Sleep is just as important as diet and exercise but for some people it can be easier to exercise or follow a healthy diet than it is to fall asleep.
If you are lacking adequate sleep, you’re not only tired, the ability of your body to heal and regenerate operates on a sub optimal level.
If you are like some of my patients, who have tried several sleeping aids but nothing seems to work, keep reading and you will find out that there is a way of improving you sleep.
First of all, lack of sleep, like many other health complaints, it’s a symptom, the manifestation of underlying “blocks” in the healing capacity of the body.
Healing is what our bodies are designed to do, from birth until we leave this life, our body seeks to heal, detoxify, regenerate and create balance.
In my treatment approach, I look at what’s blocking the path to healing and preventing people from sleeping well. I also spend time with each patient to educate them on lifestyle choices that are conducive of a better health.
WHY SLEEPING IS SO IMPORTANT
- It is the only time the body gets to do its maintenance and repair work
- It is the time when the brain detox from unwanted toxins builds up
- It supports healthy metabolism and hormonal regulation
- It supports cells repair and immune reserves
SLEEP AND BRAIN HEALTH
Improving your sleep is one of the most critical things you can do to improve your brain’s ability to detoxify.
Each night, during deep sleep, the brain shrinks 60% and is washed with cerebrospinal fluid. This waste is then carried through the glymphatic system and moved into the peripheral lymph. While this is happening, nutrients are brought into the brain.
This is how our body keeps neurological degeneration and disease at bay, and is one of the most underappreciated but vital systems in our bodies.
Excessive level of waste products and toxins into the brain has a profound effect on
- Hormonal balance
- Neurotransmitter
- Cognition… to name just a few
The glymphatic system in your brain targets the removal of misfolded proteins that are the hallmark of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
Studies have demonstrated that just one night without sleep increases the accumulation of beta-amyloid in regions of the brain implicated in Alzheimer’s disease.
This system becomes 10 times more active during sleep than during wakefulness, hence the importance of addressing sleeping issues.
It is also a system that is delicate, easily injured and upset.
The best example of an injured glymphatic system comes from those who have had a brain injury, concussions, dental occlusion issues, chronic infection, excessive exposure the EMF radiation just to name a few.
DENTAL OCCLUSION
When you chew, muscles in your face pump lymphatics.
Research does demonstrate that losing vertical height of your face from grinding or from missing teeth, affects your brain lymphatic system’s ability to drain – For example losing 3 mm of tooth structure from grinding could contribute to up to 50% less ability for your brain to clear toxins.
Although this isn’t research based, I believe that in an increasingly toxic world, the body is compensating by increasing muscle activity at night through grinding and stress. This is one of the reasons why we’re seeing more people grind their teeth during the night.
HORMONES AND SLEEP
In an ideal world, the master stress hormone cortisol should be in sync with the master sleep hormone melatonin.
Each hormone counter-balances the other in a precise rhythm – when cortisol is high melatonin should be low, and when melatonin is high cortisol should be low.
For many who struggle to sleep, this rhythm is out of balance with the end results that:
- High Cortisol can result in insomnia, anxiety, sugar cravings, feeling tired but wired & increased belly fat
- Low Melatonin can results in excessive fatigue, depression, anxiety & insomnia
CHRONIC STRESS
When stress is protracted and exceed the capacity of the body to cope with it, our nervous system can develop pattern of unrelenting stimulation, which in turn affects important biological functions: Inflammation, blood sugar regulation, immune and hormonal systems, metabolism etc. Eventually these imbalances can have a profound effect on our sleep.
Stress is inevitable, how we react to it is fundamental. We can perish and let it take over our life or we can use it as a springboard to make life changes that makes us feel happier, more fulfilled and ultimately healthier.
Mr X came to see me because for the last 2 years he could not sleep more than 3-4 hours at night. His anxiety was out of control and had a chronic brain fog.
“…. I am struggling to make decision, I am stuck in a vicious cycle, the less I sleep the more anxious, exhausted and disconnected I feel, I have put on weight despite eating less…I don’t know what else to do”
He had tried several sleeping pills, taken up yoga and meditation, changed 2 mattresses and tried several pillows, used blankets that were supposed to help him sleep and yet nothing seemed to help.
As I always do with my patients, I try to look at various aspects of someone’s life so that I can build a clear picture of what is causing a disturbance into someone’s body and make him or her feel unwell.
We looked at his current and past medical history, diet, and lifestyle, with the intention of building a comprehensive picture of his lifestyle and health and develop a treatment plan that would help to rebalance his body system on various levels.
He had suffered for several years with gum infection and lost few of his molars, he was not looking after his diet and had very high carbs intake especially at night time.
He had several concussions playing rugby.
We worked on restoring proper dental bite and the effects that the concussions had on his cranium as well as other body parts.
We worked on his dietary habits, made few lifestyle changes to limit his EMF exposure especially in the evening.
The history of chronic gum infection had left a “mark” on his organs of detoxification, so we worked to improve that aspect too.
Within a couple of months his sleep was restored and his general health greatly improved.
The story of Mr X it’s just an example of how health can be invited back into the body with a comprehensive treatment approach that takes into account the various aspects of your health.
For many people, the initial phase of change is the most challenging, as they are often letting go of patterns and habits that have been there for a long time.
This can put the body and mind through a temporary state of discomfort, as you adjust to more life-affirming lifestyle choices.
Just know that it’s 100% worth it to move through this phase, as just on the other side is a newfound level of energy, mental clarity, and physical well-being that you previously could not have imagined.
FEW SIMPLE STEPS YOU CAN TAKE TO IMPROVE YOUR SLEEP
- Improve your pineal gland’s production of melatonin by sleeping in a completely dark room. Use black out shades in your bedroom.
- Sleep at 5-degree incline to help brain drainage
- Reduce EMF exposure. Do not bring your iPhone, iPads, or other electronics into your bedroom. Turn off your Wifi at night time
- Clear your diet from highly refined carb, excessive sugar and alcohol intake
- Exercise regularly preferably not late in the evening
- Drink a glass of filtered water as soon as you wake up
If you are like many of my patients, struggling with health issues and you want to get to the bottom of them and embrace a healthier lifestyle, do not hesitate to contact me OR book a consultation.
I am interested in hearing your story and how I can help you and guide you through a process of changes towards better health.
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To your health,
Paola
Paola Pizzuto is a registered Osteopath in Edinburgh with a commitment and dedication to helping people achieve better health.
References
Effect of Circadian Rhythm on Metabolic Processes and the Regulation of Energy Balance Ann Nutr Metab 2019;74:322–330
The Sleeping Brain: Harnessing the Power of the Glymphatic System through Lifestyle Choices. Brain Sci. 2020 Nov; 10(11): 868.
Faculty of 1000 evaluation for β-Amyloid accumulation in the human brain after one night of sleep deprivation. F1000—Post-Publ. Peer Rev. Biomed. Lit. 2018
Insomnia in patients with neurodegenerative conditions. Sleep Med. 2007;8:S27–S34.
Melatonin receptors in humans: biological role and clinical relevance. Biomed Pharmacother. 2006; 60:97-108.
Sleep facilitates clearance of metabolites from the brain: glymphatic function in aging and neurodegenerative diseases. Rejuvenation Res. 2013 Dec;16(6):518-23. doi: 10.1089/rej.2013.1530.