Tip for December 2009:
Why Can’t I Sleep?
Sleep is the easiest way to get repair and regeneration. It is essential to get enough sleep in order for us to have energy, joy and feel well. At night, our awakening hormones such as cortisol, should come down and our repair and regeneration hormones should go up. Our bodies repair physically from 10pm-2pm. Our bodies repair psychologically from 2am-6am.
Some things to think about if you cannot sleep:
1. Sugar Handling Problems
If we overload on alcohol and desserts during our day, it puts a tremendous stress on the body. The body’s ability to regulate blood sugar is compromised. This creates a hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) condition throughout the day and at night. This hypoglycemic condition wakes us up.
We need to adjust our food choices and portions of food. We recommend food higher in fat and protein before bed. This sedates the nervous system and will provide a better environment for sleep.
2. Issues with Immunity
The immune system is most active at night. If there is a parasitic infection, fungal infection or bacterial infection, the immune system will kick into overdrive at night. When this happens, the adrenal glands are stimulated to secrete cortisol (an awakening hormone) in order to fight inflammation, infections and disease.
3. Estrogen Dominance
Many women with estrogen dominance will have trouble with sleep. It may be a true estrogen dominance or it may be a relative estrogen dominance in relation to low progesterone, which is a calming hormone. The ratio between estrogen and progesterone is a delicate and important balance.
4. Tummy Troubles
A hormone that plays an important role in sleep is melatonin. Serotonin is made in the gut and is a precursor to melatonin. If we cannot make serotonin, we cannot make melatonin and this will impact the body’s ability to sleep.
We recommend healing the gut by working with diet, testing for food sensitivities, taking probiotics, hydrochloric acid, and enzymes to name a few.
5. Spiritual Issues
The seventh chakra is involved in our sleep process. This chakra is about our purpose, who we are, if we are living our legacy. If you have issues in this area, there may be internal stress. This internal stress can stir the mind and cause issues with sleep.
6. Time of Waking
Most often people wake up between the hours of 1am-3am. In Chinese 5 Element Theory, the hours of 1am-3am signify the time when the liver is most active. The liver is an organ that needs special attention in this fast paced, toxic, stressful world.
When considering the liver, we look at things that affect the liver. It could be gut health affecting the liver, it could be diet (especially alcohol), taking medications, or being chronically angry and stressed.