The Sleep Detective podcast: why you can't sleep and how to fix it

Latest Episodes:

117. Benzos, sleep and withdrawal: what you need to know Nov 22, 2023

Show notes

Many of my clients are taking benzodiazepines, and unfortunately many of them have a hard time getting off these drugs.

I’m not judging anyone who’s taking benzos. I want to warn you if you’re taking them or if you’re considering taking them so you know the risks.

Your doctor may not tell you about the side effects or about how hard it can be to stop taking them.

In this episode, I talk about:

The side effects of benzodiazepines
How they affect the brain
Why they’re so addictive
How to get off benzos (don’t stop cold turkey!)
How to approach getting off benzos for insomnia
What support you need when tapering from benzos

If you’re on benzos for insomnia, the first step is to uncover the imbalances in your body that are keeping you awake. Then you can wean off medication when your body is in a healthier state that is more likely to be able to sleep.

This is what we help you with in the Complete Sleep Solution program. We find out what’s causing your insomnia. Then we give you a plan to fix those things so you can sleep normally in 6 months or less.

Find out more at www.thesleepdetective.com

116. Don’t let burnout sabotage your sleep with Julie Lamb Nov 15, 2023

Show notes

Burnout can cause insomnia and sleep issues.

Listen to this podcast episode as Martha interviews Mindset and Strategy Coach Julie Lamb who specializes in helping executives and entrepreneurs with burnout.

You’ll want to listen to this episode regardless of your chosen career, because you’ll find out:

The difference between burnout, stress, and depression

How burnout affects your cortisol, sleep, and productivity

Tips to prevent burnout from happening in the first place

Why it’s important to talk to your boss or manager (if you have one) about what you’re experiencing

Ways you can recover from burnout if you’re experiencing it now

Many people who are on their way to burnout or experiencing it now will also have insomnia and sleep issues. That’s why it’s important to deal with the burnout at its core in order to get better and sleep well permanently.

In addition to the functional lab tests we do inside The Complete Sleep Solution program, we also provide you with the mindset tools you need to manage your daily stress and prevent burnout.

Want to find out how we can help you so you can sleep well?

Learn More About Julie Lamb:

Julie’s website
Julie’s podcast What The Hell Is My Brain Doing?
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julielambcoaching/
Julie's Facebook
Julie's LinkedIn

115: How toxins sabotage your sleep Nov 08, 2023

Show notes

Toxins could be sabotaging your sleep.

The average person is exposed to more than 700,000 toxic chemicals a day! Before the Industrial Revolution, there weren’t as many toxins in the environment.

But there are other ways you’re exposed to toxins that you need to know about, too.

In this episode you’ll find out:

How toxins sabotage sleep
Where these toxins come from
Hidden sources of toxins
What lab tests look for toxins

Listen to episode 28 to find out how to minimize toxins so you can sleep better soon. https://thesleepdetective.com/post/28-11-ways-to-minimize-toxins-to-sleep-better

The Complete Sleep Solution program uses functional lab tests and assessments to find everything in your body that’s causing stress and inflammation, including toxins. Then we give you a plan to lower inflammation from all sources so you get healthier and can sleep normally.

Want to find out how we can help you lower inflammation and sleep well?

108: Are EMFs affecting your sleep with Chris Henderson Nov 02, 2023

Show notes

EMFs (electromagnetic frequencies) are everywhere in modern life. However, our bodies haven't evolved to deal with man-made EMFs and so they can sabotage our health and sleep.

In this episode I interview fellow FDN (Functional Diagnostic Nutrition practitioner) and EMF expert Chris Henderson.

We talk about:

What EMFs are
Chris' health story and how he became interested in EMFs
How EMFs affect sleep and health according to research
Ways to minimize EMFs
What he thinks about EMFs from sleep and fitness trackers and products that claim to block EMFs

If you want to learn more about EMFs and how to protect yourself from them, check out his EMFs Made Simple course at www.emfsmadesimple.com.

EMFs are just one of the things I talk to my clients about to improve their health so they can sleep deeply. If you're ready to start sleeping better for good, my team and I can help you find exactly what's causing your insomnia.

114. How Laurie overcame insomnia after 20 years Nov 01, 2023

Show notes

Laurie dealt with insomnia for over 20 years. The previous 3 years were the worst, because she was averaging only 17 hours of sleep per week.

Over the years, she tried over-the-counter sleep supplements, prescription medication from her doctor, a weighted blanket, a grounding mat, hypnosis, yoga, meditation, red light therapy, and sleep hygiene protocols - but nothing worked.

Laurie searched for a podcast that would help her with insomnia, and found The Sleep Detective podcast. Soon after finding the podcast, she signed up to work with us in The Complete Sleep Solution program.

The Complete Sleep Solution program uses functional lab tests and assessments to find everything in your body that’s causing insomnia. Then we give you a customized plan to fix what’s happening inside your body, so you get healthier and can sleep normally.

