Why Good Sleep Matters

Poor sleep increases your risk of weight gain, heart disease, stroke and cancer and also is associated with a higher rate of depression and anxiety.

 

Why Sleep is Critical For Good Health

Sleep is critical for every aspect of health. Good sleep makes our minds clear and naturally promotes a faster metabolism and weight loss. When we sleep well, we remember things better and our bodies fix themselves. Sleep also helps keep our mood steady and our energy balanced.

There are many reasons why sleep is good for us. When we sleep, our brain clears out waste. This cleaning process helps our mind work better, so you can focus and retain information. Sleep also helps our body manage blood sugar. Good sleep keeps our hunger hormones in check. This means we are less likely to feel too hungry and overeat.

Without sufficient good quality sleep, our bodies go into emergency mode – fight or flight. Our cortisol and stress levels go up, and everything becomes a bit harder.

Sometimes, our sleep is disturbed by problems inside our body. Imbalances in nutrients can be caused by many different reasons, including too much processed foods which are low in nutrients, stress, which uses up nutrients at a faster rate, and even our genetics can play a part. On top of that, excessive inflammation which is regulated by the gut-brain-axis may be a problem. Inflammation can cause iron levels to fall, so that it can’t be used by viruses and bacteria during cellular repair, and low iron can impair sleep. Without the right levels of nutrients, our bodies can’t make enough melatonin, (the sleep hormone), and cortisol levels may end up being raised excessively. 

 

My personal journey with chronic insomnia over 10 years

I struggled with chronic insomnia between 2000 and 2010, which was triggered by a particularly stressful period in my life. I was excessively tired all of the time, yet despite this, I struggled to fall asleep, and when I finally did, the smallest noise would wake me up, and it would take me hours to get back to sleep again. If I couldn’t get back to sleep, I would often go out and jog at 2am in the morning around the local oval.

After the stressful period in my life, it was like the “fear centre” or “emotional processing centre” of the brain, (the amygdala) was on constant alert, so that my body was continuously making cortisol, as if the danger was still present. So this system that was supposed to protect me from danger had become overactive and wouldn’t turn off.

 

I tried going to various health professionals, but none of the treatments worked. I tried sleeping tablets, but they just knocked me out, and I’d wake up feeling just as exhausted. Some treatments offered temporary relief but nothing was long lasting.

 

In the end, I started reading through scientific journals and textbooks to learn about biology and biochemistry, which explains how stress, food and nutrients affect the chemical pathways inside our body which alter hormones such as cortisol and melatonin which regulate whether our bodies are in fight or flight mode, or rest and digest mode. I got some blood tests done which highlighted several key vitamins and minerals that I was deficient in despite them being present in my diet. I started supplementing these specific nutrients and about two weeks later, I was sitting at home and a strange feeling came over me. I felt tired. Not wired and exhausted, but calm, relaxed and sleepy – something that I hadn’t felt for 10 years. I then started being able to fall asleep much faster, I stopped waking up in the middle of the night, and I started sleeping like a baby. 

 

 

Personalised Medicine – Not One Size Fits all

Because the process of sleep is so complicated, there is never going to be a single solution that helps everyone. What worked for me may not work for you. 

 

Its complex! Many different processes can be affected which reduce the bodies ability to make melatonin and regulate stress hormones required for good sleep. Since everyone has different nutrient imbalances, the solution is going to be different for everyone.

 

How You Can Improve Your Sleep

As a clinical nutritionist, I can help you get to the root of the problem of your sleep issues by examining your unique symptoms, diet and lifestyle, blood tests (where available) and make simple recommendations to help improve your sleep by correcting nutrient imbalances, which can also contribute to improved overall health. Make an appointment today.

 

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