Sleep is essential in nurturing our overall health and wellbeing. In fact, good sleep helps improve mental health, learning, immunity, memory, cardiovascular health, hormone balance, and reproductive health.1 However, many people sleep less than the recommended hours or suffer from sleeping problems that affect the amount and quality of rest they get from sleeping. More than 1/3 of people living in the United States sleep less than the recommended time, with 50-70 million adults diagnosed with sleep problems.1 This is a pressing concern because sleeping problems due to lifestyle and work habits, environmental conditions, or health issues can cause disease or exacerbate your already present disease conditions. Improving your sleep hygiene through behavior and lifestyle changes throughout the day helps improve the quality and duration of your sleep, protecting and nurturing your long-term health.
The Different Stages of Sleep
The stages of the sleep cycle have vital roles in nurturing cognition and healing after a whole day of work! It is important to note that you do not necessarily have to experience all sleep stages every time you lie in bed. However, the amount of sleep stages and sleep cycles determine the quality of your sleep, precisely why you may feel well-rested after a good night’s sleep, while feeling groggy when someone randomly wakes you up! The four stages of sleep are classified into non-rapid eye movement (NREM) or rapid eye movement (REM):
What is a Healthy Sleep?
A good night’s rest is achieved through repeated and rhythmic cycles between the four stages of sleep. Typically, your sleep is considered good when you experience 4-5 cycles of sleep stages. Each sleep cycle typically lasts for 90 minutes, with an episode of REM sleep in between light and deep sleep.1
What is the recommended duration of my sleep?
The amount of sleep you should get everyday depends on your age and underlying health problems. Sleeping for 8-10 hours is recommended for healthy teenagers, while healthy adults should rest for 7-9 hours each day. Healthy older adults, on the other hand, should sleep for 7-8 hours per day.
THE Benefits of a Healthy Sleep Hygiene
Common Sleep Disorders
Sleep disorders are significant predisposing factors that increase your risks of disease, along with poor work performance, problems in managing daily activities, unfortunate road accidents, and increased sensitivity to pain.1 Common sleep problems include:
Intake of certain over-the-counter medications and psychiatric drugs, as well as existing medical conditions can also lead to poor sleep quality. Talking with your naturopathic medicine advisors in exploring natural options to achieve good quality sleep is an empowered step you can take to nurture your long-term health. Improving Your Sleep
Medication and alcohol intake have been an all too common practice to induce sleep and finally get a good night’s rest. Although effective temporarily, these impose long-term health risks as chronic use causes emotional and physical dependence, daytime sleepiness, increased risk for falls, and higher deaths.1 Nutrition and lifestyle changes that focus on following healthy sleep-promoting practices should be the leading options to consider to achieve quality sleep. You should:
The Naturopathic Approach to Healthy Sleep
Achieving a good night’s rest is important in helping the body recharge for its daily activities. Optimizing your lifestyle and environment, exploring botanical options, and following healthy sleep patterns are essential practices to consider to finally achieve and maintain quality sleep. Discover more about the naturopathic approach to achieving healthy sleep.
AuthorKate Nemenzo studied in nursing school as an academic scholar. Her passion for holistic health has led her to become a registered nurse who promotes optimal care throughout her patient’s therapeutic journey. When not writing, she spends her time crocheting, watching Korean dramas, and playing the guitar!
Nearly everyone experiences daily stress to some degree. In fact, our bodies are equipped to counteract acute stress, but what happens as our bodies respond to continual stress over long periods of time?
