What Are The Signs Of Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome?

By Helene M Malmsio

This condition is known by many different names, which contribute to some of the confusion that this illness causes when you try to learn more about it.
CFS is how it is most commonly referred to, which is short for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, as well as being known by the names of M.E. and Post-Viral Fatigue syndrome.
Since there is still no official test for Chronic fatigue immune dysfunction syndrome, your medical practitioner will first have to rule out the many other conditions that can cause similar symptoms, like anaemia, before they can diagnose you with CFS
The signs and symptoms of chronic fatigue immune dysfunction syndrome vary from person to person, which makes it a bit more difficult to diagnose, even though most doctors are now better educated about and aware of the condition than in the past.
Most people who experience the most common symptom of fatigue initially put it down to just "being run down" or having a dose of the flu, as the symptoms are similar to both.
But what is distinct with CFIDS is that this is not just a case of being tired from a bout of insomnia, or just feeling sleepy. Instead this is a total lack of energy, which can go on for years, chronically feeling totally wiped out like when you are bedridden with a bad case of influenza, every day you wake up to start the day.

Most doctors will require this state of fatigue to have been ongoing for at least 6 months duration before it is counted as a true symptom.
Another symptom is the after effect that you experience when you have pushed yourself too far physically, doing more than your body could handle.
This is common for people with CFS to experience, because as soon as you have a 'good day' of reduced fatigue there is a tendency to rush about and try to catch up on all the chores and tasks that have been left undone.
While you may feel able to cope at the time of the activity, once you are done the effect of overexertion hits and you experience old fashioned malaise, where you simply can't get out of bed or take any of the actions most people take for granted every day.
The next most debilitating symptom of CFIDS is a state of mental confusion and lack of ability to focus on anything for very long, often referred to as "brain fog" by people who experience it.
This is the symptom that affects people even when they are not in physically demanding jobs, if their work requires concentration for long periods and needs them to stay focused on multiple tasks at one time, they will often find themselves unable to keep their jobs for long.

There are other less obvious or signs and symptoms of CFIDS which include:
- Experiencing sleep disorders, maybe sleeping less because of disruptions, or sleeping more because you cannot get out of bed with any energy.
- Muscles can ache and your joints can become painful, for no reason, even without extra exertion to cause it
- You may begin to experience headaches unlike ones you have experienced before.
- Increased sensitivity to stimulants like light, noise or smells, that never used to cause you discomfort.

- It is very common that you begin to develop a sore throat, even a dry cough at times, and swellings/sensitivity in your lymph nodes.
- More than usual Depression and increased stress can be experienced, but is often a side effect of your exhaustion.
- You may experience heightened anxiety levels, and fears about your ability to recover from this state of malaise.
These most common symptoms and signs of chronic fatigue immune dysfunction syndrome may however also be an indication of other diseases, so you cannot self-diagnose yourself with CFS.
Only your doctor or specialist in the CFIDS field can conduct the tests to eliminate other diseases (some of which could be life threatening) so that you have a clear diagnosis to being treatment from.
The good news is that more and more medical practitioners are now better informed about this illness and more likely to correctly identify the condition than they were even 10 years ago.

http://ezinearticles.com/?What-Are-The-Signs-Of-Chronic-Fatigue-Immune-Dysfunction-Syndrome?&id=9887284

Six Tips to Combat Insomnia During Your Divorce

From dupagefamilylaw.com

Going through a stressful divorce can cause you to develop insomnia. Your thoughts are dominated by worries of how you will settle your divorce and what your life will be like afterward. It can be difficult to turn those thoughts off once it is time for sleep. Even when you manage to fall asleep, your overactive mind may create nightmares that wake you up.

Dealing with your divorce on top of your normal responsibilities is tiring. You need meaningful sleep each night in order to refresh yourself for the next day. You can take steps to combat insomnia, both leading up to your bedtime and when you are trying to fall asleep:

