5 supplements for better sleep after bariatric surgery

5 Supplements for Better Sleep after Bariatric Surgery

Dawn (00:00):

Hello and welcome to the Gastric Health Show. My name is Dawn Boxell and this week’s topic is Five supplements for better sleep after bariatric surgery. And I really wanted to kind of just dig into sleep but offer you solutions because I mean, let’s face it, sleep is so important when it comes to establishing and maintaining your overall health. But especially after bariatric surgery, your body is going through so many different changes that sleep has to be factored in to a cause or a contributor of what you are experiencing.

Dawn (00:53):

So I really want to dig into this topic. I’ll probably revisit this topic again, it’s so big. There are so many things to consider when it comes to sleep and how it impacts your overall health. So again, I think this is kind of just a foundation, but I really find that when I am working with patients, I have to use something.

Dawn (01:21):

I have to use strategies outside of just sleep hygiene to help and support you because yes, we all are aware that we can’t be scrolling on our phone all night long and expect to sleep well or have other certain behaviors or sleep practices or habits and expect to sleep well. And I have talked about some of those sleep hygiene things and some of my other podcasts and posts. So those are going to be woven in here as well. But you can find the links in the show notes, you’ll be able to find those. So again, this whole option of discussing supplements is truly about just offering you solutions.

Dawn (02:12):

And no two people are alike, especially when it comes to supplementation. And I do recommend you don’t supplement without working with a practitioner because not every supplement is appropriate for every person. So again, I think you have to use caution and don’t just add a bunch of supplements without truly understanding its impact or benefit. So more is never better when it comes to supplementation, but when it comes to sleep more sleep is definitely better and you have to have options. And I will say a lot of the prescription options are not something that work

Dawn (02:58):

Great long term. So again, or even short term, I have patients that have tried many things and it just didn’t work for them, whereas some of these other supplementation options were a better fit and it could help bridge them through making those sleep practices better so that they weren’t relying on supplementation for life. So let’s kind of dig into here. And all honesty, my hopes are that I share these five evidence-based supplements that are really quite effective in providing the rest that you need.

Dawn (03:44):

But no one formula is going to work for everyone and some of you might require a couple of these or a combination of two or three of these in order for you to actually get the rest that you need. And I’ll kind of dig into the causes of poor sleep. So you have that, but I do want to preface that you should work with a practitioner on the dosing.

Don’t just purchase without having conversations with a practitioner

Dawn (04:12)

Don’t just purchase without having conversations with a practitioner who is skilled in knowing what these supplements do and no bashing intended, but your physician is probably not the person that you discuss this with. They probably have very little information or training in using supplementation, whereas I would say not even all dieticians do, but I have some additional training that I have done actually a lot of training in supplementation and I have utilized it for, I don’t know, decades with my patients.

Dawn (04:57):

And I personally use supplementation to help in certain scenarios with myself and my family with certain things that we are experiencing. So I am not the end all be all, but I am a safe place to have a conversation with and I’d be happy to have a conversation with any of you. That I would say is where the gastric health membership is a great value because you can sign up for a month membership and you can just do it monthly as you want to continue.

Dawn (05:34):

And we can talk through these things and after In fact, several health conditions can be impacted by inadequate sleep after bariatric surgery including …you fill out a whole bunch of assessment forms. And I truly assess your health history and your current his current health and put together a plan that kind of works best for you. But again, more supplementation is not better when utilizing or just when you are trying to get healthy. More is not better. So don’t do more of any supplement without getting permission from the practitioner who is recommending it. So now additionally, I do want to mention that those who’ve been diagnosed with sleep apnea either before or after bariatric surgery is if you’re struggling with sleep, get back with your provider to be reevaluated.

Some sleep apnea has absolutely nothing to do with your weight

Dawn (06:36):

And for some sleep apnea has absolutely nothing to do with your weight it’s more structural and it is something that you will need for life. So again, I would want you to want consider that first. If you’re struggling with sleep, I would want you to consider having your sleep apnea reevaluated first before you start any supplementation because again, to me, I use the supplementation as a support as a bridge to get us to a different place because you have to sleep and if you’re not going to sleep, I’m not going to be able to get a lot of your other markers in place like your blood sugar, your insulin, your inflammatory markers.

Dawn (07:21):

A lot of these things are not going to improve until we get your sleep dialed in and if you just can’t sleep, we have to find some solutions. And so that’s where these supplements come into play. So again, I think working with someone who’s skilled in it is your best bet. But bottom line is if you have sleep apnea, get it reevaluated before you start any type of supplementation because that may be the only thing that needs to be tweaked especially if you are sleep issues are non-weight related that you just have to dial that in a little tighter, especially if you’ve lost some weight after bariatric surgery, that definitely is something that you would want to reevaluate.

