When most people think about histamine, they think about typical seasonal allergies which can be solved by simply taking over-the-counter allergy medicine. 


But did you know histamine can also cause sleep issues? 


When your histamine levels rise, your neurotransmitters are stimulated and your histamines become responsible for certain cognitive functions, such as memory and learning. 


And histamine regulates your sleep-wake cycle. 


So when your histamine levels are high, your sleep-wake cycle is interrupted, which can lead to insomnia. 


The good news is…it can all be fixed.


Symptoms of high histamine


When your body has high levels of histamine, you might experience these symptoms:


  • Headaches or migraines
  • Runny nose or congestion
  • Itchiness
  • Hives and allergic reactions
  • Digestive issues
  • Food sensitivities (you might notice it’s difficult for you to tolerate alcohol, shellfish, chocolate, citrus, cheese, or fermented foods)
  • Fatigue
  • Irregular periods


Because these symptoms are very common with many different sicknesses, it may be tough to pinpoint high levels of histamine as the main cause of your insomnia. But it is still possible. 


The key is to figure out why your histamine levels are high, so you can fix it.


What causes high histamine



Here are the causes of high levels of histamines (beyond seasonal allergies):


  • Dirty DAO gene which prevents breakdown of histamine
  • Methylation problems
  • Pathogens, SIBO, or candida
  • Food allergies and sensitivities including gluten sensitivity
  • Leaky gut and digestion problems
  • High-histamine diet, highly acidic diet or lots of processed foods, too much protein
  • Medications (antibiotics, antacids, or metformin)
  • Mental or emotional overwhelm


As you can see, there are so many different possibilities. It can feel overwhelming! 


If you are experiencing symptoms of high levels of histamines and you aren’t exactly sure what’s causing it, you might try to counteract those symptoms by taking over-the-counter antihistamines. But I don’t recommend it, and here’s why…


Antihistamines don’t actually lower histamine levels. Instead, antihistamines stop the histamine from binding to your receptors. So when you stop taking the antihistamine, your symptoms come roaring back. 


Ok, so what other options do you have?


You might try to counteract your symptoms by taking an antacid. But I don’t recommend this either, and here’s why…


Antacids don’t actually lower histamine levels either. Instead, antacids just temporarily change your body’s response to histamine. They aren’t actually fixing what’s happening inside your body. 


Ok, so what other options do you have? 


There are lots of other options! 


First, you want to figure out exactly what’s happening inside your body, so you can have a full-proof plan to fix this issue inside your body. The functional lab tests I do with my clients reveal histamine levels, and so much more. 


Then, you want to take the approach that makes sense for your specific body.. This is exactly what I provide for my clients when we get their test results. 


How to address high histamine


Here are the most common options for addressing high levels of histamine in your body:


  • Address potential gut infections, mold toxicity issues, or leaky gut.
  • Avoid foods your body is sensitive to.
  • Support digestion by taking digestive enzymes.
  • Reduce your intake of high histamine food and drinks (juice, citrus, champagne, red wine, tomato, cocoa, and artificial flavors, preservatives and colors).
  • Take probiotics but make sure you avoid certain strains, such as Lactobacillus casei and bulgaris.
  • Avoid aspirin and other NSAIDs because they cause increased histamine release.
  • Try natural histamine blockers such as stinging nettle, luteolin, bromelain and quercetin.
  • Reduce stressors because stress makes your neurotransmitters increase histamine release.


The key is to find out exactly what’s causing high levels of histamine in your body. Is it a gut pathogen, mold, medication, hormones, detox issues, or foods?


There's not just 1 reason you aren't sleeping normally. There are multiple causes. Histamine might be part of the reason, but it’s not the entire puzzle.


Just like an old car that isn't running. Let’s say you have an old car that needs a new engine and transmission and battery and alternator! You could fix the engine and your car still won’t run. You have to fix all of them for your car to work. 


Same with our bodies. Your sleep issues are a sign that multiple systems in your body aren’t working. 


You can’t just look at one, such as hormones for example, and expect to be fixed. Because your gut and liver and your immune system still aren’t working. 


You need to fix everything at once and get your entire body back in balance. 


This is why what you’ve tried so far hasn’t worked. If you’ve gone gluten free or worked on hormones or liver detox and haven’t fully improved, it doesn’t mean that those things didn’t work or weren’t necessary. It just means that there are also other things out of balance that also need to be corrected 


Sometimes I get asked the question, "If we do everything at once, how do we know what works?" 


And the answer is, it all needs to work together. We need to get all the systems in your body working properly again to get back in balance so you can sleep normally. 


Just like the old car that needs multiple new parts to run again.


The Complete Sleep Solution program finds what’s out of whack in your body and gives you a simple plan to get back in balance with lots of love and support. 


Find out more at TheSleepDetective.com