DO YOU SLEEP WELL?
I want to write a little blog about sleep. Sleep is so crucial to our wellbeing and the older we get the more so. Sleep is when our body can repair its self. Where our brain can lay down new neural pathways, when we store and sort our memories, when we rejuvenate and restore our nervous system. Asking a person about their sleep is one of the many questions that will give a Naturopath information about how to help someone.
So why is it that so many people don’t sleep well?
One of my first recommendations is for people to get off caffeine if they have sleep problems. Caffeine is of course a stimulant and a very strong drug. That’s why we are addicted and coffee shops are thriving businesses. But for many people as they age their ability to break down the caffeine gets poorer. Then if you’re having repetitive cups of caffeine in a day the liver enzyme pathways for detoxifying caffeine are going to be depleted. This means caffeine can take longer to break down and remain in your system long enough to cause a problem with sleep.
The hormones that are important for sleep include Melatonin and Serotonin. 5-htp (5-Hydroxytryptophan) is a brain chemical that is a vital building block of the neurotransmitter Serotonin. Melatonin is our main sleep-inducing neurotransmitter. These two neurotransmitters are part of the same pathway. We know that protein is vital for the production of both, as is B6, Magnesium, B1, Zinc, vitamin C, Folate (natural, not synthetic folic acid - but that’s a whole other story!).
So if you eat a range of healthy, whole foods, adequate protein, leafy greens, fresh fruit and vegetables and unprocessed foods generally you are ahead of the ball game! Some people will do better if they take a good quality multivitamin with activated B vitamins and extra magnesium.
One of the metals in our diet that blocks this process process is Copper. Copper blocks Zinc, B1, Folate, Iron and Magnesium from working effectively in this cascade.Copper and Zinc have an inverse relationship. High copper often occurs when Zinc is low and vice versa. I have often see in client’s blood tests where the copper to zinc ratio needs to be addressed. This can cause and contribute to a whole range of issues including depression, anxiety, insomnia and often behavioral issues in kids. Zinc is well known for its immune modulating effect, but copper plays a role, too, especially the copper to zinc ratio. A balanced copper to zinc ratio, which is between 0.7 to 1.0 plays a role in maintaining the immune system, helping resist infectious diseases, and it has the potential to be used as an indicator of oxidative stress.
Where are we getting the copper from? Well copper pipes in most of the old plumbing of course! Also from chlorinated swimming pools. So make sure you get a decent water filter that eliminates heavy metals and if your child or you are regularly swimming in chlorine I’d consider checking in with a naturopath to assess where both iodine and zinc and copper levels are sitting and supplement accordingly.
Another concern to be considered which is rather a global one when we are talking about the production of Serotonin and Melatonin is that a major pesticide that is used globally affects the biochemistry of the plant so much that it fails to make Tryptophan. Tryptophan is the major precursor to Serotonin and Melatonin (see diagram below). SO if you are eating crops that are sprayed numerous times by Glyphosate (Round Up) you may be causing problems with your own biochemistry. Glyphosate exposure is also occurring by air and rain and is sprayed all over the place by local councils in Australia so it is a massive issue. It is also a known carcinogen and actually alters your DNA so it’s threat to humans is extreme.
On the positive side there a many herbal medicines that are safe and non-addictive to help with poor sleep. Passionflower, Zizyphus, Withania, Kava, Valerian, Vervain just to name a few. The best most effective way to use these herbs is with an individual prescription of liquid extracts made up by a qualified Naturopath. As I’ve got older and found the odd night (particularly around the full moon or if I’ve indulged in too much caffeine!) when I’m having trouble sleeping I keep a bottle of herbs beside my bed to help me quickly go back to sleep. People often misunderstand herbal medicines for sleep. They are not going to make you groggy, they are also not addictive like the pharmaceutical counterparts. They are effective but are not going to knock you out cold like a drug will.
In Chinese herbal medicine a similar range of sedative and nervine herbs are used effectively. The “syndromes” addressed are Heart Qi deficiency, that is the heart meridian is affected as well as often Liver Qi stagnation which in western terms is all about stress and frustration. Prolonged stress or emotional strain commonly lead to insomnia. Qi (Energy) and Blood (Nourishing) herbal formulas are also excellent at improving insomnia. The pattern of symptoms you might see for this include insomnia, palpitations, inability to sleep due to over active mind, poor memory, fatigue and muscular weakness, shortness of breath, pale complexion, loose bowel motions, and dry skin.
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