The importance of sleep when you have an overactive thyroid
Do you find yourself struggling to sleep due to your excess thyroid hormone? Although sleep issues are common in hyperthyroidism, it’s critical that you prioritise getting rest to manage your wellbeing. Let’s look at why sleep is so important and how you can improve your sleep starting today.
How sleep supports an overactive thyroid
First up, let’s look at why you want to get as much quality sleep as possible when dealing with an overactive thyroid.
Sleep is the time of ultimate restoration. It’s when your nervous system reboots and your immune system gets to work repairing the damage done throughout the day.
When you have too much thyroid hormone, this is an even bigger job. The inflammation it causes means more repairs are needed. Your nervous system needs more downtime as it’s been doing the equivalent of running a marathon every day since your thyroid kicked into overdrive!
There’s also evidence that lack of sleep plays a role in the development of thyroid disease. Research has found that those who slept less than 7hrs per night were at a higher risk of hyperthyroidism compared to those who got their 8hrs per night.
Common sleep issues with hyperthyroidism
So we know that sleep is a big help when your thyroid is overactive. There’s just one problem - excess thyroid hormone itself disrupts sleep! This can leave you stuck in a spiral of not enough sleep and flare-ups.
If you have hyperthyroidism, you’re more likely to experience:
Insomnia (inability to fall asleep)
Longer sleep onset
Reduced sleep maintenance (more likely to wake during the night)
Lighter sleep and reduced deep sleep
Night sweats and increased urination during the night
Restless leg syndrome
Night terrors
Excess thyroid hormone can also exacerbate other issues that interfere with sleep such as anxiety.
How to improve your sleep
The most important step is to address the root cause. Otherwise, your sleep will continue to be disrupted! We want to ensure you:
Have thyroid hormone levels within range
Regularly monitor your levels to watch for any increases
Understand and address triggers for your flare-ups
Consider the underlying causes of your thyroid condition - this is best done with the supervision of a health professional who understands the contributing factors to thyroid disease
However, it takes time to heal and restore an overactive thyroid. So in the meantime, you can start with small diet and lifestyle adjustments that support a good night of sleep. For more info, make sure you check out these tips for improving your sleep when excess thyroid hormone is disrupting your rest.
NEWLY DIAGNOSED AND NEEDING TO NAVIGATE THE WORLD OF AN OVERACTIVE THYROID?
I cover what you need to know to manage an overactive thyroid naturally in my course, the Hyperthyroid and Graves’ Disease Recovery Program.
This comprehensive program includes:
6 modules covering the most important information you need to understand your overactive thyroid and how to support it naturally
Resources on thyroid testing and which tests will give you the best overview of your thyroid function
Steps to help you identify triggers and avoid thyroid flares
6 restorative Naturopathic Yoga sessions
Thyroid meditations
A BONUS 4 step gut healing protocol (because many of the triggers for your thyroid are found in the gut!)