Root of Sleep Issues and Hormonal Fluctuations

Just some interesting information about sleep.

Increased cortisol at night:  Fasting for too long can keep cortisol levels elevated, making sleep more fragmented and causing restlessness.

Hunger signals subconsciously waking you:  even if you don’t feel hungry, your body might be sending wake-up signals due to a need for fuel.


Disruption in Sleep Hormones:  Tryptophan, an amino acid needed for melatonin production, comes from food.  Not eating for too long before bed might reduce serotonin and melatonin levels, leading to more awakenings.


Possible solutions to test:

Try a small protein snack before bed or maybe eating dinner a bit later.

If your morning blood sugar is slightly over a 100 despite fasting overnight is likely due to the Dawn Phenomenon.  


Dawn Phenomenon is when in the early morning (between 3-8 AM), Your body releases growth hormone, and adrenaline to prepare for the day.These hormones signal your liver to release glucose into your bloodstream for energy even though you haven’t eaten.  This can cause slightly elevated fasting blood sugar levels, typically in the 100 to 110 mg/dl range in people without diabetes.


If you stop eating around 5:00, 5:30 PM, your body has to rely on stored glucose (glycogen) and later on gluconeogenesis (where my liver makes new glucose from proteins and fats).


Slight Insulin resistance overnight.  Even if you are in good health, insulin sensitivity fluctuates throughout the day. It is typically lower in the early morning, so my body might not be processing glucose as efficiently upon waking.


Check blood sugar at night around 2-3 AM.  If it’s low then but higher in the morning, it confirms the Dawn Phenomenon.


Potential Links between DHEA and Sleep:  Some studies suggest that DHEA may play a role in regulating sleep architecture, including the different stages of sleep, such as REM sleep.  There's evidence that DHEA levels can correlate with certain sleep stages. DHEA interacts with other hormones that are crucial for sleep, such as cortisol and melatonin.  The balance between these hormones is essential for healthy sleep patterns. DHEA levels naturally decline with age, and this decline often coincides with changes in sleep patterns.  This has led to investigations into whether DHEA supplementation could improve sleep quality in older adults, though results have been mixed. Since DHEA is produced by the adrenal glands, which are also involved in the stress response, there is a clear link between stress, DHEA levels, and therefore sleep.


If you're experiencing persistent sleep problems and have ruled out other common causes, checking cortisol and DHEA levels could provide valuable insights into potential hormonal imbalances that may be contributing to your sleep difficulties.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

  A little bit more about myself.  I am 65 years old and passionate about living an active healthy lifestyle.  I have followed a plant-based diet since 2006.  Being a retired nurse, I have always been interested in nutrition and how it impacts the body.   I believe that eating the right foods, exercise, and lifestyle choices are the key to feeling strong at any age.  Let's stay strong and feel great together.
Read more

Calcium

  It is very important to get enough calcium in our diet to maintain good bone health and reduce the risk of osteoporosis.  For women 50 and older it is recommended to get 1200 mg per day along with Vitamin D to help with the absorption.  For me eating a plant-based diet, my calcium comes from leafy greens like kale, tofu, tempeh, chia seeds, beans, legumes, and nuts.  I started eating a little cottage cheese for a snack, but I have to take Lactaid pills since I have some lactose intolerance.  I downloaded an app from the Playstore (My Net Diary) to help me track my calcium and protein intake (we will talk about protein another day).  Needless to say,  I am only getting about 800 mg of calcium from my diet, which is not enough.  I do supplement with Citralcal Maximum Plus daily which contains 650 mg of calcium, vitamin D 1000 units, Zinc 5.5 mg, Copper 0.45, Maganese 1.15 mg.  I also take Vitamin K2 100 Mcg daily.  Vitamin K2 helps direc...
Read more

Sugar

Consuming too many added sugars can contribute to health problems such as weight gain and obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. Sugar  contributes to tooth decay and gum disease. Eating excessive amounts of sugar may increase your risk of developing certain cancers. Diets high in sugar increase inflammation in the body, may cause insulin resistance, both of which increase cancer risk. Consuming sugary products might give you a brief energy boost that is quickly followed by a sharp drop in blood sugar, leading to major fluctuations in energy levels. The American Heart Association recommends the following daily added sugar limits: Women : No more than  25 grams (6 teaspoons or about 100 calories) Men : No more than  36 grams (9 teaspoons or about 150 calories) These limits apply to  added sugars  (like those in processed foods, sugary drinks, and sweets), not naturally occurring sugars found in whole fruits, vegetables, and dairy. Cutting out sugar can lead...
Read more