Our natural biological clock creates the release of awakening hormones (cortisol, etc) around 6 am. That is why most or should awake around the time the sun comes up. As well, our repair and regeneration hormones are released (melatonin, DHEA, etc) are released around 6-7pm and start to go up. This is when are other awakening hormones are supposed to come down.

This should be the case, but because of altered nutritional and lifestyle habit, this is reveresed. I find this is why most have a hard time falling asleep and staying asleep. Our awakening hormones are very stimulating and are used as well under times of stress. Our repair and regeneration are used more for repair, during eating, sex and so forth. If you have an adrenal issue and your cortisol levels are never coming down secondary to stress, well sleep is never going to happen.

How do you find out if you have altered hormonal levels? You can do testing, but start with some of the recs below that I have found to help with sleep:

1. Not going to repeat myself in long form, but follow all the nutrition and lifestyle principles that mercola advocates

2. Large amounts of good quality fats help to sedate the nervous system prior to bed

3. Drinking plenty of water throughout the day (stopping by 7-8pm), will allow the NS to relax. When dehydrated, the first place your body steals water from is your CNS. In my opinion, this is one of the many reasons why people have restless leg syndrome.

4. Dim the lights in your house around 8pm. Light stimulates the release of cortisol.

5. Stop watching TV or using the computer by 8pm. These appliances use flickering light to create images. This flickering light stimulates a rise in cortisol.

6. Try reading, meditating, etc prior to bed. This will stimulate your parasympathetic NS. This is our rest and digest system.

7. Have a communication session with your family, talking about fun things. The news, scary movies, talking about your stressful day, etc will create a stress response in the body, thus releasing cortisol.

8. Put your alarm clock across the room. Alarm clocks and their light emit a large amount of EMF frequencies.

There are many more, but hope this helps!

As well, when someone has trouble falling asleep, but can sleep OR can fall asleep, but has trouble staying asleep, this is a sign of yin or yang excess/def in TCM. Applying the above, as well as regular TCM treatments will facilitate balance and sleep.

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