Overactive Adrenals Leads to Insomnia

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Overactive Adrenals Leads to Insomnia

_http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2001/08/29/insomnia-part

-one.aspx_

(http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2001/08/29/insomnia-part-one\

..aspx)

 

 

 

Scientists have found increased blood levels of stress hormones in people

with chronic insomnia, suggesting that these individuals suffer from

sustained, round-the-clock activation of the body's system for responding to

stress.

For this reason, the researchers suggest, doctors who treat insomnia

should go beyond improving the quality or quantity of their patients' sleep and

seek to reduce this hyperarousal, which is a risk factor for both

psychiatric and medical illness.

Investigators monitored the sleep of 11 patients with insomnia and 13

people without sleep disturbances (the " control " group). Blood was collected

every 30 minutes for 24 hours, and levels of stress hormones --

adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol were monitored.

Average levels of both hormones were significantly higher in the insomniacs

than in the control group.

They found that the insomniacs with the highest degree of sleep

disturbance secreted the highest amount of cortisol, particularly in the

evening and

nighttime hours, " Vgontzas said in a prepared statement. This means that

insomniacs are experiencing hormonal changes in their bodies, which prevents

them from sleeping.

The investigators propose that the physical mechanism of chronic insomnia

differs from that of sleep loss, with chronic insomnia being a disorder of

hyperarousal present throughout the 24-hour sleep/wake cycle. Increased

production of stress hormones is likely to lead not only to depression, but

also to high blood pressure, obesity and osteoporosis.

This information could help doctors who are treating insomniacs refocus

their therapeutic goals. Instead of aiming to simply improve nighttime sleep,

doctors may now work to decrease the levels of physiologic arousal.

Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism August 2001; 86:3787-3794

 

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

 

 

Clearly, persistent insomnia is a huge clue that something is desperately

wrong with one's balance in life. Left untreated, insomnia can destroy

one's health.

This is particularly true for perimenopausal women who are experiencing

hot flashes. One of the few times I will recommend estrogen is for these

women who fail to respond to the herb black cohosh. I have found that

perimenopausal insomnia will frequently lead to depression unless it is

treated.

For the rest of us, following the _insomnia guidelines_

(http://www.mercola.com/article/sleep.htm) is a first step.

I find overall, that an effective cardiovascular aerobic exercise program

where one is raising their heart rate to 75% of their maximum for 45

minutes five times a week, to be an effective solution to many of the adrenal

stresses that contribute to insomnia.

In conjunction with sleeping my staff and I use a variety of energetic

techniques to rebalance the short circuiting that results from emotional

trauama. These results are so consistently effective that I will be writing my

first book on this and it should be out next spring.

 

My personal current favorite technique (this can always change of course)

is Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). You can discover more information

about EFT by visiting my _free EFT manual_

(http://www.mercola.com/forms/eftcourse1.htm) .

 

If one is actually interested in quantifying the level of adrenal

dysfunction I use and endorse _BioHealth Diagnostics_ (http://www.biodia.com/)

as

their accuracy and support put are terrific. Unlike many other labs

questionable practice of offering their saliva kits to consumers, BioHealth

only

offer testing to professionals so the proper evaluation is performed.

Related Articles:

_Lack of Daylight May Cause Insomnia_

(http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2001/02/07/insomnia-sunlight\

..aspx)

_Light During Sleep Affects 'Body Clock'_

(http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/01/02/body-clock-part-t\

hree.aspx)

_One of the BEST Cures for Insomnia_

(http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2000/05/07/cure-insomnia.asp\

x)

_Insomnia May Signal Depression Risk_

(http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/01/02/depression-risk.a\

spx)

_Insomnia Reduces Immune Cell Level_

(http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/01/02/insomnia-reduces-\

immune-function.aspx)