How Can Nutrition Affect Your Sleep Quality?

Many people who have challenges losing weight are also experiencing poor sleep quality because elevated cortisol levels increase fat storage in the body, especially abdominal fat. When your cortisol levels remain chronically high, your body thinks it is going through starvation and begins to store more fat around the abdomen. This also increases insulin levels, which is a fat-storage hormone. High cortisol increases blood sugar to help get you through a stressful situation regardless it is a lack of sleep or other stress, but high blood sugar increases your sugar cravings. Chronically elevated cortisol levels also contribute to adrenal fatigue, which slows down your metabolism, and affects your thyroid function and hormone balance. All these create a vicious cycle of weight gain. 

Certain nutrients can affect your sleep quality. According to studies, low Vit.B12 levels can affect your sleep. Vit.B12 plays an important role in the liver detoxification process. It is also crucial for nerve tissue health, brain function, and the production of red blood cells. Your gut bacteria produce B12 below the ileum. If your gut health is impacted, it can affect your B12 level. If you have low stomach acids and your stomach doesn’t have a sufficient amount of intrinsic factor to pick up B12 from the food, which can affect your B12 absorption, this is especially true for those who take anti-acid drugs for acid reflux. You can see that the B12 level in your body is closely linked to your gut health and brain health. If your serum B12 level is low and you want to take a supplement to boost it, it is a good idea to take a Vit.B12 supplement that contains both methylcobalamin and adenosylcobalamin, which supports both your liver health and the energy production of mitochondria. Food that is a good source of B12 includes meat and eggs.

If you have iron deficiency anemia, it can affect your sleep too. Iron deficiency anemia is a common type of anemia that is due to an insufficient amount of iron stored in your body, which causes the blood to lack an adequate amount of healthy red blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen to the body's tissues; when their capacity is affected, this can lead to chronic fatigue, lack of energy, shortness of breath, headaches, reduced appetite, and poor sleep quality. Researchers have found a particular gene is strongly associated with insomnia. This same gene is also associated with iron-deficiency anemia and it is involved in the metabolism of iron in the body. This particular gene is also linked to restless legs syndrome, a neurological condition that can significantly impact sleep.  In restless legs syndrome or RLS, people experience a powerful urge to move their legs. The overlap of the same brain region linked to both hemoglobin levels and shorter sleep duration may suggest a common pathway in the development of anemia and insomnia.

What about other nutrients that can also affect your sleep quality? And how does your spleen play a role in the quality and quantity of your blood based on TCM? Please check my recent video.