Impacts of lack of sleep on general health
Healthy sleep is important for cognitive functioning, mood, mental health, and cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, immune system and metabolic health. And so it is not surprising that short-term sleep deprivation, long-term sleep restriction, and untreated sleep disorders can have a profound and detrimental impact on physical health, mental health and mood. But it’s not just about sleep itself, it’s also about having a good circadian rhythm and we are going to take a closer look at this and why it’s so important.
For women journeying towards and through perimenopause and menopause, getting a full night of good quality sleep can be a real challenge but it is one of the first things we should work on. Whatever you do, please do NOT start accepting poor sleep or insomnia as your new normal as part of this phase of life! We can and we need to change that!
Adequate restorative sleep AND a good circadian rhythm is critical for normal cortisol and melatonin production rhythms and those rhythms are in turn critical for the proper function of your brain’s hormonal messaging, especially to the ovaries and adrenal glands.
An in-sync circadian rhythm is also important for…
An in-sync circadian rhythm is also important for…
- stimulating tissue and muscle growth and repair and metabolising the body’s waste products to reduce inflammation and consequent joint and muscle pain;
- allowing a drop in body temperature and blood pressure over night which is crucial for cardiovascular health and helps reduce symptoms like hot flushes; and
- abundance and diversity of gut microbiota which in turn feeds back into improving sleep quality and circadian rhythm
So there is a very strong connection indeed between sleep quality, circadian rhythm and menopause symptoms.
The circadian clock is a system regulating behaviour and function of the human body,
thus playing a crucial role in health maintenance generally.
The circadian system involves a central clock located in the hypothalamus of the brain, and peripheral clocks
The circadian system involves a central clock located in the hypothalamus of the brain, and peripheral clocks
found in almost every organ and tissue of the body. The clocks control the daily variations we should have in body temperature, blood pressure, and hormone release.
The central clock is primarily set by light-dark cycles; however, other factors such as feeding-fasting, oxygen and temperature cycles play a significant role in its regulation.
Quite apart from the importance of the duration of your sleep, chronic or long-term circadian disruption when your biological clocks are out of sync can in itself lead to numerous health issues, including metabolic disorders such as diabetes or blood sugar dysregulation, obesity, cardiovascular disease, mental health issues, age-related diseases or even cancer.
The central clock is primarily set by light-dark cycles; however, other factors such as feeding-fasting, oxygen and temperature cycles play a significant role in its regulation.
Quite apart from the importance of the duration of your sleep, chronic or long-term circadian disruption when your biological clocks are out of sync can in itself lead to numerous health issues, including metabolic disorders such as diabetes or blood sugar dysregulation, obesity, cardiovascular disease, mental health issues, age-related diseases or even cancer.
One important aspect of our circadian rhythm is the daily balancing act between cortisol and melatonin.
What should happen in a normal circadian rhythm?
The brain and adrenal glands follow a circadian rhythm, with cortisol and melatonin at opposing ends of the day-night cycle. Cortisol is a crucial component of our metabolism and immune system, but we need our cortisol levels to vary throughout the day.
In general, cortisol levels in the blood are highest in the early morning (around 8 a.m.) and ought to decrease in the evening and during the early sleep phase.
Melatonin secretion begins after sunset, peaks overnight between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m., and gradually decreases during the rest of the night. Levels of melatonin are generally low during the day.
They can be thought of as "yin and yang" hormones, balancing each other. But cortisol is also part of our stress response and so prolonged stress – whatever the source of that stress - can lead to elevated cortisol and disrupted melatonin production.
The usual suspect at the root of so many of the physical and mental health impacts of perimenopause and menopause and for that matter hormonal imbalance at any time of life is elevated cortisol. It crops up a lot in our Complete Menopause Toolkit!
Elevated cortisol can have an impact on so many things that can lead to increased menopausal symptoms.
In general, cortisol levels in the blood are highest in the early morning (around 8 a.m.) and ought to decrease in the evening and during the early sleep phase.
Melatonin secretion begins after sunset, peaks overnight between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m., and gradually decreases during the rest of the night. Levels of melatonin are generally low during the day.
