With new clients, there are two high-impact symptoms that I prioritize and address rapidly and aggressively: constipation and insomnia (or poor-quality sleep). To become wildly satisfied clients, they need to see major results – and fast. Helping your clients to get quick relief increases their confidence in you as a practitioner and also their faith in their own ability to feel better and be truly well. Learn more about insomnia below. But I also encourage you to take advantage of a one-time offer for a free WSHC mini-course in Conquering Constipation. Join us on Monday, Dec. 2nd at 7pm ET; free of charge, though space is limited and is almost full. Join us!I have written before about various causes of insomnia and how they can be supported quickly and effectively. This week’s video focuses in particular on those client who lie down to sleep but find their mind racing with worries, responsibilities, fears, and their ever-present “To Do” list.Biochemically, there are two key processes which our clients must master each night in order to sleep well: Secreting Melatonin. And in particular, secreting enough melatonin to overcome their level of cortisol. An adrenal stress hormone, cortisol should naturally be low at night, allowing melatonin to become dominant in brain receptors. Our behavioral choices affect cortisol levels directly. Shifting from Glutamate to GABA. When we are wide awake during the day, Glutamate is the dominant neurotransmitter which is stimulatory. At night, GABA, our primary inhibitory neurotransmitter, should become dominant. Sufficient GABA inhibits neural transmissions enough to allow sleep. Our behavioral choices affect this balance.Of course, we’re all going to help our clients to reduce stress by understanding and prioritizing their primary foods. But it takes time to build rapport and trust. As a first priority, make sure your client has good “sleep hygiene”. When we expose our brains at night to full-spectrum light – which mimics daylight – the pineal gland secretes less melatonin which can delay or prevent sleep. Individuals with chronically elevated stress, who have recently endured great trauma/crisis, or who suffer from inflammatory disorders may also have inappropriately high levels of cortisol at night. When we expose our brains to highly stimulatory activity such as video games, unsettling email, stressful discussions, or alarming/violent television, we promote more secretion of the stimulatory neurotransmitter glutamate. Encourage your clients to choose only dim-light, relaxing activities in the evening, especially the full hour prior to bedtime e.g. warm bath, calming music, meditation, gratitude journaling .As bedtime nears, the brain should naturally make a smooth transition from predominantly glutamate to predominantly GABA, the most prevalent inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain. This transition can be impaired and/or delayed in our clients who are chronically stressed, have genetic impairment in the ability to balance neurotransmitters, and/or have neural toxicity e.g. mercury. We can gently boost this transition and thus calm the brains of clients wide awake with “racing minds” by supporting them with two key amino acids about 3o-6o minutes prior to bedtime (both together, on an empty stomach): Taurine. Both an amino acid and a neurotransmitter itself, taurine increases GABA receptor sensitivity. I recommend clients with these symptoms take 1ooomg taurine. Many common brands are available; Jarrow is one I often recommend for ease of access. N-acetyl cysteine. This amino acid suppresses the brain’s synthesis of glutamate and promotes conversion to GABA. I recommend 5oo-1ooomg NAC. As with taurine, it is easy to find.There are some combination formulas such as Metagenics Trancor which combine these amino acids in a single formula.So many of our clients are desperate for sleep. And unfortunately end up turning to highly-addictive sleep medications which can present major drug withdrawal challenges down the road. Give them a reliable alternative. Help them to address the true root cause of their challenges. And watch how quickly they become wildly satisfied with your support!2 Questions for “Insomnia: Relief for Night-time Racing Mind” Theresa Chabot says: March 26, 2015 at 7:07 pm Can you take Melatonin, 5HTP, Taurine, and N-acetyl cycsteine at the same time? Also, in the case of Melatonin, you say that it isn’t for long term, so if it helps, then they stop taking it and can’t sleep, then what, or will fixing the gut, or eating correctly help the body to naturally produce melatonin? Reply WSHC says: March 28, 2015 at 10:38 am Yes, you can. But I generally find they aren’t all necessary together. As you likely know, the melatonin and 5-HTP are addressing low serotonin and/or low serotonin-to-melatonin conversion. Taurine and NAC are addressing poor glutamate-to-GABA conversion which
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