Difficulty sleeping

Serotonin plays a crucial role in regulating sleep, mood, and relaxation. It is a precursor to melatonin, the hormone responsible for the sleep-wake cycle. Low serotonin levels can cause insomnia, restless sleep, and poor sleep quality.

How Serotonin Affects Sleep

• Serotonin Converts to Melatonin for Sleep Regulation

• During the day, serotonin helps with mood and focus.

• At night, the brain converts serotonin into melatonin, which signals the body to sleep.

• Low serotonin = Low melatonin = Poor sleep.

Serotonin Helps Relax the Nervous System

• Serotonin reduces stress and anxiety, helping the body enter a relaxed state for sleep.

• Low serotonin makes it harder to "switch off" at night, leading to racing thoughts and difficulty falling asleep.

Serotonin Influences REM Sleep (Deep Sleep Stage)

• Serotonin helps regulate the REM sleep cycle, which is essential for memory and brain function.

• Low serotonin can cause fragmented sleep, waking up frequently, and feeling unrefreshed in the morning.

Difficulty sleeping

Restlessness—whether physical (pacing, fidgeting) or mental (racing thoughts, inability to relax)—is strongly linked to elevated noradrenaline activity in the brain and body. Noradrenaline is a “fight-or-flight” chemical that keeps you alert, responsive, and ready for action. When it’s overactive, it can leave you feeling like you’re constantly “on edge,” even when there’s no real reason for alarm.

In a normal stress response, noradrenaline helps sharpen focus and energize the body. But under chronic stress, anxiety, burnout, or sleep deprivation, noradrenaline can remain elevated for too long, creating a state of ongoing arousal. This overstimulation can make it difficult to sit still, stay calm, or mentally slow down. It’s also why restlessness is a common symptom in conditions like generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), ADHD, and panic disorders.

This hyperaroused state can interfere with sleep, concentration, and emotional regulation. Over time, it becomes exhausting—your body feels wired, but your mind is tired.

Restlessness driven by noradrenaline often comes with other symptoms like:

• Elevated heart rate

• Muscle tension

• Muscle tension

• Irritability or sensitivity to noise/light

• Feeling like you must “do something” but not knowing what

Struggling to fall asleep, stay asleep, or wake up refreshed? Sleep issues aren’t always just about poor habits—they’re often tied to hormonal imbalances caused by stress, fatigue, and burnout. Your sleep-wake cycle, or circadian rhythm, is tightly regulated by key hormones and neurotransmitters.

Adrenaline (Epinephrine)

Adrenaline keeps you alert during stress. It’s designed to help the body respond quickly in emergencies. When adrenaline levels remain elevated into the evening (due to chronic stress or overthinking), the body struggles to “switch off.” This leads to racing thoughts, difficulty falling asleep, and frequent night-time awakenings. It’s the classic “tired but wired” feeling.

GABA (Gamma-aminobutyric acid)

GABA is the body’s main calming neurotransmitter. It helps the brain slow down, preparing the body for deep, restorative sleep. Low GABA makes it difficult to calm the mind and body before bed. This causes restlessness, light sleep, and difficulty staying asleep, leading to poor recovery and daytime fatigue.

DHEA (Dehydroepiandrosterone)

DHEA plays a protective role against stress and supports brain health and hormonal stability. Low DHEA is associated with poor sleep quality, especially in individuals under chronic stress or hormonal imbalance. It contributes to increased nighttime awakenings and reduces the body’s ability to handle stress during the night.

Cortisol

Cortisol follows a natural rhythm—rising in the morning to wake you up and lowering at night to allow sleep.

Low morning cortisol = hard to wake up, brain fog, and grogginess Chronic imbalance flattens this curve, leading to insomnia or unrefreshing sleep.