Written by: Valerie Carlson, RN,CNP
We all know that sleep is vital to our health, but what happens if you are not getting a good night’s sleep? So many of us do not sleep enough hours in the night to be restored for the next day. We wake up still tired, having to face another day.
At Rejuv Medical, we help you figure out reasons that your sleep is slacking. Our Functional Medicine Providers will take time with you to get a detailed health history that will identify possible causes of your sleep problems.
There are many reasons why we don’t sleep well. Sometimes there are hormone imbalances with too much of one hormone that keeps us awake or not enough of another to promote sleep. Life choices like diet, exercise and stresses impact quality of sleep. Sleep hygiene or your nighttime routine may be a cause of sleepless nights as well.
Many of our patients do not even realize how much sleep they are missing until it is restored. In one case, our patient’s cortisol levels had gotten very high which in turn lowered his Melatonin, which is a sleep hormone. After naturally balancing these hormones, our patient returned to the clinic stating he felt great, had energy all day and slept like a baby at night.
Another patient going through menopause had hormone testing and started bio identical progesterone due to low level indicators and symptoms. Within just a few weeks she was back to tell me that she hasn’t slept this well in 15 years!
It can take some time to identify a cause or causes of poor quality sleep, but there are lab tests that can help pinpoint rather quickly if a hormonal imbalance is at fault. You will have an appointment with one of our functional medicine providers to discuss symptoms and testing options. At a follow–up visit, your test results will be reviewed and your provider will discuss options to improve your sleep. This may involve lifestyle changes, dietary supplements, medications or combinations of all of the above. Quality sleep may improve slowly over a few weeks or months or may improve quickly, depending on cause(s) and treatment.
If you are suffering from poor sleep and feel like you are tired all day, schedule an appointment with one of our Functional Medicine Providers.
Sweet Dreams,
Valerie Carlson, RN, CNP