Not long ago, I posted an article here listing everything that had disappeared from my life since my lifestyle shift started in October, 2020 (read article here). There were a few I forgot to mention. The truth is, following the habits I did transforms you so fast that you soon forget what it felt like to be you just a short while ago.
Along with heartburn, or acid reflux, sleep paralysis is another thing that I have not experienced since the October lifestyle shift. I’ve had this issue for as long as I can remember. I’d find my mind awake while my body remained asleep. I was never willing to just go back to sleep.
So, it became a struggle with forcing myself awake. I would breathe deep a few times then use what I perceived to be all my strength to pop out of the dormancy. Over the past year, this was happening more often and was getting harder to wake up.
The worst part was, if I didn’t fully wake up it would immediately happen again as I fell back asleep. Often, I would have to get my exhausted body out of bed and head to the kitchen for a glass of water before going back to bed.
It’s Gone. But, Why?
This supposedly quite common sleep issue has not appeared since October. What habit in my lifestyle shift was the solution? Before, I believed that the cause was dehydration. After all, getting up and chugging a glass of water usually meant it didn’t happen again for the rest of the night.
But, these days, I tend to go heavy on fluids early in the day and lesser so toward the nighttime. With no grain (bread) intake, I find that maybe there’s nothing to soak up the water and I’m up for a bathroom break several times in the night. Anyway, often these days, I go to bed in a less than optimally hydrated state.
So, that would say that hydration might not be such a major fact in sleep paralysis.
Without being able to isolate and single one of the habits I created for myself in October, I can’t really tell what has stopped this, not dangerous but, irritating situation.
I’ll chalk it up to a combination of the full vegan diet, intermittent fasting and Wim Hof Method breathing. But, mostly, I have to think it’s the intermittent fasting. The fact that I leave a 6-8 hour buffer between my last meal and bedtime, it’s probably the habit that affects my sleep the most. I’m sure the elimination of grains and dairy certainly helps, as well.
Whatever the biological logic behind the change, according to Fitbit, my sleep score is most excellent. My oxygen variation graph is basically a straight green line each night.
Personal Update
Just an update on how things are going with lifestyle shift. My weight has mostly leveled off but periodically drops another pound. My weight is sitting at 169 lbs., around 40 lbs. less than I weighed on my start date in October and closer to 50 lbs. less than my 2020 high point.
I continue to have no issues following a full vegan diet, consumed only within a 9am to 4pm (more like 10-3) window each day. I continue to engage in a fairly intense exercise session each day that usually lasts around an hour. I do 2-4 Wim Hof Method breathing sessions each day.
I began experimenting with longer fasts recently. I have no issues with going over 24 hours. In fact, during that 24 hour period, I will put in more than one intense workout and carry on with my regular life without difficulty. In fact, I simply never really feel hunger anymore. I attribute that to the removal of sugar and most carbs from my diet.
I also continue to cold shower, something I started doing nearly two years ago. But, with the massive fat loss and the impossibly cold tap water at this time of year in Canada, I’m finding my feet and fingers need special attention. I’ve started finishing up the showers with a few minutes of extremely hot water to counter the effects.
My running career has not rocketed like I hoped. Despite accelerated healing with every other issue with my body, my right heel just does not want to fully heal. I’m doing a lot of lower body and core strength training in the mean time and getting in short runs when I feel okay.