23: What lab tests will show why you can’t sleep

Episode Transcript:

Welcome to the Why You Can't Sleep podcast. If you struggle to sleep and you've tried what seems like everything you are in the right place, there are imbalances in your body that are keeping you awake and you're going to learn what they are in this show. Now let's kick off this episode with an inspiring success story from one of my clients who has significantly improved their sleep by correcting the underlying health issues that were causing their insomnia.

Here's what my client Richard wrote just a couple months into the program:

"I am pleased to say that I've gone up from one to two hours to three to four. This has made a massive difference to my emotional state, and I have just been reengaging with life the last week. I feel like starting the mold protocol is a factor that has helped."

Hello. Hello everyone. Welcome to another episode. I'm excited today to talk about the four lab tests that I use for my clients to figure out why they can't sleep. And these tests are called functional lab tests because they aren't meant to diagnose anything like blood work is. Blood work is to show if something is majorly out of whack. These tests more show how the different systems in your body are working so we can see what isn't working properly before things get majorly out of whack. But obviously if you weren't sleeping well, something is going on, something is wrong in your body, especially if you've already tried a lot of different things and you're following all the sleep hygiene rules and you've tried different supplements and things like that. If you still aren't able to sleep, then this is a physical problem. Yes, it can be in your mind too. Your mind is probably contributing, but there are also these imbalances in your body, but we can use lab testing to figure out what they are.

That is the cool thing. Now, I remember finding out about this lab testing during my insomnia journey. So I struggled to sleep for a couple years. I tried so many different things and nothing ever worked. I was already in the health and wellness space. I was actually already a pediatric sleep consultant, so I was already in the sleep space. And I remember when I stumbled across someone who was doing this kind of lab testing to help people with sleep issues. And I just had this epiphany like, this is it. This is the answer. And so when I decided to become certified to do these lab tests, I took a course through functional diagnostic nutrition that taught me how to interpret these functional lab tests, give recommendations based on the results, and with really looking at the person as a whole with their not just recommending a supplement, a pill for every ill, but also looking at diet and looking to exercise and helping with stress and really looking at the person in a very holistic way.

But in doing this training, I got to do the lab test. And guess what I found out? I found out that I had a parasite that I had probably had for 13 years from traveling in Nepal and India before then I had hormone imbalance probably from having a baby at age 39. Pretty late in life. I had gluten sensitivity. I had buildup of copper in my body probably from taking birth control for 12 years in my twenties and early thirties. And so I was actually excited to see all of these things because they explained why I wasn't sleeping. All of those things I just mentioned can affect sleep. And so once I started addressing those things, that that's when my sleep started getting better. So now I'm excited to help people in the same way that I was able to get help by doing these tests.

But from doing this for the last three years, I have changed up what tests I run that specifically helped me get to the root cause of sleep issues in particular. So yes, they are looking at health in general at overall health because that is what needs to happen is we need to restore health because a healthy body sleeps well. But I have also narrowed them down to the four tests that I find give me the most information for the least amount of cost that really help me pinpoint the most common things I see in my clients with sleep issues. That is what I want to share with you today, these four tests that I run. And I remember my client, David, who I worked with recently and interviewed on the podcast at the beginning of the year, he had the same reaction. He was so excited to get the test results because he had been struggling to sleep for decades.

He had tried so many things and his blood work comes back normal and no supplements are working, and he is very into caring for his health. So he was trying lots of different things. So yeah, he was really excited to get those test results. And so am I. Sometimes my clients are a little nervous and scared of what's going to come back, but I just see it as good news because if nothing comes back, which is honestly impossible, people ask me that sometimes. What do we do if nothing comes back? If you aren't sleeping, there's no way that these tests are all going to come back normal and everything's going to be imbalance. So finding things that are there that are out of balance is such good news because then we have something to address as opposed to before where if blood work comes back normal and everyone's telling you what's all in your head or there's nothing wrong with you, there's nothing you can do about that.

Whereas if we find out you have a parasite, we can do something about that. So it's really exciting for me and for most of my clients, I hope that's why they're doing this, to really find out what is causing their sleep issues and to be able to fix it. So that is what I do. So I want to tell you about each test that I do, so you know what I'm looking for there and what these tests show and how they give me so much information. And the cool thing about these tests is that the way I can work with anyone in the country, in the world, I'm actually working with people in Norway and New Zealand and the UK and Africa even, and Israel and Singapore. So I've worked with clients all over the world is that I order the tests, they get sent to you at home, you actually take the samples in the comfort of your home, send them back to the lab and prepaid envelopes, and then I get the results.

So that's how I'm able to work remotely with people everywhere, which is really amazing that we live in this day and age and with this technology that we can do that. And so the first test I do is called the Dutch test. This is a dried urine hormone test and this tends to be more accurate than say blood work or even saliva for sex hormones. And the reason is you take five samples in 24 hours with this test. So we are getting an average of your hormones throughout the day. So that's a lot more accurate than just the second in time with blood work or saliva because our hormones do fluctuate slightly throughout the day. And for cycling women, they actually take it between days 19 and 21 of their cycles. So we see the most amount of hormones that your body can make. Now what's amazing about this test too is that it shows how those hormones are being broken down by your body, so it shows their metabolites.

