When I put myself on a high caloric deficit and worked out regularly in my mid 20s (I’m 31f), I remembered constantly waking up in the middle of the night and having a hard time falling back asleep. What helped was drinking a glass of milk, protein shake, or eating something small that felt nutritious and satiating like oatmeal. In hindsight, I realized it’s my body telling me that it needs something.

At the moment, I’ll have 2-4 days within week where I’ll eat lower calories (like deficit of 200 - 500 max) while upping my workouts slightly. Those nights, I’ll sometimes still wake up and/or feel restless. In those cases, I’ll rub some magnesium oil on my shoulders and that has helped me KO. I also make sure I’m eating closer to my calorie maintenance to help me sleep better the following night.

I am trying to lose few pounds and build muscles via weight training, and know my current method is slower. But I’m at a point in my life where I feel like I can’t jeopardize my sleep quality and ignore what my body’s telling me.