Dawn (08:12):

But the big picture is you need sleep, you have to have sleep, and just because you want to sleep doesn’t mean you can just magically get what your buddy needs and are going to just sleep. So my hopes are that sharing these natural alternatives that are safe for most people kind of gives you options. It gives you a bridge to the other side so that you can figure out why you weren’t sleeping. So now I do think we can all agree that bariatric surgery can be life changing and provide numerous health benefits and the most significant be weight loss.

Dawn (08:58):

which can alleviate so many health conditions like your blood sugar and your insulin and heart disease and metabolic dysfunction. All of that can be improved, which for a lot of people can improve sleep. However, for some it also disrupts your sleep and your sleep patterns and negatively affects your health outcome as a whole because you aren’t able to sleep.

So having bariatric surgery does not mean you’re going to sleep better

Dawn (09:27):

So having bariatric surgery does not mean you’re going to sleep better. Some do, but some it actually creates disrupted sleep patterns. So something I think all of us can appreciate is that there are several health conditions that can be impaired by inadequate sleep either before or after bariatric surgery. And one is diabetes depression and anxiety, which a lot of people may not think of that as a contributor to poor sleep or a contributor to your mood is having poor sleep. But that definitely.

Dawn (10:15):

and I’ll show you some of the studies in a little bit and how that’s connected, but your blood sugar, so even if you don’t have diabetes but you are having blood sugar issues, maybe you are kind of in the phase of pre-diabetes so you don’t have diabetes but it’s impacting your blood sugar. And then also you got to think about your metabolic health.

Dawn (10:39):

So that includes your insulin and if you have a history of insulin resistance or PCOS, those types of things will all be impacted with poor sleep. And then additionally heart disease is also going to be impacted, but we will discuss the five supplements that can help you improve your sleep after bariatric surgery after we give you a better understanding of how poor sleep affects your health. We all need sleep for good health. In fact, inadequate sleep can lead to various health problems physically and mentally and a lack of sleep difficulty falling asleep and inability to get restful deep sleep can all contribute to various health conditions.

Poor sleep can cause the following health problems

Dawn (11:33):

In fact, poor sleep can cause the following health problems. And we’re going to go through each of these separately. But cravings, poor hunger and appetite regulation, weight loss resistance or weight gain, blood sugar dysregulation, lack of energy poor mental health, epigenetic expression and hormone fluctuations.

Dawn (12:00)

So, we’re going to go through each of these separately so that you can kind of understand how sleep is impacting or how this condition or symptom is probably a better way to describe it, how this symptom is influencing your ability to get good sleep. Sometimes it goes both ways or one is driving the other. So first is cravings. So there is a link between a lack of sleep and cravings for more of the unhealthy foods.

Dawn (12:37):

And this occurs primarily because sleep deprivation alters the hormone levels that regulate your appetite, causing you to crave sugary and high carb foods as a result. And you can learn more about this craving and sleep connection that I did on a previous post titled Seven Causes of Cravings. Number seven, sleep. And I kind of dig into this, it’s a really short video less than 10 minutes I think.

Cravings:

Dawn (13:11):

And I kind of hit some highlights of different studies explaining this problem that occurs with cravings when you don’t get adequate sleep. So we additionally know that for some individuals having one or two nights of bad sleep will increase your cravings the next day. Again, it’s usually for those carby, sugary type of snacks. So if that is, you would want to evaluate, pause and reflect and say, okay, why am I craving a candy bar or some ice cream or why do I need, do I feel like I need something sweet after every meal? What is happening?

Dawn (14:02):

And look back on the previous nights and how well did you sleep? There are tools and ways to evaluate sleep quality. There is one called the Our a ring and that I think is kind of deemed as your best tool to evaluate your sleep habits. I do not have one.

Dawn (14:29):

I have been tempted to purchase one, especially in this perimenopause menopause phase of my life because it definitely has changed and I would love to have that data to see where and how I can improve it because it provides me feedback more on the details of your sleep. How rested were you when you actually slept that night? So that is, and it’s spelled OURA so you can look that up and see, I know that there are several health practitioners that utilize this and get some great feedback from it and truly helping you understand what you’re feeling the next day.

Dawn (15:17):

And it can actually help you make better informed decisions on your food choices, on your caring for your movement and activity for the next day. Because if you knew you slept poorly, going out on a great big bike ride or doing some intense cardio exercise or doing more intense workouts is probably not what you need.

