Question:
After the leisurely days of summer I am having a hard time dealing with the stress of my children returning to school. I am waking up at night and feeling anxious, what can I do?Answer:
Falling asleep just fine and waking up several hours later is a common symptom of adrenal exhaustion. The adrenals help you deal with stress and produce cortisol the stress hormone. When the adrenals become fatigued, the cortisol cycle can become irregular, elevating at night, instead of being low. This can cause waking in the early hours of the morning. Another factor could be blood sugar levels dropping during the night, which sends a single to the body to wakeup and eat something.
I would suggest trying to reduce stress levels where possible as well as supporting the adrenals and keeping blood sugar levels balanced through diet and supplements.
Following a whole foods diet, cutting out processed foods and sugars, eliminating stimulants such as caffeine and reducing alcohol intake will all be important.
Some supplements that are important for optimal adrenal health are:
- Magnesium
- A B vitamin complex
- Rhodiola
- Suma
- Schisandra
- Sensoril
To see my in depth recommendations, see Adrenal Fatigue.