A Hormonal Imbalance Can Be Something to Lose Sleep Over
Poor sleep habits can negatively affect almost every aspect of a person’s life. The body needs time during the night to repair itself. Without that rest, a person is more vulnerable to physical and mental stress, which increases their risk for chronic health problems.
According to the CDC, one in three Americans aren’t getting the medically recommended seven hours of sleep they need every night. If you’re struggling to maintain a regular sleep schedule, your hormones might be to blame. Learn more about the hormones that affect sleep, and find out what you can do to restore balance to your circadian rhythm.
What Do Hormones Do?
Hormones, which originate from glands located throughout your body, travel through the bloodstream delivering instructions to your muscles and organs. They play an essential role in controlling many of your body’s functions including growth, metabolism and sleep.
How Hormones Impact Sleep
Melatonin is the hormone most responsible for regulating our sleep cycles. The body makes more melatonin in darkness, which is why being around bright lights at night can make sleeping more difficult. Some people find that taking melatonin supplements before bed helps them relax, but melatonin isn’t the only hormone that can impact sleep habits.
In some cases, sleeplessness can stem from an excess of adrenaline or cortisol. Also known as the “stress hormone,” adrenaline increases your heart rate to prepare you for “fight or flight.” Prolonged stress can cause the adrenal glands to produce cortisol, which has also been linked to insomnia. Some athletes have trouble sleeping due to high cortisol levels, but anyone with a lot of stress in their lives can suffer the same fate.
Some hormones only get released during sleep, which is why a good night’s rest is so important. Ghrelin and leptin, for example, are appetite suppressants that get released during deep sleep. Before you wake up, your body produces the hormone insulin to make you hungry again. Most muscle growth and healing also takes place during slumber. Women and men both become more prone to hormonal fluctuations as they age, but anyone can experience a hormonal imbalance due to health conditions or lifestyle choices.
Natural Hormone Supplements That Promote Sleep
Natural Bio Health offers several natural supplements that can help restore order to your sleeping schedule. Natural Calm and NBH Zen, for example, lower stress levels by assisting with cortisol regulation. Similarly, Kavinace calms the mind and body by inhibiting excitatory neurotransmitters. Talk to your provider about any health supplements you plan on taking to make sure they are safe for you.
Personalized Hormone Replacement Treatments From Natural Bio Health
If your sleepless nights persists, then you may want to consider scheduling an appointment with a hormone specialist. If you’re lucky enough to live in Texas or Colorado, then you’re likely close to a Natural Bio Health clinic.
Natural Bio Health is a network of hormone replacement therapy centers specializing in healthy living and disease prevention. Our medical team uses an approach called Integrative Functional Medicine to deliver bioidentical hormone replacement therapies and non-invasive medical weight loss interventions. In addition to our five clinics in Texas, we recently opened a new location in Denver. Visit the Natural Bio Health to learn more about our products and services that can help bring balance back to your life.