And how do we cope? Physiological Response to Stress
The body’s response to stress, also called general adaptation syndrome, includes 3 stages: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion.1 
Chronic stress can alter the way our genes are expressed and suppress the immune system. Many of the hormones released in the stress response limit the capacity of the immune system by reducing the function of white blood cells whose job is to fight off infections in the body. Inflammation is further accumulated in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract due to stress. Researchers have discovered a strong connection between chronic stress and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), for instance. In the cardiovascular system, stress increases heart rate and blood pressure, as well as the risk of clotting leading to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.1 Over time, stress can also decrease sexual libido and sperm maturation, as well as irregularities in the female menstrual cycle.1
Managing Stress
We mentioned one of the major responses to stressors is to ‘freeze,’ which is not a weakness. It’s just another way that our bodies are wired to protect us. Notice when your body needs a break and take some time to recharge in order to prevent the build up of chronic stress. Learning to manage your stress response takes practice, but it’s important to integrate what works for you into your daily rhythms. Non-pharmacological therapies for stress reduction include regular exercise, healthy diet, and changes in lifestyle.2 Think about how some of the following ideas for stress management might fit into your lifestyle.
AuthorDaelyn Quinn is a graduate of the University of South Florida, Class of 2024. She studied Cell and Molecular Biology, as well as Spanish, and has been accepted into a nationally accredited Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine program. Outside of academic and professional pursuits, she enjoys exploring cities with friends and family, running outdoors, and reading next to one of Florida’s many bodies of water.
References
Considered a common autoimmune disorder, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is one of the leading causes of an underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism) in developed countries, affecting women 7-10x more than men.1 Hashimoto’s thyroiditis occurs when your immune system attacks your thyroid. The thyroid gland eventually becomes inflamed and damaged, leading to its impaired function. The mainstay allopathic treatment option for Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is lifetime thyroid hormone replacement therapy, which is not without risks. Exploring alternative options to manage the underlying cause of your problem and improve thyroid function are vital steps to consider in taking charge of your long-term health.
Understanding Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis
Normally, the thyroid gland works together with the hypothalamus and pituitary gland to regulate thyroid hormone levels in the body. When thyroid hormone levels in the body are low, your hypothalamus detects this problem and releases thyrotropin-releasing hormones. These hormones signal your pituitary gland to release thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) which travels to your thyroid gland and causes it to produce thyroid hormones (T3 and T4), eventually regulating levels for optimal body function!
In Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, antibodies released by your immune system against your thyroid disturbs this regulatory mechanism, causing low levels of thyroid hormones and symptoms associated with an underactive thyroid gland. Environmental elements and lifestyle factors may trigger the development of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis when you have genetic susceptibility to the disease. These factors include stress, sleep disturbances, infections, exposure to chemicals, cigarette smoking, and excessive intake of iodine due to supplementation or dietary intake.1 What are the signs and symptoms of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis?
The clinical presentations of patients with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis typically vary depending on the severity of the disease. These signs and symptoms may not only affect your physical health, but also your holistic well-being. You may have:
Allopathic Treatment Options
Hashimoto’s thyroiditis has no known cure based on current scientific evidence. In the clinical setting, the condition is primarily treated through lifetime hormone replacement therapy with Levothyroxine sodium to replace depleted thyroid hormones and manage symptoms. Use of Levothyroxine is highly regulated as excessive intake may put you at risk for potentially fatal arrhythmias (irregular heartbeat) and osteoporosis.2 Surgical intervention may be considered if you experience increasing discomfort or breathing problems caused by a goiter. Immunosuppressants are sometimes used to suppress the immune system and prevent further damage to the thyroid. This causes increased risk of infection and illness. While necessary in some cases, conventional treatment options do carry risk and may cause detrimental side effects that may greatly affect your quality of life.
The Naturopathic Approach
Rather than masking your symptoms or preventing the immune system doing its job of protecting your body from foreign invaders, the naturopathic approach for Hashimoto’s thyroiditis focuses on targeting the root cause of the problem, reducing inflammation, avoiding triggers, and supporting the optimal function of your thyroid gland.
Nutrition and Lifestyle
Dietary management and lifestyle interventions are popular approaches to naturally manage Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and increase the likelihood of achieving remission. Since multiple trace elements are vital in maintaining normal thyroid function, dietary intake or, when necessary, appropriate supplementation of iodine, selenium, and zinc can promote the production of thyroid hormones and reduce damage (oxidative stress) to thyroid cells.3 However, too much or incorrect supplementation can have detrimental effects on thyroid and overall health, so this should be carefully guided by your naturopathic physician.