Dawn (15:44):

You probably need more of yoga or Pilates or stretching or just a nice brisk walk. So again, it’s information and it’s information to provide you for how to live your best life, feeling your best and performing at your best. So it’s definitely not for everyone. I can’t say that I felt like I needed it prior to hitting perimenopause but I would say I have thought about it a few times to purchase one because of that feedback and information that I feel like I don’t have the ability to dial that in.

Dawn (16:23):

So again, if you feel like cravings are a thing for you, I would encourage you to look back on this last several nights or the last week and what was your quality of sleep. So that can definitely be a connector. The next is poor hunger and appetite regulation. And a consequence of poor sleep is those hormones that regulate appetite can also be disrupted causing you to eat more than you need to maintain for long term for maintaining a healthy weight.

Dawn (17:02)

And some find their hunger and fullness cues are just altered when suffering from poor sleep. So again, if you are not sleeping well, you may find that you have a hard time differentiating between your full and you need food or you’re emotionally eating or it’s a craving. It’s hard to regulate those symptoms and feelings. And I did a few posts on hunger appetite and cravings and the differences and what those really look like because they’re all very similar but they do have differences.

Dawn (17:50):

So you can check that out in the show notes as well to have those posts that you can refer back to and get more information on your appetite and your hunger. And again, you have to dial that sleep piece in and truly understanding if hey, maybe I just need to focus on my sleep hygiene and maybe trying some of these supplements to really enhance the sleep I’m getting and see what happens.

Poor Hunger and Appetite Regulation:

Dawn (18:21):

See if some of my symptoms go away of hunger or my appetite changes, I don’t need as much food at a meal to feel satisfied or I just make better food choices because don’t not dealing with those cravings, I’m not seeking other foods. The next is weight loss resistance and weight gain. And this problem can arise from inadequate sleep causing weight loss resistance and a lack of restful sleep inhibits the production of the hormone leptin which is kind of your fullness or satiation hormone.

Dawn (19:02):

And overall it regulates your appetite and metabolism in the body and it also increases the production of the hormone graylin, which is your hunger hormone. So that can increase your appetite when you are getting restful sleep. So as a result of these different hormone imbalances, it can become difficult for individuals to lose weight or cause weight loss resistance or just contribute to the whole picture of weight gain.

Dawn (19:39)
So it’s likely going to be a combination of factors, especially in certain scenarios where I see frequently as stress combined with poor sleep. Those two together are a recipe for weight gain. So and frequently see that in a lot of patients if you look back, it’s really not something that we’ve all been trained in how to manage our stress and optimize our sleep.

Dawn (20:08):

It is something as adults that you kind of ebb and flow through. And personally I would say I go through phases where I get really great sleep and then other phases where I struggle with sleep. And I will say that truly pre plays a role in one, how I perceive my health but then also the symptoms that I experience. So if I’m struggling with weight loss, I’m not losing any inches, I’m not noticing any change in my sizes and my clothes just don’t fit any different then you know can say the scale.

Weight Loss Resistance/Weight Gain:

Dawn (21:03)
I would prefer to not, we’re worry so much about the scale, but in the end I think weight is a measure that we can review and evaluate for feedback. So I’m not opposed to the scale, but I prefer looking at inches and how your clothes are fitting. Are you noticing it changing in any slight way? Because sometimes you don’t lose pounds as quickly as you may lose inches depending on what we’re working on. So some people aren’t going to see the pounds drop as quickly as they see the inches or the clothes fitting looser those changes.

Dawn (21:52):

So because of what we’re working on and inflammation or just your whole metabolic system with your glucose and your insulin and dialing those in a lot of people can see changes in their midsection when we work in those areas with stress and blood sugar because that and insulin because that can really help decrease that midsection fat so that belly fat, it can help improve that when we focus in those areas.

Dawn (22:29)
But regardless, it’s, it really is important to look at the whole body and look at what is driving it. So not sometimes if you’re struggling with weight it may have absolutely nothing to do with what or how much food you’re eating or how much you’re exercising. So it truly could be just you aren’t getting restful sleep. Again, I think a whole body approach is super important when it comes to health and when we are looking at your metabolic health and the number on the scale or your inches or sizes and we’re looking at that whole picture of weight, muscle mass, all of that.

Blood Sugar Dysregulation:

Dawn (23:21):

When we look at that whole body as one, then that’s when you’re going to really dial in the areas that you have to work on. The next is blood sugar dysregulation and poor sleep can result in the dysregulation of blood sugar levels and dysregulated blood sugar also causes sleep.

Dawn (23:46):

So this is one where it’s like did it start? And sometimes you can get yourself in this vicious cycle because one is creating the other and vice versa. So it’s tricky, but yet still doable. You can still, this is where the supplements really can be helpful and really dialing in what can support you while you sleep so that we can improve that blood sugar so that you can have better insulin sensitivity and lower blood sugar levels throughout the day. So again, to me, this is where a supplement for sleep is a better resource because it’s going to be doing twofold. So we can and you’ll see in a little bit with some of the supplements that they also help improve blood sugar levels and insulin signaling and all that.

