Many people of all ages suffer from insomnia, more than ever over the past couple of decades. The rate of insomnia continues to escalate. Persistent insomnia can lead to multiple problems like chronic fatigue, chronic anxiety, irritability, depression, “brain fog,” increasing cognitive decline, and accidents like falling asleep at the wheel.

See if any of the common causes of insomnia described below apply to you and what you can do to mitigate the problem

Inconsistent sleep patterns. Going to bed and getting up at different times each day can significantly decrease the quality of sleep. Maintaining a regular sleep/wake cycle, known as circadian rhythm, contributes to optimal health. Circadian rhythms are involved in nearly every biological process, so taking the steps necessary for having a regular sleep/wake cycle is critical for long term health. Try to set that bedtime earlier, since studies show that we experience deeper, more restful sleep before midnight.

For older people, an inconsistent sleep pattern is even more impactful and has the potential to increase the risk of cognitive decline and dementia due to the effect on the glymphatic system, which is essential for clearing the brain of waste products. The glymphatic system, along with other healing processes, are most active when we sleep.

Eating before going to bed. When you go to bed with food in your stomach, your body devotes considerable energy to digesting that food instead of focusing the energy on healing. Since most healing takes place while you sleep. I urge my patients to finish eating dinner at least three hours before going to bed.

Some protest that, if they followed my suggestion, they would wake up in the middle of the night hungry from low blood sugar. To prevent that from happening, make sure the evening meal contains some form of protein and beneficial fat, and avoid sugary desserts, which destabilize the level of sugar in the blood, making the level spike and then crash. Protein and fat are slow to metabolize, allowing you to coast for many hours without eating—unlike carbohydrates, which metabolize more quickly, especially the simple carbs like bread, pasta, crackers, cookies, boxed cereals, and chips.

Digestive distress. Both what you eat and how much you eat can have a significant impact on your health. Eating too much food before going to bed can result in discomfort from abdominal distension. Acid reflux is more likely to occur after “over eating.”

Consuming an unhealthy diet that includes heavily processed foods, pesticide-laden foods, and ingredients that you might be allergic to can cause inflammation in the digestive tract which can add to your risk of insomnia.

Too much caffeine during the day can lead to insomnia. Alcohol can interfere with the sleep cycle.

Brain over-stimulation from electronic devices. The blue light stimulates the brain and nervous system. Try to avoid using these devices for at least one to two hours before bedtime. Remember to keep electronic devices, like cell phones, out of the bedroom.

Electromagnetic Sensitivity. A growing number of people have become sensitive to electro-magnetic fields, commonly referred to as EMFs. One of the most common of the many manifestations of EMF sensitivity is insomnia. Other symptoms include cardiac arrhythmias, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), fatigue, and “brain fog.”

In addition to keeping all electronic devices out of the bedroom, you could also turn off your router at night, or even better, switch to Ethernet. If those two measures don’t help with the EMF-related insomnia, then it’s time to look at the antennas outside the house. If the antennas, including the ones with 5G, are playing a big role in your insomnia, then it’s time to consult with an EMF professional to make some changes in your home to mitigate the harmful impact of the cell towers. The Building Biology Institute lists people in your area trained in this field of EMF mediation. To access their website, click here

You could also check out two websites that have very useful EMF products, like EMF meters, underwear and hats made out of shielding fabric, and canopies that can keep EMF out of your sleeping area. www.lessemf.com and www.safelivingtechnologies.com

Absence of sunlight exposure. Daily exposure to sunlight is essential to good health. Among the many benefits of sunlight, is the effect on the body’s internal clock, the circadian rhythm, by regulating our bodies’ production of melatonin. Melatonin is a critical sleep aid. This hormone-like neurotransmitter is produced in the pineal gland in our brains in response to darkness, which is why we need to avoid bright light before going to bed.

Lack of daily exercise. Exercise is essential to good health and enhances your ability to have a deep and restful sleep. Exercise helps drain excess energy and also helps to lower high levels of adrenaline and cortisol caused by stress and anxiety, both of which contribute to insomnia. Exercise that includes time outside in Nature makes the exercise have an even greater positive impact on sleep.

Pain and discomfort. Being able to sleep while in pain is very challenging. Try to determine the underlying cause of the pain to see if there is something you can do to remediate the problem. Before relying heavily on pain medications, see if you can take other more benign measures, like getting osteopathic or chiropractic treatments, or stem cell therapy—if you are a candidate for that sort of treatment.

