Hormonal Causes – The adrenal hormones regulate our 24 hour biological clock, or circadian rhythm. If this natural rhythm is disrupted, people experience sleep-cycle disruption. Women frequently experience sleep problems due to female hormone imbalances, specifically when progesterone is low.

Emotional stress and blood sugar regulation problems are the two most common underlying causes for adrenal dysfunction and female hormone imbalances that lead to sleep problems. Melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep, is also a key to immune system function. Low bedtime melatonin levels result in problems falling asleep. Low melatonin during the early morning hours causes people to wake between 2 am and 4 am. Any time melatonin levels are low, immune system function is also depressed.

Digestive Causes – Our modern diet is noticeably deficient in the minerals such as magnesium and calcium that are required for us to relax and get a good night’s sleep. Proper stomach acidity is paramount for our body to assimilate minerals that we take in from our food or from mineral supplements.

We require not only adequate levels of each mineral, but the right balance of each mineral to sleep well. A very common mineral deficiency in the Western world is magnesium, although some people are lower in calcium or zinc. Poor protein digestion as a result of low hydrochloric acid in the stomach, can also lead to low serotonin levels. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter necessary for restful sleep.

Detoxification Causes – The major organ of detoxification, the liver, is most active between the hours of 1 a.m. to 3 a.m. If the liver is overwhelmed with the task of detoxification it will often wake us between these hours. It has been noted anecdotally for many years that people with liver detoxification problems wake in the morning with headaches and also experience nightmares that disturb sleep.

Testing - Insomnia is not the problem, it is just the symptom. The problems are the underlying imbalances in the three body systems, as discussed above. Any of the systems can be the cause of poor sleep. A carefully designed nutrition, lifestyle and exercise program can alleviate sleep problems. Adrenal and sex hormones may need to be tested through saliva samples and balanced naturally in order to optimize the effects of the program.