Insomnia / Trouble Falling Asleep

Trouble falling asleep — whether from a racing mind, body restlessness, or unexplained alertness — is a common sign that your nervous system and internal rhythms are out of sync. While short-term sleep disruptions can come from stress or overstimulation, long-term insomnia often reflects deeper dysregulation across the nervous system, endocrine system, and digestive clock. Understanding your unique terrain helps you reclaim natural rest without forcing it.

• Location of Symptom

  Mind: racing thoughts, intrusive worries, mental “loops”

  Body: restlessness, tension, fidgeting, inability to relax

  Heart/chest: fluttering or elevated nighttime heart rate

  Stomach: late hunger, indigestion, or liver area tension

  Eyes: sensitivity to light, screen overstimulation

• Physiological Breakdown

  Falling asleep relies on a smooth hand-off from your sympathetic (fight-or-flight) to your parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) nervous system. When this shift doesn’t happen, the body stays alert — like a car engine stuck in drive when it should be idling.

  Melatonin production, cortisol reduction, digestive quieting, and body temperature regulation all need to line up for sleep to begin. When you're stressed, inflamed, over-stimulated, or undernourished, this rhythm is thrown off. Sleep becomes a struggle not because the body is broken — but because it doesn’t feel safe or supported enough to power down.

• Common Signs

  1. You lie in bed tired but unable to “shut off”

  2. Your mind races at night, even if you felt fine during the day

  3. You feel a second wind after 9–10 PM

  4. You get anxious or restless at bedtime

  5. You check the clock often, frustrated you’re still awake

  6. You scroll your phone or snack to distract yourself from the discomfort of not sleeping

• Rudimentary Root Causes

  1. Blood sugar instability – especially crashes in the evening or overnight

  2. Poor melatonin synthesis – from blue light, lack of darkness, or low serotonin

  3. Liver tension or stagnation – especially around 1–3 AM energy surges

  4. Caffeine or stimulant use (even early in the day)

  5. Late meals or skipped dinners – triggering nighttime hypoglycemia

  6. Mineral depletion – especially magnesium, potassium, calcium

  7. Dehydration or electrolyte imbalance

  8. Chronic fight-or-flight state – body remains “on alert” even when it’s time to rest

  9. Constitutional mismatch – overuse of stimulating or drying herbs in hot/wired types

  Secondary Root Causes (Downstream Contributors)

  1. Anxiety or panic patterns that flare at night

  2. Adrenal dysfunction – high evening cortisol, low morning energy

  3. Perimenopause or hormonal changes – estrogen/progesterone imbalance

  4. Overuse of screens or blue light before bed

  5. Digestive disturbance or bloating at bedtime

  6. Trauma-related hypervigilance – body resisting “shut down”

  7. Nighttime histamine release – triggering alertness or itchiness

  8. Chronic inflammation (e.g., gut or brain) disrupting circadian signaling

  9. Melatonin disruption from shift work, jet lag, or irregular sleep schedules

• Underlying Tissue States

  The following tissue states may represent underlying imbalances contributing to this symptom:

  1. Wind/Tension – overactive mind or nerve agitation blocking downregulation

  2. Heat/Excitation – inflammatory or cortisol-driven alertness

  3. Dry/Atrophy – depleted nervous system with poor GABA production

• Organ Systems Affected

  Nervous system

  Endocrine system (especially adrenal and pineal)

  Digestive system (gut clock + liver function)

  Cardiovascular system (heart rate, pressure)

• Recommended Exploration Topics

  1. Bedtime rituals and circadian rhythm cues

  2. Nervine herbs for your constitution

  3. Protein-rich and mineral-balanced dinners

  4. Screen and light hygiene

  5. Breathwork or vagus activation before bed

  6. Emotional processing or fear journaling rituals

  7. Supplement audit (e.g., caffeine, adaptogens, stimulants)

  8. Cooling, grounding tools for heat- or wind-prone types

Do you feel physically tired but mentally wired at night? Do thoughts or worries get louder as soon as you lie down? Do you rely on screens or snacks to settle down at bedtime? Do you often feel hungrier or more alert after 9 PM? Does caffeine, sugar, or stress during the day affect your ability to fall asleep? Do you dread bedtime because you know it’ll take a long time to fall asleep? Do you wake up feeling like you never fully “dropped in” to sleep? If falling asleep feels like a nightly battle, it’s not your fault — it’s your body trying to protect you from shutting down when something still feels “unfinished.” Let’s help your system feel safe, nourished, and grounded enough to surrender to rest.

Disclaimer

Each person’s condition has a unique root cause, and lifestyle, diet and herbal remedies must be tailored to the individual. The information on this page is intended for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for personalized care. If you’d like support in understanding your specific situation, please reach out to me for guidance.