Sleep is not just about feeling rested. It impacts everything from cognitive function and mood to metabolism and your immune response and it significantly increases your rate of aging. Lack of quality sleep can lead to long-term health issues such as heart disease, diabetes, and even serious cognitive decline.

Having helped thousands of patients and clients over 20 years, I’ve seen firsthand how deeply sleep impacts every aspect of health. It’s no surprise that sleep is often called the foundation of wellness. Yet, many people struggle to get the quality rest they need. Sleep issues don’t just stem from bad habits—they can be a sign of deeper, underlying imbalances. From stress to hormonal problems, there are a number of factors at play when it comes to sleepless nights.

Let’s explore the top reasons people struggle with sleep.  

Top 5 Causes of Sleep Issues

1. Stress and Anxiety
   Anxiety can cause the mind to race, keeping your body in an alert state when it should be winding down. Chronic stress and anxiety both lead to elevated cortisol levels, which can disturb your circadian rhythm, prevent your nighttime hormone, melatonin, from releasing, and keep you from falling asleep. Stress and anxiety reduction techniques, including mindfulness, meditation, journaling, TRE, tapping, and breathing exercises, can significantly improve sleep quality.
2. Hormonal Imbalances
   Hormones such as melatonin, cortisol, serotonin, GABA, dopamine, and progesterone all play critical roles in regulating your sleep cycle. An imbalance in these hormones can disrupt your ability to fall asleep and stay asleep. Low progesterone levels in women, for example, can cause night sweats and insomnia, while high cortisol levels interfere with melatonin production.
3. Thyroid Dysfunction
   The thyroid gland is essential for regulating metabolism, energy levels, and sleep patterns and has direct effects on the functionality and balance of other hormones like progesterone, estrogen, and cortisol. Hyperthyroidism, or an overactive thyroid, can cause feelings of restlessness, while hypothyroidism can make you feel sluggish and interfere with deep restorative sleep. Addressing thyroid imbalances through targeted holistic care can dramatically improve your sleep health.
4. Poor Sleep Hygiene
   Sleep hygiene is all about the habits and environment that either support or disrupt restful sleep. Common lifestyle habits that contribute to poor sleep hygiene include exercising late at night, consuming alcohol, and eating sugary and heavy carb foods late at night are common habits that lead to poor sleep. Another habit that greatly contributes to the loss of restorative sleep includes scrolling on your laptops or phones and watching TV right before bed all exposing you to high levels of blue light exposure leading to interrupted melatonin production and irregular sleep patterns. A cluttered bedroom or house can also wreak havoc on your sleep. Creating a calming nighttime routine, limiting screen time, keeping only necessary light on, and using dim lighting can help to optimize your sleep environment and are all crucial steps for improving sleep hygiene.
5. Diet and Nutritional Deficiencies
   Nutrient deficiencies, especially in essential minerals like magnesium, can make it difficult for your body to relax and fall asleep. Poor food choices, such as caffeine and sugar can lead to more mineral deficiencies, disrupting your sleep. Incorporating nutrient-dense foods and avoiding stimulants close to bedtime is key for better sleep.
   
   

While many traditional doctors often recommend prescription medications for sleep, it is important to be aware that these sleep medications are not meant for long-term use and have serious consequences if used long-term, including hallucinations, suicidal thoughts, bizarre behavior, memory loss, dementia, Alzheimer’s, and depression. Your doctor may not do his or her due diligence to disclose these serious side effects and even diseases that can come as a consequence of the long-term use of prescription medications, so it’s important for you to be your own advocate and do your own research. 

The good news is that most of the time, the reasons contributing to sleepless nights CAN be resolved by the following strategies listed below.  

Holistic Strategies to Optimize Your Sleep

1. Balance Your Hormones

Hormonal imbalances are often overlooked but are a common cause of disrupted sleep. If you suspect a hormonal imbalance, including issues related to your thyroid, it’s important to get tested and work with a holistic practitioner who can guide you toward natural remedies like bio-identical hormones or herbal supplements to restore balance. If you are in perimenopause or menopause and you are not taking advantage of the vast array of health benefits that bioidentical hormones can do for you including: preserving your brain function, preventing bone and muscle loss, enhancing your sleep, and slowing the aging process, I invite you to consider getting an appointment with our team of biological practitioners for a consultation. 

2. Create a Relaxing Sleep Environment

A cool, dark, and quiet room can make a world of difference. Consider investing in blackout curtains, a comfortable mattress, cozy linens and pillows, and a white noise machine to create the optimal environment for rest. Keep your bedroom between 65–67°F to encourage better sleep.

3. Improve Your Sleep Hygiene

Start a wind-down routine at least 30 minutes before bed. This can include reading, light stretching, taking a warm bath, journaling, tapping, TRE, or breathwork to help your body relax. Avoid screens, and if you must use them, install blue light filters to protect your melatonin production.

4. Support Your Thyroid

Thyroid dysfunction can often go undiagnosed, but it has a significant impact on your sleep, your mood, and your health overall. Incorporate foods rich in selenium, iodine, and zinc to support thyroid function naturally. Work with one of our expert practitioners to assess your thyroid health and explore supplements or natural therapies to balance thyroid hormones.

5. Eat for Sleep

What you eat throughout the day can impact your sleep quality at night. Magnesium-rich foods like almonds, spinach, and tryptophan-rich foods such as turkey and bananas can help you sleep better. Avoid heavy meals, alcohol, and caffeine late in the evening, as these can disrupt sleep patterns.

By addressing sleep issues holistically—through balancing hormones, supporting the thyroid, improving sleep hygiene, and optimizing diet—you can profoundly improve your overall well-being.

Take the Next Step Toward Restorative Sleep

At Modern Holistic Health, we focus on getting to the root cause of sleep issues. Whether it’s a hormonal imbalance or poor sleep hygiene, our personalized wellness plans are designed to help you sleep better and live better. If you’re ready to reclaim your nights and revitalize your health, schedule a consultation with us today.