Recovery and function of the thyroid gland after discontinuing supplements"Contrary to popular belief about the thyroid gland, the gland resumes its function after discontinuing a supplement – even if it was previously suppressed. Sometimes, taking thyroid hormone can restore the gland's function to a normal level. Thyroid hormone sometimes helps very slim people gain weight by improving protein metabolism, and it often also helps them sleep more soundly." Nutrition For Women |
Magnesium carbonate can improve sleep quality."Sometimes a few hundred milligrams of magnesium carbonate per day (or a spoonful of Epsom salt, if this dose is divided into several portions to avoid the laxative effect) immediately restores normal sleep." Nutrition For Women |
Daylight and blood sugar: their influence on sleep"Since blood sugar levels are normally higher during the day – due to the effect of light on various glands – some people with impaired liver function find it easier to sleep during the day." Nutrition For Women |
Reversing aging processes through deep slow-wave sleep“Many of the changes caused by daily stresses are reversed during deep slow-wave sleep. As we age, the amount of slow-wave sleep decreases. Some animal studies have shown that artificially prolonged sleep could reverse some of the major problems of aging. Progesterone may increase the amount of slow-wave sleep, probably due to its effect on body temperature.” November 2020 - Ray Peat's Newsletter |
Energy factors that promote sleep could extend lifespan."A combination of energy-boosting factors that increase body temperature and enhance deep sleep appears to be a sensible approach to extending healthy lifespan." November 2020 - Ray Peat's Newsletter |
Circadian rhythms of brain activity and mental health: the role of light and the pineal gland"Since healthy individuals have pronounced diurnal cycles of brain activity (reflecting an appropriate concentration of brain amines) and many psychotics exhibit flattened cycles – associated with disturbed sleep as well as disturbed waking consciousness – cyclical light stimulation of the skin and head could be desirable to support regular cyclical activity of the pineal gland and brain." Mind And Tissue Russian Research Perspectives on the Human Brain |
Basic therapies: Sleep and nutrition to restore energy"The oldest, most basic therapies – sleep and nutrition – serve the same function: to restore energy reserves. Pavlov worked with the simplest stimulants and sedatives, for example caffeine and bromide, to restore normal nerve functions, and of course always considered sensory stimulation essential to maintaining and restoring normal functioning." Mind And Tissue Russian Research Perspectives on the Human Brain |
Potential of natural anesthetic steroids for chemically induced sleep"Natural anesthetic steroids would probably be the first choice for a chemically induced sleep state if they could be practically administered." Mind And Tissue Russian Research Perspectives on the Human Brain |
Brain amines during hypoxia: Effects on sleep, wakefulness and respiratory adaptation"Cerebral amines appear to support these ordered states – both clarity of waking experience and the soundness of sleep require sufficient amines. In hypoxic rats, monoamine oxidase activity decreases, and respiratory efficiency apparently increases as an adaptation (Khvatova, Rubanova, and Zhilina, Voprosy Meditsinskoy Khimii 19(1), 3-5, 1973. Administration of monoamine oxidase inhibitors improves resistance of mice to hypoxia (Piskarev, et al., Farmakologiy i Toksikologiya 36(1), 4854, 1973).)" Mind And Tissue Russian Research Perspectives on the Human Brain |
Sleep disturbances in rats lead to metabolic syndrome."In rats, persistent sleep disturbance leads to a syndrome of increased food intake, weight loss, elevated noradrenaline, decreased thyroxine, and reduced body temperature." March 2018 - Ray Peat's Newsletter |
Metabolic changes during sleep in the body"The entire organism sleeps, even though the brain regulates the process. In some aspects of its metabolism – especially in the turnover of phospholipids – the brain is very active during sleep, but its energy consumption decreases, and it causes the skeletal muscles to relax, thereby reducing their glucose consumption." March 2018 - Ray Peat's Newsletter |
Effects of sleep deprivation on the increase in free fatty acids"Although free fatty acids normally increase at night, this increase is significantly greater when sleep is insufficient, and a diabetes-like metabolism is evident – with a shift towards fat rather than glucose oxidation." March 2018 - Ray Peat's Newsletter |
How sleep mitigates stress-induced catabolism"The stress of darkness creates an inefficient catabolic state in which cortisol breaks down tissue to provide glucose – and sleep reduces this stress to some extent." March 2018 - Ray Peat's Newsletter |
ATP release, inflammatory factors and sleep rhythms"When cells are excited, they release some ATP into their immediate surroundings. There, it signals fatigue or injury and activates the production of inflammatory factors such as TNF-alpha, which promote the sleep-wake cycle." March 2018 - Ray Peat's Newsletter |
