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Capital Disctrict Vitality Center

Functional Medicine Clifton Park NY

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Why sleep is more difficult for women

Dr. Richard Herbold of Clifton Park, New York’s Capital District Vitality Center: Women in their 40s and up face unique challenges when it comes to sleep

Is there a torture worse than hitting the sack exhausted from a long day only to toss and turn for hours, unable to fall asleep? Or perhaps you fall asleep but later bolt awake and can’t fall back asleep?

By the time women hit their mid 30s or early 40s, many struggle with sleep. Either it’s difficult to fall asleep, difficult to stay asleep, or both. Although sleep difficulties can have many causes, fluctuations of female hormone prior to and during the transition to menopause can steal many hours of precious sleep.

Female hormone imbalances and sleep problems

When a woman enters perimenopause, her production of estrogen and progesterone begins to decline. Ideally the adrenal glands, which produce stress hormones, take over production of these hormones to ensure a smooth transition into menopause. Unfortunately, most women today enter perimenopause (pre-menopause) in a state of chronic stress and their adrenals glands are either producing too much or too little of stress hormones. To take on the added job of producing sex hormones is simply more than they can handle. That’s when sleep issues can kick in, as balanced levels of estrogen and progesterone are necessary for healthy sleep. Other symptoms may include hot flashes, night sweats, depression, anxiety, fatigue, and more.

Women may also experience sleep issues during certain times of the menstrual cycle when hormone levels fluctuate.

As a clinical nutritionist and chiropractic neurologist, I support patients from Guilderland, Loudonville, Delmar, Colonie, and other areas of the Capital District in my Clifton Park, NY office for various chronic health issues. Many female patients complain of sleep problems, which are often related to hormonal imbalances. Making adjustments to diet and lifestyle, especially balancing blood sugar, can help manage hormones and improve sleep.

Low progesterone and problems sleeping

Low progesterone seems to have become increasingly common among women and can play a large role in sleep problems. Progesterone is referred to as the “calming hormone” whereas estrogen is more excitatory, and low progesterone is associated with sleeping difficulties.

Chronic stress can impact progesterone levels. Every time you experience stress your adrenal glands release cortisol, a stress hormone. When demand for cortisol is constantly high the body borrows pregnenolone, which is needed to make progesterone and other hormones, to make cortisol instead. This is called “pregnenolone steal” because the body steals pregnenolone from the hormone cascade in order to keep pace with the demands of stress.

Stopping pregnenolone steal may help improve hormone function and improve sleep. Strategies for stopping pregnenolone steal include an anti-inflammatory diet, which eases the body’s burden of stress. You may also need to work on restoring gut health, taming chronic inflammation, or managing an autoimmune disease appropriately, approaches that benefit from the guidance of an experienced practitioner.

Estrogen and sleep problems

When estrogen is too high and progesterone too low, it can cause sleep problems for the obvious reason—there is too much of the excitatory estrogen compared to the calming progesterone and the brain can’t calm down enough to rest. A proper ratio between the two is important.

However, low estrogen can also contribute to sleep problems. Estrogen is intimately connected with serotonin, a brain chemical associated with a feeling of well-being and that is converted to melatonin, a sleep hormone. Low estrogen may lead to low serotonin activity and contribute not only to sleep problems but also depression and anxiety. The female brain is highly dependent on sufficient estrogen for normal function in general, and low estrogen can also cause symptoms that include brain fog and memory loss.

For patients in Guilderland, Loudonville, Delmar, Colonie, and other Capital District areas: Strategies to support hormone balance

Tending to adrenal function and other health issues may help correct hormonal imbalances. This includes not only reducing lifestyle stress, but also eliminating dietary stressors. Eating a diet lower in carbohydrates to prevent blood sugar swings, avoiding foods that cause an immune reaction, not drinking too much alcohol, tending to bacterial gut infections and other aspects of digestive health, and supporting immune balance are all whole-body approaches that can foster proper hormone function and improve sleep.

