The Science Behind Successful Sleep - Day and Nighttime Practices for Success
Hello, I am Julie Donaldson and I am a clinical nutritionist with functional health training. I specialize in restoring balance in complex, chronic and acute health conditions. I welcome you to peruse other articles that may be of interest to you in your health investigation!
“Count me in with the millions of people who tried every sleep remedy on the planet, to no avail. Of course, after years of insomnia, my overall health began to suffer. I finally found Julie, tackled everything from the bottom up, and I am a new man. I simply cannot sing enough praises for this woman! she knows how to get to the bottom of things and turn them around...it may not be a quick fix, but I’d much rather have my new life than a quick fix.”
Could there be anything more important than balancing the nervous system, the stress response and getting restorative sleep? All of this plays into more balanced organ function - including digestion and the gut, the heart, liver and kidneys, glands and the brain. Add to this balanced immune function and overall well-being in life. Sleep is absolutely necessary for cellular repair, mood modulation and energy production. Without it, any system can become dysfunctional. In this article, we are covering crucial steps to getting to proper sleep and how to achieve holistic health in this incredibly important arena. Ready to sleep like a baby again? Here, we’ll cover more of the associated factors and precursors to good sleep than most mainstream sources can imagine!
Let’s start at the very beginning…
During the daytime, long before we reach sleep, our bodies are completing a vast multitude of tasks. One of these is the “cleanup” of the mitochondria that melatonin (our sleep hormone) actually participates in during the day (we’ll talk more about this later). But this takes energy - so let’s talk about where energy comes from.
In the body, energy is created via completion of the Krebs cycle. Here at True Nature, we are utilizing a format of nutrition that is 100% personalized and is a most critical foundation for successful function of the Krebs cycle. This is Metabolic Typing® (MT).
The unique ability of Metabolic Typing® to stabilize homeostatic mechanisms in the body provides the foundation for optimizing mitochondrial function. MT is one of the only true forms of personalized nutrition. Meeting genetically-based nutritional requirements is the foundational determinant of health or disease. Even worse than running an engine on too little oil is using the wrong fuel – you can’t use diesel in a gas engine or gas in a diesel engine!
The most important homeostatic mechanisms are blood sugar, body temperature, body fluid composition, gas concentrations (oxygen and carbon dioxide), and blood pressure. To maintain homeostasis, levels of glucose, gases and metabolic products all have to be tightly regulated. A series of metabolic processes that begin with nutritional processing make this possible. Here is a basic outline of those processes:
Digestion
Food is introduced into the oral cavity. The breakdown of proteins, fats and carbohydrates begins with saliva.
Chewed/swallowed food enters the stomach. Gastric juices further digest the food.
Complex carbohydrates are broken down into glucose and other byproducts in the intestines. The glucose is absorbed by the walls of the intestines and enters the blood stream. Amino acids and fatty acids from proteins and fats are also diffused through the plasma membrane to be absorbed by the cells of your body.
Cellular Respiration
Blood with oxygen from the lungs and glucose from the intestines is pumped out to the capillaries where the oxygen and glucose diffuse into individual cells.
Inside each cell, a chemical reaction called glycolysis splits the glucose molecules and produces enzymes and energy-carrying molecules called ATP (adenosine triphosphate). (ATP is the "gas" to every one of your body's trillion cells.)
The Krebs cycle steps use some of the enzymes produced by glycolysis to produce additional enzymes, more ATP and carbon dioxide.
The enzymes produced by glycolysis and the Krebs cycle enter the electron transport chain and produce a large number of ATP molecules. The final hydrogen reaction products combine with oxygen to form water.
Elimination
The carbon dioxide and water diffuse out of the cells into the blood stream and are passed back to the heart through the veins.
The blood is pumped through the lungs to eliminate carbon dioxide and through the kidneys to eliminate surplus water.
Cellular respiration is dependent upon successful completion of the Krebs cycle...
