If you are one of the ladies who is tossing and turning in bed at night, just to know you can’t blame only menopause for that. Yes, it is a frequent symptom of the above-mentioned phase in our lives, but there is more to the story. Keep reading.
Circadian rhythms are patterns of brainwave activity, hormones, cell regeneration and biological activities that occur daily. And sleeping well at the right time each day is essential to keeping the circadian rhythms functioning properly, so we function properly, too.
The fact that our microbes are the regulators of this function and that our sleep patterns are an issue for our microbes should not surprise us. They need us to rest so they can do their thing while we sleep and keep their balance as it should be.
There is also more news you might be interested in. Not having the right microbes may be lowering your metabolic rate while you sleep, and this can lead to weight gain. This is based on a mouse study at UI Carver College of Medicine which found that mice given a drug that lowers beneficial bacteria, had a lower metabolic rate both when resting and when asleep, causing them to gain weight.
So, what should you do?
Should you work on sleeping better to help the microbes or should you work on your gut health to help you sleep better? The answer is to do both. There is a number of strategies that can help.
To help reset your circadian rhythm:
- Go to bed at a set time and get up at the same time as much as possible.
- Avoid bright lights near bedtime.
- Avoid eating or exercising close to bedtime.
- Sleep in dark space – light tricks the body into thinking it is time to be awake.
- Develop a relaxing routine before bed whether it is taking a bed, deep breathing exercises or having a nice cup of herbal tea such as chamomile or valerian.
For those who have irregular work and therefore, sleep schedules, consider talking to a practitioner about taking melatonin.
Diet also plays a role.
In another mouse study, both high fat and low-fat diets played a negative role in the function of circadian rhythms and they also altered the microbiome. Short-chain fatty acid production was lower, especially butyrate which is essential for circadian rhythm function. Butyrate is produced by beneficial colon bacteria from resistant starch found in complex carbohydrates such as potatoes, rice, legumes, and sweet potatoes.
To improve gut health:
- Eat prebiotic foods, especially those with resistant starch.
- Take probiotics which can help melatonin levels which, in turn, help restore circadian rhythms.
- Butyrate supplements are available if you are unsure as to how well you are producing it.
Sleep is one more example of the potential problems caused by dysbiosis and why we should be focused on improving our gut health.
RECIPE
Fermented Green Smoothie
Serves 1
1 cup raw spinach
1 tbsp hemp seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp ground flax seed
1/2 crushed ice, or 1/2 cup cold water (to adjust consistency)
1/2 cup sauerkraut
1 tsp arame
1/2 tsp schizandra powder
Juice of 1 orange
2 tsp raw honey
Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Ingredients can be adjusted to taste.
Enjoy!!!
Have you joined our Facebook group yet?
Our Sisterhood is a great place to get support, inspiration, and information for all things women 40+.
Find us on Facebook and join us HERE.
To your radiant health, with love
