About Martha


Key Takeaways

  • In a study of 50,000 post-menopausal women, those eating high glycemic foods were more likely to develop insomnia over the next three years, which is why balancing blood sugar is the first change Martha makes.
  • Eating some carbs at dinner triggers insulin, which clears the way for more tryptophan to get into the brain to make serotonin and then melatonin — so going extremely low carb at night can work against your sleep.
  • Tracking your sleep on a 1–10 scale every day for 30 days shows you what's actually working, and if nothing has changed by day 30, personalized functional testing can show what's out of balance in your body.


If my sleep started falling apart again and I only had 30 days to fix it, I know exactly where I'd start. I went through insomnia for two years before I got my sleep back, and since then I've worked with hundreds of clients. This is the plan I give almost everyone first.


Done consistently, simple changes either move the needle or tell you where to look next.


Day One: Find What Changed


Compare now to when you were sleeping better. Are you on screens later, eating later, drinking more alcohol, or more stressed? Has your bedtime or caffeine timing shifted?


Write down everything that could be different. Then start a simple daily record — a spreadsheet, a phone note, a piece of paper — so you can look back and see patterns.


Balance Your Blood Sugar First


Inflammation is a big cause of sleep issues, and so is blood sugar that swings up and down during the day and keeps swinging at night. Researchers looked at 50,000 post-menopausal women and found that those eating high glycemic foods — foods that raise blood sugar quickly — were more likely to develop insomnia over the next three years.


So I'd go back to mainly whole foods and cut out processed foods like seed oils, pastries, pasta, and anything with refined sugar that's crept in. Every meal would have enough protein — about one gram per pound of body weight — along with some carbs.


I would not go extremely low carb, especially at dinner. You need some carbs and some insulin to clear the way for more tryptophan to get into the brain. Tryptophan makes serotonin, which then makes melatonin.


Watch the Amount of Caffeine, Not Just the Timing


In a recent study, a high 400 milligram dose of caffeine affected sleep even 12 hours before bed. A 100 milligram dose didn't have the same effect, but it can still affect your sleep quality if you drink it later in the evening.


A cup of coffee has about 100 milligrams. Multiple cups, even in the morning, take your body longer to process and can keep you awake later.


Gut Basics, Alcohol, and Dinner Timing


Next I'd cover the gut basics: enough water, 25 to 30 grams of fiber a day to feed the good bacteria and the cells of the gut wall, and regular bowel movements. Increase fiber gradually to avoid bloating.


I'd cut alcohol completely for the 30 days. It might make you sleepy at first, but as it wears off it can cause more waking in the second half of the night while your liver processes it.


And I'd finish dinner at least three hours before bed. I go to bed around 9:30 or 10:00, so I eat around 6:00 or 7:00. It's really hard for the body to rest when it's digesting food.


Wind Down Without Building Another Routine


I'd stop screens an hour or two before bed. If you still want to watch TV at night, wear blue light blocking glasses — they tell your body it's okay to stop releasing cortisol and start releasing melatonin.


Then pick one wind-down habit you'll actually keep: stretching, reading, meditation, or a warm bath. A two-hour, super strict routine can create more stress and anxiety instead of helping you relax.


If you already do all of this, check it quickly and move on — but don't overlook something simple. I'm fine giving up alcohol, chocolate, and late screens if it means I'll sleep.


Stop Fighting Being Awake


When you wake up at night, accept that you're awake instead of trying to force yourself back to sleep. Tell yourself, "Okay, I'm awake right now. I don't like it, but trying harder is not going to make me sleep."


And stop looking at the clock. In one experiment, people with insomnia who watched a clock became more worried and thought they'd been awake longer than people who couldn't see the time.


What to Track Every Day


Once a day, write down anything you changed, how you slept on a scale of 1 to 10, and how you felt the next day. Note anything unusual, like a late dinner or extra caffeine, and what happened when you woke in the night: did you check the clock and start worrying, or stay neutral and get sleepy again?


Every few days, look at several nights together. Maybe the wake-ups are getting shorter, or you slept better after an earlier dinner.


Day 30: Read the Patterns


Compare your first few days with your last few. Are you falling asleep more easily, waking less, getting back to sleep faster, or feeling better during the day? If things are clearly improving, keep doing what's helping and give it more time.


If only part of the pattern changed — you're sleeping longer but still exhausted, or falling asleep faster but still up in the middle of the night — that tells you what to look at next. If nothing has changed, or it's only slightly better, this is where personalized testing helps. Instead of another general sleep fix, it shows you what may be out of balance in your body.


One exception: don't wait until day 30 if you're waking up gasping or choking, having pauses in your breathing, or feeling dangerously sleepy during the day. Get that checked sooner.


FAQ

Q: Should I eat carbs at dinner if I can't sleep?

A: Yes — don't go extremely low carb at dinner. Some carbs trigger insulin, which clears the way for more tryptophan to get into your brain. Your brain uses tryptophan to make serotonin, which then makes melatonin.


Q: Can morning coffee affect my sleep at night?

A: Yes, if you're drinking several cups. In a recent study, 400 milligrams of caffeine — about four cups of coffee — affected sleep even when taken 12 hours before bed, while 100 milligrams did not have the same effect. The more caffeine you drink, the longer your body takes to process it.


Q: Why does alcohol make me wake up in the middle of the night?

A: Alcohol can make you sleepy and help you fall asleep, but as it wears off, it causes more waking during the second half of the night. That's because your liver has to process the alcohol while you sleep. Cut it out completely for 30 days and track the difference.


Q: What should I do when I wake up at night and can't get back to sleep?

A: Accept that you're awake instead of trying to force yourself back to sleep, and don't look at the clock. Trying harder makes you more anxious, and checking the time makes you start calculating how many hours are left. In one experiment, people with insomnia who could see a clock became more worried and thought they'd been awake longer than people who couldn't.


If you've followed a plan like this for 30 days and your sleep still hasn't changed, this is exactly what the Complete Sleep Solution program investigates. The program includes four functional lab panels that identify the imbalances in your body behind your insomnia — so you know exactly what's keeping you awake.


→ Learn how the Complete Sleep Solution program works 


About Martha Lewis 

Martha Lewis is a certified Functional Diagnostic Nutrition practitioner and founder of The Sleep Detective™. Since 2019, she has helped 300+ clients identify the root causes of their insomnia using functional lab testing — including gut analysis, hormone panels, neurotransmitter testing, and toxin screening. She discovered her own root causes (hormone imbalances, heavy metals, and a parasite) after years of trying conventional sleep solutions, and now uses the same investigative approach with her clients.


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