Why does beef give me insomnia

[Laurielee]

I rarely eat meat anymore because it keeps me awake. At first I thought I was just imagining it and forcing on myself I wasnt sleeping because of the meat. Well Friday DH and I went out to dinnner, I had a wonderful filet and was wide awake the whole night. Last night I cooked a beef tenderloin and almost didnt, because I thought is this going to keep me awake. I am a walking zombie this morning, I fell like I had a double espresso for bed. I only had a few hours sleep. I even took a valarian pill to help me but nope, sellp wasnt goign to happen.

Is there something that is added to beef that causes this??

TIA

Laurie

[Diane B.]

Gee, I don't know if there's anything added to beef, but I seem to have developed a problem with beef myself over the last ten years or so.

It seems to have more to do with the *length* or degree of cooking for me (and the breaking down of some of the proteins or something maybe?) than anything else. IOW, I can eat a flank steak which has been cooked all day in a crockpot with no problems, or eat stew ....whereas a filet mignon or other pink in the middle piece gives my gut uncomfortable feelings and sometimes outright problems.
You might want to experiment what that variable too.

Frequency and/or serving size may also make a difference. You can probably tolerate smaller portions, and also eating beef less frequently may help. When I found out I was allergic to shrimp and salmon (boo hoo)a number of years ago, the good advice I got and followed was not to eat them at all for a couple of years, then only now and then...and also not too often in the seasons when my mild allergies occur, because the *total load* of allergens or stresses on the system can matter too (that regimen seems to have worked, I'm happy to report).

Diane B.

[Terrytx]

I don't know the answer to this, but I also seem to have the same problem. I have noticed it happening the last few years and thought it was just me. I feel a little more comfortable knowing I am not alone. I will follow this thread to see if anyone has the answer.

[Laurielee]

oops, I need to check my spelling before I post. Terry I am glad I am also not alone and this also started over the last few years.

Diane, i can eat things like a beef stew, and dont have a problem, its a steak that does it every time. I usually eat new york and have the same problem. I eat mine medium

Laurie

[Rae]

Just curious, do you usually eat organic or commercially raised beef? I found a post on a sleep disorders website from someone who thought that chemicals added to beef in the last few years, for milk production and brighter meat color, was the culprit. This person didn't present scientific proof, just a theory. Anyway, it made me wonder if the people here have had problems with commercial or organic beef.

If you are eating commercial beef, it might be interesting to know if organic beef causes the same problem.

You all have my sympathies. I frequently have insomnia but can't trace mine to beef.

[laurelhiker]

Rae may be onto something. I have high levels of cortisol at night (which is bad, very bad, for good nighttime sleeping patterns). In my research into how to regulate this and other hormones, I came across the suggestion to eat ONLY organic or naturally-raised beef products (among other suggestions, of course). I can't recall what (initial) source I had for this, but here's a link that might help you to make the connection. I'm not a doctor, so it's just something to think about...

http://www.preventcancer.com/press/editorials/march24_97.htm

-- GG

[Peggy]

Interesting... I had a lovely filet mignon last night and slept like a baby so I must not suffer froom this problem. ;)

Peggy

[funnybone]

Interesting... I had a lovely filet mignon last night and slept like a baby so I must not suffer froom this problem. ;)



Did you have wine with it? I find that my body doesn't digest beef very well unless I drink wine with it.

[Peggy]

Did you have wine with it?

Most definately! ;) We had a lovely bottle of Beringer Merlot. Perhaps wine does help one digest meat.

Peggy

[funnybone]

Perhaps wine does help one digest meat.


We are living proof of that. :D

Perhaps there is a study being done somewhere that we can be a part of to offically prove it. I raise my hand to join. ;)

[Peggy]

Sign me up... Free wine? Have to drink it? Do your part for research? Sounds like my kind of study! :D

Peggy

[Laurielee]

Well I had wine with mine too. I have had sleep problems all of my life and little things really trigger me really not sleeping. I have not slept thru the night in years. I am going to try organic beef and see what happens. I wonder if they are putting more hormones in beef than used used amd that what I am ahving a problem with.

Laurie

[heavy hedonist]

Most definately! ;) We had a lovely bottle of Beringer Merlot. Perhaps wine does help one digest meat.

Peggy

Wine helps digest anything-- and if you are eating ever more lightly & healthily the last few years, that is likely tied to your sleep problems. The human body has a hard time digesting meat, and the larger portion/heavier the meat, the worse it is. So lightening your diet and adding more vegetables and healthy grains helps your body digest faster in general-- thus, if you don't often eat meat, you may have an ever tougher time doing it, because your body isn't used to it anymore. I haven't eaten any type of flesh for ten years, and now I get ill if I have so much as a cup of chicken broth! Not everyone has this level of problem with it-- some of us are just "lucky."
Doesn't mean you have to give it up, but eat veggies and drink a little wine with it, have it at least four hours before bedtime, and eat a smaller portion. Trying organic beef could help too.

[mbrogier]

I LOVE beef. It's the taste, the texture, everything. I didn't sleep well last night either and I ate a filet. We don't drink wine.

On Oprah's "Poop Show" the doctor said that it takes beef a week to digest in the intestinal tract. :eek: Yech. I know this and still have an incredible urge to go eat the leftover filet in the refridgerator. I don't have low iron, either.