...and that successful completion of the Krebs cycle is dependent upon the right mix of nutrients for your individual metabolism. Because carbohydrates, proteins and fats feed into and are processed differently in the the cycle, this balance deserves careful attention. If we miss a key component (based upon our individual metabolic patterns) in a meal, we'll fall short of optimal production of ATP. The unique ability of Metabolic Typing® to stabilize homeostatic mechanisms in the body provides the foundation for optimizing mitochondrial function. MT is one of the only true forms of personalized nutrition. Meeting genetically-based nutritional requirements is the foundational determinant of health or disease. Even worse than running an engine on too little oil is using the wrong fuel – you can’t use diesel in a gas engine or gas in a diesel engine!
So, essentially, the Krebs cycle (when fed effectively) produces ATP - the gas to every one of our body’s cells. Without adequate ATP, any cellular function can be compromised, as the body will prioritize keeping our vital organs alive over other tasks.
Diagram of the Krebs cycle producing ATP
In order to have proper sleep, we also need to have balance in the autonomic nervous system. This is also something that is effectively addressed with practicing MT. In determining our personal MT, the algorithm assesses both nervous system function and oxidation function. One or the other of these will be our dominating MT system, but the other must be factored into the equation in order to determine dominance. Let’s dive a bit deeper into the nervous system.
How does the nervous system support or stress our healthiest sleep?
In order to get to sound, enduring sleep, we need to spend our days in a state of balance in the nervous system. Too much stimuli that doesn’t shut off or too much sleepiness/slowness in the system translates into poor sleep.
The brain, spinal cord and nervous system
The nervous system consists of the brain, spinal cord (with cerebrospinal fluid encased in the craniosacral membrane), sympathetic and parasympathetic branches. For the sake of this conversation, we will focus on the two branches of the system (while assuming a healthy brain, CSF fluid and spinal cord).
The sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the nervous system are intended to “teeter-totter” with each other, always communicating and tonifying between one another. The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for many “wakeful” and active functions in the body. It utilizes 7 of the major nerves, including 6 cranial nerves and the Vagus nerve. It impacts the following:
Eyes: Enlarges your pupils to let more light in and improve your vision.
Heart: Increases your heart rate to improve the delivery of oxygen to other parts of your body.
Lungs: Relaxes your airway muscles to improve oxygen delivery to your lungs.
Digestive tract: Slows down your digestion so its energy is diverted to other areas of your body.
Liver: Activates energy stores in your liver to an energy that can be used quickly.
Fight or flight: Shuts down multiple body functions to send energy to mobilize the body to fight or flee
These effects improve your reflexes, endurance and strength. Your sympathetic nervous system also activates at times when your body is under strain, like when you’re exercising or are sick - it has a direct influence upon the immune system as well as upon repair processes..
The parasympathetic nervous system, on the other hand, controls many relaxation responses. The system uses 4 of the major nerves in the body, including 3 cranial and the Vagus nerve. “Rest and digest” and “feed and breed” are terms used to describe functions the parasympathetic system supports. These include:
Eyes: Constricts your pupils to limit how much light enters your eyes. It also makes changes that can help improve your close-up vision, and causes tear production in your eyes.
Nose and mouth: Stimulates glands in your mouth to produce saliva, and glands in your nose to produce mucus. This can be helpful with digestion and breathing during times of rest.
Lungs: Tightens airway muscles and ultimately reduces the amount of work your lungs do during times of rest.
Heart: It lowers your heart rate, the pumping force of your heart and your blood pressure.
Digestive tract: It increases your rate of digestion and diverts energy to help you digest food. It also tells your pancreas to make and release insulin, helping your body break down sugars into a form your cells can use.
Waste removal: Relaxes the muscles that help you control when you urinate or have a bowel movement
Reproductive system:: Manages some of your body’s sexual functions, including feeling aroused and fluid secretion.
Important to understand is that these two branches of the nervous system are fed differently by different nutrients. Some foods have stimulating/supporting effects upon the sympathetic system, others impact the parasympathetic more directly. Without understanding these impacts, we can unknowingly overstimulate either branch and thus create imbalances and unwanted symptoms in the body.
In my practice, I see these effects on both sides - clients who have been overstimulating their sympathetic branch with the wrong foods (and can’t calm down) as well as clients who are overstimulating the parasympathetic with the wrong foods (and can’t stimulate appropriately nor have proper waking/sleeping rhythms). It is imperative to have the right foods for your needs in order to stimulate when it’s time and slow things down when it’s time.