Independent onset of the sleep-wake cycle in individual brain regions"A small area of the brain can enter the sleep rhythm earlier than other areas if it has been more strongly stimulated." March 2018 - Ray Peat's Newsletter |
Influence of hypothyroidism on sleep and cell activity"Since thyroid hormone is needed throughout the body for oxidative metabolism, a deficiency leads to brain cells relaxing only slowly. This delays the onset of sleep and can even prevent the deepest, most restorative sleep. Because all cells are regulated by excitatory and inhibitory processes, an underactive thyroid can create a shift towards excitatory states – which can lead, for example, to abnormal secretion and cell proliferation." March 2018 - Ray Peat's Newsletter |
How sleep begins in the brain"Sleep begins in the cerebral cortex and then spreads to other areas of the brain and body." March 2018 - Ray Peat's Newsletter |
Understanding how to fall asleep: Spread of cortical inhibition"The known processes involved in falling asleep can be understood as the spread of inhibition from the cerebral cortex to the brainstem and adjacent structures." March 2018 - Ray Peat's Newsletter |
Nighttime bodily processes: Protein breakdown"During the night – even with the calming effect of sleep – the breakdown of protein is significantly faster than its synthesis, and calcium is lost from the bones." March 2018 - Ray Peat's Newsletter |
Pavlov's successors saw sleep as a key in psychotherapy."For the generation of therapists who followed Pavlov, such as KI Platonov (1930), inducing sleep was considered the most effective component of psychotherapy." March 2018 - Ray Peat's Newsletter |
Intensity of lipolysis and disruption of restorative deep sleep"The intensity of lipolysis decreases during the most restorative deep sleep. However, the free fatty acids themselves tend to increase lactate by blocking the oxidation of glucose to carbon dioxide and dampening glucose metabolism. This creates an inflammatory and excitatory state that disrupts deep sleep." March 2018 - Ray Peat's Newsletter |
Snacks to support restful sleep and brain health"Using snacks to minimize the nighttime rise in free fatty acids and hypoglycemia is an effective way to support restful sleep and slow the brain-aging effects of the accumulation of unstable fatty acids. Calcium and vitamin D – in sufficient amounts to keep parathyroid hormone levels low – contribute to this process." March 2018 - Ray Peat's Newsletter |
Salty snacks and better sleep quality"Salty snacks are particularly helpful in promoting sleep – probably because they stabilize blood sugar and lower adrenaline. Ice cream, which combines sugar and calcium and contains some fat that prolongs sugar absorption, is often effective in improving sleep quality." March 2018 - Ray Peat's Newsletter |
T3: Effect on sleep and thyroid-stimulating hormone"Thyroxine, T4, helps to lower nighttime levels of the pro-inflammatory thyroid-stimulating hormone TSH, but 5 or 10 mcg of the fast-acting T3 before bedtime usually leads to falling asleep within minutes." March 2018 - Ray Peat's Newsletter |
The role of deep sleep in restoring cellular stability"During deep sleep, inhibitory processes can restore stability in cells that have been damaged by toxic excitatory processes." March 2017 - Ray Peat's Newsletter |
Serotonin as the basis for melatonin production and its role in sleep"Serotonin is the precursor to melatonin, which is important for adapting to darkness by promoting sleep to reduce stress." July 2019 - Ray Peat's Newsletter |
Serotonin's pathway: How gut processes influence the brain"Events in the gut, where most serotonin is produced, in the blood, where it is transported, and in the lungs, where a large portion is detoxified, affect the brain. Toxins produced by gut bacteria cause serotonin to be released into the bloodstream, and if the platelets cannot hold it tightly bound until the lungs can eliminate it, some of it enters the brain, where it disrupts sleep and other brain functions." July 2019 - Ray Peat's Newsletter |
Therapeutic aspects: light, gut flora, sleep and stimulation“Other things that should be taken into account in any therapy are the light environment and the gut flora (endotoxin activates HIF), the cycles of sleep and activity, and the quality of environmental stimulation.” July 2017 - Ray Peat's Newsletter |
Properly regulating heat: boosting metabolism and improving sleep"Before bedtime, a mildly warm bath can counteract low internal heat production, stimulate metabolism, and help increase glycogen stores and progesterone levels—thus promoting deeper, more restful sleep. However, if the bath is too warm or too long, or if the influence of estrogen is too strong, the increased metabolic rate can further exacerbate inefficient metabolism, deplete energy reserves, and lead to higher levels of stress hormones. Consuming additional carbohydrates before and during the warm bath enhances the therapeutic effect and reduces the risk of heat shock." January 2021 - Ray Peat's Newsletter |
