I struggled with insomnia for over 2 years until I finally figured out what was causing it. I had a parasite (probably from traveling in SE Asia 12 years prior), liver detox issues, gluten sensitivity, and copper toxicity to name a few. Once I corrected those imbalances, I started sleeping so much better.

Even though I solved my insomnia 5 years ago, if I don’t take care of my body, my sleep is immediately affected. So I have to make sure I do simple things every day to keep my body in balance so I can sleep well. I realized that the things I do will help pretty much anyone maintain their body’s balance so I want to share them with you!

The truth is, It does take effort to keep our bodies healthy, and it may seem like others around you don’t have to work as hard. It can be frustrating, but really, once we figure out exactly what our body needs to thrive, we can consider ourselves lucky.

I am grateful that my sleep was impacted by my health. It forced me to figure out what was off in my body, and I learned what it takes for me to be truly well. Now I have the habits in place that set myself up for better health and well-being long term.

For many people, the first sign of their body not functioning at its best is a devastating diagnosis such as cancer or dementia. Insomnia is reversible, and while it is challenging and detrimental to our lives, it isn’t terminal.

I feel so lucky to know what makes me healthy so I can be healthy long-term. A Soul reader actually told me once my challenge in this life is to take care of myself, but it’s also now my gift, to help you all!

—

6 things I do daily to get better sleep

1. Anti-inflammatory diet

An anti-inflammatory diet generally looks like no processed foods, because so many inflammatory foods are hidden in processed foods. Gluten and dairy are also inflammatory for most people. If you are trying to give your gut a chance to heal, avoiding these foods is important.

I’m not 100 percent perfect at eating this way now, but when I was working on my gut issues and parasite issues, I was, and I believe that if you are actively trying to solve your sleep issues, it’s worth being on a 100 percent anti-inflammatory diet.

Now I practice the 80/20 rule where 80 percent of the time I’m eating this way, and 20 percent of the time I am more lax. This way I never feel like I’m missing out on enjoying my life.

When I go beyond this threshold, I really start to see the negative impacts. After even a week of eating out a lot and drinking alcohol, I can tell my body starts to get out of balance and slow down.

2. Support detox

Supporting the liver and detoxification every day can be as simple as a liver support supplement or a morning lemon water. Sweating at least once a week (like hot yoga, exercise, or a sauna) or taking an epsom salt bath can be helpful.

3. Exercise every day (not too much, not too little)

It’s important to move our bodies daily, but we also need to be doing balanced and nourishing exercises. Overdoing it can be detrimental to our health.Over exercising is very stressful on our bodies. On the flip side, a sedentary and inactive life can cause problems as well. Walking every day is a simple way to move that doesn’t take too much out of us.

4. Balance blood sugar

This takes some personal planning and attention as there are many different ways to balance your blood sugar.

Personally, I use intermittent fasting (which I do not recommend for people with active sleep issues) as well as eating in specific orders and times to keep my blood sugar balanced. We can be eating really well, but our blood sugar might still be imbalanced. Be willing to explore what works for you.

5. Mineral support

Once we know what’s happening with your personal mineral levels through functional lab testing it’s easier to address bringing your minerals into balance. My tests showed high calcium and magnesium and low sodium and potassium (a classic pattern we see leading to insomnia). I also had copper toxicity and high uranium levels. It took a long time to get my minerals balanced, so now I try my best to keep them that way. For me, this looks like supplements (CT Minerals) and adding minerals back into my water, but your body might require different help.

6. Support neurotransmitters

Everyone’s brain chemistry is different. Personally my serotonin is low, and we see signs of mental health issues and depression in my family history so I take 5-HTP every day. Neurotransmitters are so important for sleep, and they reflect gut health, but they may require supplementation just due to your genes.

—

Remember these are what I use to keep my body in balance now, it would not have been enough to just do these things to solve my insomnia when I was in the thick of it years ago.

If these things don’t help, it means they aren’t enough to get our body in balance. You want to do lab testing to dig deeper into what’s out of whack: it could be gut health, liver function, mineral imbalance, lack of neurotransmitters, heavy metals, and more. Once you correct the underlying health issues, then you can more easily maintain your health with the suggestions in this episode.

Ready to get to the bottom of your sleep issues for good so you don’t have to worry about this anymore? The first step is to book a free consultation. We’ll talk about what’s going on with your sleep and how to figure out what’s going on and get your body back in balance so you can sleep normally. Schedule your call here.