish oil, right; not the vitamin E, yet?

That's great you were able to nap during your lunch break. Unfortunately, even naps elude me as I'm not tired during the day. Go figure. Maybe that's actually saying a lot about my mental state, so perhaps my new pdoc could be onto something that I'm failing to see by suggesting that I increase my meds. I've only seen her three times so I'm not quite trustful of her yet. Yeah, it's a slow process.

I'm taking the vitamin E right now. Started about 4 or 5 days ago.

Good luck with the new pdoc. Yes, definitely it can take time to establish a relationship.

How has your sleep been since starting the vitamin E? Any improvement?

I've been sleeping well.

Here's the chronology:

1. I was taking the fish oil in the evening. About 10 days in I started having sleep problems.

2. I googled it and found others had insomnia with fish oil.

3. I asked about it here, and someone - I think it was you - suggested I start taking it in the morning. I took that suggestion, and the insomnia went away.

4. Almost a week ago I switched back to evenings and added the vitamin E.

So far the insomnia hasn't returned. I don't know if that's because it hasn't been long enough (it took a week and a half the first time for the insomnia to start), or if the vitamin E helped, or if my insomnia wasn't caused by the fish oil at all - maybe it was a coincidence.

I don't think it could hurt you to try the vitamin E. Or if you're opposed to vitamin E, some other antioxidant.

I take Clonazopam at night before bed to help with anxiety and I always sleep like a rock. I started taking fish oil a few days ago and the last few nights I've woken up numerous times unable to go back to sleep. I'm wide awake in the middle of the night and my mind is racing. I googled "fish oil insomnia" and found this forum. The fact that others seem to have had the same problem as I have had and coupled with the fact that I'm still taking the Clonazaam and never wake up like this leads me to believe there is a correlation between fish oil and insomnia.

Update: Yesterday I did not take any fish oil supplements and slept like a rock last night. I'm convinced that the fish oil supplements were the casue of my sleep issues.

I take 6000mg fish oil for long time and notice very positive effect on memory. Never noticed correlation with sleep although I can't sleep right now. 4:20 Am. :-)