They can be thought of as "yin and yang" hormones, balancing each other. But cortisol is also part of our stress response and so prolonged stress – whatever the source of that stress - can lead to elevated cortisol and disrupted melatonin production.
The usual suspect at the root of so many of the physical and mental health impacts of perimenopause and menopause and for that matter hormonal imbalance at any time of life is elevated cortisol. It crops up a lot in our Complete Menopause Toolkit!
Elevated cortisol can have an impact on so many things that can lead to increased menopausal symptoms.
Melatonin is made in the brain’s pineal gland but it is also produced in other part of the body. For example, the gut produces 400 times more melatonin than the pineal gland. Other cells that produce melatonin include those in the adrenal glands, heart, thymus, placenta, the reproductive system, kidney, bone marrow, lymphocytes (white blood cells), mast cells (immune cells), and epithelial (skin) cells.
Melatonin receptors are also found throughout the whole body, including the brain, cardiovascular system, eyes (retina), liver, kidney, breasts, reproductive organs, fat cells, adrenal glands, pancreas, spleen, and placenta. It is also present in nearly all bodily fluids. So, melatonin's role in the body is much more diverse than simply inducing sleep.
Melatonin has a role in regulating body temperature and hormone production, activates the immune system, protects the skin from UV radiation, regulates skin pigmentation, and slows aging. It also has cardioprotective, antioxidant, and cell protective effects.
Low melatonin is also associated with various conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, fibromyalgia, certain types of cancer, and migraines.
Melatonin may be neuroprotective and support several aspects of cognitive health by enabling the brain to remove toxins and waste products from the central nervous system.
How do we promote a better circadian rhythm?
The fundamentals are going to be changing habits and below are the things we should do.
Including these in our diet:
Phytomelatonin is a bioidentical melatonin produced by plants. Compared to synthetic melatonin, phytomelatonin has higher anti-inflammatory and free radical scavenging activity. Foods including cherries, almonds, walnuts, flaxseeds, sunflower seeds, and black pepper, contain varying amounts of melatonin. The body uses a substance called tryptophan to produce melatonin and serotonin so adding foods containing tryptophan also has the potential to raise our melatonin: salmon and oily fish, poultry, eggs, beef, nuts, seeds and soy. Something to note however is that we need both magnesium and B vits to convert tryptophan into melatonin!
Is there a role for supplements and herbal support?
Is there a role for supplements and herbal support?
There is emerging evidence that plant substances known as polyphenols may also affect “clock genes” and help regulate the circadian rhythm. For example, EGCG, the primary catechin in green tea, may regulate the expression of circadian clock genes and improve circadian function. Other studies have shown that resveratrol and cacao also have a positive impact on “resetting” circadian rhythm.
The best place to start is always nutrition and healthy habits but if you need a little herbal support then there is good quality clinical evidence that valerian, passionflower, chamomile and hops, amongst others, are effective in improving sleep time, decreasing the amount of time it takes a person to fall asleep, decreasing the number of times a person wakes up during sleep and decreasing the severity of insomnia. If you have other health conditions or are on any medication then it’s always advisable to speak with your doctor before taking any supplement or herb to assist sleep, to ensure that the treatment is safe.
The best place to start is always nutrition and healthy habits but if you need a little herbal support then there is good quality clinical evidence that valerian, passionflower, chamomile and hops, amongst others, are effective in improving sleep time, decreasing the amount of time it takes a person to fall asleep, decreasing the number of times a person wakes up during sleep and decreasing the severity of insomnia. If you have other health conditions or are on any medication then it’s always advisable to speak with your doctor before taking any supplement or herb to assist sleep, to ensure that the treatment is safe.
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The Complete Menopause Toolkit
We address every system of your body affecting or being affected by perimenopause and menopause and every system that impacts upon your sleep. And there is ongoing interactive support, spotlights, live Q&As and an ever-increasing array of resources to put you firmly in control of your hormones and health, regardless of whether you are or are not on HRT. Come and join our growing Community!
rebecca@livelongandprosper.co.uk
Phone number: +44 7441 345 948
Phone number: +44 7441 345 948
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