When it comes to sleep disorders most people first jump to thoughts around melatonin, and yes melatonin certainly plays a role, however, the body and the processes are complex than that.
Let’s breakdown the key players…
Good gut bacteria makes the precursors for serotonin and dopamine.
Serotonin is a ‘good feeling’ hormone and the bulk of your serotonin resides in the gut (a healthy gut).
Dopamine is a hormone and neurotransmitter a.k.a chemical messenger involved in reward, motivation, memory, attention and even regulating body movements.
5HTP, a byproduct of tryptophan increases the production of serotonin.
Pineal gland converts serotonin into melatonin.
So….having trouble sleeping? Then one needs to look at a few different culprits BEFORE jumping to a melatonin supplement. You see, adding a supplement to your regime of something your body already makes can lead to a great level of deficiency down the road.
Plus, typically, a melatonin deficiency is a symptom of something else. We need to ask…
- How’s your gut health? (more on that later)
- What is your intake of tryptophan? and no, turkey is NOT the only source.
- Is your pineal gland functioning optimally?
If there is a breakdown, deficiency or malfunction anywhere in that circle of actions, reactions, hormones and neurotransmitters, sleep disorders are just one of the possible side effects.
There’s also the possibility of mood disorders like depression/anxiety, migraines and headaches, binge eating disorders, learning disabilities like ADHD, PMS and menopasual symptoms, etc.
How this would manifest in each person is dependent on each person’s bio-individuality, differences in environmental toxin exposure, nutrition and genetics. Please don’t compare yourself to one another and know that the ‘fix’ will differ from person to person.
Have questions or concerns?? Reach out.