In my Clifton Park, NY office, I offer patients from Guilderland, Loudonville, Delmar, Colonie, and other areas of the Capital District support for their health and such neurological disorders as depression, anxiety, ADD/ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, and other brain-based issues. For more information on how to help balance your hormones and improve sleep, contact my office.

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  • I have been a patient of Dr. Herbold's for many years now and have always been impressed with the professionalism and compassion of the office staff that never waivers. They try to accommodate their patients' schedules and needs, going the extra mile. Also, Dr. Herbold listens to his patients' stories and sees so much more, in my opinion, than a lot of medical professionals. I can be sure that I will be heard, and will actually work WITH someone to create a proactive plan to take care of my health and see results.
    Daysha G.
  • Thanks to Dr. Herbold, for the first time since June 1975 (when I was seventeen and had my first migraine my last day of school and threw up in the restroom) I have gone over a month without a migraine. Also thanks to Dr. Herbold, for the first time since it was available over the counter in the 1990’s, I have gone over a month without having to take Imitrex. I had been to neurologists, participated in medical trials, gone through acupuncture - you name it. Dr. Herbold’s plan for me included explaining how inflammation caused my migraines and how it had other effects on my body. He provided me with comprehensive lab results and guided me with an eating plan that WORKED. His knowledge of the body is unsurpassed and I was recommend anyone who suffers with these horribly debilitating migraines to get treated by Dr. Herbold.
    Maria S.
  • I have walked into Dr. Herbold's office unable to straighten up and walked out pain-free. He's helped me heal from Lyme Disease and stay free of immune-modulating drugs for my ankylosing spondilyits, a serious autoimmune condition affecting the spine. What most people don't understand are the many limitations of mainstream medicine. Functional medicine doctors like Rich Herbold give you tools to change your EPIGENETICS ---- those choices we make that influence the expression of our unique genetic inheritance. As a physician, a former nurse, and a patient, I can recommend Dr. Herbold WITHOUT reservation.
    Susie R.
  • My first visit with Dr. Herbold was many years ago. I was diagnosed with arthritis in my 20's. I refused to be a slave to the drugs prescribed and decided to start the changes in diet and lifestyle Dr. Herbold encouraged. We successfully beat the sentence or diagnosis, depending on how you see it, and started my journey in natural health. I later found great council with my fertility issues and now enjoy my 2 girls - happy and healthy miracles. My second daughter suffered terribly with reflux and wound up on prescriptive reflux medication in her first few months of life. With Dr. Herbold's council, we turned the problem around in weeks with total resolution. It was an enormous relief to our family. Finally, I am not without my challenges, but my quality of life is so much better when I stay on my custom program. He has helped our family make huge changes. Thanks Dr. H!
    Amy N.
  • Long story short, after a year and a half of countless doctor visits to try to figure out what was wrong with me (couldn't move my joints, extreme pain and swelling, ect....) I was told I had RA and would be on methotrexate for the rest of my life. I went to Dr. Herbold to get his opinion. Within three months of his treatment and guidance I was, and still am-2 years later, completely symptom free. I'm so grateful for his help, I wouldn't have the quality of life I do without him!
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  • If you're having a problem, do yourself a favor and visit Dr. Herbold; he is simply AMAZING -- the most competent, knowledgeable, attentive Doctor I've ever known! And at all times the consummate professional. Additionally, his office manager is a delight and makes each experience a pleasure!
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  • Dr. Herbold is an excellent doctor. He is helping me heal and understand every detail of my issues with my thyroid, health and recovery. After few months on his protocol to recover my health I've greatly improved and feel energized again. I highly recommend him!
    Sandra S.
  • Dr. Herbold is helping me with my weight, which has not budged in spite of being a nutritionist myself. His unique blend of scientific knowledge and clinical experience helps him to sense exactly what the next steps are. At last, someone who can heal this healer (me)!
    Suzanne C.

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Capital District Vitality Center

Phone: 518-371-6431
Email: info@drherbold.com

Address: 140 Lapp Rd,
Clifton Park, NY 12065
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