Solving the insomnia puzzle
If you are plagued by insomnia, then you realize how serious it is not getting a good night’s sleep. Without 6-8 hours of deep sleep, your mental and physical health suffers, as well as your relationships. Today’s blog will address of a couple of important things to consider in order to combat insomnia.
For those who awaken after a few hours of sleep and find it difficult to get back to sleep, this can be from what you ate or drank for supper. Food or beverages high in sugar, alcohol, caffeine, or spices can be the cause. If you are deficient in chromium, vanadium, and manganese, you can experience a hypoglycemic rebound effect preventing you from getting back to sleep after awakening.
Another culprit in being unable to sleep is a deficiency in the “happy hormone” serotonin. We manufacture serotonin from the amino acid tryptophan. Multiple studies have shown that low tryptophan can lead to insomnia, but it doesn’t stop there. Vitamin B6 and/or zinc deficiency can also contribute to insomnia. That’s because B6 is needed to make tryptophan work, and zinc, in turn, is needed for B6 to work.
Comments: It is a shame that most physicians don’t have sufficient understanding of nutritional biochemistry. Far too many rely on prescription sleep medications like Ambien and Lunesta both of which can cause cerebral atrophy (brain shrinkage) with extended use. If you have problems sleeping, I encourage you to call my office.