And from that, I can get clues into different parts of liver detoxification because it's our liver that helps break down these hormones. And there are three phases of liver detox in phase two of liver detox. There are multiple ways that our body detoxifies so, and methylation and glucuronidation. And so the Dutch test will show me how those types of detox are working and then we know what to address because it's a little bit different for everyone. Almost all my clients need some sort of liver support, but the kind of support they need is different. Now, this test also tests for cortisol. And again, because you're taking the five samples in 24 hours, we see your cortisol pattern. So cortisol should be lowest first thing in the morning and then spike to its highest level within two hours of waking up, and then gradually go down throughout the day.

At least half my clients don't follow that pattern. And a lot of times I'll see their cortisol is super high at bedtime or in the middle of the night, which was the case for me as well. And it totally explains why we aren't sleeping because if your body's releasing cortisol at night, that's going to give us energy, help us focus and concentrate, which means your mind is going to race and it increases heart rate and body temperature and blood pressure, so it makes it really hard to sleep. So we'll be able to see if your cortisol is following that normal pattern or not. And it also shows how well you're able to handle stress At this point, is your body still making a lot of cortisol? And so it's actually you're probably under a lot of stress if you aren't sleeping well or has it become depleted over time and you actually aren't making a lot of cortisol even anymore, even though you are still under some stress.

So we kind of get to see where you are in that stress response. Now, this test also looks at melatonin. It looks at some B vitamins, so it gives me a lot of information in one test. Now the second test I do is called the GI map or the gastrointestinal map. So this is a stool test and first of all is going to show what's living in your gut. So it looks at about 75 different things. It's looking for pathogens such as a parasite or a bacteria called h pylori or yeast like candida. And the reason this is so important is because these pathogens are most active at night, so they are releasing all these toxins which causes a lot of inflammation and puts an extra burden on your liver. And then your body's going to release cortisol to deal with that inflammation because it's an anti-inflammatory hormone, but that's going to wake you up.

So in almost all my clients, I see some sort of pathogen, if not multiple pathogens. So that's really key to look at. And then this test also shows the good bacteria in your gut, and we actually need these good bacteria. They make some B vitamins, vitamin K. They also make up to 90% of our neurotransmitters. So serotonin, gaba, melatonin, actually most of them are made in the gut. And so if your gut isn't healthy, it's going to be hard to feel calm and relaxed and able to sleep. Now, this test also shows how well your digesting food, especially fat and protein, it is going to show how strong your system is in your gut, how much inflammation is in the gut. It has a marker for gluten sensitivity and for one phase of liver detox. So it pretty much gives me this overall snapshot of your gut health.

And I'll tell you, none of my clients have a healthy gut and not all of them have digestive issues, including myself. I didn't have any digestive indication that I had a parasite, for example, but I totally did. Whereas some of you may have bloating or gas or diarrhea or constipation, then we know for sure that there's something going on in your gut. But the test is going to show exactly what, but none of my clients has a healthy gut. Now, it might be 90% of the problem for some people or it might be a lot less for other people, but it's always something that needs to be addressed in some way. It's different for everyone. Now, the third test I do is called a neuro focus panel. This is a urine test that is looking specifically at neurotransmitters. So it's looking at serotonin and dopamine and GABA where deficiencies in those can directly lead to sleep issues and mood issues.

And it's also looking for glutamate and histamine and our stress hormones, norepinephrine and epinephrine, which you may know as noradrenaline noradrenaline, that those when they're elevated can lead to sleep issues. So we get to see where you are with the neurotransmitters. And I've started doing this test more recently because I've found that by knowing if neurotransmitters are low or high, we can supplement with things to support them and people start sleeping better a lot faster while we address in the long term why those neurotransmitters are all to balance. But it can help to know right away. Now, the last test I do is called the hair tissue mineral analysis or the HTMA. And so this test is looking at mineral balance first and foremost. And this is so important because different mineral imbalances can lead to insomnia. And when we're stressed, our body uses certain minerals more than others.

For example, it burns through magnesium five times. The rate is when we aren't stressed, and over time it's going to deplete sodium and potassium. So it's really normal after any kind of chronic stress. And again, this can be mental stress and also these physical stressors that you don't even know are there is that these minerals get out of balance. And then this test also looks at heavy metals which accumulate in the brain and the liver. They can be very toxic if they're circulating around. And so we want to address that as well. Now, I never recommend any kind of harsh therapy for heavy metals or forcing the body to remove them. Things like chelation therapy, I've been to focus on balancing minerals first, and then the body can get rid of heavy metals when it's able and we can support the body as that happens.

