Why can't I sleep?
Do you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep? More and more new clients have been coming to me with complaints of insomnia, and I wanted to share two simple ways to get more sleep.
WHY CAN'T I SLEEP?
There can be a number of reasons why someone can't sleep including blood sugar dysregulation and/or adrenal dysfunction, but typically we can narrow it down to two reasons:
• Over use of caffeine
• Too much screen time at night
These two things are just normal to us, right? Honestly, how many people do you know that DO NOT consume caffeine or watch a screen in the evening? Not many.
• Consumption of caffeine (coffee, tea, and even chocolate) stimulates the adrenals to produce cortisol. Consuming it too late in the day (or not metabolizing it well) will carry high levels of cortisol into the evening hours.
• Watching a screen late into the evening also stimulates the production of cortisol. Our bodies interpret blue light as the sun rising, signaling we need to wake up.
WHAT IS CORTISOL?
Cortisol is a steroid hormone needed to control blood sugar levels, blood pressure, regulate metabolism, help reduce inflammation, manage stress, and assist with memory formulation. Cortisol naturally rises in the morning to wake you up, and lowers at night so you can go to sleep.
So, what happens when we artificially trigger cortisol more than necessary or during the wrong time of day? The hormone made to keep us awake - keeps us awake.
HOW CAN WE FIX THIS?
• Drink less caffeine, or swap to a form of caffeine that metabolizes easier, and consume it roughly 8-10 hours before you intend to sleep. I recommend Ganoderma coffee and tea, available here.
• Shut the screens off an hour before bed, and/or utilize some sort of blue blocking options. Most computers and phones have a blue blocking or night feature, or use blue blocking glasses. I recommend these blue blocking glasses.
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If you're interested in diving deeper into your own health concerns, consider working with Lorraine through Nutritional Therapy.
