Insomnia)
Creating balance. Restoring function.
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Restoring your ability to enjoy quality sleep by addressing the root cause.
​Discover how functional medicine can help you achieve deep, sleep naturally. By uncovering underlying imbalances, we tailored support to enhance your energy, mood, and overall health. Say goodbye to restless nights and embrace a rejuvenated you. Sleep well, live well!
What is it?
Gaining insight into your condition
Insomnia lacks a specific clinical test for diagnosis. If you struggle to fall asleep, stay asleep, or unrefreshed despite adequate rest, you may have insomnia.
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Factors contributing to sleep disturbances include conditions (secondary insomnia), overstimulation of the brain (causing REM sleep disruption), nutrient deficiencies, poor sleep hygiene and neurotransmitter imbalances. These issues can be short-term or develop into chronic problems.
Are your sleep habits normal?​
Sleep occurs in two main stages:
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1. Rapid Eye Movement (REM) - About 25% of sleep, with high activity causing rapid eye movement and most dreaming.
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2. Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM) - Comprising the rest of sleep, varying by age and deprivation. It includes:
- Stage 1 - Drowsiness, transitioning from wakefulness.
- Stage 2 - temperature drops, awareness fades.
- Stages 3 & 4 - Deep sleep, essential for growth and repair.
Sleep needs vary by age, with younger individuals needing more. Recommended hours include:
- Newborns and infants: 12 to 17 hours
- Toddlers:11 to 14 hours
- Preschoolers: 10 to 13 hours
- School-aged: 9 to 11 hours
- Teenagers and adults: 8 to 10 hours
While some may need slightly less or more, getting less than 7 hours can harm health.
Patterns change with age; babies develop a circadian rhythm by 2 months. Teenagers feel most alert later in the morning, while adults are awake earlier. Individual sleep ‘chronotypes’ reflect our natural sleep preferences, influenced by genetics and light exposure.
What triggers insomnia?
Chronic insomnia, which lasts more than a month, is more prevalent in individuals with existing medical issues. More than 30% of people from regular insomnia, which can become chronic without a stable sleep routine.
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Insomnia can both cause and result from various factors. For instance, poor sleep can intensify anxiety, making it difficult to fall asleep. Consequently, experts refrain from categorizing it as primary or secondary insomnia. It is generally not deemed insomnia when sleep opportunities are limited, such as for new parents, although it can lead to poor sleep habits.
Common sleep disorders include:
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Circadian rhythm disorders
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Restless leg syndrome, and dysfunctional sleep beliefs
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High caffeine or alcohol intake
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Certain medications, including cold remedies and beta blockers
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Food sensitivities
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Poor sleep hygiene, lack of routines, and excessive screen exposure
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Unsuitable sleep environments with noise or light
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Disruption of circadian rhythms from shift work
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Snoring and obstructive sleep apnea
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Mineral deficiencies, particularly calcium and magnesium​
Sleep apnea and insomnia – what is sleep apnea?
Many people are unaware of sleep apnea a common contributor to insomnia. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when throat muscles relax, obstructing airflow and causing chronic breathing issues. This can interrupt sleep multiple times an hour, affecting oxygen supply.
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Central sleep apnea happens when the brain fails to send breathing signals, while complex sleep apnea features both conditions simultaneously.
Insomnia risk factors
Regular, adequate, and high-quality sleep is essential for the restoration of both the body and brain. When we consistently lack sufficient quality quantity of sleep, it can impact several key systems and processes:​​​
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Cardiovascular system: Cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure are more common in individuals who regularly get less than 7 hours sleep per night.
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Chronic inflammation is linked to sleep deprivation and a correlation exists with sleep apnea, depression, skin conditions, and several disease states, in commonly cardiovascular disease.
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Learning and memory - Our brain summarizes and stores what we have learned and memories while we sleep.
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Productivity and performance – limited sleep may contribute to fatigue, drowsiness, forgetfulness and lethargy, reducing your ability to effectively perform high-functioning tasks.
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Growth and development in children – the slightest reduction in sleep may affect a child’s mood, resulting in behavior symptoms which mirror ADHD. Sleep deprovation can also contribute to allergic rhinitis, poor immune function, cognitive and academic performance, motor skill development and infant growth.
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Weight management and metabolism – circadian rhythms regulates hormone production for metabolism and digestion and appetite. Lack of sleep increases ghrelin (appetite stimulant) and decreases leptin (appetite suppressant), while also reducing insulin sensitivity, raising the risk of 2 diabetes.
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Melatonin production can be altered by poor sleep habits. Melatonin is the hormone which regulates sleep and its release into the body is triggered by low light and red color of the setting sun. Melatonin is inhibited by the blue light of the morning sun. Exposure to blue light from electronic devices can suppress evening melatonin production and affect individual's ability to fall asleep.
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Stress resilience/anxiety – Increased cortisol release can be caused by sleep deprevation, causing higher levels of anxiety and anger and a lower stress tolerance, which can contribute to insomnia.
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Athletic performance competitive athletes often have poor sleep quality and quantity due to training demands.
Functional medicine approach for insomnia
Natural functional medicine insomnia treatment starts with an in-depth investigation to identify the root cause and contributing factors.
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In an in-depth initial consultation we investigate:
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Your sleep history, symptoms and sleep hygiene practices
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Your lifetime medical history
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Medications and supplements
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Surgeries and accidents
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Family and genetic history
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Environmental exposures
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Symptom history
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Nutrition, diet and absorption
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Lifestyle factors and stress
Your functional medicine physician may recommend functional testing to help determine the cause of insomnia, or to investigate baseline health, with tests such as:
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Microbiome and stool testing – looking for gut flora dysbiosis, or parasites
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Specific markers for inflammation, digestive fun
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Nutrition & nutrient absorption
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Food sensitivities and allergy testing
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Heavy metal or environmental toxin exposure
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Hormone levels, especially cortisol
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Mineral analysis
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Cardiovascular profile
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Sleep is a key foundation to good health, we at Balance Functional Medicine can help you wake each morning feeling refreshed, with the energy and vitality you desire and deserve to enjoy life.
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Ready for a personalized, natural functional medicine treatment?
Our unique model of care was designed with you in mind. Find out how, then book a call today.
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