KrystineKercher (@KrystineKercher)

I need to talk to you about sleep. It used to be that I absolutely, 100% needed 10 hours of sleep every single night. Now; not everyone needs or wants that. Some people need 8 or 9; some people get by on only 5. There's someone I know who has never slept more than five hours a night. But--the older you get, the more things break. Am I right? And the harder it is to fall asleep and stay asleep, and to genuinely get the sleep that you need. The Midwestern Doctor has a lot to say about this (see link) So do I! (I'm not a doctor, I just live this reality) Things that cause sleep issues: THYROID MALFUNCTION mineral deficiencies * sleep apnea If your thyroid is malfunctioning, your sleep will be disrupted. The problem is that most methods of treating thyroid malfunction do NOT actual cure the thyroid malfunction or cure the sleep issues. They just plaster over the problem so that (hopefully) you'll be able to keep functioning. At some point, if you're at all like me, you'll find that approach stops working. Let me just say that, when you arrive at that point, when you're frustrated and need something more, there is a better way. I wish you'd go look for it sooner; you'll save yourself a great deal of grief if you do, but--meh. human nature, and all that. We both know you won't go looking for the better options until you're desperate! Anyway, when you do, find yourself a good functional medicine doctor. Or, find a naturopath. Yes, that costs money. No, your insurance likely won't cover it. But resolving serious health issues and keeping them from taking over your life is worth a little investment. Also, let's talk about mineral deficiency. One of the things that can really make a difference in allowing you to sleep, and sleep well, is magnesium. You don't need much, just a dab of magnesium cream on the insides of your wrists may do it (about 20 minutes before bedtime), and it'll help relax you to sleep. Don't use it all the time, though, or it can lose its effectiveness. https://www.midwesterndoctor.com/p/stopping-the-war-against-sleep