Sleep apnea. If you snore at night, sleep on your back, and wake up feeling not fully rested, you could have sleep apnea, which refers to frequent episodes of not breathing due to obstruction of the upper airway. It is more common in people 60 and older.

Sometimes sleep apnea can be remedied by training yourself to sleep strictly on your side. If you think you might have this problem, it’s important to get a referral for a sleep study to see how well you oxygenate during the time you sleep. If the problem is not diagnosed, the risk is eventually getting cardiac arrhythmias and/or signs of dementia.

Restless Leg Syndrome. Constant limb movements, beyond one’s control, can destroy the possibility of having a peaceful night of sleep. Researchers believe that RLS is caused by lack of iron in the brain—even when one has plenty of iron in the blood— due to a malfunctioning of the iron transport system. This lack of iron transport to the brain is thought to be due to chronic inflammation throughout the body.

Some people report they have gotten success by eating an impeccable diet, avoiding alcohol, sugar, processed foods, and caffeine, and avoiding foods that cause them inflammation. Certain supplements can help to diminish the symptoms as well, like curcumin, magnesium glycinate, B-6. B-complex, and vitamin D & K. As a last resort, some very strong medications are available for those who don’t get relief from the more benign measures. 

Lack of total darkness in the bedroom. Melatonin, the sleep hormone, rises in the darkness, as I mentioned before. When there is light in the bedroom from any source, quality sleep is more difficult to come by. Installing dark shades is one option. Getting a comfortable eye cover is a good option when making the bedroom totally dark is not possible. 

Bedroom too warm. Maintaining a bedroom temperature between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal for sleeping. Some people suffer from temperature swings, especially women during menopause, which interfere with sleep. Bio-identical hormones can be helpful in mitigating those swings in temperature.

Noise Exposures. If you persistently hear noises while trying to sleep, you could trying using “white noise” to block those other sounds. An example of “white noise” would be listening to ocean waves breaking onto the beach in endless succession. If that doesn’t work for you, try ear plugs that are comfortable. 

Toxic Exposures. If you have remodeled your home, or have moved into a new home and have a reaction to some of the toxic building products, or if you have mold in your home, mycotoxins and toxic chemicals can keep you awake all night due to inflammation in the body, including inflammation of the brain. The best remedy is to address the underlying problem as soon as possible to prevent further damage to your body. A useful resource for finding non toxic products for building or remodeling your home is Paula Baker-Laporte’s 4^th edition of “Prescriptions for a Healthy House.” If you’d like to order her book, click here

Hyperthyroid. Hyperthyroidism from Grave’s disease, or Hashimoto’s disease, or from over medication, can keep you awake at night with a racing heart and high anxiety. If you suspect this might be contributing to your insomnia, be sure to have your doctor order a comprehensive thyroid panel.

Daytime napping. It’s best to avoid daytime napping— unless it is absolutely necessary—because it can interfere with the circadian rhythm. If you clearly need to take a nap, make sure it is not late in the day and not more than an hour.

Unwinding in the evening. It’s important to make a transition between your work time and bedtime. After you shut down your devices and dim the light, you could choose what methods help you unwind and achieve a quiet mind and a sense of peace. This might involve meditation, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, a hot Epsom salt bath, listening to calming music, or reading a book .

Sleep Aids. If you have taken the above measures consistently, yet still struggle with insomnia, you could try antihistamines or sleeping pills for a short period of time. It is not a good idea to stay on them because, over time, they could affect your cognitive abilities.

A safer solution would be to try out some of the many supplements that can help with sleep, such as herbal tinctures like passion flower, valerian root, kava kava, California poppy, avena sativa—just to name a few. Certain amino acids can also have calming effects, such as tryptophan, taurine, and glycine. Variations of CBD and THC from cannabis have become popular sleep aids as well.

Although this post has not addressed every single cause of insomnia, it has addressed the most common causes. I urge you to look at your sleep hygiene and see if there are areas that you could improve. Pay especial attention to what you eat and drink, what time you eat, what time you go to bed and what time you wake up in the morning, what you do to unwind at the end of the day, what you do to manage your stress during the day, what you do for exercise each day, and what you do to make your bedroom comfortable.

 

Sweet dreams!

Erica

P.S. On a different note, if you have read my second memoir, “From Mountains to Medicine: Scaling the Heights in Search of My Calling,” I hope you enjoyed it and would welcome your feedback.