This document discusses the connection between hormones and sleep quality. An estimated 60 million Americans suffer from insomnia due to disturbances in their circadian rhythms and melatonin and cortisol levels. Melatonin is the master sleep hormone that should be high at night when cortisol is low, but many factors like stress, aging, menopause and shift work disrupt these natural rhythms. Short and long term effects of sleep deprivation include fatigue, mood issues, weight gain, disease susceptibility and premature aging. The document recommends getting proper light exposure, exercise, nutrition, sleep environment and considering natural supplements or hormone testing to support better sleep balance.
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Uncovering the Truth about Sleepless Nights
1. THE MISSING LINK
TO SLEEP BALANCE
Uncovering the Truth about
Sleepless Nights
2. Tossing & Turning All Night
An estimated 60 million Americans
suffer from some form of insomnia,
whether it be early waking, inability
to get to sleep and/or stay asleep
Over 90% use caffeine or other
stimulants on a daily basis
Millions take sleeping aids to get
through the night
Yet many are unaware of the vital
connection between hormones and
sound sleep
3. Hormones Rule the Sleep-Wake
Cycle
In a perfect world, Melatonin the master sleep hormone, should
be in-sync with Cortisol, the master stress hormone
Counter-balancers : when melatonin is high, cortisol should be
low and vice/versa
Disturbances in these normal circadian rhythms both contribute
to, and affect, sleep quality
4. Sleepless? Blame it on
Your Hormones
Can’t fall asleep
Frequent or early waking
Morning or evening fatigue
Feeling tired but wired
Stressed /depressed/irritable/moody
Hunger and/or sugar cravings
Weight gain/Can’t lose
Poor concentration/memory lapse
Hot flashes &/or night sweats
5. Biological Downtime
Sleep vitals: as essential as food for survival
Sleep restores: the only time the
body gets to do its maintenance and
repair work
Sleep reboots: brains need sleep
like trains need tracks to work properly
Sleep smarts: memory, mood, cognition
Sleep burns: faster metabolism overall
Sleep heals: immune reserves, cell repair
6. Sleep Myths: Seriously?
You snooze, you lose
Your body and brain shut down during sleep
We need less sleep as we get older
If you’re not tired when you wake up in the
morning, you must be getting enough sleep
We can easily adjust to different sleep
schedules
Naps are a waste of time
The main cause of insomnia is worry
7. Night Plight: Got Sleep?
Best research says: for optimal
health, we need at least 8 hr vs.
the average 6.5 we get
Short term effects: headaches,
irritability, anxiety, confusion, poor
judgment, memory, mental and
physical fatigue
Slow reaction times: when tested on a
driving simulator sleep deprived
people perform as badly or worse
than drunk drivers
8. Losing Sleep Over Losing Sleep
Long-term: those who sleep less than 6 hours a night are prone to:
Depression, 4 out of 5 suffer from sleep deprivation before
the onset of depression
Overeating/Obesity/Type2 diabetes
Premature aging
Susceptibility to Infections
Stress-related illness
Weakened immune defenses
Heart disease, stroke, breast cancer
9. Architecture of Sleep
How well rested you are and how well you function depends
not just on total sleep time, but whether you get through
distinct stages that cycle throughout the night in predictable
patterns:
Sleep latency: the time it takes to fall asleep
1: drowsy; light sleep
2: slow waves, rest for the brain
3 &4: deeper restorative/healing sleep
REM Sleep: the deepest sleep – a must for true rest
10. The Sleep Committee
The “committee” is billions of neurons,
all laying down patterns and
connections
Paul McCartney wrote Yesterday,
Mary Shelly wrote Frankenstein…
“It is a common experience that a problem difficult at night is
resolved in the morning after the committee of sleep has
worked on it.” – John Steinbeck
11. I Will Sleep When I Die
Not sleeping is not merely making you more
agitated than an out-of-balance washing machine.
It could be killing you. – Dr. Oz
12. Hormone – Sleep Connection
Stress: the Better Sleep Council says 65% of U.S. adults are
losing sleep due to stress
The hormone connection: elevated cortisol especially at night,
disrupts sleep patterns
Aging: The majority of sleeping aids are prescribed for those 50
years and older
The hormone connection: the natural decline of melatonin as
we age triggers imbalances directly related to sleeplessness
13. Sleep Robbers
Peri-menopause: hot flashes/
night sweats; sharp drop in
melatonin ages 40-44, >50yrs.
