Snafu in the evening results in restless nights ahead.
In a bid to shed light on the perplexing issue of early morning insomnia, Dr. Eric Berg, a renowned health expert, has identified common causes that lead to cortisol spikes at 2 AM, disrupting sleep patterns for many individuals.
According to Dr. Berg, the root of this problem primarily lies in disruptions in the body's stress and metabolic regulation. High stress levels or trauma, for instance, can elevate cortisol levels continuously, keeping the body in a state of alertness and affecting sleep quality.
Another significant factor is late-night eating, particularly consuming carbohydrates and proteins before bedtime. These meals can spike blood sugar, activate the sympathetic nervous system, and cause cortisol to rise, interfering with restful sleep.
Cortisol dysregulation in general leads to energy crashes, anxiety spikes, poor sleep, and insomnia by disrupting normal hormonal balance and the sleep-wake cycle. These cortisol elevations during the early morning hours interfere with your ability to stay asleep, resulting in waking up randomly or difficulty falling back asleep.
To combat these cortisol spikes and reduce insomnia, Dr. Berg advises managing stress, avoiding late-night eating, and improving metabolic health. He also recommends supplements such as magnesium glycinate before bed, which may help counteract the effects of cortisol on sleep.
Other suggestions include avoiding exposure to blue light from screens, intense movies, or news, as this can hinder melatonin production and sleep. Dr. Berg also cites magnesium deficiency as a possible reason for cortisol going haywire and suggests taking milk thistle at night to aid liver detoxification.
Interestingly, Dr. Berg himself has experienced insomnia, having suffered from the condition for over a decade. He attributes his insomnia at 2 AM to hormone cortisol and suggests a long walk followed by reading a boring book might be more effective than sleeping pills in the worst-case scenario.
Signs of magnesium deficiency, such as eye twitches, finger cramps, and back muscle pain, could indicate a potential contributing factor to early morning insomnia. A heavy dinner, especially with carbohydrates, can cause blood sugar to drop at night, potentially triggering a stress response due to blood sugar drops after 3-4 hours.
In conclusion, understanding the causes of early morning insomnia is the first step towards finding effective solutions. By adopting Dr. Berg's advice, individuals may be able to regulate their cortisol levels, improve their sleep quality, and wake up refreshed each morning.
- Disruptions in the body's stress and metabolic regulation, often caused by high stress levels or trauma, can lead to elevated cortisol levels and manifest as early morning insomnia, which is a common issue in health-and-wellness.
- Late-night eating, particularly consuming carbohydrates and proteins before bedtime, can spike blood sugar and cause cortisol to rise, interfering with restful sleep, a key factor in mental-health.
- To overcome early morning insomnia, therapies-and-treatments such as managing stress, avoiding late-night eating, and improving metabolic health, as well as supplements like magnesium glycinate before bedtime, may help regulate cortisol levels, thereby improving sleep quality.