Testing showed exactly what was going on inside Laurie’s body, including several imbalances and dietary issues.

After working together for 6 months and making positive changes in her life, Laurie’s body is now back in balance and she is sleeping well. Now that she’s feeling better, she’s able to sleep in bed with her husband again, and she feels like her entire life is back to normal.

Want to find out what’s causing your insomnia?

113. Why you feel like you can’t handle stress! Oct 25, 2023

Show notes

Your partner tells you that you overreact.

You’re irritable and short-tempered.

You know that spilling milk shouldn’t be a big deal but you can’t help but get upset every time.

I want to tell you that you’re not crazy and this isn’t your fault.

Your body doesn’t have the resources it needs to deal with stress.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

Signs of an unhealthy stress response
What causes cortisol to become depleted
How low cortisol can lead to sleep issues
My client Rachel’s story
How to lower stress so you can sleep normally!

The Complete Sleep Solution program uses functional lab testing to find out what's going on in their body that is out of whack and stressful.

And we also use life coaching and cognitive behavioral therapy techniques to help with mental stress.

Other sleep programs or doctors only look at the body OR the mind-no one else looks at both. This is why the Complete Sleep Solution program is so effective.

P.S. If you’re struggling to sleep and you’re stressed out by the small things, I’m here for you.

112. Waking up at 3am? Julia’s sleep breakthrough session Oct 18, 2023

Show notes

Julia has been getting 3-5 hours of sleep a night for years now. She feels anxious before bed, complains about her sleep and spends a lot of time lying in bed worrying and not sleeping.

She wakes up at 3am every night. This sucks! I know because this used to happen to me, too.

In this episode, I give Julia 3 things to focus on to help with her sleep. And I tell her what else could be causing her insomnia.

The Most common reason for waking up at 3am is a pathogen in the gut! It could be a parasite (like I had!), or “bad” bacteria or yeast such as candida.

If you wake up every night at about the same time, you could have a parasite, too! Parasites damage the gut and cause lots of inflammation, leading to other imbalances in the body that also affect sleep.

There’s more to sleeping better than just killing a parasite. It also involves restoring gut health, supporting liver detox, balancing hormones and more!

The Complete Sleep Solution program finds all of the imbalances in your body (and mind) that are affecting your sleep and gives you a plan to correct them so you can sleep well and wake up rested with energy every day.

Find out more at www.thesleepdetective.com

111. Is histamine causing your sleep issues? Oct 11, 2023

Show notes

Some of my clients have high histamine that is contributing to their sleep issues.

In this episode, you'll learn all about histamine:

-how it affects sleep

-symptoms of high histamine

-what causes excess histamine

-what to do about high histamines

-how anti-histamines make the problem worse

The key is to find out why your histamine levels are high and correct those things.

It's the same with insomnia. There's not just 1 reason you aren't sleeping normally. There are multiple causes.

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 www.thesleepdetective.com

110: Zero health issues for the first time in years-Andrea's story Oct 04, 2023

Show notes

Andrea came to me with poor sleep but also fatigue, joint pain and anxiety.

She went to her doctor after working together for 6 months and realized she had zero health complaints!

In her own words:

“I have a new found look on life now and I’m very lucky that I don’t have to continue with the joint pain, and the fatigue, and the anxiety, and the INSOMNIA! I feel like a brand new woman!”

Hear her story here.

This is what we do in the Complete Sleep Solution program. We help our clients get healthy again so they can sleep normally and feel great!

109: Does cannabis help or hurt your sleep? Sep 27, 2023

Show notes

I've had my own experiences with cannabis that make me question if it's actually helpful, or if it could possibly hurt sleep. So I did some research and asked some questions to get to the bottom of this topic. In this episode, you'll find out all about cannabis and sleep, including: -What the research shows -The side effects of cannabis for sleep -The differences between THC and CBD for sleep -How it affects the sleep stages -How it affects neurotransmitters and hormones -My recommendations for whether to use cannabis or not The bottom line is that cannabis is a Band-aid. It's not solving what’s out of balance in your body that’s keeping you from sleeping normally. The way to sleep better naturally and permanently is to find out what's out of whack in your body that's sabotaging your sleep and fix those imbalances. And make sure that your mind isn't keeping from you sleeping. My Complete Sleep Solution program helps you restore your health so you can fall asleep quickly, stay asleep all night, and get the rest you need to have energy, be in a good mood, and enjoy your life!

Click here to sign up for the ⁠Insomnia Insight program⁠. You'll know exactly what's causing your sleep issues and have a plan to fix it in 30 days so you can sleep well, permanently and naturally. Sources for this episode: The Effects of Cannabis (Marijuana) on the Brain & Body | Huberman Lab Podcast #92 Does Marijuana Disrupt Your Sleep? | Matt Walker & Andrew Huberman The Effects of Cannabis On Your Hormones by ZRT Lab Use of Marijuana: Effect on Brain Health: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association Using Cannabis As A Sleep Aid by the Sleep Foundation

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