Are you or a loved one suffering from chronic fatigue? Do you toss and turn at night in spite of being so physically exhausted? Maybe you sleep all through the night but wake up feeling like you didn't sleep an hour. How do you get back to sleeping through the night and waking up feeling energized? The truth is that there are multiple areas within the body that can play a role in chronic fatigue. To properly support a patient with chronic fatigue it is imperative to evaluate the hippocampus in the brain (which sets and regulates your circadian rhythm), the thyroid gland, the adrenal glands, and blood sugar regulation. For today we are going to focus on the adrenal glands and blood sugar.
The adrenal glands sit right on top of your kidneys and are your "stress" glands. When your body is under any type of stress (chemical, emotional, or physical) your adrenal glands help your body react to that stress. In times of overwhelming or chronic stress the adrenals can begin to fatigue which results in an inappropriate response to stress. Today, blood sugar dys-regulation is an epidemic. There are two sides to the blood sugar story. We have diabetes, and pre-diabetes (aka insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome), which are characterized by elevations of blood sugar. Some of the most characteristic symptoms of insulin resistance are fatigue after meals, increased waist girth, and craving sweets after meals. Then we have hypoglycemia, or more commonly reactive hypoglycemia. This is a condition in which the blood sugar drops too low. This is characterized by symptoms of feeling irritable if meals are missed, craving sweets throughout the day, and feeling better energized after eating a meal.
Any time blood sugar elevates or drops outside of optimal levels the adrenal glands respond by altering cortisol production. When you have poor blood sugar regulation or chronic stress patterns this will alter your cortisol rhythm. Maintaining a normal rhythm of cortisol release through the day and night is essential to maintaining good energy throughout the day and sleeping soundly through the night. If cortisol levels are too low during the morning you will wake up with no energy. If the cortisol levels drop too rapidly during the day your energy will drop as well. If your cortisol levels elevate at night you will suffer with insomnia. An adrenal salivary index, which checks your cortisol levels at four times throughout the day can be very helpful in understanding why your energy levels and sleep rhythms have been altered. If you have questions or would like to learn more about how to maximize your energy throughout the day call my office at 763-398-7770. God bless.
Joshua Huffman, D.C., D.A.C.N.B., D.A.A.I.M.
Board Certified in Chiropractic Neurology and Integrative Medicine
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