Obesity: over ½ of those with
sleep apnea
Shift work: Circadian rhythm
problems with 2/3 feeling sleepy
or difficulty sleeping
Stimulants: caffeine, alcohol,
sugar, tobacco
Blue light: TV, iPad, iPhone
before/in bed
14. Melatonin: Master Sleep Hormone
In addition to being a super soporific: melatonin is a powerful
immune system supporting anti-oxidant, which helps explain
why so much healing occurs during sleep
Produced by the pineal gland when the retina of the eye
registers darkness. If our eyes are exposed to light, production
halts
15. Melatonin Rhythms
Melatonin rises at night, peaks
during early morning hours, drops
with onset of daylight, rises again
towards bedtime
Adequate melatonin production
during the night, and its
suppression during daylight hours,
is vital to regulation of S/W cycle
16. Cortisol: Master Stress Hormone
Cortisol, is produced by the adrenal glands in response to
stress, and is also known for its diurnal variation linked to the
sleep/wake cycle
It is the “get up and go” hormone in the morning and the calm
down and sleep hormone at night
Big player in the utilization of carbs, fats and proteins into
energy, distribution of stored fat, normal blood sugar regulation,
and immune support
17. Cortisol Rhythms
In a healthy person, cortisol has the
opposite pattern to melatonin
Levels are highest after waking, and
gradually reach their nadir at night
High night cortisol runs interference
on melatonin and leads to
hyperarousal
Chronically elevated levels translate
to that “tired but wired” state of
sleeplessness
18. Getting Back In Sync
Body clock stays remarkably accurate
IF we get enough light and dark
Decide what time you want to get
up and count back 7 to 8 hours
Dim the lights several hours before bed
Set an evening ritual to wind down
If you can’t sleep try deep breathing.
Music or meditation work best to get
back to sleep.
Surrender to sleep…let go of waking
19. Create the Perfect
Sleep Environment
A cool dark room
Set a standard wake time
Set a standard bedtime
No laptops, no TV
White noise (esp. if partner snores)
Loose bed clothes
Invest in the right mattress and pillow
Block allergens with a 1-micron cover
20. Darkness – The Best Soporific
Make your sleeping environment
as dark as possible (heavy
curtains, sleep masks)
Even very dim light makes your
brain think its morning, throwing
off circadian rhythms
A 2010 study found countries that
generate the most light at night also
have higher rates of breast cancer
(J. Cancer Causes and Control)
Bottom line: if you don’t get
enough darkness at night you
won’t make enough melatonin
21. Deep Sleep Prep Do’s
Morning light: 15-30 minutes
strengthens body clock; up’s
serotonin pathway to melatonin
Aerobic exercise every day: increases
restorative slow-wave sleep
Meditation: release of melatonin
to soothe
Protein snack before bed: turkey, fish,
nuts, spinach, are rich in tryptophan,
the amino acid precursor of melatonin
22. Deep Sleep Prep Don’ts
No alcohol or nicotine 1-2 hours before bed
No vigorous exercise
No caffeine at least 3 hours before bed
No artificial blue light 1-2 hours before bed
No sweets/dark chocolate before bed
No scary movies/bad news/angry words
No brooding: creative visualization, progressive
relaxation, empty your mind…
24. A Little Extra Help
Sleep apnea: weight loss,
pressurized mask fittings
Teeth grinding: de-stressing,
mouth guard
Restless Leg Syndrome: iron
supplements and pre-bedtime
yoga, anti-seizure meds
25. Still Counting Sheep?
Solving the insomnia riddle
without taking hormones into
account is like trying to get a
good nights sleep with all the
lights on
If you’ve already tried coffee
substitutes, sleeping pills,
relaxation exercises, hypnosis,
and counting sheep and you
STILL can’t get to sleep or stay
asleep…have you considered
testing your hormones?
26. Your Sleep Balance Profile
Don’t let sleep disorders go undetected
Testing can identify how hormone
imbalances of cortisol and melatonin
are affecting sleep patterns
The Sleep Balance Profile can be
combined with testing of steroid
hormones (estrogen, progesterone,
testosterone, DHEA) for a more
comprehensive picture of hormonal
triggers to sleep loss