Causes of Sleep Problems and Natural Doctor"s Solutions
Imagine you awoke this morning, rested after 8 glorious hours of sleep.
You leisurely roll out bed and get ready for your day.
Your energy levels are UP and your stress is LOW.
You're ready to meet the day head on! Does this sound like you? If not, you may want to keep reading.
There are so many benefits to a regular good night's sleep.
In fact, sleep is the body's time to heal, recover, and maintain our health! According to the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the best time to sleep is between 10pm to 6am.
Regular rest will...
Improve your memory, especially when learning something new Improve athletic performance Improve grades: children between 10-16 who have interrupted sleep (due to breathing problems) were more likely to have problems with attention and learning (Sleep journal 2010).
Another study showed that college students who got less sleep had worse grades as well.
Improve attention: children aged 7-8 who had less than 8 hours of sleep per night were more hyperactive and inattentive (Pediatrics journal 2009).
Chronic lack of sleep can lead to...
Weight Gain: Sleep and metabolism are controlled by the same part of the brain.
When you're sleepy, hormones that control your appetite increase.
In a research study by the University of Chicago, dieters who were well rested had 56% of their weight loss from fat...
While the sleep deprived dieters primarily lost muscle mass.
Higher CRP Levels and Inflammatory Conditions: Research indicates that people who get less sleep-six or fewer hours a night-have higher blood levels of inflammatory proteins (CRP levels) than those who get more.
Inflammation is known as "the root cause of 90% of diseases" and is linked to heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and arthritis.
High cholesterol: researchers believe that a lack of sleep may be linked to higher cholesterol levels.
Depression: A good night's sleep will improve your emotional stability and decrease stress.
So what causes us to not be able to sleep? This is a complex topic, but the most common culprit is STRESS.
Let's talk basic anatomy - our body's stress response begins in our adrenal glands where 85% of our body's cortisol (our stress hormone) is created.
Cortisol has many implications in the body, but when it's found in excess it will decrease our white blood cells activity and lower our immune system, promote inflammation, raise our blood pressure, and more.
A thorough evaluation of sleep will include the health of our adrenal glands, which is best measured by four values derived from a take-home salivary test kit.
Here are two common causes and solutions for sleep problems that I see in my clinic...
do either of these sound like you? Cortisol Imbalance / Adrenal Dysfunction: Most common signs are either low energy and constant fatigue OR constantly "on fast forward," food cravings, inability to deal with stress, severe PMS Energy / Organ System Imbalance: Common signs of a sleep problem from an Acupuncture point of view...
Signs of "heat" in Chinese Medicine - anger, bitter taste in mouth, kick covers off your feet at night, irritability, night sweats Signs of "phlegm" in Chinese Medicine- history of cysts or tumors, chronic sinus infections, sugar addiction, poor digestion, dizziness, Poor memory, many dreams, Low back pain and sore knees DID YOU KNOW? Adrenal imbalance can even be a contributing factor in a wide range of medical conditions, many of which may seem unrelated, including the following: · Arthritis · Chronic fatigue syndrome · Depression and anxiety · Fibromyalgia · IBS or chronic digestive problems · Hypotension · Hypothyroidism · Premature menopause · Chronic anxiety · Rage attacks · Insomnia Q: "How can I improve my sleep naturally?" A: That's a question I often address in the clinic because each patient requires a unique approach.
But generally speaking, the first step is to determine what the cause of your health problem actually is! Acupuncture in combination with a custom nutritional supplement prescription can often be very effective.
If the cause of the problem is an energetic or organ system imbalance, you'll be a great candidate for Acupuncture care.
If the cause is primarily due to stress that's compromised the adrenal glands over time, then you'll be a great candidate for a specific and targeted nutritional supplement plan.
You leisurely roll out bed and get ready for your day.
Your energy levels are UP and your stress is LOW.
You're ready to meet the day head on! Does this sound like you? If not, you may want to keep reading.
There are so many benefits to a regular good night's sleep.
In fact, sleep is the body's time to heal, recover, and maintain our health! According to the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the best time to sleep is between 10pm to 6am.
Regular rest will...
Improve your memory, especially when learning something new Improve athletic performance Improve grades: children between 10-16 who have interrupted sleep (due to breathing problems) were more likely to have problems with attention and learning (Sleep journal 2010).
Another study showed that college students who got less sleep had worse grades as well.
Improve attention: children aged 7-8 who had less than 8 hours of sleep per night were more hyperactive and inattentive (Pediatrics journal 2009).
Chronic lack of sleep can lead to...
Weight Gain: Sleep and metabolism are controlled by the same part of the brain.
When you're sleepy, hormones that control your appetite increase.
In a research study by the University of Chicago, dieters who were well rested had 56% of their weight loss from fat...
While the sleep deprived dieters primarily lost muscle mass.
Higher CRP Levels and Inflammatory Conditions: Research indicates that people who get less sleep-six or fewer hours a night-have higher blood levels of inflammatory proteins (CRP levels) than those who get more.
Inflammation is known as "the root cause of 90% of diseases" and is linked to heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and arthritis.
High cholesterol: researchers believe that a lack of sleep may be linked to higher cholesterol levels.
Depression: A good night's sleep will improve your emotional stability and decrease stress.
So what causes us to not be able to sleep? This is a complex topic, but the most common culprit is STRESS.
Let's talk basic anatomy - our body's stress response begins in our adrenal glands where 85% of our body's cortisol (our stress hormone) is created.
Cortisol has many implications in the body, but when it's found in excess it will decrease our white blood cells activity and lower our immune system, promote inflammation, raise our blood pressure, and more.
A thorough evaluation of sleep will include the health of our adrenal glands, which is best measured by four values derived from a take-home salivary test kit.
Here are two common causes and solutions for sleep problems that I see in my clinic...
do either of these sound like you? Cortisol Imbalance / Adrenal Dysfunction: Most common signs are either low energy and constant fatigue OR constantly "on fast forward," food cravings, inability to deal with stress, severe PMS Energy / Organ System Imbalance: Common signs of a sleep problem from an Acupuncture point of view...
Signs of "heat" in Chinese Medicine - anger, bitter taste in mouth, kick covers off your feet at night, irritability, night sweats Signs of "phlegm" in Chinese Medicine- history of cysts or tumors, chronic sinus infections, sugar addiction, poor digestion, dizziness, Poor memory, many dreams, Low back pain and sore knees DID YOU KNOW? Adrenal imbalance can even be a contributing factor in a wide range of medical conditions, many of which may seem unrelated, including the following: · Arthritis · Chronic fatigue syndrome · Depression and anxiety · Fibromyalgia · IBS or chronic digestive problems · Hypotension · Hypothyroidism · Premature menopause · Chronic anxiety · Rage attacks · Insomnia Q: "How can I improve my sleep naturally?" A: That's a question I often address in the clinic because each patient requires a unique approach.
But generally speaking, the first step is to determine what the cause of your health problem actually is! Acupuncture in combination with a custom nutritional supplement prescription can often be very effective.
If the cause of the problem is an energetic or organ system imbalance, you'll be a great candidate for Acupuncture care.
If the cause is primarily due to stress that's compromised the adrenal glands over time, then you'll be a great candidate for a specific and targeted nutritional supplement plan.