How to insure that you sleep deep,
sleep long and sleep through the night!

by Michael King

Web Audio: Click on the title below to listen to an audio file on this subject, or scroll down to read the written overview.
CC- February 12, 2012 - Secrets to Sleeping Well

 

Article

The article below is provided as a courtesy to those who prefer to read than listen, yet on each audio additional insights are given which round out the subject.

 

Irregular Sleep? – Causes and Solutions

Due to the extraordinary number of stressors in our lifestyle, diet and environment, our hormonal, digestive and nervous systems have endured stress to the point of dysfunction. The impact of this stress is affecting many at one of the most critical times of the day - when it is time to sleep!

There are solutions which counter the stress and rebuild the affected systems of the body, yet personal responsibility in the areas of diet and lifestyle will have to be accepted and adjusted in order to obtain the most restful sleep possible. The following is a short list of both stressors and solutions.

Armed with this information you will better be able to adjust any contributing factors and thereby obtain deep, restful, satisfying sleep more often.

 

To begin with, it is important to understand that in most instances of insomnia, difficulty getting back to sleep when woken in the night, and with light sleeping, the actual cause is directly associated to dysfunction throughout the entire endocrine (hormone producing) system, especially the adrenals, the pineal gland, the spleen and the hypothalamus.  Adrenal fatigue is the most common term for this, although it truly involves both daytime and nighttime hormone production involving the entire endocrine system.

 

Every organ and gland of the body is intertwined in a complex web of chemical interactions designed to maintain normal body functions throughout both day and night. Endocrine hormones are constantly about the business of regulating thousands of chemical processes in the body in an effort to maintain homeostasis (balance).

 

Two hormones are most directly related to sleep: melatonin, naturally produced by your pineal gland (no need for the supplement), and cortisol (hydrocortisone), naturally produced by your adrenal cortex – while many others are indirectly supportive of either energy throughout the day or restful sleep at night.

However, it must be noted here, that a stressor which impacts the production of one hormone (say, cortisol), will also affect, to some degree, all hormones produced by the same gland. The adrenal glands manufacture 50+ hormones which regulate a number of vital functions in the body like heart rate, blood pressure, blood sugar, stress response, inflammation response, allergic response, etc.

Due to the interdependence of organs and glands, the effect of just one stressor, say sugar, as an example, can disrupt hormonal output and chemical stasis in literally hundreds of ways. Add a second stressor, say coffee and its over-stimulation of the nervous system, and the disruptive side effects are multiplied. Such compounding disruptive effects on the body can linger from early morning to midnight, or even later, causing a series of disruptions to normal sleep cycles.

 

According to Wikipedia:

"Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone that regulates sleepiness. It is made in the brain, where tryptophan is converted into serotonin and then into melatonin, which is released at night by the pineal gland to induce and maintain sleep.

 

"Cortisol is produced by the... outer adrenal cortex. This release is controlled by the hypothalamus, a part of the brain... The primary control of cortisol is the pituitary gland peptide, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)...  ACTH is in turn controlled by the hypothalamic peptide corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH), which is under nervous control."

 

Note: Cortisol production is under the control of the nervous system.

 

Notice the interrelationship between several endocrine glands and the nervous system in the regulation of sleep: pineal gland, pituitary gland, hypothalamus, adrenal cortex and the nervous system.  These are a just few of the systems that combine their functions in order to insure a good night's rest.

 

Sleep is normally a time of restoration (when we are not directly contributing to the disruption of body functions), but what about daytime activities which disrupt or exhaust normal hormone production, the effects of which may then linger into the night?

 

Daytime Activities Which Contribute to Our Quality of Sleep

If our diet, lifestyle, attitudes, beliefs, or environmental elements fail to live up to the Natural Order of Life (universally speaking) for the human being, disruptions of normal hormone production are not only likely - they are unavoidable. Disruptions to optimal health is a sign of living outside of the Natural Order. Physical health is a sign of living within the Natural Order for the human being.

 

Here are just a few of the most common causes of insomnia, discovered from decades of trial, error and dietary compromise, while seeking answers for better sleep:

 

Sweeteners - like "organic" sugar, artificial sweeteners ('diet' sodas & 'diet' food), xylitol, stevia extracts (the white powder & the liquid) (use only the green leaf powder), honey, agave, and most other "natural" sweeteners. A concentrated sweetener is always harmful to the body (even the "organic" ones). Licorice root powder and Green Stevia leaf powder are the only two safe sweeteners I am aware of. All others have gone though some form of concentration effects and cannot be trusted to "do no harm" to your endocrine system.

 

Alcohol – Often, people may drink alcohol to help them get to sleep (alcohol is initially a sedative). However, it can also lead to disrupted sleep, as alcohol can have a rebound effect later in the night, which means, as its effects wear off in the middle of the night, the original insomnia returns worse than before. Alcohol also reduces REM sleep, so the quality of rest diminishes with its use.

 

Stimulants – coffee, energy drinks, black and green tea, chocolate, cacao, etc., each of which over-stimulate the nervous system, exhaust the adrenals, deplete the kidney jing and weaken critical spleen functions. Yerba mate´ is also a stimulant, yet is much safer than the previous mentions. (Mate´ will stress the spleen somewhat, but builds strength in the other areas due to its nearly 200 nutrients.)

 

Sweeteners, alcohol and stimulants weaken spleen function resulting in numerous areas of lowered health (subject for another time), including insomnia and the inability to stay asleep at night. They each contribute to sluggish mornings. They also contribute to kidney weaknesses and can thereby contribute to frequent urination in the middle of the night.

