Sleep Support for chronic Lyme disease
Sleep is an essential part of life. And we know firsthand that when you are dealing with a chronic illness like Lyme disease, sleep is one of the first things to go.
Sleep is necessary for improved memory, longer life span, decreased inflammation, greater brain function, increased attention span, weight management, decreased stress, positive mood, system repairs, and properly functioning immune and endocrine systems.
One of the main reason for insomnia can be altered cortisol levels due to adrenal fatigue and chronic illnesses like chronic Lyme disease. Altered endocrine function is also high on the list.
Normally cortisol should decrease at night, allowing the body to rest. But when the adrenal glands are not functioning correctly, cortisol levels rise at night, preventing sleep. This phenomenon also lends itself to nighttime anxiety.
Another endocrine problem that can effect women is low levels of progesterone, which can lead to insomnia and anxiety.
Other physiological reason for insomnia include, low blood sugar levels, medications, anxiety and depression, and stress.
Here are some easy thing you should try if you are suffering from insomnia: go to sleep at the same time each night, avoid alcohol, caffeine, and other stimulants, do not eat too close to bed (unless you have low blood sugar levels), make your bedroom as dark as possible to stimulate melatonin production, remove any electronic devices from your bedroom, exercise early in the day, and take a warm bath before retiring (try adding lavender essential oils to the bath).
Melatonin can be a great help for insomnia. Sublingual works best as it gets in your system quicker. Most manufacturers instruct to take melatonin approximately 1 hour before bed, but for me that didn't work. For me it was 2.5mg right before bed. Play with the dose and when you take it to find the best combination.
5-HTP and GABA are also very helpful for insomnia.
One magic thing that worked and continues to work for me is a combination of effervescent magnesium and homeopathic magnesium right before bed. It is a must try!
Check out our great selection of sleep aids. They have all proven to significantly help with insomnia for someone we know.