Do you suffer from insomnia or poor-quality sleep? Well, luckily, you no longer need to. In this blog post, I will succinctly go over some of the very well-known causes of poor sleep so that you can understand what may be involved in improving your sleep if you suffer from poor-quality rest.
O.K., so let’s go through this. Are you ready?
Sleep is nearly always related to digestion. While it is true that a person can have an accident, such as a concussion, which leads to brain damage and poor-quality sleep, this is very rare. Another common cause of poor sleep is a compromise to the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis or the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal-Gut-Thyroid-Pineal axis. Sometimes, this is referred to as chronic fatigue or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Doctors often come up with fancy names for things they don’t know how to treat. They also tend to put together complex, expensive, and involved treatment procedures that are often ineffective, yet everyone seems to like them. When simple, effective, inexpensive, and safe treatment options are suggested that actually empower patients, people tend to be less interested. Many would prefer a total knee replacement rather than learn how to make a few dietary changes that could allow their knee to heal and avoid surgery altogether. But, I digress.
Now, you have learned about the main causes of poor sleep or insomnia. When people are stressed for a long time, they may experience something called a “pregnenolone steal.” This means that instead of the body converting pregnenolone to progesterone and then to cortisol, the pregnenolone is either converted directly to cortisol or not at all, forcing the body to use epinephrine and norepinephrine from the adrenal medulla to maintain blood sugar levels and supply the brain with fuel. In this rare clinical situation, pregnenolone can be safely given to a patient for a very short period. When the pregnenolone steal occurs, available hormones become so sparse that the reticular formation in the midbrain begins to break down due to chronic stress. Because this condition is so serious, short-term hormone replacement therapy (HRT) with bio-identical pregnenolone may be warranted. I rarely pursue this therapeutic option in my practice, but it can sometimes be necessary. The pregnenolone steal can be diagnosed with a saliva hormone test, which typically shows the following: 1. Low DHEA, 2. Low Cortisol, 3. Insufficient 17-OH-Progesterone. In such cases, women may be prescribed DHEA, Pregnenolone, and Progesterone. However, with the highly effective Triad Of Health Chiropractic Kinesiology System of Diagnosis and Treatment, it is often possible to dramatically improve the patient’s health in just one or two visits, eliminating the need for bio-identical hormones. Every case is different. Other clinical considerations for patients experiencing the pregnenolone steal include adrenal glandular substances that support the HPA axis, L-Tyrosine, and adaptogenic herbs. Fortunately, thanks to my extensive clinical experience, I can usually diagnose and treat the underlying structural, chemical, emotional, and infectious causes of HPA axis dysregulation without needing many nutrients, hormones, herbs, or other biochemical interventions. However, if the healthcare provider is not experienced, they may encounter difficulties with this approach. For example, many bio-identical hormones and nutrients/herbs can cause high blood pressure.
Do you really need a sleep study to determine why you’re having trouble sleeping? Has anyone ever had a sleep study that found their diet to be imbalanced, which led to their difficulty sleeping? No! BECAUSE A SLEEP STUDY IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FROM TAKING A DIET HISTORY!! What happened to common sense?
Over 98% of the neurotransmitters needed for restful sleep are metabolized in the digestive tract. These neurotransmitters (proteins) are mainly broken down in the stomach and absorbed in the small intestine (jejunum). So, what does this have to do with a sleep study? I have no idea. You tell me.
To produce melatonin, which is necessary for good sleep, you need a properly functioning pineal gland. One of the most important factors for a healthy pineal gland is exposure to sunlight. To produce melatonin, tryptophan must be metabolized with the help of B3, B6, folic acid, and iron. This produces serotonin, which is then converted into melatonin using a methyl donor (CH3), B12, and zinc. This entire process requires healthy digestion and adequate sunlight. Additionally, if the jaw muscles are imbalanced, they can stress the sella turcica, the area that holds the pineal gland. When the muscles attached to the sphenoid bone are imbalanced, they can affect the glands held in the sphenoid. Proper craniosacral therapy can dramatically improve sleep in such cases.
Do you think improper digestion could also affect a person’s mood? You bet it does.
