The Truth Behind What’s REALLY Causing Your Interrupted Sleep

I’ve noticed that the subject of “sleep” has been popping up more and more with my clients lately. Have you been having trouble sleeping lately? Finding it hard to fall asleep or stay asleep? Of course, many of us struggle with sleep issues from time to time, but when it becomes a regular occurrence, it’s time to look into what’s going on. 

Over the years, I’ve helped many people who have come to me specifically for sleep issues like insomnia, sleep apnea, and many other sleep troubles. The thing is, there can be many little reasons you may not think of that are contributing to your sleep problems, including:

• What’s going on in your life/what’s on your mind
• What you eat or drink before bed and all day long
• Stress & other mental health problems
• Medication that you’re taking
• Napping during the day
• Your sleep patterns/ having no set sleep schedule
• Your sleep environment

All of those are valid and can contribute to sleep disruptions. But when it comes to mainstream medicine, health care specialists tend only to cover two different issues when you talk to them about sleep problems:

1. Sleep apnea- a severe sleep disorder that causes your breathing to suddenly stop for periods of time
2. Thyroid issues- your thyroid causes frequent urination and night sweats that can wake you up and disrupt your sleep

These are very intense, serious problems that of course need to be addressed. However, in reality they are the most extreme issues that are actually pretty rare while the true root causes are overlooked! So when it comes to sleep issues,  even if you’ve been told you have sleep apnea or thyroid problems, there are other reasons that need to be looked into. Sleep issues are typically caused by:⁠

 

Liver issues

Your liver is one of the most important organs in your body. It is responsible for hundreds of functions that keep your body healthy and running smoothly. Your liver helps balance your hormones and produces glycogen, which helps you digest your food.

But it’s also easily upset by eating the wrong foods, stress, and even your weight. Fatty liver and  are both problems that are proven to cause bad sleep.  Even if these are not issues for you, most people are living with a sluggish liver.  This can be caused by a lot of different factors such as a high fat, high protein diet, environmental toxins, prescription medications, emotional barriers, and other lifestyle factors.  When the liver is sluggish, it struggles to function optimally and causes sleep disturbances.

 

Digestive Problems

If you’re eating things that are unhealthy or out of balance for your body, your stomach and GI tract can be producing gut bacteria that can lead to why you’re having sleep issues. 

Additionally, not being able to sleep and eating the wrong thing for you can lead to other problems. Not only will you be more likely to reach for unhealthy foods during the day, but those food choices can lead to more digestive issues at night while feeding and fueling other pathogens that may contribute to other chronic health issues. This means a constant vicious cycle. The lack of sleep and unhealthy food can lead to stress, and stress also can keep you awake at night.

 

Adrenal Issues⁠

If your stress isn’t managed in a healthy way, or if you have a tendency to be a giver (IYKYK ladies!), your adrenal glands can get stuck in a state of constant fight or flight mode.  While this is a built in protective mechanism for the body, it’s essential that the nervous system is properly regulated so that your body can activate its parasympathetic nervous system (PNS)-the component that helps us get calm and relaxed.  

When the adrenals are overworked, this can cause adrenal fatigue, which means your hormone levels may become out of balance, which can cause bad sleep. When you have adrenal fatigue, cortisol is released through your adrenal glands, which can cause a blood sugar spike, rapid breathing and heart rate.

 

Viral Pathogens

We’re all living daily with viral pathogens hanging out in the body and organs.  Your immune system and liver are constantly working to keep them dormant and eliminate them from the body.

Not only are you more susceptible to viruses when you’re not getting enough sleep, but viruses, bacteria and other microorganisms can cause you to not sleep well and also can lead to sleep disorders.

 

MSG & Toxic Heavy Metals in the Brain⁠

Toxic heavy metals such as mercury and lead can cause you to feel more drained during the day. As mentioned earlier, napping leads to worse sleep at night, and if you’re tired during the day, you’re more likely to be less productive and alert. Eventually, these heavy metals can lead to other sleep issues, and even cause brain damage over time!

MSG, on the other hand, can cause heart palpitations, headaches, fatigue and muscle pain due to the high salt content. These can lead to less than ideal and uncomfortable sleep.

⁠It’s important to remember that sleep issues can also be caused by a combination of several of those root causes.⁠ Don’t worry though, there are different ways to can remedy and heal these problems. Healing foods like fruits and vegetables are very important. ⁠

Additionally, there are OTHER, non-physical root causes that can contribute to sleep issues. There can be energetic problems. I’ve worked with a number of clients who had energetic disturbances and interferences that needed to be dealt with, and this is something I can very simply facilitate. ⁠

There are a few different healing strategies I would recommend depending on the root causes of your sleep issues.⁠

⁠

Some tips:

1. Increase your amount of daylight exposure during the day- getting sunlight during the day is beneficial for many reasons!
2. Assess your stress! Do a little personal reflection and consider how you’re managing stress in your daily life.
3. Reduce blue light exposure- PUT AWAY THOSE ELECTRONICS AND KEEP THEM OUT OF THE BEDROOM! Use a real alarm clock instead of your phone.
4. After about 4 pm, try not to drink any caffeine and alcohol. This can contribute to bad sleep and keep you awake!
5. Try not to nap, no matter how sleepy you are.
6. Find a sleep schedule that works for you and stick to it!
7. Breathe. Take slow, deep breaths. Intentionally fill your lungs all the way up, and empty them completely. Try 5-10 before bedtime or when you climb into bed.

Those are some good tips to start, but obviously try to get to the root of the cause if the problem persists. But in addition to things you can do before bed and during the day, what can you eat to improve sleep naturally?

 

Favorite healing foods for sleep:

Coconut helps prevent insomnia and sleep apnea⁠.

Cherries are a natural source of melatonin, help calm the nervous system, and promote a good night’s sleep and a balanced sleep-wake cycle⁠.

Almonds have manganese and antioxidants that protect your cells and help you have better sleep.

Chamomile tea has flavones that reduces inflammation, reduces stress, and helps improve your sleep.

 

These are some excellent tips to get you started no matter what the root causes of your sleep issues are. ⁠These are just some of the many ways I help my clients; identifying the true root causes – physical and non-physical – of what’s got you stuck.

Have you found anything that works for you? Comment below and share your tips! 

If you’re looking for a customized guide to how to heal your sleep, digestion and more, I’ve got great news- sign up HERE for a consultation with me. I guide and facilitate healing across all layers and dimensions. I stand at the intersection of science and spiritualism, the bridge between traditional and holistic healing.⁠ 

I’ll help lead you down the path to wellness so you’ll ALWAYS have the best night sleep to get back to your productive life!

“Sleep is the best meditation”  – The Dalai Lama

XO,

Dr. Elizabeth