1. Regular Exercise: Find a time in your schedule when you can routinely exercise. The activity relieves tension and may expend enough energy to make you tired when it comes time to sleep. A tired body can override an active mind.
2. Decompression Time: Your mind needs a chance to settle down before you go to sleep. Create a cut-off point during the evening after which you will try not to think about or do any work related to your divorce. Find a relaxing activity that will distract your mind.
3. No Late Night Snacks: Food or drinks that have caffeine, nicotine or sugar can stimulate your body at a time when you are trying to sleep. Do not eat snacks containing these for at least three hours before you go to bed. Also, do not use alcohol as a means to go to sleep. Drinking may make you drowsy, but it can also interfere with you getting the restful sleep you need to recover.
4. Sleep Schedule: It is easier to fall asleep if your body is familiar with a regular sleep schedule. Try to stick to a normal routine of when you go to bed and when you get up.
5. Tiring Yourself Out: If you are trying to sleep but are not tired, you may be better off getting up and doing something instead of lying in bed awake. A stress-free activity may help you relax and eventually grow more tired.
6. Calming Thoughts: When feeling overwhelmed by stressful thoughts, some people use mechanisms to calm themselves. It could involve repeating a mantra or concentrating on a noise or physical sensation. The idea is to focus on something that puts you in the present.

http://www.dupagefamilylaw.com/naperville-attorney/six-tips-to-combat-insomnia-during-your-divorce

Dream your way to a better life and say goodnight to stress with our tips

From thesun.co.uk

Say goodnight to stress and good morning to new skills, better health and self-awareness – by unlocking the power of your dreams

RESITTING your GCSE maths? On a date with Chris Hemsworth? Naked in the supermarket for the fifth time this week?

It’s easy to laugh off our dreams as nothing more than random imaginings we have no control over, yet new research suggests dreaming is much more important to our mental and physical health than previously thought.
One study from the American Academy of Neurology showed those who have shorter dream-stage sleep may be at greater risk of developing dementia, while research by the University of Arizona suggests it can contribute to illnesses such as depression.
“Dreaming is a skill, and it’s possible to learn to do it more constructively,” says bestselling author and dream expert Charlie Morley.
“Everyone can learn techniques to dream better, which will help prepare your mind and body to tackle insomnia and stress and can lead to improved fitness.” Here’s how…

                                                   Get your eight hours
During sleep, the brain cycles through four stages every 90 minutes or so. Most of the first cycle is spent in stage four – the deep, slow-wave stage when the body repairs itself. But with each cycle that follows, more and more time is spent in the REM (rapid eye movement) stage, when dreams occur and the brain replenishes chemicals essential for remembering and problem-solving.
So if you only kip for five hours, you’ll get the physical benefits of stage-four sleep, but not the psychological renewal of REM, Charlie explains.
“That’s why learning a new skill and concentrating become harder the less sleep you get,” he adds. Eight hours is optimal to ensure you spend enough time in the REM stage.

                                                       Be a dream boss
Taking charge of our dreams isn’t just the stuff of Hollywood film Inception. Lucid dreaming, when we’re aware we’re having a dream, is scientifically recognised, with about 20% of us thought to experience it at least once a month.
In this state, the person “can guide the dream in a particular way, such as facing a fear”, says lucid dream expert Dr Clare Johnson. Charlie adds: “Athletes are experimenting with lucid dreaming, because practising physical moves in your sleep creates neural pathways that allow you to perform them better awake.”
But how do you have a lucid dream? First, you have to remember your regular ones. “Before you fall asleep, set the intention by telling yourself: ‘I will remember my dreams,’ over and over,” says Charlie.
When you wake up, write them down. “You’ll start to see patterns that will help you realise you’re in a dream.”

Beat insomnia

One in seven adults regularly struggle to get to sleep and stay asleep, which is when lucid dreaming could help, too.
“Those who suffer from insomnia are often anxious about the process of trying to get to sleep,” says Charlie.
“But giving sufferers something else to focus on, such as remembering their dreams, creates a diversion in the brain that puts that anxiety out of the picture.
Plus, insomniacs might believe they’ve been awake all night, but if they’ve had a lucid dream they know they haven’t, and this also relieves pressure on them.”

Three steps to lucid dreaming

1. Steer clear of social media “When you wake up, make your first thoughts about remembering dreams, rather than checking Facebook,” says Charlie.
2. Don’t share your dream diary “You might censor your dreams inadvertently if you’re worrying about being judged for them,” says Charlie.
3. Power nap During a 20-minute snooze, we go into “REM rebound” – a light sleep filled with vivid dreams, says Clare. “It’s a magic state for would-be lucid dreamers.”

