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On this page: Information about Sleep and related health conditions, and a nutritional supplement known for their ability to support Sleep/Tranquility:

Understanding Sleep and Related Health Conditions

Description of a nutritional product that supports Sleep/Tranquility:

Tranquility & Sleep Support System

Understanding Sleep Disorders

What Are Sleep Disorders?

Over 50 million Americans suffer from some kind of sleep disorder. There are numerous common sleep disorders which alter a person’s ability to fall asleep, stay asleep, or wake up when they want to. Sleep disorders often result in abnormal behavior associated with altered sleep patterns (too much or too little sleep).

What Is Sleep For?

Getting enough sleep is a major factor in a person’s state of health. Sleep is an essential part of the daily routine. Proper sleep allows the body a time to physically and psychologically repair, replenish, and restore itself. People vary widely in their sleep requirements; however, most people require 6-8 hours of sleep per night.

What Causes Sleep Disorders?

Sleep disorders can be related to many factors, including:

1. Psychological/emotional distress such as fear or anxiety.
2. Biochemical imbalance from alcohol or drug use, increased stress levels, prolonged illness, nutritional deficiencies, various physical and psychological influences, and external environmental circumstances like noises or lights disturbing sleep, or disturbed wake/sleep patterns as with working the night-shift, or from jet lag. 3. Sleeping in or near electromagnetic fields can also disturb sleep. These electric fields surround any product using house current, and from the wiring and outlets in your house.

Dietary and Lifestyle Causes of Sleep Disorders

The following foods are known to contain tyramine, a chemical created in the breakdown of tyrosine, an amino acid protein. Tyramine acts as a brain chemical stimulant. The following foods and drinks are known to contribute to the formation of tyramine: all forms of alcohol, bacon, caffeine, cheese, chocolate, eggplant, ham, potatoes, sauerkraut, sausage, spinach, sugar, tobacco, tomatoes, and wine. People with sleep disorders should avoid these foods, especially at bedtime.

Are There Other Dietary Of Nutritional Causes?

Other dietary causes include excessive salt consumption, a sluggish or toxic liver, excessive copper levels or copper/iron imbalances, vitamin B complex deficiencies, and food allergies and sensitivities. Always check the list of side effects with prescription drugs, as they are associated with a higher incidence of sleeplessness.

What Is Insomnia?

Insomnia is having difficulty in sleeping, or disturbed sleep patterns. This leaves the person feeling they haven’t had enough sleep. There are three main types of insomnia:

1. Initial Insomnia. Initial insomnia is when a person has difficulty falling asleep. It is commonly associated with anxiety, depression, emotional disturbances, and fearful states.

2. Early Morning Wake-up. This person falls asleep normally but awakens several hours earlier than intended and is unable to return to sleep or experiences restless, unsatisfying sleep.

3. Inverted Sleep Patterns. Most common in elderly people, inverted sleep patterns are often caused by improper use of prescription sleep drugs. Ironically, these drugs are often prescribed for insomnia. The problem is, after taking drugs to sleep, people become drowsy the following morning. Then they tend to sleep or nap more during the day, and then have interrupted or restless sleep at night. This causes them to take more sleep drugs in the middle of the night, and they are drowsy the next day, and the pattern continues.

What Causes Insomnia?

Insomnia can result from the inability to breath properly, as with asthma or other respiratory conditions, drug use of any kind, hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), muscle aches, indigestion, pain, and stress. A deficiency of the nutrients calcium and magnesium will cause muscle spasms, anxiety syndromes, restless sleep, and early morning wakeup. Insomniacs should avoid all products containing caffeine or stimulants.

What Causes Nightmares?

Nightmares affect both children and adults. They usually occur during deep sleep patterns. Children’s deep sleep conditions (nightmares and bed-wetting) are often related to food allergies. Nightmares are more common during illness involving fever, or during times of excess fatigue or exhaustion. With children, scary stories and television violence can precipitate a nightmare, especially in younger children (3 to 4 years old) who still have difficulty distinguishing between fantasy and reality.

Can Certain Foods Cause Nightmares?

