Zzzzoo-Town
 
Based on our patient's complaints, it would seem that Missoula can't get a good night's sleep. We hear all about the tossing and turning, eyes wide open at 3 AM, and feeling groggy in the morning. So what is it that makes our well-deserved rest so elusive? Clinically, there are a number of reasons for poor sleeping patterns: stress, overactive bladders, caffeine, and/or hormonal imbalances to name a few. In truth, the quality of our sleep is a good reflection of our overall health. That's why the doctors at The Golgi Clinic ask monthly about their patient's sleep. Nothing is more essential and effective in one's treatment plan than good ol' fashion sleep. So what's all the fuss about zzzz's? Glad you asked! Sleep has a number of positive health effects. Studies show restorative sleep to reduce cholesterol, blood pressure, inflammation, and pain, as well as improve your mood, memory and cognitive abilities. You got it! Restorative sleep makes you smarter! To break it down, rejuvenative, restorative sleep is due in part to growth hormone (GH). However, treating insomnia isn't as simple as increasing GH. There is another player. As the day winds down, so too should our cortisol levels. Cortisol is our stress and survival hormone. It is “antagonistic” to GH, meaning as cortisol increases it suppresses GH levels. Cortisol spikes if we eat late at night, argue before bed, watch an intense movie, or perform challenging mental/physical tasks. Therefore, many of our recommendations to improve sleep are geared toward modulating cortisol levels. And yes, there are those hard-core adventurers who say, “you can sleep when you die,” but that doesn't mean we can't find some sleep while we're still alive. Like most symptoms, insomnia merely signals to us at The Golgi Clinic that a more profound bodily disharmony exists. While sleep aids will help in severe cases of insomnia, they don't afford the body it's essential ingredients for restoration and rejuvenation.
Monday, August 3, 2009
 
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