What Causes Insomnia?

Sleep is an essential body function during which the body renews and heals itself. Hormone production is at its peak during sleep. When sleep is interrupted, of poor quality, or disturbed by internal or external factors, the production of hormones is disrupted and the resulting symptoms create domino effect of other problems.

Hormone imbalance and loss during perimenopause and menopause directly impact sleep patterns, increasing the incidence of sleeplessness leading to augmentation of menopausal symptoms and general deterioration in health and well being.

If left untreated, Insomnia becomes a chronic problem contributing to heath deterioration contributing to active disease states such as cardiac, neurologic and psychological problems.

Insomnia can be caused by the following hormonal and non-hormonal causes:

• Stress
• Adrenal fatigue
• Anxiety
• Dietary & health habits
• Medications
• Alcohol
• Caffeine
• Environmental disturbances
• Work schedules at odds with natural sleep patterns

The Role of Hormones

Due to an imbalance and deficiency in the sex hormones, progesterone, estrogen and testosterone, many women suffer with sleepless nights and constant restlessness, interrupted sleep, restless leg syndromes, headaches and numerous other disturbances which add up to poor quality of life and progression to disease and aging.

Estrogen

Lack or diminishing levels of estrogen cause impaired sleep. During the period before menstruation in younger women, as well as during perimenopause and menopause, the decline in estrogen causes interrupted sleep, decreased REM sleep, poor quality of sleep and vivid dreams. Adequate estradiol supplementation decreases the sleep disturbances when properly titrated and in combination with other hormones, supplements, dietary and exercise adjustments.

Progesterone

Decreased levels of progesterone before our periods and during menopause sends pulses of the luteinizing hormone through our body at night, waking us up constantly. Supplementation with progesterone in the proper doses and method of administration prescribed on an individualized basis in conjunction with estradiol, thyroid, dietary adjustments and exercise support help improve the sleep pattern leading to overall improvement in wellbeing.

Testosterone

Diminished levels of testosterone during menopause have been connected to snoring and sleep apnea. Mechanical changes in the configuration of the oro-pharyngeal regions brought about be aging affect sleep quality significantly. Testosterone is helpful when used in combination with sleep supporting supplements like calcium, magnesium and zinc, thyroid and estradiol/progesterone replacement, and significant adjustments to diet and exercise routines.

Effective Treatment

Rebalancing your hormones is essential to retaining and re-establishing a normal sleep pattern and obtaining a good nights rest.

Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) with natural hormones provides a gentle, safe and effective way to restore hormonal balance, relieving symptoms of insomnia and resulting in the recovery of youth and vitality.

Unlike the synthetic hormones (HRT), which are produced from animal estrogens and not identical to our own human hormones, bioidentical hormones are exact replicas of the hormones produced by our bodies naturally.

Fitting perfectly in our bodies’ hormone receptors, bioidentical formulations create a gentle and natural fit into our bodies’ hormone system function. The results are gentle rebalancing of the missing hormones, reestablishing the wellness and healthy life erstwhile available to only young people who eat perfect diets and work out daily.

Diet, exercise, and proper nutritional supplementation play a critical role in insomnia prevention and correction and overall health and prevention.

To assess your symptoms and to learn more about how bioidentical hormones and the other safe and effective tools of Age Management medicine that can lead to better hormonal balance, relief from insomnia and improved well being, contact a certified RestoreMD bioidentical hormone doctor in your area.