Is your thyroid affecting your sleep?
Are you laying in bed awake at night, unable to fall asleep or do you wake up every morning at 3am and are up for a few hours?
You are not alone. About 70 million people suffer from sleep disturbances.
Sleep accounts for one-third of our lifetime. There are good reasons for this too. Sleep helps the body heal and process information. A good night's sleep will boost the immune system, increase productivity and overall, allow you to show up as your best.
Though restless sleep is common, it is not normal, and you do not have to spend your life constantly trying to keep up. You don't have to consume too much caffeine, energy drinks, or over exercise to muscle through overwhelming fatigue.
Your thyroid might be playing a role in your sleep disturbances.
One in eight women have low thyroid function! It’s no wonder I am frequently discovering thyroid dysfunction in patients. I could (and likely will) write an entire email dedicated to the thyroid. It is responsible for metabolism, growth, development of the human body, and more.
The thyroid hormone is one of only two hormones that are in every cell of the body. It is that important. You can also have what we call a "functional thyroid disorder" which means your thyroid is not functioning optimally, but it's also not in a disease state yet where it needs to be pharmaceutically medicated. This is why your MD may tell you there is nothing wrong with you, but you may still feel like crap.
Here are some ways your thyroid impacts your sleep:
If you have an Overactive Thyroid, it may cause sleeping difficulty from nervousness or irritability. It may also cause muscle weakness, constant feelings of tiredness which may lead to night sweats and/or frequent urges to urinate. You just cannot relax.
If you have an Under-active Thyroid (hypothyroidism), you may experience joint pain, muscle pain, restless legs, or have difficulty regulating your temperature. You have cold hands and feet.
With the comprehensive blood panel we test your basic thyroid levels or we have a more in depth thyroid panel available that gives us a very clear picture on your thyroid health. Get the answers you've been looking for.