Sleep Trouble or Cortisol Imbalance?
For as long as I can remember I have had difficulties going to sleep at a reasonable time at night and even worse problems getting up in the morning. When I attended elementary school my mom would bang pots and pans to get me out of bed. It was a painful struggle every morning. I managed to get through the day, pay attention in class and even get good grades. Exceptional grades in fact! Perhaps it was helpful that I was the daughter of two high school teachers? I think eating sugary cookies at lunch time also helped get me through the day! For some of my elementary school years I attended an after school program. Other times I would go over to my neighbor's apartment. Without fail, as soon as I sat down on a couch or bed away from people I would immediately pass out. The exhaustion of the day would hit me like a ton of bricks around 4-6pm depending on when I found myself alone and away from people. Then I would wake up around 10pm or so, watch tv while doing my homework and go back to sleep around 2 or 3am. It was a long time ago so I don't remember the exact times, however it's apparent that my internal clock/ circadian rhythm was completely unbalanced.
In highschool things got even worse. I had developed a coffee habit to help get me through the day. Every morning I had to have a large cup of coffee with approx 8 packets of sugar! Sugar! Even worse then just caffeine alone. During my college years I would go out to dance clubs and stay out all night long. It got to the point where I was sleeping through the day and waking up when the sun went down. Then I would feel depressed that I missed the whole day! I developed quite a few health issues. I suffered from stomach problems, a compromised immune system, mood disorder, headaches, joint pain, etc. When it was time to work a 9-5 job I just couldn't do it. It became so difficult to wake up in the morning that I started developing anxiety, depression and panic attacks. After only 3 months I had to quit my first and only 9-5 job which was in outside sales. Throughout the years I somehow managed to find odd jobs here and there to accommodate my unconventional sleep schedule. Even when working afternoons and evenings though, I would feel tired, achy, irritable and depressed.
I had gone to see doctors but they would all tell me I was perfectly healthy and nothing was wrong with me. My mom took me to a top nutritionist in Manhattan one time when my weight was quite low. The nutritionist tested me only to say that I was healthier than she thought! No need for supplements or anything! My dad seemed to think that I needed to be on prozac since he was doing quite well on it, yet I refused! In fact, I decided to give up on pharmaceuticals altogether! I felt that perhaps they were making things even worse for me. Until recently (I am in my late 30's now) I was never able to figure out what was really wrong with me.
Fast forward years later. I started to see all types of holistic alternative doctors. I was finally getting some answers! Answers that most conventional doctors could not provide. I was taking tests that many conventional doctors did not even know existed. I did a blood hormone test, urine hormone test and saliva hormone test. It wasn't until I did the saliva hormone test (not offered by most conventional/ insurance doctors) that I found out I had a cortisol imbalance! My cortisol levels are too high at night making it difficult for me to go to sleep until very late, and my cortisol levels are too low during the day making it extremely difficult for me to get up in the morning and have any energy during the day. And although I am still not quite so sure how this cortisol imbalance developed (perhaps a stressful childhood? or my MTHFR gene mutation issue?), I do know that my own mom has struggled with sleep issues for years and to this very day she still continues having difficulties sleeping at night and getting up in the morning.
So my solution? After figuring out that I've been dealing with a cortisol imbalance I took to the internet searching for a natural supplement. I went on amazon and started reading reviews for cortisol balancing supplements. I decided to try a very promising product called “Cortisol Health” by LES Labs. At the time I started taking this supplement I was waking up every couple of hours throughout the night. This is a problem I never seemed to have until recently after taking some other supplements for mood disorder. Anyway, long story short these supplements actually work! I take 2 pills approximately one hour before going to bed at night and I sleep very well and wake up in the morning without a struggle. It's unfortunate that it has taken me so many years to figure this all out but I'm sure glad that I did. My energy levels have been increasing and I've been feeling so much healthier these days.
So if you are experiencing sleep trouble it is very possible that you actually have a cortisol imbalance. If this is the case then you do not need to take pharmaceutical sleep aids nor drink large amounts of caffeine to get through the day. There are natural supplements available to help you! Please consider your options! I wish you peace, happiness and a wonderful nights sleep...every night!
Jennie Haiman is a Reiki Master Energy Healer, Co-Founder of Self Saviorz Society California Non-Profit 501(c)(3), Poet, Author and Entertainer with goals to help raise the vibration and consciousness of humanity!