Dawn (24:52):

So addressing one without the other will likely provide unimpressive change When it comes to your blood sugar level, if you’re not addressing the sleep and if you’re not addressing your blood sugar, you’re probably going to continue to struggle with sleep.

Dawn (25:12)
And in some cases with elevated blood sugars chronically, then it can cause insulin resistance where the body becomes less sensitive to insulin resulting in high levels of blood sugar in the body, which again lead to diabetes, pre-diabetes, then diabetes as a result of the high blood sugar levels and various health problems can occur. And including metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, all of those included. I did talk about in a recent post why insulin levels matter for appetite and weight and additionally I talked about why bariatric patients should care about blood sugar. And in that you can learn more about insulin and blood sugar, but sleep is included and a correlator in how successful you’re going to be with managing your insulin and your blood sugar.

Dawn (26:10):

So you have to pull sleep into this conversation and if you’re not sleeping well then we need to attack it so that you can have better blood sugar control. Blood sugar regulation is critical for so many areas of balancing your health. Too much sugar consistently in your blood compromises your health yet too little creates havoc at a different level. So you don’t want too little blood sugar and have hypoglycemia that is not helpful either. So if your blood sugar is dysregulated consistently or chronically, then your sleep needs to be evaluated. If you have sleep apnea, maybe it’s time for another an evaluation that sleep piece in so that you can have better blood sugar and insulin control. The next is lack of energy and this one seems pretty obvious.

Lack of energy:

Dawn (27:12):

Sleep deprivation is also associated with low energy levels and in addition, it can negatively affect productivity, motivation and performance kind of making, concentrating and focusing and actually performing your daily activities difficult. So that one is, although super obvious, it just needs to be mentioned that if you are struggling with your energy, have you looked at your sleep?

Dawn (27:43)
Have you considered that I need to work on sleep? And it’s not just saying I need to get a better night’s sleep, you got to apply some strategies and this could be just sleep hygiene and where you’re actually setting the room at the right temperature, you’re getting room darkening shades or blinds or curtains you’re taking your work desk out of your bedroom and putting it somewhere else so you associate sleep with the bedroom and not work. So again, there are so many pieces to sleep hygiene.

Dawn (28:24):

And again, the piece that we all are in denial of I would say is the phone scrolling, how that really influences your cortisol level, that blue light, there are blue light blocking glasses you can wear that can help prevent your eyes from getting the blue light consistently and confusing that circadian rhythm. So again, these are things that are naturally happening that when you mess this rhythm or this system up, you are creating a lot of problems in havoc at a different level and your energy is one piece of that.

Mental Health:

Dawn (29:14) :

The next one is your mental health. Sleep plays an essential role in mental health and lack of sleep can contribute to various mental health problems, specifically depression, anxiety in mood swings and poor sleep can also worsen existing mental health conditions resulting in a further decline of mental health. So you have ruminating thoughts, you’re worried and that just continues through the night and you don’t sleep. So then it kind of gets you in this cycle where now you are ruminating all day and all night and you’re not resting.

Dawn (29:51):

And again, this is where some of these supplements are a game changer for people and even the studies show, and even in my experience with patients utilizing them, it can make a huge difference in your mood, in your ability to just self-regulate better and you makes you more resilient to handle the stressors of life. So when we aren’t sleeping well, then we’re more snappy and short and less capable of actually managing what gets thrown at us day in and day out.

Epigenetic Expression:

Dawn (30:35):

And we’ll be more reactive and more dramatic and more maybe even more grouchy and you might say things that you regret because you’re just not getting adequate sleep. So I think you get the picture. The next one is epigenetic expression and sleep deprivation can have a negative effect on epigenetic expression, which is the process of activating or deactivating genes. And I talk a lot about nutrigenomics androgenetics and just epigenetic expression, we talk about that.

Dawn (31:18):

And sleep deprivation can alter your gene expression leading to a variety of health problems like obesity, diabetes, heart disease, all of those things. So our genes help set us up for the ability to handle some of these things better than some others. But then also, you know, have to think about our genes are not our destiny, our genes just kind of load the gun. And then our epigenetics, our diet and our lifestyle and choices is what pulls the trigger.

Dawn (32:03):

So again, I think you have to step back and say, okay, what? What’s activating this? What is turning this on and what can I do differently to turn it back off? So it’s essential to get enough sleep to stay healthy, and you should aim for seven to eight hours of sleep each night and prioritize sleep hygiene. And one being like a regular sleep schedule, avoiding caffeine and electronics before bed creating that sleep environment and adding to your daily practices some form of relaxation.