Ditch the dictionaries

Despite the many books claiming to decode messages in dreams, many experts say there are no universal symbols.
A baby doesn’t necessarily signal a new beginning, while spiders aren’t always a warning of manipulation or scheming.
“Say two people dream about a cat,” explains Charlie. “If one of them was bitten by a cat as a child while the other likes watching cat videos on YouTube, it could represent childhood trauma for one and happiness for another. To properly interpret your dreams, you have to start seeing links between them and thinking about what the cat, for example, means to you specifically.”

Make tracks

The free Android app uDreamed allows you to record your dreams, analyse them and share them with professionals to gain insight about yourself. “We’re learning that dreams are especially informative about the emotional state of the dreamer,” says the app’s founder Chris Ufere.

                Keeping a dream diary can be very beneficial to your creative development

For instance, information from US users highlights the different experiences men and women have in the land of nod. “Women tend to dream about family and romantic interests, while men dream about celebrities, fictional characters and colleagues.
And for reasons unknown, women are more likely to dream about the deceased.” But Chris says women are also more likely to look for ways to resolve issues reflected in their dreams during their waking life by facing fears and resolving conflicts.

Have a ‘mare

Even negative dreams serve a purpose, preparing your mind and body for possible real-life scenarios.
“When you have nightmares, it’s believed you’re rehearsing your fight-or-flight survival mechanisms,” says Charlie.
“For example, the night before you go on holiday you might dream you forgot your passport. That dream helps prevent a negative outcome, because the first thing you do when you wake up is check you have your passport.”

Seek help if you need to

Some people have dreams in the transitional phase between being awake and asleep. “These are called hypnagogic hallucinations, and people who experience them more than once a month should tell their doctor,” says sleep expert Dr Meir Kryger. “I’ve had patients who had these hallucinations while driving.”
And while nightmares are normal, see your GP if you think they’re a result of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). “Scientists believe a contributor to PTSD is activation of receptors in the brain that also control blood pressure, so sometimes the problem can be treated with medication,” Dr Kryger adds.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/5563509/dream-your-way-to-a-better-life/

Health Benefits Of Passion Fruit

From asianetindia.com

The passion fruit has immense health and medicinal benefits ranging from enhancing digestion, boosting immune function, improving eyesight, lowering blood pressure, boosting blood circulation, preventing certain types of cancers among others.
Let’s have a look at the health benefits of passion fruit.

1. Boosts Immunity: Passion fruit helps in boosting the immune system because it contains vitamin C, antioxidants and certain compounds. 100 grams of passion fruit contains 30 milligrams of vitamin C. These vitamins help in diminishing the free radicals from the body.
2. Anti-Cancer Properties: Passion fruit enhances anti-carcinogenic activities in the body that helps to prevent cancer.
3. Cures Insomnia:  People suffering with insomnia and other sleep-related disorders can include passion fruit as a part of their diet.
4. Rich In Vitamin A : Passion fruit contains vitamin A, which benefits your eyes. It will help to prevent cataracts, night blindness and macular degeneration.

http://asianetindia.com/health-benefits-of-passion-fruit/

Never lie awake worrying again! The five unexpected tricks you need to beat sleep anxiety

From dailymail.co.uk

Women's Health has compiled a special report on sleep in latest issue

If stress keeps you awake it can lead to psychophysiological insomnia

Experts recommend tensing and relaxing muscles to reduce heart rate

Noting down the top three things stressing you before bed can also help  

If your overactive mind keeps you awake in the small hours, you could have a condition called sleep anxiety that unfortunately gets worse the less shut eye you get - but there are tricks you can use to nip it in the bud. 

In a special report on sleep in the latest issue of Women's Health magazine experts have revealed the rather quirky ways to melt away the worries that keep you up in the night. 

If you regularly miss out on sleep it activates the brain's worry centre, which makes it harder to sleep that can in turn lead to psychophysiological insomnia where you're so worried about not getting enough rest that you can't get to sleep. 

Here are the tricks you need to calm that overactive mind so that you wake up feeling refreshed after your eight hours. 

1. CALM YOUR MUSCLES

You need a slow, even pulse – under 60 beats per minute – to usher your body into unconsciousness, which means convincing those unbidden but seemingly relentless racing thoughts to slow down.

Try calming your muscles by starting at your feet and working upwards, tensing and relaxing each area for a few seconds until you get to the top of your head. 

This technique makes you aware of what both strain and rest feel like throughout your body and signals to your muscle groups that it’s time for sleep.

2. MAKE NOTES

Before your go to bed jot down your top three stressors with an action item for each. 

