I can’t say enough about the importance of sleep. We all go through periods or have a rough night. But chronic sleep deprivation is a problem. Why? because sleep regulation and wake/sleep cycles are important for so many bodily functions.
Body Systems Affected by Circadian Rhythms
If circadian rhythms only managed sleep, they would already play a critical role in health. But they affect so much more as well. Here’s a quick review of how our bodies respond to these rhythms:
Sleep-Wake Cycle: Circadian rhythms play a fundamental role in regulating the sleep-wake cycle. The release of melatonin at night helps promote sleep, while cortisol production in the morning promotes wakefulness.
Hormonal Regulation: Many hormones, including cortisol, growth hormone, and insulin, follow circadian patterns. Disruptions can affect metabolism, stress response, and overall health.
Body Temperature: Core body temperature peaks during the day and drops at night. This affects alertness, energy levels, and the quality of sleep.
Digestive System: The digestive process follows circadian rhythms, with the stomach and intestines being more active during the day. Eating late at night can disrupt this rhythm.
Cardiovascular System: Blood pressure and heart rate exhibit daily variations, with higher levels during the day. This can influence the risk of cardiovascular events.
Cognitive Function: Cognitive performance and alertness tend to be highest during the daytime, corresponding to the body’s circadian rhythms.
This idea of rhythm has long been recognized by healing modalities like traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), which observes the way in which chi (life force energy) moves through various organs and strengthens them for enhanced activity throughout the day. For instance, the large intestine is stimulated between 5 and 7 am when we wake and the body should be ready to empty the bowels. The stomach is stimulated between 7 and 9 am so we can break our nightline fast and begin eating.
Importantly within this Chinese organ clock, we can observe the body’s efforts to rebuild and detox as we sleep, between 11 pm and 5 am; the last portion of this period, focused on the lungs, is meant to support memory, which is a critical factor in bioenergetics – the body needs to remember how it’s meant to be, if it’s to rebuild itself properly.
Most of us, as we age, ( in post-menopause) will experience some sleep interruption during the night. Many will wake and won’t be able to go back to sleep. Some will have trouble falling asleep. Others find themselves so exhausted and fatigued that they collapse in bed but still wake up tired. All of these scenerios can be symptoms of one or several underlying root causes including poor diet (nutritional deficiencies), hormonal imbalances, chronic fatigue, chronic sleep deprivation, chronic stress, too much caffeine late in the day, too much screen time, alcohol, sleep conditions not ideal, lack of stress management strategies, etc.
Here are some suggestions:
Consistent bedtime and waketime
no heavy meals 2 hours before bed
cut water off 1 hour before bed
Stop working, watching TV and get off your devices 1 hour before bedtime
Take a cool/warm shower, oil and put on comfortable pajamas
dark room, cool room, use a sound machine
get outside and get “first light” in your eyes and moon/darkness at the end of the day.
Daily Grounding. Our body functions most efficiently with a slightly negative charge or polarity. Walking barefoot, being outside connecting with with natural world helps to counteract all the positive ions from cell phones, screens, appliances, electrical lines, etc.
Consider sleeping on grounding sheets
use a weighted blanket or have an extra throw blanket to snuggle around head/neck
darkening shades and/or eye mask to cut out ambient light
try earplugs if your partner snores and/or you are sound sensitive, noisy house
use magnesium supplements take couple hours before bed each day
Talk to your functional doctor about Menopause Replacement Therapy. Lots of problems can be helped with balancing hormones
Get your bloodwork done to identify deficiencies in vital minerals, vitamins and hormone levels
Meditate, read, journal
Keep a notepad by your bed, if you wake and mind races write everything down and revisit in morning
Change your location if you can’t sleep (guest room, couch)
NUTRITION AND HYDRATION. When you eat well, you sleep well.
EXERCISE. Helps to off-load stress, raises key “feel good” hormones like serotonin, dopamine, estrogen, endorphines.