Dawn (32:45):

so that you can get your body mind in the same set that hey, we’re winding down and it’s time for a bed instead of sitting on your laptop or sitting on your phone and keeping that going until bedtime you’re going to make it more difficult. Whereas if you have a thing that you have set on my phone, I have a bedtime where it shuts off so I no longer get notifications.

Dawn (33:18):

So if at nine 15, because my bedtime is 10 at nine 15, my phone no longer notifies me of any emails, texts it will call. So the phone, I will receive phone calls, but it kind of goes on my sleep mode and I do not get interrupted. If my kids are texting me or anything, I literally have to pay attention because it’s not going to notify me after my nine 15 sleep setting gets turned on. So just little things like that that can truly help set the stage for a better night’s sleep.

Dawn (34:04):

And even things like meditations and deep breathings and stretching and things like that can also get you in a better state for sleeping. But additionally, this is where supplements can be helpful for those who truly are. Maybe some genes have been turned on, but you need to support yourself. So you need some supplements short term to get things in a better place.

Hormone fluctuations:

Dawn (34:29) :

And the last one is hormone fluctuations and hormones can powerfully influence your ability to sleep, especially the transition to menopause and fluctuating hormones can cause sleep. Disruptions classified in three groups. One is a trouble falling asleep, waking up several times and then waking up earlier. And there is a longitudinal analysis of eight years of data from more than 3000 women. In the study of women’s health across the nation showed that waking during the night was the most common type of sleep problem during this menopause transition. Pretty interesting. So personally being in this phase of life or this stage of life I would agree is waking during the night.

Dawn (35:26):

And again, it’s interesting and cortisol is a big driver and blood sugar is a big driver and. I will tell you that having a continuous glucose monitor, which I have had now for I think about five or six days has been completely eye-opening. And I think I’m going to have to do a post on this or some stories or something because it has been truly eye-opening and day one or yeah, the first 24 hours of wearing a CGM had provided adequate feedback that I kind of knew what I needed. It answered a question that I was unsure of and it’s been valuable from day one.

Dawn (36:21):

And what it showed me is, is that my blood sugar was crashing in the middle of the night and that was what I was unsure of. And until I had a cgm, it never would’ve been detected. I never would’ve found it, even if I did a finger prick, I never would’ve caught it.

Dawn (36:40):

Whereas wearing a cgm, I can see the continuous glucose number at all times and that for sure has been so helpful. So again, I’ll have to share what I’m doing with this because I think again, this is really important and especially in menopause because this is, every female is going to go through this.

Dawn (37:08):

Every person genetically is going to be different. I do have the genetics for diabetes and insulin resistance and those types of health conditions and obesity, I have those genes, but knowing that menopause turns those on is really helpful when you have a cgm. Now I’m not going to wear this for life, I’m just go, I purchased it for three months, I’m going to do it for three months so I can help educate myself and turn it around. I’ve got to figure out how it’s going to work best for me in trying different things that can truly help dial in so I don’t crash in the middle of the night that wakes me up.

Dawn (37:57):

So I will say when I dial in the right amount of carbs and I’m not there yet, have not found the right amount of carbs that are working for me in six days, but I will figure it out and I will know what I need throughout the day to prevent any type of crash in the middle of the night because when I have adequate carbs then I don’t wake up, I sleep consistently through the night.

Dawn (38:26):

So again, this is where I think those perimenopause women can truly benefit from a CGM. Because not going to know until you wear one and no finger prick is going to detect that. So again, a CGM might be something that you might want to consider. I found a company that they have flat rate pricing, no additional fees, and they canned just do one thing one package. And it was reasonably priced in my opinion. Compared to what other CGMs and what I know what CGMs other people pay for CGMs a month to me it was worth it. And I’ll get to kind of do it for three months.

Dawn (39:16):

I’m going to have my husband do it, I’m getting his ordered this week and. Then I will have a dashboard and I will be able to evaluate his and know how to help navigate his as well because he, not to tell on him. But he is already pre-diabetic with some of his numbers.

Dawn (39:36):

So we are going to be working on improving that. So again, menopause is a huge shift in change in life and blood sugar is part of it, insulin is part of it, and sleep is the huge part. The biggest part of it I would say is what drives more insulin resistance, what drives more blood sugar dysregulation and vice versa. So again, this study showing that waking during the night was the most common sleep problem, I agree a hundred percent.

