Insomnia – What Causes it and How to Treat it

Insomnia is something that really plagues a lot of people – all ages! I treat a lot of this in the clinic. And I know from the patients I treat, and my own experience is there are many different types of Insomnia.

Causes of Insomnia

Too Much Heat in the Body

This is caused usually by a night of excess drinking. Alcohol converts to pure sugar. Sugar is a form of energy which creates heat in your body. Heat rises and disturbs the mind.  In fact, not only can alcohol wreck your sleep but a diet high in sugar rich foods and drinks: slurpies, pop, candy and chocolate consumed later in the day will cause wreak havoc on your sleep because it also causes your cortisol levels to spike – usually between 3- 4 am.  We also know that sugar causes anxiety – yup – the more sugar rich foods you eat the more anxious it can leave you feeling – again back to those cortisol level spikes. Increased cortisol levels can suppress melatonin and dilute adenosine, which can lead to insomnia, fragmented sleep, and difficulty getting deep sleep.

If you can fall asleep but you’re waking up between 3 – 4am then take a good look at your diet. Limit your alcohol intake or maybe push off drinking until the weekend and limit the sugar in your diet.

Hormones – yes for those perimenopause and menopause women who wake up and 10 seconds later feeling that flush of heat that’s purely caused by a lack of progesterone.  Blood work can confirm your hormone levels and women are usually put on a dose of progesterone and often estrogen too.

Stress – what’s interesting about stress is it causes a cascade effect in the body. Women who are under a lot of stress – work, kids, financial pressures, or they are anxious by nature, can cause their hormones to go out of whack leading to hormone imbalances.  The more stressed out you are the more likely you are to wake up at 3 am – again caused by cortisol spikes in your blood. One of the best ways to manage stress is hands down through exercise and not a gentle walk in the woods but good high intensity cardio exercise. Stress is an energy and the best way to move energy (other than acupuncture of course) is to move it – fast walk, bike ride, swimming, racquet sports. Why do we love racquet sports because they stimulate the cerebellum improving physical and thought coordination. What it’s really doing is giving your mind something to focus on other than what’s bothering you. Our brains are supercomputers. They love a problem to solve and will latch onto any issue no matter how small and concentrate on it. Using the brain in racquet sports demands it focus on multiple things at once – it’s the perfect distractor for people with anxiety.

 

Trauma – If the insomnia is caused by trauma, meaning if the person is currently triggered by an event, then until that person feels safe and the situation that is triggering them is resolved it will be difficult to treat their insomnia. If we do not feel safe in our bodies, then the body will be living in a state of fight or flight. Adrenalin will be released into the bloodstream to boost energy – not what you want when you’re trying to fall asleep.  Cortisol is also being released into the blood stream to relieve pain.

At best managing the level of trauma through yin yoga, hot baths, repetitive movement like swimming, and of course acupuncture will help regulate the autonomic nervous system. Chinese herbs like Gui Pi Tang may also be prescribed 30 minutes before bed to help calm the mind and nourish blood to help the patient fall asleep.

Low Iron – Blood Deficiency

We know blood nourishes the mind. People who have low iron levels may have difficulty falling asleep or their sleep will be light – like skimming the surface. They don’t wake up feeling refreshed just more tired. Make sure your iron levels are well above the minimum normal ranges (which in my opinion are too low for women):

Women the range is 35 – 145 mcg/dL

Men 50 – 150 mcg/dL

Being low in iron can cause insomnia, anxiety, and low energy levels.

Chinese formulas like Si Wu Tang, Ba Zhen Tang and Gui Pi Tang all do a nice job of building Qi or energy and blood in the body.

If you are struggling with insomnia, it’s important to determine what’s causing your insomnia.  Blood work, diet, hormone panels and talking to your healthcare practitioner can all help determine the best way to treat it.