In conditions like arthritis, autoimmune diseases, multiple sclerosis, Lyme disease, even during a bout of influenza, the balance between proinflammatory and antiinflammatory chemicals (especially cytokines such as interleukins, TNFalpha and others) that are produced by white blood cells of the immune system plays an essential role in regulating how well you sleep. These chemicals are produced during infections as important signaling messengers, but in chronic inflammation a steady stream of them can wreak havoc on your sleep and energy. In a study of elderly folks, higher evening levels of proinflammatory cytokines (especially Interleukin 6) were related to getting less sleep. A very slight increase was associated with an increased waking time of about 20 minutes. Obesity also results in a chronic inflammatory state – visceral fat is highly active in producing harmful cytokines that can interfere with sleep.
The single most important solution for reducing inflammation is lifestyle change: reduce weight and stress, exercise and sleep more, and eat an antiinflammatory diet. Cut out sugar and processed foods especially, reduce meat consumption, and incorporate antiinflammatory foods such as fish oil, spices, and herbs.
Alcohol
If you're having problems with sleep or insomnia, you should consider cutting back on alcohol. When you drink alcohol as long as five hours before falling asleep, it can make sleep apnea or snoring worse (even if you don't normally have those problems). Alcohol triples the tendency for restless limb movement that causes frequent awakening. When you drink, you can fall asleep quicker and get to a deeper, slow-wave sleep faster (you pass out), but as the alcohol is metabolized by the middle of the night (usually after the first two 90-minute sleep cycles), sympathetic nervous system activity increases, which produces fitful sleep (you wake up in the middle of the night with a parched mouth, feeling lousy). Alcohol increases your deeper sleep at the beginning of the night and causes more restless sleep in the last portion of the night, so it can have an overall negative effect on sleep. While a glass of wine with dinner is ok. Bottom line: For anyone having trouble sleeping, imbibing a couple of nightcaps is not the cure.
Caffeine
America's favorite drug, the chemical stimulant caffeine can contribute to insomnia – even in your morning cup of Joe. The half-life of caffeine is three to six hours, meaning that if you have a cup at noon, a quartercup's worth could still be in your system at midnight (as it could if you drink a larger dose, says, a two-cup sized Grande, at 6:00 a.m.). Caffeine has been shown to block the adenosine receptors. Studies have shown that caffeine blocks this mechanism and disturbs proper sleep. As with its distant cousin, amphetamines, caffeine can cause significant withdrawal symptoms when eliminated – fatigue and headaches can develop after stopping even a one-cup per day habit. If you have insomnia and consume daily caffeine, wean yourself off slowly and stop for two full weeks to see if you sleep better and have more overall energy.
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Excerpted from The Source, copyright 2008 by Woodson Merrell. Used by permission of Random House Canada. All Rights Reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced except with permission in writing from the publisher.
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