Just acknowledging them stops unproductive ruminating, allowing your mind to switch off, but make you don't do this anywhere near your bed. 

3. GET INTIMATE

Having an orgasm can help you sleep by releasing the hormone oxytocin, which counteracts stress hormones, as well as serotonin and norepinephrine to help your body cycle through the deeper stages of slow-wave and REM. 

4. USE A WEIGHTED BLANKET 

The pressure can trigger your brain to pump out soothing neurotransmitters, akin to being on the receiving end of a proper good hug.

5. SOOTHE YOURSELF WITH TUNES

The most soporific songs have a consistent rhythm of 50 to 60 beats per minute  and will encourage listeners’ heart rates will gradually slow to match it. 

They're also  five minutes or longer, and have no catchy refrain to keep your brain engaged, according to a study by Mindlab International, who claim the perfect mix of these attributes can reduce anxiety by 65 per cent. 

This research resulted in a wordless eight-minute melody called Weightless by the band Marconi Union – it sounds like the love child of a classic spa tune and an outer-space movie score.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-5391413/The-five-tricks-need-beat-sleep-anxiety.html

How To Relax

From theweeklyreview.com.au

If you’ve had a stressful day at work, or just need to calm the farm a little, how do you relax?

Many of us would be lying if we didn’t admit our go-to method was simply kicking back on the couch with a wine and a mindless scroll through our mobile phones – perhaps with the telly on in the background.

But while that may seem like a winning formula, it’s actually one of the worst ways to achieve a genuinely relaxed mind, says Buddhist monk Gen Kelsang Dornying, the resident teacher at Melbourne’s Kadampa Meditation Centre.

“I think it’s impossible for people to relax because the methods that people choose to bring them some downtime in fact make people more unpeaceful and less relaxed,” says Gen Dornying.

He says the combination of alcohol, which serves a stimulant while you’re drinking it, and continually staring at our screens in fact makes us agitated and a little intoxicated. So when it comes to a reviving night’s sleep, forget about it.

“I think we’re living in a world of insomnia now. So many people come to meditation classes because they can’t sleep,” says Gen Dornying. “It seems like people reach this point where they can’t put their phone down. They become increasingly wired, discontent.”

And the cumulative effects of stress and insomnia are apparent in the increase in mental health issues, he says.

Dr Jo Mitchell, a clinical psychologist and co-founder of The Mind Room, agrees we find it hard to switch off.  She cites recent research showing that it’s not unusual for people to touch their mobile phones 2000 times a day.

                                                   It’s time to unwind… but how?

Another factor preventing relaxation is the expectation “that we are fed that we can be everything and do everything”, she says. “Perhaps people are thinking that they have to be an amazing mum, and an amazing worker and colleague and friend – and it’s hard to keep up.”

A constant state of stress will eventually take its toll on both your mind and body, Dr Mitchell warns. As well as mental health issues, those who can’t relax are likely to face more aches and pains, colds and illnesses.

So that’s the grim news. But how do we turn around the problem, and rediscover the gentle art of relaxation?

“I think the first thing is to give yourself permission,” says Dr Mitchell. “Know that it’s essential for your mind and body to rejuvenate. You need rest, you need downtime and you need to have some relaxation time.”

Meditation and being mindful are often in the spotlight for their relaxation benefits. But Dr Mitchell says it’s best to find the things that are relaxing for you (“I know that my sister likes to garden and that gardening for her is her relaxing time – I can’t think of anything worse. My Mum will cook, my Dad plays golf”) and to schedule those activities in, rather than leaving them to chance.

Holidays and weekends away are also important. But make an effort to schedule in little doses of relaxation every day. That can be as simple as stopping to take some deep breaths, taking a proper lunch break, having a quick chat with a neighbour or getting up and taking a walk, she says.

Gen Dornying suggests switching off your devices for a while – particularly social media – and focusing on the sensation of your breath. Breathing very gently through your nostrils will help your mind focus, he says.

 “We don’t need to be a great meditation master … we just need 10 minutes.” He suggests focusing on something, whether it be the concept of love, acceptance, compassion – or even our own mortality.

 Reminding ourselves that we’re not around forever can help us relax and not take things so seriously, he says. Once you do relax your mind, that sense of peace will likely continue throughout the day or evening.

