Why Sleep Matters
Getting enough quality sleep is essential for your overall health. When sleep difficulties become frequent or ongoing, they can affect much more than your energy the next day. Chronic sleep loss and insomnia may impact mood, metabolism, hormone balance, blood pressure, weight, and your ability to think clearly and function at your best.
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Why Sleep Matters
According to the Harvard Women’s Health Watch, there are many reasons it’s imperative to get enough sleep each day:
- Learning and Memory
Sleep helps the brain commit new information to memory through a process called memory consolidation. If you don’t get enough sleep, your ability to understand and retain information decreases.
- Metabolism and Weight
Chronic sleep deprivation affects the way our body processes and stores carbohydrates and regulates hormone levels, which may cause weight gain.
- Mood
Sleep loss can result in irritability, impatience, inability to concentrate, moodiness, and other negative moods.
- Cardiovascular Health
Serious sleep disorders have been linked to hypertension, increased stress hormone levels, and irregular heartbeat.
- Disease
Sleep deprivation alters immune function, including the activity of the body’s killer cells. Keeping up with sleep may also help fight cancer.
Stage 1: Light sleep. One drifts in and out and can be awakened without difficulty.
Stage 2: Light sleep. The heart rate slows and the body temperature decreases. At this point, the body prepares to enter deep sleep.
Stage 3: Deep sleep. These stages are known as slow-wave, or delta, sleep. If aroused from sleep during these stages, a person may feel disoriented for a few minutes. During these stages the body repairs and regenerates tissues, builds bone and muscle, and strengthens the immune system.
Stage 4: REM sleep. Intense dreaming occurs during REM sleep as a result of heightened brain activity. Voluntary muscles become paralyzed during this stage.
Common Causes of Poor Sleep
Nutritional Deficiencies
Consuming a poor diet can affect our sleep. Nutrient deficiencies in calcium, magnesium, and B vitamins can have a negative impact on our sleep.
Hormonal Imbalances
Changes in estrogen, progesterone, cortisol, and thyroid hormones can all affect sleep. Hormonal imbalances may make it harder to fall asleep, contribute to waking during the night, or leave you feeling tired even after a full night in bed. For women, these sleep changes can become especially noticeable during perimenopause and menopause.
Stress and Anxiety
According to the Stress and Anxiety Disorder Survey by Anxiety Disorders Association of America, “seven out of ten adults in the United States say they experience stress or anxiety daily, and seven out of ten of these adults say they have trouble sleeping.”
Caffeine and Drugs
Caffeinated drinks, such as coffee, and drugs, such as diet pills and decongestants, stimulate some parts of the brain and may cause insomnia, or an inability to sleep. Many antidepressants suppress REM sleep.
Alcohol
Natural Support for Better Sleep
A naturopathic approach looks beyond the symptom of poor sleep to explore what may be contributing to it. Nutrition, targeted natural support with or without hormone replacement therapy, lifestyle changes, and stress-management techniques can be used to support your body and encourage more restful, restorative sleep.
Vitamins, Herbal & Homeopathic SupportHerbal and homeopathic remedies can be individualized based on your symptoms, health history, and sleep patterns. Micronutrient and additional lab testing can help identify vitamin and mineral deficiencies that may be contributing to poor sleep, allowing for more targeted nutritional support. |
NAETAllergies or food sensitivities may be the cause of insomnia due to high histamines and the fact that the nervous system is the first to be triggered by an allergen. This may lead to anxiety and trouble quieting the mind. NAET calms the nervous system and lowers histamine leading to a quieter mind and deeper sleep. |
Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT)Changes in estrogen and progesterone during perimenopause and menopause can contribute to trouble falling asleep, waking during the night, night sweats, and disrupted sleep. When appropriate, bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) may help address these hormonal changes and support more consistent, restful sleep. |
