Sleep Well, Live Well: The Impact of Quality Sleep on Your Health
We all know that sleep is important, but did you know that just two consecutive nights of shortened sleep can increase cortisol and fuel chronic disease?
In order to function well, we need a minimum of seven hours of continuous sleep, and women often need more than men. Research shows even two nights of poor sleep can impact health (PMID: 24823456).
Lack of sleep may lead to an increase in cortisol (a stress hormone), which over time influences blood sugar balance and ultimately may lead to insulin resistance. This can keep you in a cycle that looks like this:
This cycle can eventually lead to diagnoses like metabolic syndrome. Symptoms often include:
abdominal obesity
high blood pressure
impaired fasting glucose
high triglyceride levels
low HDL cholesterol levels
Trouble Shooting:
If you struggle with chronic sleep issues, here are some things to explore:
Explore your mineral status + metabolism with an HTMA test.
Rule out blood sugar issues by working with someone one-on-one. (Low blood sugar at night can lead to insomnia because it increases stress hormones as your body compensates to keep you alive when your sugar drops.)
Limit caffeine consumption.
Rule out sleep apnea.
Focus on nervous system regulation (learning how to process emotions vs chronically ruminating).
A Missing Puzzle Piece to Explore:
The rates of insomnia have increased post CV. In my opinion, this may be due to its influence on tryptophan (check out PMID: 35463998 for more info on this). Tryptophan is an amino acid our bodies use to make melatonin. When we get sick, tryptophan is used up in another pathway in our body, resulting in less melatonin, which worsens insomnia. With this in mind, trialing a dose of L tryptophan before bed may be helpful for a season.
*Check with your primary care doctor first.
3 Simple, Powerful Tips to Support Your Sleep Health:
Limit blue light exposure at night. (F.Lux is a free software that can control light on your phone, computer, tablet, etc.)
Drink a night-time herbal tea
Use topical magnesium nightly.
This is not medical advice, and is intended for educational purposes only. As always, consult your physician before making any changes.
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