 “The world that we experience, we experience through the state we’re in. If we’re in a relaxed state we will have a much more positive experience of the world.”

https://www.theweeklyreview.com.au/live/how-to-relax/

Why it’s important to get a good night’s sleep

From belmarrahealth.com

If our bodies had a reset button, it would probably be sleep. This is because when we sleep, it allows our bodies to restore themselves in all aspects. From mental functioning to heart health, sleep is that one part of our daily routine that is probably the most essential. Sure, you can go without food for a while, maybe even a day without water, but you do not want to skimp out on sleep because that would take the biggest toll on your health.
In fact, there are about 25 different things that can arise as a result of poor sleep. If you’re having trouble sleeping, hopefully by discovering how your health can go awry without it will prompt you to finally take action and get back the sleep you deserve.

25 health problems that result from bad sleep

• You become irritable
• You experience more headaches
• Your ability to learn becomes hindered
• You gain weight
• Your vision begins to change—objects may appear blurry or double
• Your risk of heart disease increases
• Your reaction time becomes slower
• Your immune system becomes weak and you become more susceptible to illness
• You take bigger risks without fully thinking things through. This could increase the risk of injury or even put you in a situation you can’t bounce out of
• You begin to urinate more, especially during the night
• You become more easily distracted
• If you get vaccinated, the effectiveness of the vaccine is greatly reduced
• Your speech becomes impaired.
• You’re more likely to catch any colds that may circle around (see point 8)
• Your risk of gastrointestinal problems increases, furthermore if you already have inflammatory bowel disease symptoms can worsen with lack of sleep
• Your risk of enduring a car accident increases because you may fall asleep behind the wheel, your reaction time is slower, and you’re more easily distracted
• Your sex drive and libido plummet
• You may experience more pain or become more sensitive to pain
• Your risk of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes increases as lack of sleep messes with your metabolism
• You’re more likely to make errors and be sloppy
• Early research suggests that you may be at a higher risk of developing certain cancers
• You’re more likely to suffer from memory problems and develop Alzheimer’s disease later on
• Poor sleep has been found to contribute to genetic disruption
• You’re more likely to be unhappy and depressed
• Studies found that individuals who don’t achieve seven to eight hours of sleep are more likely to die at any given moment

https://www.belmarrahealth.com/important-get-good-nights-sleep-2/

Simple trick helps you get a good night’s sleep

From belmarrahealth.com

You’ve had some herbal tea, you shut off your devices, your room is cool, and the lights are off. You basically have the perfect ritual to fall fast asleep. And yet, here you are wide awake staring at the ceiling. What’s going on?
Well, some of us simply can’t fall asleep regardless of our environment because we simply have too much on our minds.
Did you lock your car door? Did you pick up the mail? What other errands do you have to complete tomorrow? It’s no wonder you can’t sleep with so much on your mind.
This is where new research findings come to the rescue to help you get those things off your mind so you can enjoy a good night’s sleep.

Make a to-do list for better sleep

The study looked at 57 university students who either spent five minutes prior to bed jotting down everything they needed to do the following day or jotting down all they had accomplished.

The participants who made the to-do list fell asleep faster than those who wrote down what they had completed.
Study author Michael Scullin explained, “We live in a 24/7 culture in which our to-do lists seem to be constantly growing and causing us to worry about unfinished tasks at bedtime. There are two schools of thought about this. One is that writing about the future would lead to increased worry about unfinished tasks and delay sleep. The alternative hypothesis is that writing a to-do list will ‘off-load’ those thoughts and reduce worry.”
“Most people just cycle through their to-do lists in their heads, and so we wanted to explore whether the act of writing them down could counteract night-time difficulties with falling asleep,” he continued.
Although the findings are promising, larger-scale studies need to be carried out to validate the findings.
Scullin added, “Measures of personality, anxiety, and depression might moderate the effects of writing on falling asleep, and that could be explored in an investigation with a larger sample. [Also] we recruited healthy young adults, and so we don’t know whether our findings would generalize to patients with insomnia, though some writing activities have previously been suggested to benefit such patients.”
It doesn’t hurt to give the theory of generating a to-do list to improve sleep a try. If you find that your anxieties about what needs to be done keep you awake, consider taking a few moments prior to bed to make a list of what needs to be done for some relief.

https://www.belmarrahealth.com/simple-trick-helps-get-good-nights-sleep/

Having trouble sleeping? Here are our top 5 strategies to manage insomnia

From stjoes.ca

What is insomnia?
A lot of people have difficulty sleeping from time to time, but insomnia is when someone has difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up too early at least 3 nights per week for at least 3 months. Another feature of insomnia is that the sleep disturbance causes a lot of distress or interferes with work, school, relationships, or other important activities.

