Insomnia

What Is Insomnia?

Insomnia treatment can be a tricky thing. Insomnia is a sleep disorder characterized by the difficulty or inability to get the proper amount of sleep. In addition to having trouble falling asleep, sleep issues can include: easily disrupted sleep, difficulty returning to sleep, early morning awakening and unrefreshing sleep. Insomnia is a serious problem for many men and women and it contributes to other disorders such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, depression, daytime fatigue, and sleeping medication addiction. In addition, a lack of sleep has been linked to lower productivity and a greater risk of injury. Insomnia can have many causes, including but not limited to:

• stress
• depression
• medications
• caffeine
• nicotine
• alcohol
• inconsistent sleep schedules
• eating too much and too late

Can Insomnia Treatment Include Hormone Replacement?

Additionally, insomnia can also be related to hormone imbalance. Fluctuations of thyroid, testosterone, cortisol, progesterone, melatonin and/or growth hormone can all cause sleep difficulties. It is also a self-aggravating problem, as lack of sleep can cause further hormonal imbalances. In women, sleeping problems are often caused by either too much estrogen or too little progesterone. Estrogen stimulates the nervous system whereas progesterone calms it down, therefore, estrogen and progesterone must be balanced for proper sleep to occur.

Melatonin is what causes sleepiness when it’s dark and the peak nighttime release of melatonin decreases by approximately 50 percent with aging. Excess estrogen interferes with the production of melatonin. Cortisol will increase with prolonged insomnia because of the strain poor sleep puts on the body. Consistently high levels of cortisol can lead to adrenal fatigue which can also worsen insomnia. Also, human growth hormone is produced by the body during the first 90 minutes of sleep. Therefore, if sleep is disrupted, growth hormone production is reduced. This is a self-perpetuating problem since the reduction of growth hormone level has been linked to poor sleep.

The decrease in testosterone associated with andropause can lead to snoring and sleep apnea (a repetitive interruption of breathing during sleep), which also causes poor sleep. Sleep is essential to maintain proper health and hormone balance.

How Is Insomnia Treated?

Insomnia Treatment in Los Angeles, CA

Although more commonly known as a condition, insomnia is actually just a symptom. Insomnia can be treated in a number of different ways depending on the cause. Some forms of insomnia can be treated as simply as being more active, exercising and getting sunlight. You’d be a surprised what a day at the beach and swimming in salt water can do for your sleeping patterns. That being said, the ocean water has an amazing amount of magnesium in it. Magnesium is a nutrient most people are lacking in to begin with. This is another reason why soaking in salt water, especially ocean water gives you such a good nights sleep.

At the Southern California Center for Anti-Aging, Dr. Judi Goldstone will take a holistic approach to your health. This means your consultation will include a physical examination, one-on-one consult and thorough blood panel. Blood work is a very reliable method of seeing what is out of balance in your system. By taking a look at what nutrients and hormones may be deficient or on the contrary too high, Dr. Goldstone can correct the issue at its core and treat your insomnia accordingly.

It is not uncommon for patients to be suffering from multiple symptoms. By listening to your story, Dr. Goldstone can begin to piece the puzzle that is your health together and bring your body back into balance.

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