Is A Lack Of Sleep Causing Your Headaches?

In a culture where stress levels are high, exposure to natural sunlight is less, and we constantly stare at digital screens, it’s no surprise that so many people struggle to get enough sleep.

A third of US adults report that they usually get less than the recommended amount of sleep. Many more struggle with occasional sleep-related disorders or problems including sleep apnea, anxiety, or nighttime pain that interferes with their overall quality of life.

If you’re someone who regularly gets less than the recommended amount of sleep, you’re at a higher risk for many different chronic diseases and conditions—such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and depression—that threaten our nation’s health. Sleep deprivation is also tied to health problems that are mentally and physically harmful, including:

• Brain fog and fatigue
• Greater risk of accident or injury
• Loss of productivity at work
• Irritability and moodiness
• Relationship problems
• A greater risk of death due to problems affecting your heart and immune system

Getting enough sleep is not a luxury — it is something people need for good health.

Dr. Stasha Gominak, a neurologist in Tyler, TX, has extensively studied the link between enough sleep and headaches – another common epidemic. Dr. Gominak became interested in sleep health after a patient with sleep apnea was cured of her headaches by wearing a CPAP mask. Since then, Dr. Gominak has learned that bad or frequent headaches are always accompanied by abnormal sleep. Many believe they can’t sleep because of headaches, but what if it’s the opposite? What if you have headaches because you aren’t getting enough sleep?

“If you don’t fix the sleep you’ll never permanently fix the headaches. Most other “cures” may last for a while but they all wear off over time.” -Dr. Gominak 

We sleep to repair and replenish our body’s supplies. Every night we make chemicals like insulin, serotonin, dopamine, and interferon that help us function properly while awake. Serotonin specifically can be tied to headaches and sleep. Before a tension headache or a migraine, the rise in serotonin causes the blood vessels in your head to constrict and lowers your tolerance for pain. The level of serotonin in your brain drops, causing the constricted blood vessels to suddenly become larger than normal and resulting in a rush of blood to the brain and the throbbing pain characteristic of migraines.

Dr. Gominak believes that sleep is the cure to this. By using a specific combination of vitamins and other over-the-counter supplements in her Right Sleep Method, Dr. Gominak believes someone can improve sleep, reduce or banish headaches altogether, and reduce chronic disease.

At Integrative Health Matters, we see many patients who suffer from poor amounts of sleep. We know this is a root cause of many health issues. By addressing your sleep, improving your diet, and adding the nutrients your body specifically needs, we can get you on the road to healing. Start your path to feeling better by calling Integrative Health Matters in Tyler, Texas. Let us help you relieve your symptoms and get you back to optimal health with health coaching, supplement recommendations, and specified tests that could greatly benefit your health.

I want to sleep well again