Dairy-free, gluten-free, and soy-free diets are known to reduce irritation and prevent migration of bacteria and food particles across your gut, since a leaky gut has been associated with autoimmune thyroid problems, such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.3 Managing autoimmune conditions through dietary changes is complex and should be individualized. Your naturopathic physician can help you determine which dietary changes are best for you, how to heal the intestinal lining to prevent future inflammation, and how to reestablish a healthy intestinal microbiome. Supplements to Support Thyroid Health
Quality Sleep
As an essential factor for human health, getting restful sleep each day is important to regulate your bodily functions and processes. Particularly, sleep contributes to the production of almost all hormones in the body. Not getting enough quality sleep for a long time suppresses the secretion of your thyroid hormones, eventually affecting thyroid hormone levels and causing you to experience symptoms of hypothyroidism.4 On the other hand, symptoms associated with an underactive thyroid gland may affect the overall quality of your sleep and exacerbate your already present sleeping difficulties. In general, sleep and hypothyroidism share a bidirectional relationship. Following good sleep practices and exploring natural options to help with your sleeping problems are vital in assisting your body to maintain adequate thyroid hormone levels and relieve symptoms associated with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. To learn more about how to gently support quality sleep, sign up for our Homeopathy for Insomnia Mini-course.
Stress Management
Aside from physical symptoms, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis has severe effects on the mental health and quality of life of individuals diagnosed with the condition, owing to long-term weakness, irritability, problems with memory, and feelings of anxiety or depression. These multiple health and wellness concerns increase your chances of experiencing great stress, leading to more harm. Stress increases cortisol levels in the blood, eventually signaling your thyroid gland to reduce its hormone production and triggering hypothyroidism.5 Stress can also lead to inflammation, which can cause a relapse of your autoimmune symptoms or the acquisition of additional autoimmune diseases! Exploring relaxation techniques, managing stressors, and considering botanical remedies and supplements that will help alleviate your stress are vital options to consider for not only relieving symptoms of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, but also for helping your body maintain homeostasis despite changes in your environment.
Effectively utilizing alternative and integrative health options to manage your disease condition requires the guidance and support of an experienced provider whose expertise promotes the holistic approach. At Natural Path to Wellness, we are committed to fostering good health through the healing power of nature. Utilizing the gentlest effective approaches, we guide you in choosing the right choices for your holistic health. Improving Your Thyroid Health
Since it is responsible for many of your body’s metabolic processes, impaired thyroid health may have detrimental effects on your quality of life. Although advancements in conventional medicine target the regulation of your thyroid hormones, the standard therapeutic regimen is lifelong and without guarantee that your symptoms are effectively resolved. In addition to targeted treatments, dietary and lifestyle modifications for achieving optimal health are vital aspects of medical management for many disease conditions, such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.3 Following a comprehensive treatment plan and regular monitoring of your thyroid function are crucial factors in managing your thyroid health and increasing the likelihood that you can achieve remission.
Improving your thyroid health requires a holistic approach that not only manages your disease condition, but also promotes your well-being. At Natural Path to Wellness, we are committed to nurturing your holistic health through empowering your choices. Embracing the healing power of nature, we prioritize using the gentlest, most effective options to restore health, not just to mask symptoms. Take charge of your health today! Click here to learn more about the natural path to managing Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. AuthorKate Nemenzo studied in nursing school as an academic scholar. Her passion for holistic health has led her to become a registered nurse who promotes optimal care throughout her patient’s therapeutic journey. When not writing, she spends her time crocheting, watching Korean dramas, and playing the guitar!
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THE BLOG AT NATURAL PATH TO WELLNESSAuthorSNatural Path to Wellness values community education and welcomes contributions from writers with a background in Naturopathic Medicine, natural health and wellness, herbalism, homeopathy, Nature Cure, and more. Disclosures & Policies: This and other blog posts may contain affiliate links. Please view our disclosures page for more information.
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