Dawn (40:13):

And again, I think there are solutions and that’s where a CGM I think is helpful for that and. Then another study, 2015 reports that menopause hormone therapy administered in the form of low dose estrogen or progesterone could improve chronic insomnia in menopausal women with 14 of 23 studies showing positive results. And personally I, I’m already on hormone therapy and it is great. I take progesterone and estrogen, I take both of those.

Dawn (40:48):

I do not need testosterone, but I have that available if I need it. And my testosterone levels I maintain with exercise so I can help boost those just with my moving my body more. And if I need more, I can just ask my doctor and she will do testosterone for me. But regardless, I have that support and I still had sleep problems, so I was already on progesterone, which is your sleep. That is your best resource when it comes to sleep with hormones, with female hormones.

Dawn (41:26):

So your progesterone would be step one for me is if you are struggling with sleep, you legit have insomnia, you cannot fall asleep because that estrogen is dropping. Start with progesterone and then add in estrogen. I do ’em both and I’m dialing in my estrogen and the more I got my estrogen to the right letter the right level, the least problems I had with sleep.

Dawn (41:57):

So again, it’s finding that balance and working with your provider and paying attention and being aware of your symptoms and having that ability to adjust as needed. So I think that’s super helpful and it’s a way to manage this sleep piece because even though I was on estrogen and progesterone, I really wasn’t, when my sleep issues began, I was not having enough estrogen at all. I was not utilizing the estrogen I should have been.

Dawn (42:30):

But once I ramped that up, sleep did improve. But prior to that, even though taking estrogen at the wrong dose, I was not getting good sleep. And then I still even dialing that in and having progesterone, I was still having times when I would wake up. So that’s where I questioned the blood sugar being an issue or cortisol. Those are the two that usually are three. And that I will tell you has again, the CGM is a great tool to get that feedback and that information that I needed so that I could fix that problem so that now I can sleep consistently through the night once I figure out the exact amount that I need and how I need to manage my life to minimize stress that will help optimize those.

Dawn (43:27):

So again, it’s very fascinating and I will tell you excited to utilize this more with patients because it’s such a great tool and provides such great feedback. The dashboard that I have available, I can give immediate feedback to people and recommend, Hey, try this today, make sure you’re having this at bedtime or this at your next meal. So kind of cool to be able to see that. And it teaches you a lot just using the app. So anyways, so H hormone therapy can be life-changing.

Dawn (44:07):

So, again, find a practitioner that can help guide and prescribe hormone therapy. If you do struggle with sleep, that would be a number one thing and you’re in that 40 to 60 year old female age range because this could be a piece of it. So now we’ve kind of established all of the symptoms and health conditions that contribute to poor sleep.

5 Supplements for Better Sleep

Dawn (44:32):

So what can you do? You need sleep. So what are your options? There are five, and I’m going to go through. I’m just going to list them and then we’ll go through each of ’em individually. The first is magnesium bis-glycinate. The second is magnesium threonate, phosphatidylsirene, apigenin and L-theonine. Those are the five that have some really good evidence. So the first one is magnesium, bis-glycinate and magnesium is pivotal in triggering the relaxation pathways in the body. And this is because magnesium aids in gamma amnio, butyric acid or GABA production. So GABA production, you have magnesium as a co-factor.

Dawn (45:23):

that’s why it’s important to have adequate magnesium in your diet. And this is a GABA is a neurotransmitter that sos sues the nervous system and promotes sleep. And according to a study, magnesium is important in many physiological processes. It has several important functions including maintaining the health of your bones, muscles and nerves and producing energy.

Magnesium supplementation may be beneficial for sleep, anxiety and depression

Dawn (45:54):

Several studies have suggested that magnesium supplementation may be beneficial for sleep, anxiety and depression among other things. And furthermore, it may improve insulin sensitivity and reduce blood pressure. So I don’t think you’re going to go wrong with magnesium, but not every form of magnesium is the right form for sleep and magnesium, bisg, glycinate, and magnesium threonate are the two forms that are going to be the best option for sleep.

Dawn (46:31):

So those are the two that you would want to look for. And again, I don’t give dosing on social media or in my YouTubes, I just try not to do dosing because it’s different for everyone. And I utilize different protocols for different people based on genetics, health history, medications current symptoms. I mean there’s a long list of things I evaluate before I just put someone on a supplement. So again, I think considering these two forms of magnesium for sleep is a great option.

Dawn (47:16):

So if you are one struggling with your sleep. Start with these simple magnesium supplements to kind of see if they work. I would buy one first and test it out, do one bottle, buy a small bottle and test it out. If you really didn’t notice any improvement and maybe work with a practitioner like myself that can help you dial in the dosing of it. Because you don’t want to go crazy on these even you know. Can do a high too high of an intake of it. So again, work with somebody that can help you dial in the right dose but try ’em. This is how you kind of figure out the best tool for you.