Healthy sleep requires changes in light, heart rate and breathing rate, all of which you can see are controlled by nervous system functions. These functions also support balance in your circadian rhythms. Circadian rhythms are regulated by small nuclei in the middle of the brain called the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN). Nuclei act as control centers. The SCN are connected to other parts of the brain which then branch into the nerves - together they control your circadian rhythms and body functions. Melatonin receptors in the SCN are activated when melatonin is produced to regulate sleep at night.
(See the chart below for reference to organ circadian rhythms and their dominant times of the day/night.)
Circadian rhythms of the organs
To realize healthy expression of these rhythms, we want a steady and adaptable nervous system. Now, let’s talk about some ongoing study at the Huberman Lab at Stanford University that is looking at the connections between breathing and a healthy stress response and nervous system.
The power of breath in tonifying the nervous system
In his studies, Dr. Andrew Huberman is looking at the impacts of of meditation vs. breathing on the nervous system, and most specifically, the steadying of heart rate in stressed individuals. Surprisingly (because most people think that meditation is the most calming approach for stress), Dr. Huberman has found that heart rate (and associated stress) rebounds immediately after the end of a meditation period. While the heart rate does decrease during active mindfulness meditation, the rate returns to its previous level at the end. With breathing techniques, however, when practiced daily for 5 minutes, the heart rate stabilizes at a healthy level and remains stable throughout the 28 day study period.
Dr. Huberman utilized 3 different breathing methods. He refers to these as Slow breath, SuperOx breath, and Box breath. I share each of these with you in the video below, along with what I refer to as a Cooling breath which I teach to my clients for sleep purposes. Any of the breathing techniques may be utilized for the few minutes daily, based upon ease and effect for you. I suggest the Cooling breath at night for inducing sleep when plagued with an active mind and/or stress response.
Melatonin, removal of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and sleep
Melatonin production is a huge part of healthy sleep, but it is also a key component for the removal of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the mitochondria of our cells. It also plays a role in gut health. Melatonin is our “sleep hormone”, produced by the tiny pineal gland located between and behind our eyes. Darkness triggers the release of melatonin by the pineal gland. Some of the melatonin is then moved into the mitochondria for synthesis and storage. It is important to underline that the amount of melatonin produced by the pineal gland in humans decreases as we age and its reduction in blood could be related to pathological conditions in which the mitochondria and oxidative stress play a pivotal role. (It is also important to note that some substances, fluoride in particular, negatively impact the health of the pineal gland.) With release, some melatonin will be stored while some will be transported to the SCN in the brain for sleep induction.
Here, let us return to the earlier conversation about energy production and healthy mitochondria. In order to have successful cleanup in the mitochondria during the day, we need sufficient production of melatonin at night, storage of melatonin in the mitochondria plus adequate energy (ATP) production (which we discussed at length) for activation.
Melatonin is not easily absorbed when taken as a supplement and does not readily cross the blood-brain barrier. For this reason, I recommend only liposomal forms of melatonin or high dose melatonin suppositories which allow the absorption through the intestinal wall into the blood.
Other sleep-supporting supplements
Some people do not tolerate melatonin for a variety of reasons and/or do not experience its positive effect. Other choices for sleep support include lions mane and l-theanine. Let’s talk about each of these.
Lions mane has been studied for its many positive benefits. An 8-week study showed improvement in mood and sleep duration/quality with lions mane supplementation. Lions mane has cognitive and nervous system support benefits in addition. It is often used as an adjunct therapy in working with neuroimmune conditions.
L-theanine has long been studied to provide beneficial impacts on sleep quality and duration as well. Its powers include the enahancement of GABA levels in the brain, increase in deep non-REM sleep, reduction of the excitatory transmitter glutamate in the brain and nervous system, and increase in antioxidant activity.
There are several pathways by which black seed oil supports sleep. The first is via support of melatonin activity in control of the circadian rhythm of sleep. Melatonin is a hormone released through the pineal gland and assisted via retinal responses in the eyes. Black seed oil binds to both types of melatonin receptors (type 1A and type 1B). In so doing it acts as an agonist which the receptors respond to. Low function of melatonin receptors 1A and 1B can be caused by various factors, including aging, genetic variations, and certain health conditions that affect hormone levels or receptor sensitivity. Additionally, environmental factors such as light exposure at night can also influence melatonin receptor activity.
