Sleep and Gut Health

As we mentioned, the pineal gland is regulated by light. Therefore, indoor lights, computer monitors, and television screens can all throw off our circadian rhythm. This sentiment is especially true for smart devices.

Smartphone screens are made of LED lights. LED lights have a natural blue tint. This blue tint is akin to that first break in the darkness you see in your room if you were to wake up around 4:00 AM. Therefore, LEDs in our light fixtures, tablets, and car headlights are playing tricks with our pineal gland.

Fluoride

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) maintains that fluoridating water has led to a decrease in dental problems 4. Yet, can we ignore the fact that sleep deprivation is on a steady rise that coincides with the timeline of these practices?

“Americans aren’t spending enough time snoozing. In 2013 (the last year measured by Gallup), the average American slept 6.8 hours a night—with 40 percent banking less than six hours. The nation hasn’t always been this sleep-deprived: Back in 1910, people slept an average of nine hours per night 5.”

– Forbes

While small doses of fluoride are deemed safe, we brush our teeth with fluoride, going as far as to scrub our porous tongue. We breathe fluoride in the air. Then, we drink this compound in our water.

Sadly, studies show that fluoride causes our pineal gland to calcify, thus making it difficult for it to release melatonin.

One analysis stated,

“F⁻ readily accumulates in the human pineal gland. In her study, intrapineal calcifications in the brains of persons aged about 80 contained on average 9,000 mg F⁻/kg, and the average concentration in the pineal gland was 297 ± 257 (14–875) mg F⁻/kg wm, so about 1,485 ± 1,285 mg F⁻/kg dm. Compared with humans, the pineal gland of the adult goosander had an almost 40 % lower concentration 6.”

–Environ Geochem Health.

Additional evidence is starting to show that fluoride also draws heavy metals from water pipes 7. Therefore, fluoride can help us absorb more harmful chemicals that may alter our gut biome and cause sleep deprivation.

Stress

Sleep deprivation and stress go hand-in-hand. Not only do you lay in bed thinking about all things stressing you out, but there’s a hormonal shift going on, as well.

When we are under stress, our body secretes the hormone, cortisol. Unfortunately, many of us live with chronic stress. It’s like turning on the cortisol sink and walking away.

Imagine putting a one-liter bottle under the spout. It will only hold one liter of liquid. Now, let’s exchange the word “water” for “hormones.” We need many hormones to function, not just cortisol. So, when stress takes over, it makes less room in the bottle for other hormones, such as melatonin.

Sleep Disorder or Chronic Illness?

Up to 70 million people suffer from a sleep disorder 8. There are 90 different sleep disorders out there, so we aren’t going too far into detail. If you believe you have a sleep disorder or chronic illness, please contact a physician.

Sleep Deprivation and Gut Health

We are a complex system. So many different networks in our body have an impact on one another. The more we research the gut biome, the more intertwined each facet gets. The study we noted at the beginning of this article has really blown this realization off its hinges 2.

Scientists found that our circadian rhythm influences immune cells that play a critical role in our gut health. It turns out that our cells have a clock gene encoded in them. Like us, they are regulated by light.

Science suggests all living beings use light as a milestone for their day-to-day tasks. That notion includes our cells. Our body as a whole sees light, and the absence of it, as moments for every organism to get on the same page.

Researchers hypothesize humans have evolved to rely on light for environmental protection. Our cells have learned to go along with us for the ride since our physical body kind of dictates the whole show. When the light goes down, the body knows it’s time to rest. Therefore, certain systems will slow activity, while others use this time to make crucial hormones.

Sleep Deprivation and Immune System

As researchers dug down the rabbit hole, they found a crucial link between sleep deprivation and poor gut health. Many immune cells in the GI tract were unphased by shifts in circadian rhythm. As you can imagine, it’s pretty dark in there anyway. However, one set of immune cells seemed to have an adverse reaction to changes in our circadian rhythm and light intake.

Type 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3s) are immune cells that are predominant in our gastrointestinal tract. They are known to serve many important functions in helping us achieve optimal wellness.

Primary functions of ILC3s include:

• Fighting off Infections
• Repairing Gut Lining
• Absorbing Fat and Protein