Dawn (48:03):

Additionally, the magnesium bis-glycinate is highly absorbable and can help improve sleep quality and it’s a mineral that aids in muscle relaxation and promotes restful sleep. Researchers have found that older adults who took magnesium bis-glycinate for eight weeks had improved sleep quality and reduced insomnia.

Magnesium threonate

Dawn (48:28):

The study also suggested that magnesium supplementation can enhance sleep quality and shorten the time it takes to fall asleep. So this form of the magnesium bis-glycinate may be a great option for some of you to consider. The next is magnesium threonate, and magnesium threonate is another form of magnesium that is helpful for better sleep. It has been shown that this form of magnesium improves cognitive function in older adults. And reduces an anxiety which may contribute to better sleep. A study published in nutrients in 2021 suggested that magnesium supplementation may benefit people with heart disease.

Dawn (49:15):

Researchers found that magnesium supplementation reduced blood pressure and improved lipid profiles in heart disease patients. And according to the results of this study, magnesium supplementation. May be beneficial for individuals with type two diabetes and may mitigate the adverse effects of the disease. It was found that magnesium supplementation improves blood sugar control and insulin sensitivity.

Magnesium supplementation had positive effects on metabolic health and is potentially beneficial

Dawn (49:42):

There was another study published in the Journal of Biological Trace Element Research in 2013. And it was found that magnesium supplementation had positive effects on metabolic health and is potentially beneficial. The study found that magnesium supplementation improved overweight individuals insulin sensitivity and lipid profiles. So again, that is fabulous to use those forms. So purchasing a threonate or a Bis-glycinate either one of those is going to be super helpful. With trying seeing if it helps with sleep because in the end there’s very little really. There’s no worry with utilizing these forms of magnesium.

Dawn (50:37):

They are highly safe to use and could be just a viable option to consider. But I will say lastly, magnesium threonate has been shown to cross the blood-brain barrier. That coincided with cognitive improvements in animal studies. But one human study only showed marginal cognitive improvements. So it really hasn’t been shown in human studies to improve cognition, but in animal studies there has been benefit.

Dawn (51:09):

So I think more studies need to be done on utilizing magnesium threonate for cognition. But again, we’re talking about sleep. So we know that it can help with kind of relaxation and that GABA production. That neurotransmitter of just feeling calm and relaxed and sleep. So again, I think you’re not going to be wrong by trying either form of magnesium. Number three is phosphatidylsirene, and this is probably my favorite one, and I utilize this in my house a lot. And I talk about this at various times.

Dawn (51:49):

I have used this off and on for years for myself, and I go through seasons. When I use it all the time and when I go through seasons and. I just don’t need it and I don’t use it at all. I am in a season where I am using it, my cortisol level is elevated. And phosphatidylsirene can actually help lower your cortisol level. So I am dialing that in and again, it helps with sleep. So for me, I really do try to get phospho tido serene in throughout the day. It can also help with focus and cognition.

Dawn (52:33):

I would say yes and no. I can’t say that I notice extreme benefit with focus when I use it during the day every single time. Some days, yes, other days not at all. But sleep, it definitely is great for sleep. Helping me fall asleep better kind of helps shut those ruminating thoughts off the worry thoughts. Those type of conversations that are occurring. Maybe I’m still in work mode that type of thing.

Dawn (53:08):

It’s shutting that off so that I can fall asleep again. I think had I realized sooner that my blood sugar was tanking. I probably would’ve been sleeping all through the night a while ago. But the phosphatidylsirene still helps me get good sleep when I am sleeping. So to me it’s a necessary piece for where I’m at in life. Studies have shown that it can reduce your stress and anxiety and improve sleep.

Dawn (53:42):

Phosphatidylsirene has been shown to have cognitive benefits and may help reduce cortisol levels. It may also reduce exercise-induced stress in older adults and improved memory and attention. So if you’re doing maybe the wrong types of exercise. Say you’re in menopause and you really should be doing more yoga. Pilates and lightweights and nothing, no cardio, nothing crazy. And the high intensity training type things more calm type of workouts. This can help as well kind of mitigate that cortisol spike that can occur. When you are exercising or using the wrong forms of exercise at your season in life.

Dawn (54:32):

There was a study in clinical psycho-pharmacology saying that phar phospho. Tial serene supplementation improved sleep quality and lowered anxiety and stress levels in individuals with insomnia. And then a 2022 study in the Journal of Nutrients suggested that phosphatidylserien supplementation may benefit individuals with depression.