[Lrimerman]

I would try the organic, free-range beef. If possible see if you can get it from a local source. Here is an article about what feed-lot cattle eat.

I wonder if it would make a difference in your sleep issue? However, knowing what conventional cattle are fed and the way they are raised, I don't want to eat it unless it is organic, pastured.

We eat a lot of beef as we get 1/2 a cow from a local farmer. I have never had sleep issues from it. We ate filet last night and for lunch and slept fine last night, even though I am getting a bit of a sinus cold.


Article on Beef (http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/158359_feed28.html)

Lisa

[greysangel]

interesting...i dont know if it is psychosomatic, but I had beef and broccoli last night and I've been up every hour on the hour since 2am. :confused: :confused: At 5:00 I just gave up trying to go back to sleep~!

[gabbyh]

It happens to me also...the "experts" in the field that I work with suggest that when you don't eat red meat on a regular basis, and as you age, the body doesn't produce enough of the digestive enzymes needed to break down the beef to be easily digested...just take a good "digestive enzyme" before the meal, and you'll be surprised at the difference!

~Gail

[SusanL]

Just wondering if the time you eat makes a difference?I think it does for me. I ate tilapia last night, later than we normally eat, about 8:15. I didn't eat much, brought most of it home. I was up almost every hour on the hour, drove me crazy. The restaurant was crowded and we decided to wait for a table~ fortunately I do not have to go to work today.

[GingerPow]

I usually eat seafood and poultry, beef literally once or twice a year.

On the topic of organic beef - when we were in Italy this past November I ordered a beef dish that was similar to Osso Bucco. It wasn't made with veal (which I do not eat), though, it was some cut of beef. The smell, taste, texture was unbelievable. All of their meat is farm raised & naturally raised.

You can not only tell the difference as you are eating the food, you just feel different since your body isn't processing added steroids, hormones, antibiotics, and who knows what else. After eating the food in Italy for a week, I came home feeling cleaned out! I've been buying as much organic here as possible ever since.

[dreamer]

I have some difficult medical problems, so my situation is somewhat different, but FWIW, eating beef, especially under certain conditions, gives me difficulty in digestion and sleeping, especially if I eat more than a couple ounces, or eat a little late, or neglect to have it with lots of vegetables. I look back now at when I was 20 and could eat a slab of steak in a restaurant, and can't believe it. I have been eating very healthfully now for many years so like others suggested, my body certainly wouldn't be used to eating a lot of meat at one sitting now. (Think I may try the organic like some of you mentioned!) But in addition...
One key I've found for myself is drinking lots and lots of water with and after the meal. They say body temperature affects whether you can fall asleep, and that a subtle rise in body temp is one cue the body has to wake. When I eat meat (or to some degree anything rich, with saturated fat, like cheese), I notice I'm warmer than after a diet meal, and get sleepy yet can't fall asleep (which can drive you insane!)... but if I'm well-hydrated this effect is lessened. As you can guess, it also helps me to eat early, since that gives time to get hydrated, and well you know,lets you go to the bathroom several times before bedtime!!
I also do keep the portion size very small and try to practically alternate bites with good vegetables or beans. Hope these ideas help. The not sleeping thing, and the feeling the next day is awful isn't it?

[Laurielee]

Thank you for all of your interesting thoughts. I will try the water and we ate earlier than normal for both times. I do eat a lot healtherier than I used to, One thing Is I tend to gulp my food. so also tryingto really chew to break the food. and to top it off the next day I took an allergy pill I did not know that is was a 24 hour non drowsy, those are a big no-no for me so I had 2 sellness nights in a row :mad:

Laurie

[isaias2003]

currently my only answer to this situation is no beef :( tried organic, it wasn't entirely a fix. Whats strange is it doesn't always happen unless I've had beef running in my system enough. Which tends to be anything more than once a week. I can tell when its finally out of my system because I can finally pass out with ease at night.

I admit when working hard, exercising heavily almost like a marathon I sleep regardless at night, but if I wake up in the night, no chance of getting back to sleep. fruits and veggies help to reduce the affect on me slightly.

[Billy D]

I have also just found out in the last few days that steak has also caused me not to sleep. The other week I ate a nice T-Bone and had no problems. The last 2 days I had a craving and ate steak late night (later than normal). I have not slept hardly at all each night. Not sure if there is a connection, but I think so.........

[foodfiend]

I don't have a sleep problem, but I do find beef hard to digest the more I stay away from red meat. My body gets sluggish and stiff the day after I eat a slab of beef. It reacts badly. It's as if my body takes more energy to digest than the food gives back.

[margeslp]

I don't have a sleep problem, but I do find beef hard to digest the more I stay away from red meat. My body gets sluggish and stiff the day after I eat a slab of beef. It reacts badly. It's as if my body takes more energy to digest than the food gives back.

I had the pleasure of being the team cook for my son's mountain bike team in a 24 hr. relay at Snowshoe, W. Va. The guys really liked my midnight Pad Thai , finding the rice noodles so much easier to digest. This was a vegetarian team so we had that advantage as well. I have since found that the Pad Thai helps me all night as well and, trust me, I'm not exhausting myself exercising.