Ignore This Essential Habit and Your Health Will Eventually Decline
Man sleeping like a baby
June 02 2012
By Dr. Mercola
Researchers have learned that circadian rhythms—the 24-hour cycles known as your internal body clock—are involved in everything from sleep to weight gain, mood disorders, and a variety of diseases.
Your body actually has many internal clocks—in your brain, lungs, liver, heart and even your skeletal muscles—and they all work to keep your body running smoothly by controlling temperature and the release of hormones.
It’s well known that lack of sleep can increase your chances of getting sick. A new study shows just how direct that connection is.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/06/02/can-sleeping-affect-immune-system.aspx
Dr. Wilson comments:
I would add diet to the list of ways to optimize your sleep. I know a few things about circadian rhythms. Years ago I did research with Dr. Franz Halberg at the University of Minnesota. He is the one who started the field of chronobiology and he is still working in his 90’s!
People with low serotonin don’t sleep well because the sleep hormone melatonin is derived from serotonin. What causes low serotonin? The number one cause is a poor diet. It is now clear that excessive fructose primarily from sugar and HFCS is the driving force behind insulin resistance and central obesity. When someone with insulin resistance consumes high glycemic carbohydrates, especially from grains, their brain is subjected to magnified glucose spikes.
These glucose spikes cause excessive dumping of serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine from nerve cells eventually causing neurotransmitter depletion and a chronic brain disorder called Carbohydrate Associated Reversible Brain syndrome or CARB syndrome. People with CARB syndrome develop up to 22 brain dysfunction symptoms that interfere with their ability to function. The hallmark symptom of CARB syndrome is craving sweet and starchy foods, pushing people to consume more of the food that is frying their brain.
People with CARB syndrome also sleep poorly because they have low levels of serotonin and melatonin. Trust me—if you avoid sugar, HFCS and high glycemic carbohydrates you will once again sleep like a baby.