Melatonin receptors are in the brain, retina of the eye, cardiovascular system, the liver and gallbladder, colon, skin, kidneys, among others. So, for those who are perplexed as to why they take melatonin and don’t have a successful response, the addition of black seed oil makes a significant impact. (Note: In some cases, failure of melatonin release is impacted by calcification of the pineal gland, associated with excess fluoride in the system.)
The 2nd mechanism of black seed oil in supporting healthy sleep is in the modulation of GABA and nitric oxide within the brain. GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) primarily promotes sleep by acting as an inhibitory neurotransmitter, calming brain activity and facilitating sleep onset Nitric oxide enhances arterial oxygenation which is postulated to affect sleep at night.
Black seed oil also affects acetylcholine and glutamate, as well as their receptors. These are two very important stimulatory neurotransmitters which contribute to the balance of daytime and nighttime circadian rhythms through wakefulness. When wakefulness is impaired, sleepiness will also be impaired.
While the research results are attached to a formula containing 5% thymoquinones (the active compound in black seed oil), use of higher milligrams can make up for a lower %. In my practice, I routinely advise a formula with 3.5% thymoquinones and it produces excellent results.
Exercise and its interplay with calming the stress response
Researchers find repeatedly that exercise is key to calming the nervous system and supporting sleep. Several studies indicate that regular moderate exercise wins over light or intense exercise in its effects on anxiety and mood. A number of mechanisms have been studied for their effects, including those on the HPA, monoamine and opioid systems, neurotropic factors, neurogenesis, distraction and self-efficacy.
Positive effects of moderate exercise on moods and perceived stress
Important daytime and evening practices for sleep
In addition to daily breath work, let’s talk about a host of other behaviors that are excellent to incorporate for good “sleep hygiene”.
Begin your day with direct sunlight in your eyes as much as possible. The blue/yellow combination that occurs after sunrise is most effective for initiating daytime circadian rhythms. If the sky is not visible or you cannot be exposed to it, utilize a bright overhead light for a few minutes. The SuperOx breath is very effective in the morning for “firing up” the brain and energy.
Eat by your MT and avoid the overstimulation of sugary foods and caffeinated beverages.
Be sure to practice with breath daily and get moderate exercise regularly. Research shows moderate exercise is better than no exercise or intense exercise on stress levels and mood. Consider adding practices such as Qi gong and yoga, binaural beat meditation (more effective than meditation alone, especially in traumatic conditions).
Get midday sunlight in your eyes as much as possible. (Never look straight at the sun, but turn your eyes to different angles to expose multiple areas. Take 500-1000 mg’s of lions mane and 60 mg’s of Sulforaphane Glucosinolate with your lunch to support brain/nervous system activity and reduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS).
Get 20-30 minutes of moderate exercise.
Get sunset light in your eyes as much as possible - again, especially at the blue/yellow phase in the sky. Research shows that it is mostly intense light that disrupts melatonin release (not strictly blue light), and that the natural blue and yellow colors at sunrise and sunset help our brains interpret the specific shifts from night to day and vice versa.
Keep overall lighting dim after sunset. Utilizing darkening drapes or shades, prepare your bedroom for minimal light throughout the night.
One hour before bedtime, take 100-200 mg’s of l-theanine and 1-2 pumps of liposomal melatonin (or higher dose melatonin suppository). Avoid stressors during this time and aim to maintain similar bedtime and waking hours on a daily basis.
Turn off your Wifi router at night. Wireless signals emit frequencies that are different from those produced and used by the body and thus have potential to alter biological processes. The brain uses electrical signals to do everything including control sleep. In animal studies, exposure to frequencies similar to Wifi increased wakefulness and decreased non-REM and REM sleep.
With these steps, from implementing personalized nutrition to balancing your nervous system to practicing good daytime and sleep hygiene, holistic health for sleep will be yours! Please email me at Julie@truenaturehealthconsulting.com for personalized support. We provide holistic telehealth services.