 

A common recreational herb (which will remain nameless to reduce search term availability) is, for many, a primary influencing cause of insomnia. In spite of scientific studies to support the use of this herb for medical purposes, the fact remains that its use, in any form, drains the jing essence from the kidneys in order to create what some believe to be pleasant or therapeutic effects (a relative perception, given the vast number of superior herbal resources (mostly nutritives) which have zero long term side-effects and more pleasant long term mental effects).

 

While some will use this herb to get to sleep, the loss of kidney jing from its use will result in eventual adrenal exhaustion, low blood sugar (munchies - with the typical food choices further weakening digestive and hormonal balance), a lower immune system response (bloodshot eyes are a sign of poor health), bipolar tendencies (common with adrenal fatigue) and insomnia or nocturnal behavior (inability to sleep at night, sleeping during the day). None of these common symptoms from use have any value in a true health building regimen.

 

A true medicinal herb will not deplete energy reserves while it attempts to improve health. A true medicinal herb will naturally build long term energy as it goes about the business of building long term health.

 

Life Stress and worry – The adrenals are one of the body's main stress responders so when we perceive stress, cortisol levels rise, interfering with sleep. Feelings of stress are largely due to mental attachments to a perception of limitation. Questioning the validity of a need or limitation in light of the True Nature of Life (in the grand Universal sense) is the beginning of expanding our horizons into new possibilities. (see The Gentle Art of Self-Healing, Emotion Packed Imagery and The Blessing Transformation for an extremely effective inner-work approach).

 

Home and Environmental Toxins – Radiation, heavy metals, dental fillings, medical diagnostic procedures, effects of surgeries, wireless technology, cell phones, etc. are common contributing causes of insomnia.

 

Digestive Weaknesses – Antibiotic use will weaken digestive processes resulting in tendencies toward candida overgrowth, acid reflux, heartburn, belching, gas, bloated belly, fuzzy brain, and difficulty digesting proteins and dairy products. When oils and dairy become difficult to digest (common when the spleen is blown out by sweets, alcohol or stimulants) swollen sinuses can result promoting sleep apnea, further interfering with sleep. The spleen is responsible for the removal of excess mucus from the body, among many other functions critical to good health.

 

Respiratory Weaknesses and Oxygen Exchange – The adrenals and spleen influence the effectiveness of our heart, our lungs and our oxygen exchange efficiency. When they have become weakened by diet, environment and lifestyle there are several things you can do to improve respiratory functions, and therefore the quality of your sleep:

1) Build strength back in the heart, adrenals and spleen with nutritive herbs

2) Insure proper hydration with 2-3 quarts of water and earthen minerals per day (see below)

3) Follow a wise dietary program that does not combine sweets or starches with oils

4) Reduce or eliminate concentrated sweeteners of all kinds, alcohol and stimulants.

5) for those that tend on the low side of the energy spectrum, it may also be necessary to reduce or eliminate Health Foods that Lower Thyroid Function (which will also impact the spleen).

 

Dehydration and Earthen Electrolyte Minerals – Sufficient hydration is essential to good sleep. The best time to hydrate the body is during the day with 1-3 quarts of water and earthen minerals for their electrolytes (see the Clay Water Mineral Drink archive for details).

 

As the kidneys build in strength, they also restore normal urinary function. Getting up in the middle of the night becomes a less and less frequent event. Earthen minerals during the day are one of the secrets to balancing electrolytes and thus reducing the need to get up in the night. Once balanced, you will be able to consume a full quart of mineral-rich water before bed and not have to get up even once in the night!

 

A Daytime Program which naturally improves sleep at night as it rebuilds endocrine and digestive functions can be found at: The 30 Day High Level Foundational Program

(Our most important first considerations are listed in this High Level Program. Not all are required for progress, though each one will add to the synergy of a select group. Simply select products from this list that fit your own intuitive guidance.)

 

My Preferred Sleep Well Protocol

This is what I take nightly for a greater depth and quality of sleep:

Day Calm & Deep Sleep (4 caps/1 teaspoon)

Ancient Mineral Blend (6 caps/1.5 teaspoon) (also helps to calm restless muscles and mind, as does walking on the grass or in the garden barefoot for several minutes)

Sacred Clay (6 caps/1.5 teaspoon)

BloodSugar Balance (2-4 caps/.5-1 teaspoon)

Ormalite (1 tiny scoop/1/30th teaspoon)

Spleen Builder (4 caps/1 teaspoon)

 

Not all of the above are required for a decent night's rest but they are included in my favorite nighttime ritual. If awoken in the night with difficulty returning to sleep, often an additional dose of Sacred Clay and Ancient Mineral Blend or Ormalite will calm the body enough to restore sleepiness.

I also like to improve the quality of my air intake by opening sinus and respiratory passages with:

Herbal Oxygen (4-8 caps/1-2 teaspoon)

Lung Support (4-6 caps/1-1.5 teaspoon)

These help to reduce the incidence of snoring by shrinking swollen mucus membranes and opening the air passageways and (in a roundabout way) improving the quality of sleep.

 

I also like to restock my friendly bacteria (probiotics) at night (gives them time to multiply undisturbed) with

Friendly Flora (4-6 caps/1-1.5 teaspoon) or more for a temporary probiotic restocking program.

 

Clearly, restful sleep is a multifaceted issue requiring attention to both daytime and nighttime rituals. The fast paced life buried in technology and 9-5 jobs that most people live does not leave much room for the more important pursuits in life like growing a garden, walking on the earth barefoot, gazing at the sun (with eyes closed if it is too bright), meditating on one's purpose in life and how best to fulfill it, and so forth. Yet these significant features of a well-lived day do more for solving insomnia than anything mentioned previous, providing of course, such activities compel us to improve our diet as well. :)

 

Many blessings of health & success.

Enjoy the simple gifts from Nature!