The other weekend, I was at a get-together with a few close friends. We were all talking about how stressful life is right now. With everything going on in the world, some were saying they’re having a hard time getting a good night’s sleep.
We ticked off the things that make us toss and turn, worries about health and family, incessant thoughts about work or To Do Lists…and then I threw out another one…
Your clock genes.
Certain variations in your clock genes can make it more difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep through the night.
Talking about it all reminded me of Lacy, a SelfDecode member that recently shared her journey to better sleep. She knows all about clock genes because it was her difficulty sleeping that brought her to SelfDecode. So I reached out to ask if I can share her SelfDecode story, and here it is!
From Lacy
Before I stumbled upon SelfDecode, I was exhausted.
I had all the symptoms of sleep deprivation. I was irritable, couldn’t remember things or pay attention to tasks, and I was depressed and anxious all the time.
I tried all the natural remedies like valerian root and melatonin. Eventually, I started taking OTC drugs and even got my doctor to prescribe me Valium.
My insomnia only got worse. Then I started eating in the middle of the night.
I’d stand in front of the refrigerator just grabbing stuff. I was gaining weight, sleeping even less, and racking up the grocery bills.
Finding a solution
The only positive that came out of my late-night charades was one night while I was eating cereal out of the box, I went on the internet and stumbled across some articles from SelfDecode about sleep and how your genes could be the root cause of the issues. So, I decided to get my DNA tested, which ended up being a life-changing decision..
I discovered so much about how my body works from Joe and SelfDecode.
I learned we all have this gene, the NPAS2 gene that controls when we get hungry and when we want to sleep. For sleep, the gene syncs with daylight and dark hours, but for eating, it works off of a person’s typical mealtimes.
I realized because I had gotten in the habit of eating in the middle of the night, my body had started to actually become hungry at that time. To end my midnight snacking, I had to reprogram my genes to stop the food cravings.
I also discovered I have a variant in my TPH2 gene that causes me to produce less serotonin and serotonin converts to melatonin for sleep. Less serotonin can also cause racing thoughts at night. I figured out I need natural ways to boost my own serotonin levels.
SelfDecode gave me all kinds of personalized strategies to support my weak clock genes. I call their recommendations my *personal sleep remedy*.
I do things like wake-up and go outside every morning for a quick walk to get Vitamin D from sun exposure. At night, if I must look at screens, I use blue-blocking glasses that block the stimulating blue rays which decrease my melatonin.
How’s your sleep?
Feeling as energetic and awake as you’d like?
Don’t let a lack of sleep rob you of living the life of your dreams.
SelfDecode can show you how to reset your clock genes so you can feel rested and recharged!
With your Sleep Wellness Report, you’ll unlock your very own genetic code to sleeping well.
Plus you’ll get access to:
- Personalized blog articles with energy-boosting strategies based on your genes that’ll have you leaping out of bed!
- The Chronic Fatigue DNA report with personalized recommendations to beat fatigue and improve energy levels.
- The lab analyzer tool where you can analyze your labs related to energy (like B12) and get recommendations to bring your levels to optimal range.
