Disruption in sleep patterns when you have a thyroid issue could make the condition worse. It may even impact the quality of your life. Here's what you need to know about the connection between the two.
Researchers have also discovered that more women than men are prone to thyroid and sleep issues. Why? According to a 2005National Sleep Foundation poll, women have a more difficult time falling off to sleep than men.
For those who suffer from hypothyroidism, your body is more likely to feel exhausted all the time. "For people with this condition, even a solid seven to nine hours of sleep at night doesn't shake the constant sense of exhaustion," according to the National Sleep Foundation.
This condition may also cause you to suffer from insomnia and become jittery. "Partial sleep restriction was accompanied by a modest but statistically significant reduction in TSH and free T4, seen mainly in the female participants of the study," a study published in the journal Sleep found.
Jon Mitchell, a certified physician assistant and functional medicine health consultant, explains why sleep and thyroid issues are so strongly linked together. "Sleep deprivation has been found to cause a short-term rise in thyroid hormone, but when chronically sleep deprived, the thyroid can become down-regulated due to it being overstimulated," Mitchell told a news portal.
This is why it is so important to find ways to improve your sleep. You should also make sure to consume foods that support thyroid health like dark leafy green vegetables.If you are physically active, it is important to slow it down for a while. "This may mean opting for calming exercises like yoga a few times each week instead of hitting the gym for intense cardio daily," Stephanie Gray, a functional medicine provider, told a news portal.
