Dr. Brandy McCans, Nederland.  Everybody! Have you ever had trouble sleeping? If so, you get the frustration that builds as your ability to function diminishes. “Alan” showed up to my office complaining of severe lip cracking, bleeding hemorrhoids, heart palpitations and blood sugar issues.

After sleuthing out his labs, it revealed high inflammation, as well as high cardiovascular risk markers. I was in a quandary as to how to treat him, since everything appeared to be priority, but I didn’t want to overwhelm his body. His sleep pattern was short; he fell asleep easily but couldn’t stay asleep, typically getting 5-6 hours/night. He said he felt fine and thought that was enough.

Ensuring Good Sleep Hygiene. In our fast-paced world, we often dismiss the importance of good quality sleep, viewing it as a waste of time, however nothing could be further from the truth. It’s imperative to understand how important sleep is to your overall health and healing. Many of Alan’s problems were directly related to lack of sleep. There are a few key points that you can begin right away to implement beneficial sleep practices:

One Hour Before Bed. Create “dusk” by turning down all lighting. Use soft lighting. Even turning on red lights in the evening can induce a calmer state of mind and shift the chemicals in your brain to help you sleep.

All electronics should be completely turned off including laptops, iPads, and T.V. For cell phones, turn on the “Night Shift” option which removes the blue back-lighting from the display. You can also buy blue light blocking glasses to wear in the evening if working late.

Turn on music that helps promote sleep and calm the nervous system.
Find something to do that’s relaxing. This may include reading, journaling, quiet conversation or completing a craft or project.

Supporting the Stress Response. I have found that in almost every insomnia case, there’s a history of prolonged stress. So the next step is to reduce your stress. It’s easier said than done, but if you really step back, you can find things that reduce your stress and employ them more regularly. For instance, take a bath, sauna, go into nature, do yoga, etc. If you still need help beyond that, there are several different herbs you can use to reset your hypothalmus/pituitary/adrenal (HPA) axis. This is the hormonal system that controls things like sleep and your stress-response. The primary herb I recommend is ashwaganda. It does a phenomenal job of reducing stress by enhancing the stress-handling capacity. However, be mindful with herbs, and always consult your doctor before trying them.

Blood Sugar Imbalances. Low blood sugar is another common reason for interrupted sleep. If you’re tossing and turning during the night, consider your dietary habits at dinner and evening. You may be having a sugary snack after dinner or skipping dinner entirely and just snacking throughout the evening. Try eating a very small snack shortly before bed which should include some kind of animal protein, a healthy fat and a fruit or veggie. An example might be three bites of chicken breast, 1-2 small carrot sticks and 3-4 Brazil nuts.

Difficulty Falling Asleep. When the days are hectic, the nervous system is on overdrive and is often difficult to quiet down. There’re a number of nutritional options to help create a calm body and tranquil mind, including kava, passion flower, skullcap, chamomile, and even getting a good mineral supplement. Minerals play a huge role in every function of your body.

Difficulty Staying Asleep. Many recommendations are the same for this type of insomnia however, if you are awake frequently during the night, this may indicate possible blood sugar dysregulation (discussed previously).

At first, I was compelled to work on Alan’s skin system, since the cracking lips and hemorrhoids indicate there was breakdown in his integument. The loss of tone, elasticity and healing potential are all indicative of nutritional deficiencies. But the turning point for Alan was when we got him to sleep 8 hours/night. Suddenly his lips healed, his hemorrhoids resolved, and his inflammatory and cardiovascular risk markers are all improving!

If you’d like to explore how to heal your body from the inside out, schedule a complimentary consultation today. 303-619-7766.