Are you a good sleeper? If you’re reading this after 10 pm where you are, close your computer NOW and go to sleep. 😴❤️ I know about the value of sleep from personal experience. Learning this truth has changed my life—and it can change yours too.
My Personal Sleep Health Journey
Fifteen years ago, when I started going through menopause, I was diagnosed with supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) and atrial fibrillation (also called Afib or AF)—both forms of irregular heartbeat known as arrhythmias. Although not life-threatening, living with erratic heartbeats was tiring, and I even ended up in the emergency room a few times until I learned to control the episodes.
Then, five years ago, I was diagnosed with sleep apnea. I was relieved to finally understand the root cause of most of my arrhythmia problems. A (CPAP) machine changed everything—it improved my sleep quality and dramatically reduced both nighttime and daytime arrhythmia episodes.
Why Sleep Science Matters
Being the curious person I am, I dove deep into sleep disorders and arrhythmias. One powerful book I read was Thrive by Arianna Huffington, who makes a compelling case for redefining success. A good night’s sleep is at the top of her list. She also wrote The Sleep Revolution, elaborating on how “we are in the midst of a sleep deprivation crisis, with profound consequences to our health, job performance, relationships, and happiness. What we need is nothing short of a sleep revolution: only by renewing our relationship with sleep can we take back control of our lives.”
Sleep Deprivation and Inflammation
Time and time again, we’ve been endlessly told about the importance of sleep. Without sleep, our body cannot survive, so it makes sense that a lack of sleep depletes your body’s chances of keeping you in optimal health.
Our health is not always our first priority until something goes wrong and we get a little reminder that we should be doing something better. Our bodies are resilient, especially when we are young. However, sustaining unhealthy lifestyle choices over time, especially long-term sleep deprivation, strains our bodies dramatically.
Sleep deprivation is strongly linked to inflammation. Chronic inflammation can damage crucial parts of your body: arteries, joints, and organs. Over time, persistent lack of sleep may lead to chronic illnesses like diabetes, cancer, obesity, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. On top of that, insufficient sleep disrupts your digestive system and gut health.
The Role of Sleep in Gut Health
How Sleep Supports Digestion
Numerous metabolic processes happen during sleep, including digestion. Your digestive system relies on sleep to rest and recover from metabolizing glucose to supply your body with energy. When you get adequate rest, this process is uninterrupted. You wake up feeling energized, and your digestion remains efficient.
However, continually losing sleep slows your metabolism, and weight gain often follows. Here are the various ways that sleep debt affects your digestive system:
Lack of Sleep Can Disrupt Your Hormones
When your body doesn’t get enough sleep, hormones that affect appetite become disrupted. The hormone ghrelin directs you to feel hunger, while leptin makes you feel full. When sleep-deprived, these hormones don’t work smoothly.
Your body experiences increased hunger and appetite, leading to eating more and gaining weight. It’s not uncommon to gain significant weight following chronic sleep deprivation.
Lack of Sleep Increases Inflammation in the Gut Lining
Not getting enough sleep has been linked to increased pro-inflammatory molecules in the gut, leading to inflammation of the lining. This causes problems such as:
- Bloating and nausea
- Vomiting and diarrhea
- Constipation and digestive discomfort
- Slowed gastric emptying (food movement from stomach to small intestine)
Lack of Sleep Can Cause Gut-Related Issues
When we don’t get enough sleep, the stress hormone cortisol rises. High cortisol levels in your system can lead to a leaky gut or intestinal permeability. A leaky gut occurs when the intestinal lining is impaired, allowing food and toxins to seep into the bloodstream.
As a result of a leaky gut, you experience:
- Bloating and stomach aches
- Food sensitivities
- Inflammation throughout your body
- Undesirable changes in your gut microbiome
How Melatonin Helps
Much of what we know about melatonin is that it’s the primary hormone responsible for sleep and regulates your sleep-wake cycle. But melatonin does much more—it also plays a crucial role in keeping a healthy, well-balanced gut and managing inflammatory response in the body. Chronic sleep deprivation or insomnia strongly correlates with how melatonin works in your body.
Secreted in your pineal gland, melatonin regulates your circadian rhythm—your natural process of responding to light and dark. Our body’s wiring to sleep at night is mainly due to melatonin.
Beyond that, melatonin is also found in the gut, supporting healthy immune function. Constant sleep deprivation, linked to reduced melatonin levels, affects your gut health significantly.
Supplementing with melatonin can help support gut health. It’s an important hormone that regulates gastrointestinal functions, ensuring a healthy inflammatory response and antioxidant status.
People troubled by sleeping disturbances have lower melatonin levels. Supplementing with melatonin helps reduce the negative impacts of sleep deprivation on gastrointestinal functions and your digestive system.
Sleep Disorders Run in Families
Sleep disorders can start at any age. If you have a sleep disorder, there’s a good chance one of your biological parents or your children might too. Taking this topic seriously and diving deeper into the subject is worthwhile. My special guest on A Dose of Positivity this Thursday is Functional Medicine Practitioner Ann Johnson, who will share real insights about sleep.
🥰 A Dose of Positivity
See you all this Thursday for another supreme Dose of Positivity with my special guest, Ann Johnson who will speak on the real deal about sleep. ✨