But the reason is is that when minerals are out of balance, the body will hold on to certain minerals or sorry to heavy metals because they can do part of the job of minerals even though they're toxic. So your body might be holding on to heavy metals because you're deficient in minerals. So we actually have to boost some minerals first so that your body can then let go of those heavy metals. And another thing I want to add too about minerals is that is your gut isn't healthy if you aren't breaking down food. Well, especially if you aren't breaking down protein. Well from h pylori a bacteria that affects our protein digestion, then you won't be absorbing those nutrients from food, and that's another way minerals can get out of balance. So the first step is always mineral balancing and then dealing with heavy metals.

But all of these things are such an important part of the puzzle as well as some of the assessments that I do. Looking at your genetics and what genes might be expressing themselves right now, looking at your symptoms, looking at your entire health history with all of those things, I get this big picture of what's going on in your body and then we know exactly what to address. So instead of guessing at supplements, I can recommend supplements that I know your body needs. I can tell from the test and that are going to over time help you again, get back in balance, get back in health so that you can sleep normally. And I do all four of these tests, and I don't just do one at a time because for every single one of my clients, it's always more than one thing causing their insomnia just like it was for me, right?

It wasn't just a parasite. I also had had hormone imbalance, copper toxicity, gluten sensitivity, and it's the same for all of my clients. Now, the imbalances are different for everyone, but if your gut isn't healthy, then your minerals are definitely out of balance and heavy metals are probably accumulating and your hormones are out of balance. If your liver isn't functioning properly, then that is going to affect your hormones. And so everything is so connected in the body that I found the way to address this, the fastest, most effective way is to look at this big picture and really address everything at once. So that is, that is how it works. And those are the four tests that I do as well as the assessments to look at the big picture. And I found that these four tests give me the most clues to specifically address sleep issues.

My client, Emily, who I worked with, developed insomnia actually after the Covid vaccination, but it turned out that she had crazy imbalances in her body that were probably already there. It's just the shot put her over the edge. So she had major estrogen dominance where estrogen was way higher than progesterone because her liver wasn't detoxifying it properly, so we really needed to address her liver as well. She had super high cortisol at night, probably from the parasite that she had. She also had this dysbiosis or this imbalance of good to bad gut bacteria. And when we started working together, she was sleeping better in a few nights because I was able to immediately recommend some changes to her schedule to what she was doing before bed, to what she was doing before when she couldn't sleep. And she already knew a lot of the basic sleep hygiene, but there were other things that I saw that really helped her start sleeping better immediately.

And then her test results showed all these imbalances, and so I love, this is what she wrote. I am constantly referring to others to the immediate success I had working with you and how the lab tests legitimately found the imbalances in my body, which were causing my sleep issues, so I was able to keep improving. How awesome is that? Doesn't that sound amazing? I just want you to know that this is possible for you too. As you've been learning from this podcast, the way to sleep better is to find the imbalances in your body that are keeping you awake. I created the Insomnia Insight Program so you'll know what these imbalances are and have a plan to fix them in just 30 days. In the Insomnia Insight Program, my team and I use four functional lab tests as well as assessments to look for everything that could be affecting your sleep so we don't miss anything.

Then we will give you a personalized, holistic 90 day plan to get your body back in balance so you can get the deep sleep that you want. You'll know exactly which supplements and habits your body needs. No more trying to find the magic pill or following advice you find online that just doesn't work for you. You'll also get support for six months with weekly live coaching calls and daily chat messaging to get all of your questions answered. This will ensure your plan is successful so your sleep keeps improving. You'll also have access to valuable trainings such as Smart Sleeper Habits where you'll learn evidence-based habits that will help you sleep more peacefully. You'll learn Smart Sleeper Essentials so you can fall asleep fast and stop the 3:00 AM Wake-ups by finding the perfect diet for your body and by balancing your blood sugar. The Smart Sleeper mindset will help you get rid of negative thoughts and anxiety about sleep so that your mind doesn't sabotage you.

The program also includes bonuses, such as how to get out of fight or flight and calm your nervous system, how to minimize toxins and support your liver, how to make changing habits easier. Also, that you can your health and sleep deeply. There will also be challenges so you stay motivated to follow your protocol and to celebrate as your sleep keeps improving. There will be monthly bonus trainings to further improve your health mindset and sleep. There will also be customized case reviews available. So if your sleep hasn't improved in three months, you can submit a case review where we will review your results and plan and tell you exactly what to do next to make sure you're successful in the program. And if you sign up from this podcast, you can get a special bonus, a Customized Sleep Jumpstart plan. We will give you top reaction steps to improve your sleep right away as soon as you sign up while we're waiting for your test results.

The investment for the Insomnia Insight program is $2,500 plus the cost of the lab tests, which are around a thousand dollars. There is financing available from advancedcarecard.com. You can find out more about the program and sign up at the link in the show notes in the Insomnia Insight Program. You'll know the imbalances that are causing your sleep issues, and you'll have a plan to fix them in just 30 days so that you can sleep better and make the difference you're meant to make in the world.

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