Melatonin, Cortisol & Your Sleep

Two hormones that affect the ability to sleep are melatonin and cortisol. This article gives an overview of their negative effect on sleep when out of balance.

Melatonin and Sleep

Melatonin is a hormone naturally produced by the pineal gland in the brain. When it becomes dark outside, melatonin levels increase, helping to decrease brain activity and promote sleep. 

Melatonin helps maintain your body’s circadian rhythm, your internal clock, which tells you when to wake, eat and sleep.

Low melatonin levels may be caused by stress, exposure to too much light at night, not enough natural light throughout the day, alcohol consumption, genetics, and nutrient or vitamin deficiencies. 

Vitamin B6 and B12 are found in the metabolism of melatonin; therefore, a deficiency in either may cause sleep issues. Visit this study to learn more about Dietary factors and fluctuating levels of melatonin

Cortisol and Sleep

Stress is a hot-button topic, because, let’s face it, we all face countless stress triggers in today’s world.

When you are overly stressed, your body produces too much cortisol (known as the stress hormone). This triggers a sympathetic (fight or flight) nervous system overdrive, which reduces metabolism, digestion and, you guessed it, may keep you awake at night.  

Now just because everyone else around you may be stressed and suffering, does not mean you need to continue the narrative. You can lead by example and take back your power!

Finding better ways to manage your stress with what works for you is always a good idea. For example, meditation, yoga, and homeopathic remedies like Field of Flowers can help reduce stress, leading to a better night of sleep.

You can find out how stressed your body thinks you are, testing cortisol and a range of other hormones, with our sleep management test.

Our Sleep Management Saliva Test will give us a detailed, accurate measurement of your hormone levels. Because there are many factors that might be affecting your sleep, this test may be important to get a clear picture of the root cause of your restless nights.

Please, contact me with any questions and get started with finally getting that good night of sleep. You deserve it!