Do you wake each morning wishing for more sleep? Are you tired of tossing and turning? Are you dependent on drugs to get you through the night? ’m sure you already know sleep medications can leave you feeling “out of it” in the morning. You also know that “forcing” your brain to sleep with medications is only a temporary solution to poor sleep.
Imagine what your life will be like when you can wake up refreshed and bubbling over with energy! There was a time in your life when you slept perfectly. Your mind and body awoke each day invigorated and you could look forward to a fresh new productive day. Along the way something changed. Unfortunately, it didn’t go back when the stressor left. Poor or inadequate sleep is one of the most frustrating and cruel things one can experience.
What’s so dangerous about insomnia is that it’s not easily seen like bruise or a broken bone. It’s usually a slow progression where you may not have any idea how this happened. Suddenly you realize that you aren’t the same person you used to be. You can’t control your emotions and certainly you can’t think clearly. Your memory is shot, you have no energy, have lost your sex drive and may be looking at some serious depression.
The FIVE problems that can rob you of your well deserved sleep.
Problem / Solution #1: Your Brain
If the brain is not balanced because of physical, emotional or chemical stress the sleep/awake centers of the brain like the tuberomammillary nucleus (TMN) or the reticular activating system (RAS) function improperly. This can also happen when the cerebellum, responsible for coordination and posture, is not functioning well and doesn’t properly signal the pathway to the RAS, resulting in disturbed sleep. This can be tested and assessed with a “Functional Neurological” examination and can be dramatically improved with targeted brain stimulation.
Problem / Solution #2: Your Adrenal Glands
Your adrenal glands, small but important hormone producers, may not be producing cortisol at the right time. Cortisol, the stress hormone, should be high in the morning when you need it to wake up and decreased at night so you can sleep. Interestingly, the area in the brain that controls this daily cycle—the hippocampus, is also the area that is responsible for short-term memory. Many times this cycle is reversed so you feel tired in the morning and awake at night. We can accurately test for this with an Adrenal Stress Index.
Problem / Solution #3: Your Thyroid Gland
Thyroid function and the production of thyroxin (T3,T4) really sets the stage for sleep/awake cycles. The thyroid releases its hormone in the morning and decreases its production in the evening. Essentially it follows the same “cortisol” rhythm as your adrenal gland. Clearly, thyroid function should be optimal to sleep. This will also help with weight loss and will improve brain function (clear the brain fog).
Problem / Solution #4: Your Hormone Balance
Hormones like testosterone, estrogen, progesterone and others can play havoc with your sleep patterns and erratic sleep patterns can mess with your hormone levels. This should be evaluated as part of a comprehensive approach to solving your sleep difficulties.
Problem / Solution #5: Your Glucose (sugar) Regulation
Blood sugar dysregulation, either hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) or insulin resistance (high blood sugar) affects the sleep system because at night fluctuations will cause spikes in adrenalin that will make you wake up and unfortunately stay up.
All of the above problems can be tested and resolved. Here at Davis Chiropractic Neurology we specialize in neurological, immunological, and endocrine sleep disorders without the use of drugs or surgery.
Dr. Don Davis, D.C., DACNB is a BOARD CERTIFIED CHIROPRACTIC NEUROLOGIST in Walnut Creek. He has been serving individuals with insomnia for 30 years. For information about how you can get a free consultation with Dr. Davis, call (925) 279-4324 (HEAL). Visit us at WalnutCreekHealth.com.
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