Sleep is one of the most important things we need to stay healthy. Sleeping allows our bodies to rest and repair. There are many factors that contribute to how well you sleep.
Here are some of the common factors we see in our clinic that may contribute to poor-quality sleep.
Reason One: Mineral Deficiencies and Imbalances
- Magnesium deficiency
- Electrolyte imbalance
- Zinc deficiency
- Low bioavailable calcium
- Copper dysregulation
- Vitamin B deficiency, for example B12
These can all affect how well you sleep. If you’d like to know whether your minerals may be playing a role in poor sleep, testing them is a good place to start. A Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) measures the levels of minerals stored in the hair and can show patterns that may be affecting your sleep.
Reason Two: Stress
Stress can have a big impact on our sleep. Almost everyone is under some sort of stress; we see it in around 90% of the clients who come into the clinic. Stress can negatively affect our gut and our adrenals, and it can deplete crucial minerals like magnesium and zinc.
Reason Three: Food Sensitivities
We are seeing more and more food sensitivities in clinic, using functional tests such as the Microba gut test and food sensitivity testing. Many clients have increased intestinal permeability (often called leaky gut) and mineral imbalances, which may make them less tolerant of certain foods.
The most common culprits we see are gluten, dairy, oxalates (found in foods such as raw leafy greens), artificial colours and flavours, and MSG.
Reason Four: Sluggish Liver
Our liver works hard at night filtering toxins. If your liver is under pressure, it may not be able to keep up, and this can show up as night sweats, a racing mind, or trouble falling asleep or staying asleep.
Reason Five: Low Blood Sugar
We need energy to sleep. Yes, it sounds strange, but it’s true! If we are running on empty, our bodies may struggle to make the energy needed to help regulate our sleep. A common reason people have trouble staying asleep is their blood sugar dropping during the night.
Ongoing poor sleep can have many causes, including conditions such as sleep apnoea, so if it is affecting your day-to-day life, please talk to your GP too.
If you’d like to understand what may be affecting your sleep, book a free 30-minute phone call.