Dawn (54:57):

The study found that phosphatidylsirene supplementation improved depressive symptoms in patients with major depression. So again, just another side benefit, but to kind of dial that in a little tighter as well. If you are in perimenopause and menopause, depression is higher. So again, it is a really good supplement for menopause perimenopause. Because cortisol naturally rises as well as depression and anxiety. So again, this might be a great supplement to consider when you are in that season of life. Number four is apigenin and it is a flavonoid present in many fruits. And vegetables that has been shown to have a sedative effect.

Dawn (55:48):

And a recent study showed that apigenin supplementation could reduce sleep duration and improve sleep quality. So according to molecular medicine reports, mice that received apigenin and supplementation slept better and had less insomnia. Then another study found the apigenin is an anti-inflammatory antioxidant and cancer fighting compound found in many plants.

Animal studies have suggested that it may be beneficial for anxiety and depression

Dawn (56:17):

Additionally, animal studies have suggested that it may be beneficial for anxiety and depression. But human research is insufficient to conclude. So again, apigenin is, there’s no safety concerns with any of these but again. You should always check with your practitioners and check with your pharmacist on any type of medications. That you are currently taking if this would interfere. Same with phosphatidylsirene, although it is very safe and doesn’t have any significant risks. Always check with your pharmacist with your current medication list. That you’re on and your physician that they are good with that.

Dawn (56:59):

And the last one is L-theanine and L-theanine is found in green tea. This is green tea contains the amino acid L-theanine and. It performs several relaxation related functions and reduces tension and anxiety levels. And it was also shown to improve sleep quality by enhancing deep restful sleep.

Dawn (57:27):

A recent study published in nutrients found the lthe and supplementation can enhance sleep quality. And reduce feelings of stress and anxiety even in individuals with sleep disturbances. Additionally, the study suggested that lthe and supplementation may enhance epigenetic expression. It was found that supplementing healthier adults with lthe nin alter their DNA methylation patterns. And if you follow me long enough to know that I have talked about. How methylation is what turns genes on and off. So having your methylation pathway being optimize is not a bad thing.

Dawn (58:16):

It’s actually very helpful for your overall health because that’s where we are going to help turn off. Those disease-causing genes and turn on the disease preventing genes. These findings, however, require further study to understand their implications. So L-theanine is consider safe and can but it can cause stomach upset and high doses. So again, you have to work with a practitioner who understands these nutrients in utilizing them in a safe way. Because it’s not every person should use all of these or at certain doses.

Conclusion

Dawn (59:02):

So again, reach out, become a gastric health member and we can dial in your sleep. And make recommendations on different sleep supplements to put together something that can help improve your sleep each night. So let’s wrap this up. We have talked all about the things that cause poor sleep and how it impacts your health. And how your health impacts your sleep, what’s driving it, which way, vice versa. They both can cause each. But then also providing solutions. Some alternatives that are very safe and are evidence based. That give you solutions to actually getting rest when you need it.

Dawn (01:00:00):

when maybe your health is not dial in yet. But it allows you to sleep so that you can dial in your health. So it’s just sleep is so crucial for improving your health outcomes. After bariatric surgery and individuals seeking to improve your sleep quality. May benefit from taking magnesium bis-glycinate or threonate phosphatidylsirene apigenin or L-theanine. Or combination of a little bit of a few of these.

Dawn (01:00:34):

Nevertheless, if you have underlying health conditions or taking medications. You must consult your doctor and your pharmacist before taking new supplements. And I would say more the pharmacist would probably have the knowledge on the interactions with the medications and. The supplementation. And also I would say lastly, dialing in your sleep hygiene with setting a regular schedule. Reducing your blue light exposure before going to bed, creating a relaxing sleep environment. And making sure you’re not eating too late can all improve your sleep, sleep quality and overall health.

Dawn (01:01:20):

So I truly hope this has given you maybe some new ways to approach your overall health. And actual solutions to sleep because to me. You have to sleep in order to get your other health conditions in a healthy state. It’s just not going to happen if your sleep is disrupt constantly. So check out our gastric health membership. I’d love to work with any of you. If you do struggle with sleep, I would love to help you correct this. And get to a better nice rest consistently because this will make a huge difference for weight loss. Weight loss resistance, diabetes, blood sugar control, insulin resistance. All of those health conditions that actually compromise your.

Dawn (01:02:18):

Success after bariatric surgery. So check out our gastric health membership@ gastrichealth.com and. We would love to have you a part of our membership group and join us at any time. So you guys have a great week and we will see you next time. Bye-bye.

Listen, Learn, Enjoy…

References & Links:

5 Supplements for Better Sleep after Bariatric Surgery

Don’t just purchase without having conversations with a practitioner

Some sleep apnea has absolutely nothing to do with your weight

So having bariatric surgery does not mean you’re going to sleep better