Falling asleep naturally Part 2: The Interaction of Bio-chemicals

It all starts with tryptophan
Tryptophan is one of 8 essential amino acids. Amino acids are critical to life; they are the building blocks of protein, form parts of co-enzymes, and help the body form other molecules. When these amino acids are labeled "essential" it means that the body can't synthesize them from other compounds so they have to be gotten from food. (Just a note: Five of the non-essential amino acids can't be fully synthesized in young children either because their metabolic pathways don't completely develop until they are older. So it's vitally important to make sure our children are fed healthy nutritious meals to ensure their bodies grow properly.)

Tryptophan is required for the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that is important for normal nerve and brain function. It is further important in controlling hyperactivity in children, assists in alleviating stress, helps with weight loss and reducing appetite. It has also been found that people suffering from migraine headaches have abnormal levels of tryptophan.

Tryptophan plays a significant role in the synthesis of one of the B complex group of vitamins called niacin or nicotinic acid. In the human system, an average of about 1 mg of niacin is formed from 60 mg of dietary tryptophan.

This amino acid is also essential for blood clotting and formation of digestive juices. It induces sleep and relaxes the nervous system. It wards off signs of premature ageing, such as cataract of the eyes, baldness, deterioration of sex gland functioning, and malformation of tooth enamel.

A shortage of tryptophan, combined with a shortage of magnesium may be a contributing factor to heart artery spasms.

There's a lot going on in the body for which tryptophan is responsible but let's just look at the sleep-inducing aspect of the amino acid.

Tryptophan --> Serotonin --> Melatonin
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that conveys the positive sensations of satiety, satisfaction and relaxation. It regulates appetite and when converted to melatonin helps us to sleep.

In order to produce serotonin from tryptophan we need plenty of vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) and magnesium as well as vitamin D (from sunlight). These are essential coenzymes necessary in the conversion of tryptophan into serotonin and without which the body cannot produce serotonin. If it cannot produce serotonin, it cannot produce melatonin (our sleeping hormone), which is also dependent on vitamin B6 and magnesium.

However, if the body has a deficiency of niacin (Vitamin B3), all the available tryptophan in the body may be used up in the conversion of tryptophan into niacin, at the ratio of 60 to 1, which may create a tryptophan deficiency despite adequate amounts in food!

It gets worse: There is an interdependency between vitamin B6 and zinc; when the body is deficient in zinc it cannot utilize vitamin B6 which then can't be used to convert tryptophan to serotonin and then on to melatonin. Therefore, a zinc deficiency may also cause insomnia.

Reasons to have an adequate supply of B6 in your system:
· it could cut the risk of Parkinson’s disease by half
· it prevents the buildup of plaque in the heart
· it decreases sensitivity to monosodium glutamate
· it has a beneficial effect on carpal tunnel syndrome
· it has long been publicized as a cure for premenstrual syndrome
· it can alleviate some of the many symptoms of an alcoholic hangover
· it can alleviate morning sickness from pregnancy
· it decreases the risk of colorectal cancer
· it decreases the formation of kidney stones
· it may increase dream vividness or the ability to recall dreams.
· Vitamin B6 is necessary for converting tryptophan to niacin and into serotonin

Magnesium
People with a magnesium deficiency suffer from "Type II insomnia." They fall asleep easily but only experience a relatively short period of deep, restful sleep, that delicious time when your body is able to rebuild muscles, skin and bones. Most of the night they are trapped in light, useless sleep. They toss and they turn. Then, they wake up exhausted.

Ironically, people with too little magnesium in relation to calcium develop this trouble because they don't have enough energy to sleep restfully. Restful sleep requires a certain amount of energy to reach the stage of rejuvenating rest, which is characterized by rapid eye movement (REM). When you can't maintain REM sleep for a prolonged period, fatigue eventually becomes chronic during your waking hours. (Your energy is zapped because you have too much calcium in relation to magnesium.)

People under stress are prone to this kind of insomnia because stress sops up all the magnesium it can find, creating a shortage.

The following information about magnesium comes from krispin.com

Magnesium is a critical element in 325+ biochemical reactions in the human body.

Recent research, in France and several other European countries, gives a clue concerning the role of magnesium plays in the transmission of hormones (such as insulin, thyroid, estrogen, testosterone, DHEA, etc.), neurotransmitters (such as dopamine, catecholamines, serotonin, GABA, etc.), and minerals and mineral electrolytes.

This research concludes that it is magnesium status that controls cell membrane potential and through this means controls uptake and release of many hormones, nutrients and neurotransmitters. It is magnesium that controls the fate of potassium and calcium in the body. If magnesium is insufficient potassium and calcium will be lost in the urine and calcium will be deposited in the soft tissues (kidneys, arteries, joints, brain, etc.).

Magnesium protects the cell from aluminum, mercury, lead, cadmium, beryllium and nickel. Evidence is mounting that low levels of magnesium contribute to the heavy metal deposition in the brain that precedes Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's. It is probable that low total body magnesium contributes to heavy metal toxicity in children and is a participant in the etiology of learning disorders.