With children, nightmares often occur after eating sugar, spicy, or exotic foods before bedtime. Eating sugar before bed often results in high blood sugar (hyperglycemic) for a short while, then, often after the person goes to sleep the body becomes low in blood sugar (hypoglycemic) and this is thought to contribute to nightmares. In adults, eating sugary, spicy or exotic foods, drinking alcohol or taking drugs before bedtime often precipitates nightmares.

What Do You Recommend For Nightmares?

For people who are dealing with nightmares, especially children, I recommend avoiding all forms of sugar, and graphic physical or emotional violence (television) for one to two hours before bedtime. I recommend that these people take vitamin B6 and amino acids before going to bed, and again if they wake during the night, to assist in keeping the body’s blood sugar balanced all night long.

What Is Restless Leg Syndrome?

Restless leg syndrome is a sleep disorder where people experience leg movements, twitches, muscle spasms and uncomfortable sensations in the legs. The movements can involve motions of the entire leg, movements of certain leg muscles, or muscle twitches. The sensations can also have a tingling, or ‘pins-and-needles’ feeling. A person with restless leg syndrome should be evaluated for a deficiency in magnesium, and electrolytes or trace minerals..

How Is Stress Related To Sleep Disorders?

I have found in my clinical nutritional practice, that the most common underlying cause of sleep problems is stress. This stress can be emotional, mental, and/or physical. When the body encounters stress, it responds by having the adrenal glands release the hormone adrenaline into the blood. This hormone is supposed to be used in situations where ‘fight or flight’ decisions are being made. In modern society people are so stressed out, adrenaline constantly circulates in the body, contributing to nervousness, anxiousness and insomnia.

What Lifestyle Changes and Nutrients Help?

To highly stressed people, I usually recommend some kind of physical activity or gym workout program to relieve the stress and reduce the amount of circulating adrenaline. Nutritionally, I support their adrenal glands with adaptogenic herbs and support the body with specific nutrients known to relax the muscles, imparting a calming effect and promoting restful sleep. Adaptogens help the body remain vital and healthy by affecting the energy cells of the brain, muscles, liver, kidneys, and nerves, energizing them and allowing them to function properly even in stressful environments or conditions.

Are There Any Nutrients You Do Not Recommend?

Yes. There has been a lot of misleading, potentially harmful information released about the hormone melatonin recently. Most people do not even know it is a hormone. The hormone melatonin does assist the body in regulating sleep patterns, however, the body is supposed to make it’s own melatonin. Some people, especially the elderly do start becoming deficient in their body’s ability to produce melatonin, and for them I would recommend melatonin. How do you know if you are deficient? With an at-home saliva hormone test. You can order one by calling the 'Health Enhancement Center' at 831-423-7554. I never recommend melatonin to a person unless they first perform this simple test. If you are not deficient and begin taking melatonin, the body will ‘shut down’ it’s own melatonin production. The hormonal systems of the body, in my opinion, should not be ‘shut down’ by taking outside sources of hormones. These hormones control basic metabolism and many body functions. A ‘shut-down’ in the production of any hormone can begin a chain-reaction of chemistry imbalance and physical symptoms in the body.

Which Specific Nutrients And Herbs Do You Recommend?

A very common underlying cause of sleep problems is a deficiency of calcium and magnesium in the body. This deficiency makes it difficult for a person to calm down, relax and fall asleep. Calcium and magnesium are transported into the tissues by amino acids, which are broken-down proteins. For some people poor digestion of protein is the underlying cause of the calcium/magnesium deficiency. It is helpful to take amino acids and calcium/magnesium nutrients about one half hour before bedtime. The herbs I recommend for calming and sleep include valerian root, passionflower, and chamomile. These herbs all have a mild natural sedative effect on the body. They improve a person’s ability to get to sleep and stay asleep and are effective for anxiety, depression and restlessness. I also highly recommend the herb kava kava. Kava kava has the ability to relax the body while improving the ability to think clearly. All of these nutrients and herbs are found in our UMN Tranquility and Sleep Support System.