How common is insomnia?

Most people know what it’s like to toss and turn while trying to fall asleep, especially when there’s a lot of pressure at work, school, or home. In fact, up to 40% of adults report at least some difficulty sleeping. Research shows that:

• 6-10 per cent of adults experience insomnia.
• Women are 1.4 to 2 times more likely than men to experience insomnia.
• Insomnia is more common among middle and older age adults than among younger adults.
• Younger adults typically have difficulty falling asleep whereas older adults typically have difficulty staying asleep.
• The prevalence of insomnia is higher among people with medical disorders: 22 per cent among people with one medical disorder, 28 per cent with two medical disorders, and 34 per cent with three medical disorders.

Top 5 strategies to manage insomnia

1. Wake up at the same time every morning, even on weekends. It feels great to sleep in, but this throws off your circadian rhythm, making it difficult to get your sleep back on track.
   
2. Avoid napping, especially later in the day. Napping is ok if you need to stay alert to drive, but long naps rob your body of the sleepiness it needs to fall asleep and stay asleep through the night.
   
3. Use the bedroom only for sleeping. Using the bedroom for “daytime” activities such as working, emailing, and watching television tricks the brain into thinking that the bedroom is a place to get things done rather than a place to relax. Moving these activities to another room will help your brain associate the bedroom with relaxation and sleep, which will leave you feeling more relaxed in bed.
   
4. Go to bed only when you’re sleepy, and not before. Sleepiness is your body’s way of telling you that it’s ready to get into bed and fall asleep. Getting into bed before you feel sleepy won’t make sleep happen, it will likely leave you feeling frustrated as you lie there awake.
   
5. Keep your worries out of the bedroom. We lead busy lives. When you’re constantly on the go, it’s not easy to find time to reflect on the day’s events until you’re lying in bed trying to sleep. Set aside time earlier in the evening to reflect on the day to help quiet your mind at bedtime.

http://www.stjoes.ca/our-stories/news/~1886-Having-trouble-sleeping-Here-are-our-top-5-strategies-to-manage-insomnia

Can’t fall asleep? It might be stress

From globalnews.ca

Ever have trouble sleeping? You’re not alone.
Dr. Karen Jensen, a retired Naturopath and author of “Women’s Health Matters: The Influence of Gender on Disease”, says insomnia affects all ages, and that approximately 45 per cent of people have some sort of sleep disorder — whether they’re staying up, or they’re not able to sleep for some other reason.
“From my experience, I think the underlying cause of most of it is stress, the stress hormones.”
“Cortisol is, really, sleep’s enemy. Stress causes high cortisol, which causes insomnia or sleep problems. The other side of that is that insomnia — or not getting enough sleep — in and of itself is a stressor, and that causes high cortisol. So it’s like this vicious circle that many people have a very difficult time getting off of.”
She added different medications can cause sleep problems, and so can shift work.
“It throws off the body’s natural rhythms and our body clock. Our sleep-wake cycle, our eating, hormone regulation cycle, sleep apnea, blood sugar imbalances … the list goes on.”

“If we were to generalize I think the underlying cause is probably stress-related issues, which lead to anxiety or inflammation and cause problems with sleep.”
She said they’re hearing more about how time adjustments, from jet-lag to changing the clocks an hour in the spring and fall, affect concentration, performance and reaction times.
“By choice, we’re staying up a lot later outside of nature’s rhythm. That upsets our melatonin, which is secreted to help us sleep. All of these things cause disruptions to our body rhythms.”
Jensen said long-term insomnia can cause chronic conditions like heart problems, hormone disruptions, weight gain, and even cancers due to added stress on the body.
She explained even stressors in the environment and the food people eat — like sweets or coffee too late in the day — can overstimulate or disrupt the nervous system.
So what can you do? Go outside, even during a work break said Jensen.
She adds avoid stimulating foods and activities late at night, including exercise because for some people it will interfere with their sleep.
“Find something calming to do at night. Don’t watch TV too late.”
She said probiotics might help the body adapt to stress, and there are some natural health products to support the adrenal glands to assist the body in dealing with different stresses.

https://globalnews.ca/news/3998365/cant-fall-asleep-it-might-be-stress/