Magnesium deficiency (from low dietary intake or excess loss) is clinically associated with:

* ADD/ADHD
* Alzheimer's
* Angina
* Anxiety disorders
* Arrhythmia
* Arthritis- Rheumatoid and Osteoarthritis
* Asthma
* Autism
* Auto immune disorders- all types
* Cavities
* Cerebral Palsy- in children from magnesium deficient mothers
* Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
* Congestive Heart Disease
* Constipation
* Crooked teeth- narrow jaw- in children from magnesium deficient mothers
* Depression
* Diabetes- Type I and II
* Eating disorders- Bulimia, Anorexia
* Fibromyalgia
* Gut disorders- including peptic ulcer, Crohn's disease, colitis, food allergy
* Heart Disease- Arteriosclerosis, high cholesterol, high triglycerides
* Heart Disease- in infants born to magnesium deficient mothers
* High Blood Pressure
* Hypoglycemia
* Impaired athletic performance
* Infantile Seizure- in children from magnesium deficient mothers
* Insomnia
* Kidney Stones
* Lou Gehrig's Disease
* Migraines- including cluster type
* Mitral Valve Prolapse
* Multiple Sclerosis
* Muscle cramps
* Muscle weakness, fatigue
* Myopia- in children from magnesium deficient mothers
* Obesity- especially obesity associated with high carbohydrate diets
* Osteoporosis- just adding magnesium reversed bone loss
* Parkinson's Disease
* PMS- including menstrual pain and irregularities
* PPH- Primary Pulmonary Hypertension
* Raynaud's
* SIDS- Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
* Stroke
* Syndrome X- insulin resistance
* Thyroid disorders- low, high and auto-immune; low magnesium reduces T4

Calcium
Calcium is directly related to our cycles of sleep. In one study, published in the European Neurology Journal, researchers found that calcium levels in the body are higher during some of the deepest levels of sleep, such as the rapid eye movement (REM) phase. The study concluded that disturbances in sleep, especially the absence of REM deep sleep or disturbed REM sleep, are related to a calcium deficiency. Restoration to the normal course of sleep was achieved following the normalization of the blood calcium level.

William Sears, M.D. writes: "Calcium helps the brain use the amino acid tryptophan to manufacture the sleep-inducing substance melatonin. This explains why dairy products, which contain both tryptophan and calcium, are one of the top sleep-inducing foods."

People who don't have enough calcium have two sleep-related problems. First, they have great difficulty falling asleep. In most cases this occurs because low tissue calcium produces irritability. They're just too upset to be able to fall asleep.

Second, people with low calcium levels are plagued with muscle cramps at night. These painful cramps occur even without any real exertion during the day. A calcium to magnesium imbalance causes these muscles to remain in a constant state of contraction.

Vitamin D
We are all animals that depend on a wake-sleep cycle. This is called the circadian rhythm. This rhythm is set up by our exposure to sunlight. There is more insomnia when there is a lack of sunlight or darkness such as near the North pole. We know that sunlight triggers the skin to form calciferol, commonly known as Vitamin D3. The same hormone, yes, Vitamin D is a hormone, is added to milk to insure that children get some hormone to help form long bones and teeth. But Vitamin D3 does so much more. It has not been recognized yet that Calciferol controls the release of melatonin and regulates the pituitary release of growth hormone.

Vitamin D is key in allowing minerals to absorb properly and metabolize in the body. It also regulates normal cell growth function and promotes blood sugar regulation. Additionally, vitamin D assists in the buildup of healthy tissue and the regulation of the immune system.

In addition to insomnia, vitamin D deficiency can factor into the causes of diabetes, cancer, heart disease, rickets, other bone disorders, osteoporosis, and depression.

There are three specific ways to increase the amount of vitamin D an individual gets:

· For light-skinned individuals, get about 15 minutes of unprotected sun exposure per day. For darker-skinned individuals, get about 40 minutes. Beyond this time, use an SPF lotion to protect the skin.
· Eat a diet rich in oily fish, spinach, broccoli, fruits and fortified milk, although acquiring the recommended amount through diet alone is unlikely.
· Take a vitamin D supplement of 1000-2000 IU daily.

Zinc
Zinc is involved in numerous aspects of cellular metabolism. It is required for the catalytic activity of approximately 100 enzymes and it plays a role in immune function, protein synthesis, wound healing, DNA synthesis, and cell division. Zinc also supports normal growth and development during pregnancy, childhood, and adolescence and is required for proper sense of taste and smell. A daily intake of zinc is required to maintain a steady state because the body has no specialized zinc storage system.

COPPER AND INSOMNIA
A hallmark of copper imbalance is insomnia. Copper has a stimulating effect on the brain, causes the mind to race, and it can also excite the emotions. High-copper individuals often stay up late and have difficulty falling or staying asleep. Insomnia before the menstrual period can often be due to elevated copper, as this tends to occur just before the menstrual period in young women.

Improving the copper balance may take a few weeks to a few months or more, especially if other nutritional imbalances are present. For this reason, other remedies may be needed for a while until the copper is brought into a better balance. Remedies that specifically affect copper include taking zinc, vitamin B6, vitamin C, manganese, and perhaps also molybdenum. All of these may help lower a very high copper in some people. However, do not continue these if they are not effective, as they can also unbalance the body chemistry if taken for extended periods of time. To read more about copper, read the article entitled Copper Toxicity Syndrome.

Next: Tryptophan and Insulin

The Insomnia Series
Falling asleep naturally Part 1