Dr. Mercola January 06 2009 59,405 views
One cause of sleep disturbance not mentioned here is adrenal fatigue (hypoadrenia), a frequently overlooked or misdiagnosed condition. Most doctors, if they look for adrenal malfunction at all, are testing for Cushing's Disease (hyperadrenia) or Addison's disease (extreme hypoadrenia). But adrenal fatigue, falling somewhere in the middle of the 7 stages, can have life-changing effects. It did for me, until I read an article that enabled me to self-diagnose and seek treatment. Key symptoms for me were morning fatigue, nighttime sleeplessness (sometimes until 3-4 a.m.) and odd energy fluctuations. Due to cortisol disruptions, I couldn't get out of my own way until about 5 p.m. - the close of business! I went through 28 months of unproductiveness, exhaustion and frustration. Look here for more information:
http://tinyurl.com/6wu3w9
Hello Islander
I appreciate your links very much. I have a friend who has been dealing with this very issue for almost a year. She thought she was nuts but found Dr. Wilson's book and after many different doctors, finally found one who knew about adrenal fatigue. Candida is also a major player with many problems. It is not recognized by mainstream medical either.
Thank you for sharing these links. I will forward them on to my friend.
Peace,
Dawn
Islander, what did you do to treat your adrenal fatigue? I visited a naturopathic college some time ago, and was told my adrenals were overactive (using irradology).
I now take liquorice capsules,six weeks on, six weeks off, but my insomnia hasn't improved. I have yet to meet a doctor who will take this seriously. I'm sure my hypothyroidism is connected to adrenal fatigue, but how do I prove it?
Julieanne, one hormonal imbalance is often connected to another.
I have James L. Wilson's Book ADRENAL FATIGUE. Highly recommended. His suggestions to recover include a lot of what readers of this site already do in terms of diet and lifestyle. Sea salt, EFAs, no grains, no sugar, no starchy carbs, no caffeine or alcohol etc. Additionally he suggests: Vitamin C to bowel tolerance (I find 6 grams/day to be about right for me), spaced throughout the day; Vitamin E, mixed tocopherols 800 I.U./day; B vitamins, calcium, magnesium. He wants you to be in bed by 10 p.m. but this rarely worked for me, alas. My lab, if I choose to do the test, is Metametrix Clinical Laboratory, 3425 Corporate Way, Dulth, GA 30096. 770-446-5483. The test for adrenal fatigue is called the Adrenal Stress Specimen Collection Kit; I've also heard it called the Adrenal Salivary Index. Covered by Medicare. I may not pursue it since in the last week things seem to be approaching normal!
I also have/had hypoadrenia, or adrenal fatigue. It has gone hand-in-hand with my hypothyroidism and low estrogen, and is a direct cause of my Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia.
I also self-diagnosed and self-treated until I finally did find a doctor that knew what I was talking about, understood it, and knew how to treat it. I am pleased to report that I have been off treatment for 18 months and am doing quite well. Certainly not like when I was 20, but I am a functioning human being again.
I also sleep now, and dream, too! I hadn't dreamt in years and years. I used Melatonin for sleep, it helped immensely. And now if I have a day or two where I'm up late for any myraid of reasons, I tend to not be able to sleep again. Usually one or two nights of Melatonin and I'm back again.
I had a problem falling asleep from the time I was going through puberty until post college. When I started working after college I had a really hard time with a full day schedule since I only slept two or three hours at night. That's when I started self hypnosis. I learned how to fully relax my mind\body, breathe deeply, visualize a peaceful environment, and focus on the calm, instrumental music on my cd player. At first it took me about an hour or so to go to sleep like this but eventually I could sleep in 3 minutes or less. I no longer need the music as I can put my mind and body in that state almost instantly.
University of Texas recently confirmed what I learned long ago from my herbalist grandma (I'm 72). Sour cheery juice contains large amounts of melatonin and many other beneficial phytogens. I'ved used it for years with vitamin C to reduce muscle fatigue after hard physical labor and to assure a good restful sleep. My guess is would be hard to overdose on melatonin in cherry juice.
Just a slight warning about hops--it is a sedative but can cause depression in some people when used over a long period of time. Valerian has worked well for me with no hangover effect. Passionflower is also a good herb for insomnia. Lemon balm and scullcap are also very relaxing.
I suffered from insomnia for many years, mostly from living in thin-walled apartments where neighbors would blast their T.V.s or stereos all night and garbage trucks would tromp through the neighborhood at 4 a.m. waking up my kids and every baby in the area. (In my crowded neighborhood I could hear them all crying through the opened summer windows right after the crash, smash, beep-beep-beep truck noises). Sometimes the anger at having to deal with the artificial night-noise would keep me up for the rest of the night.
If insomnia is caused by your restless mind, try herbs or other alternatives, but if it comes from the outside world, all you can do is try to move to a quieter location. I think a lot of insomnia is caused by people living in overcrowded, over-noisy, over-lit situations that are completely unnatural to getting a natural night's sleep.
I live very close to a fairly major intersection. I found shutter blinds (roller shutters) helped a lot with light and noise reduction.
I would suggest they would be excellent for shift workers.
In the list of underlying causes of sleep disorders, let's not forget that for many men of middle-age and above, prostate problems can cause constant sleep disruption.