Dr. Mercola August 29 2001 20,010 views
Scientists have found increased blood levels of stress hormones in people with chronic insomnia, suggesting that these individuals suffer from sustained, round-the-clock activation of the body's system for responding to stress.
For this reason, the researchers suggest, doctors who treat insomnia should go beyond improving the quality or quantity of their patients' sleep and seek to reduce this hyperarousal, which is a risk factor for both psychiatric and medical illness.
Investigators monitored the sleep of 11 patients with insomnia and 13 people without sleep disturbances (the "control" group). Blood was collected every 30 minutes for 24 hours, and levels of stress hormones -- adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol were monitored.
Average levels of both hormones were significantly higher in the insomniacs than in the control group.
They found that the insomniacs with the highest degree of sleep disturbance secreted the highest amount of cortisol, particularly in the evening and nighttime hours," Vgontzas said in a prepared statement. This means that insomniacs are experiencing hormonal changes in their bodies, which prevents them from sleeping.
The investigators propose that the physical mechanism of chronic insomnia differs from that of sleep loss, with chronic insomnia being a disorder of hyperarousal present throughout the 24-hour sleep/wake cycle. Increased production of stress hormones is likely to lead not only to depression, but also to high blood pressure, obesity and osteoporosis.
This information could help doctors who are treating insomniacs refocus their therapeutic goals. Instead of aiming to simply improve nighttime sleep, doctors may now work to decrease the levels of physiologic arousal.
Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism August 2001; 86:3787-3794
Clearly, persistent insomnia is a huge clue that something is desperately wrong with one's balance in life. Left untreated, insomnia can destroy one's health.
This is particularly true for perimenopausal women who are experiencing hot flashes. One of the few times I will recommend estrogen is for these women who fail to respond to the herb black cohosh. I have found that perimenopausal insomnia will frequently lead to depression unless it is treated.
For the rest of us, following the insomnia guidelines is a first step.
I find overall, that an effective cardiovascular aerobic exercise program where one is raising their heart rate to 75% of their maximum for 45 minutes five times a week, to be an effective solution to many of the adrenal stresses that contribute to insomnia.
In conjunction with sleeping my staff and I use a variety of energetic techniques to rebalance the short circuiting that results from emotional trauama. These results are so consistently effective that I will be writing my first book on this and it should be out next spring. My personal current favorite technique (this can always change of course) is Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). You can discover more information about EFT by visiting my free EFT manual.If one is actually interested in quantifying the level of adrenal dysfunction I use and endorse BioHealth Diagnostics as their accuracy and support put are terrific. Unlike many other labs questionable practice of offering their saliva kits to consumers, BioHealth only offer testing to professionals so the proper evaluation is performed.
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I know several chronic alcoholics who complain of insomnia, and whose ability to effectively combat stress seems to indicate that their adrenal glands are overtaxed, therefore inadequately functioning. Wouldn't this affect their ability to sleep well?
Well, (duh, as they say) I just re-read this article and saw at the top of the page "overactive adrenals leads to insomnia". Perhaps the medical professionals need far more information in treating alcoholism than they learn in medical school. I have heard recovering alcoholics make that statement. My training as an R.N. has led me to believe that medical students, as well as nursing students, should be required to attend open A.A. meetings regularly for several months in order to learn from the "real" experts. Families, as well as the medical profession, need a thorough understanding of this three-fold disease, which the Supreme Court classified as a disease, of body, mind, and spirit. The biological aspects of recovery are vital, but the mental and spiritual aspects are imperitive. The 12 Steps to Recovery program that one finds in A.A. are literally a life line that can insure recovery if one learns and practices "the program". This program has been adopted and adapted in the family groups of Al-Anon, Adult Children of Alcoholics, Al-Ateen, and is also used in recovery programs for other addictions. I believe that the general public is not aware of the myriad health problems associated with this disease, and feel it would make a difference if more information were made available.
I lie awake from 3-5 AM every night since childhood. It is due to a cortisol-peak. It is different from insomnia, it is like my brain is on kerosine: full blast ahead. I had found some correlation with bloodsugar: it is more intense when I have eaten starches or sugars during the day. Especially potatoes at dinner did the trick.
Because of this me and my dr. thought it to be sugar-related: hypo/hyperglycemia. But even on a ketogenic diet I will still lie awake, be it more relaxed.
This spurrs the question: why does the body find it neccessary to peak its cortisol at noght? Is it because of hypoglycemia in the night + not enough glycagon/glycogen = second line of defence against hypoglycemia kicks in being epinephrine and cortisol.
Or are some of these people very 'adrenalic people', living intensly on their stress-hormones? I know I probably am. I ran my adrenals down: I have now adrenal fatigue.
I have changed my ways: no more sugarrides with this ketogenic diet, my brain runs on ketones now. My life has less stress since I left my career, my ambitions and the city. Also I am on hormonal treatment for adrenal fatigue, hypothyroïsm and oestrogen-dominance. These have not prevented me from lying awake though. My cortisol still runs high during the night.
nissefru,
One of the symptoms of adrenal fatigue is that the hormone(s) that drop for others at night so they sleep, rises steadily throughout the day for us. This was FINALLY an answer for me as to why I was always more awake and felt better at night. This is just an informative post and not meant to tell you to change anything you're doing. :) I hope the hormone treatment has helped you at least a little by now.
With Blessings,
Isabell