EARLY SIGNS OF SLEEP PROBLEMS:
- waking up too early in the morning
- frequent and long naps during the day
- strong urge to take naps during the day
- consistently taking more than 15 min to fall asleep
- requiring a coffee to keep you awake during the day
- fatigue and irritability during the day, even after 8 hours of sleep
- waking up a few times in the middle of the night and remaining awake
WHAT CAUSES SLEEP PROBLEMS:
Hormonal – Adrenal hormones regulate our 24-hour biological clock or circadian rhythm. If this natural rhythm is disrupted, people experience sleep cycle disruption. Women frequently experience sleep problems due to female hormone imbalances, specifically when progesterone is low. Emotional stress and blood sugar regulation problems are the two most common underlying causes for adrenal dysfunction and female hormone imbalances that lead to sleep problems. Melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep, is also a key to immune system function. Low bedtime melatonin levels result in problems falling asleep. Low melatonin during the early morning hours causes people to wake between 2 am and 4 am. Anytime melatonin levels are low immune system function is depressed. Prior to using any hormone, including melatonin, appropriate lab testing is required.Digestive – Our modern diet is noticeably deficient in the minerals such as magnesium and calcium that are required for us to relax and get a good night’s sleep. Proper stomach acidity is paramount for our body to assimilate minerals that we take in from our food or from mineral supplements. We require not only adequate levels of each mineral, but the right balance of each mineral to sleep
well. The common mineral deficiency in the United States is magnesium, although some people are lower in calcium or zinc. Poor protein digestion can lead to low serotonin levels. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter necessary for restful sleep.
Detoxification – The major organ of detoxification, the liver, is most active between the hours of 1 a.m. to 3 a.m. If the liver is overwhelmed with the task of detoxification it will often wake us between these hours. It has been noted anecdotally for many years that people with liver detoxification problems wake in the morning with headaches and also experience nightmares that disturb sleep.