REM sleep and the orientation reflex promote flexible thinking."REM sleep and the orientation reflex both promote flexibility and fluidity of thought – with increased sensitivity to movement." January 2018 - Ray Peat's Newsletter |
Progesterone increases REM sleep – an indication of continued orientation."It has been suggested (Sanford, et al., 1993) that the presence of these waves in REM sleep indicates that the brain is in a state of more or less continuous orientation. When progesterone is administered during sleep, it increases the proportion of REM sleep." January 2018 - Ray Peat's Newsletter |
Cyproheptadine: versatile benefits for sleep and cancer"Cyproheptadine, 2 to 4 mg before bedtime, would help him with both sleep and cancer. It also has a calcium-blocking effect, acts as an aldosterone antagonist, and reverses the antidiuretic effect of serotonin." Email reply from Ray Peat |
The role of the thyroid gland in sleep and energy production"Since I was able to sleep soundly as soon as I started taking thyroid hormone, and had seen that thyroid hormone alone would resolve insomnia in most people (sometimes – as one doctor described his experience – even better than morphine), I began to understand that the adrenaline disrupting sleep was an indication of deficient energy production. And that the things that restored sleep – for example, thyroid, salt, sugar, protein, and progesterone – acted directly on the energy production of the cells." January 2000 - Ray Peat's Newsletter |
Eating salty foods before bed can improve sleep."I've recommended salty foods before bed to promote sleep—because of sodium's well-known anti-adrenaline effect. There are some complicated explanations for how sodium affects adrenaline, as well as for its thermogenic effect. But the simple fact that it's needed for glucose uptake can explain its ability to lower adrenaline (since adrenaline rises when glucose is needed) and increase heat production." 1998 - Ray Peat's Newsletter - 4 |
The calming effect of thyroid hormone in hypermetabolism“Although I tended to be hypermetabolic and had puzzled for years over the simultaneous occurrence of symptoms of both an overactive and underactive thyroid, I finally tried taking thyroid hormone. Immediately, I was able to sleep lightly and deeply, and my appetite decreased. It was obvious that the thyroid had a calming effect on my overall metabolism. I slept more efficiently, woke up refreshed, had plenty of energy during the day, and started finding household chores for fun. Before taking thyroid hormone, the first thing I did every morning was drink two or three cups of coffee. But just a few days after starting, I noticed that I hardly thought about coffee anymore, and I was drinking about 90% less—without experiencing any withdrawal symptoms.” April 1994 - Ray Peat's Newsletter |
Influence of diet and thyroid medication on insomnia"Over the past 20 years, I've observed that insomnia disappears in almost everyone who corrects their hypothyroidism – sometimes simply through dietary changes, but more often with thyroid medication. People have frequently told me they fall asleep within minutes of taking a minimal dose of thyroid medication before bed. This is achieved by increasing the rate of energy production." April 1994 - Ray Peat's Newsletter |
Sleep as a brain function for limiting stress"Sleep is a general, stress-reducing function of the brain." June 1992 - Ray Peat's Newsletter |
Effects of thyroid hormone on sleep, cramps and anxiety“Many people think of the thyroid as a kind of stimulant because it can reverse the coma or lethargy of myxedema—but this is a very misleading notion. In hypothyroidism, the brain-stimulating hormones adrenaline, estrogen, and cortisol are usually elevated, while the nerve- and muscle-relaxing hormone magnesium is low. Normal, deep sleep is rare in someone with hypothyroidism. The correct dose of triiodothyronine (the active thyroid hormone) along with magnesium is a reliable treatment for insomnia, cramps, and anxiety—regardless of whether these symptoms are caused by exhaustion, aging, or alcohol withdrawal.” June 1991 - Ray Peat's Newsletter |
Cortisol levels in darkness and stress response"People who are awake in the dark have higher cortisol levels than when they sleep in the dark – meaning that sleep is a partial protection against the stress of darkness. The cortisol (an adrenaline hormone) released in darkness or other stress has the important function of maintaining blood sugar levels." January 1991 - Ray Peat's Newsletter |
Antihistamine and anticholinergic herbal effects on blood sugar“I experimented with various herbs known to have antihistamine and anticholinergic effects, assuming they would help stabilize blood sugar overnight. (For example, insulin secretion is stimulated by acetylcholine from cholinergic nerves, and reducing its effect at night would lower the need for adrenaline and cortisol.) My best results so far have been with a combination of the mildly sedating jimson weed and the stimulant ephedra; in combination, their antihistamine and blood sugar-stabilizing effects seem to outweigh the stimulants, allowing for comfortable sleep—without the dry mouth effect of their anticholinergic action.” January 1991 - Ray Peat's Newsletter |
