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A weighted blanket increases pre-sleep salivary concentrations of melatonin in young, healthy adults – a new study

By Trudy Scott 7 Comments

weighted blanket melatonin

A new paper published earlier this month, A weighted blanket increases pre-sleep salivary concentrations of melatonin in young, healthy adults provides yet another mechanism supporting the benefits of a weighted blanket for improving sleep and also reducing anxiety – an increase in melatonin. The authors share that “Weighted blankets have emerged as a potential non-pharmacological intervention to ease conditions such as insomnia and anxiety. Despite a lack of experimental evidence, these alleged effects are frequently attributed to a reduced activity of the endogenous stress systems and an increased release of hormones such as oxytocin and melatonin.”

Here are some of the details from the study:

  • It was a small in-laboratory crossover study and included 26 young and healthy participants (15 men and 11 women)
  • The heavier weighted blanket was about 12% of their body weight
  • The following were measured: “salivary concentrations of the stress hormone cortisol, salivary alpha-amylase activity (as an indicative metric of sympathetic nervous system activity), subjective sleepiness, and sleep duration.”

The only difference found was a 1 hour increase of salivary melatonin from 10pm to lights off at 11pm. It was about 32% higher when using the heavier weighted blanket.

No other differences were found in terms of subjective sleepiness and total sleep duration.

The study concludes as follows:

Our study is the first to suggest that using a weighted blanket may result in a more significant release of melatonin at bedtime. Future studies should investigate whether the stimulatory effect on melatonin secretion is observed on a nightly basis when frequently using a weighted blanket over weeks to months. It remains to be determined whether the observed increase in melatonin may be therapeutically relevant for the previously described effects of the weighted blanket on insomnia and anxiety.

The authors only identified an increase in pre-sleep melatonin in this study. But keep in mind these limitations of the study: participants did not have insomnia or anxiety, and they were young (and melatonin declines as we age). The authors didn’t find an improvement in subjective feedback on better sleep and they did not measure subjective changes in anxiety levels – which I don’t find surprising.

However, as you’ll read below, many individuals in my community responded favorably when I posted this new study on Facebook, sharing how using their weighted blankets does improve their sleep and reduce their anxiety.  I share some of the anecdotal feedback below.

Feedback from real people: improved sleep, calm body, soothing and less anxiety

Here is some of the feedback from folks in my Facebook community:

Krys shares this: Ever since I started using a weighted blanket my sleep has improved. I think I need a heavier one. I believe the one I have is only 12 lbs. I was born in Poland, and we always had very heavy covers. Usually feather filled comforters, which made me feel secure and helped with sleep. I have a lot of past trauma and did not notice the weighted  blanket to be confining.

Christine shares this “I love my weighted blanket and sleep much better with it. I definitely sleep more soundly…less waking up. I bought it about 3 months ago and plan to use it year round. It is a faux fur glass bead filled one….it is super flexible and I can tuck it in and around all the nooks and crannies around my body. I considered a flatter, more stiff one but preferred the tucking option.” Christine’s weighted blanket is 15lbs and she plans to use an electric blanket to warm it up in winter (and switch it off /unplug it, before getting into bed).

Courtney shares this: “I started with a 12lb, then 20lb, now I have a 25lb one lol. I absolutely love my weighted blanket and can not sleep without it…I use it year round, it’s not hot but yet keeps you warm. And I feel like the weight keeps you from tossing and turning as much. It feels like a hug lol.”  The hug comment makes me wonder if they provide endorphin support too.

MaryKatherine shares this: “Wow that is seriously amazing. They definitely help me. I love weighted blankets…I feel almost instant calm in my body when I use weighted blankets. It does take 10-15 min for full effect.”

Tana shares this: “I love  my weighted blanket. It helps me relax. I sleep so much better.”

And then she shared this: “After this post I thought I should let my teenage daughter try my weighted blanket . She has anxiety and poor sleep habits. She loved it. I will be ordering her one.”  How wonderful is this?

Brenda shares this: “Love mine… I find it helps my AM anxiety. I’m kind of a hot sleeper, so I can’t keep it on for long, but I pull it up in the early morning, and it just gives a nice feeling of safety almost. I know a guy who does this with his dog when he’s having PTSD anxiety attacks.”

Willow shares this: “I have a cooling weighted blanket that I use all year. It is completely magical. I bought it hoping to sleep better but I didn’t expect it to be so incredibly soothing. Mine is 100% organic bamboo with glass beads. I find the cooling cover perfect all year. I honestly LOVE this improvement in my life.”

Katie shares this: “I love mine! I got one for each of my kids too. For my son I got a lighter one for kids, though he prefers my heavier adult blanket. He has ADHD and anxiety and really loves the weight. We all sleep deeper and fall asleep faster. Sometimes I use mine during the day when anxiety is especially high and it helps to calm my nervous system.”

Many folks are going to need additional nutritional support for their anxiety and insomnia

One person shared this: “I love my weighted blankets but it took awhile to get used to the heaviness on me… It’s not a miracle particularly if my stress and anxiety is much higher but I’d rather have it then not. It’s more helpful if I’m calmer.”

I agree. Many folks are going to need additional nutritional support for their anxiety and insomnia. This is where my work with addressing low GABA and low serotonin comes into play. Also, we may need to consider high cortisol and always need to address gut health, diet, caffeine/sugar/gluten intake, parasites, EMFs and everything covered in my book “The Antianxiety Food Solution.”

Here are a few (of many) useful resources from the blog:

Feel free to use the search feature to find additional anxiety and sleep resources and success stories.

Resources if you are new to using GABA, tryptophan and other amino acids as supplements

If you are new to using any of the amino acids as supplements, here is the Amino Acids Mood Questionnaire from The Antianxiety Food Solution (you can see all the symptoms of neurotransmitter imbalances, including low GABA and low serotonin).

If you suspect low levels of any of the neurotransmitters and do not yet have my book, The Antianxiety Food Solution – How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood, and End Cravings, I highly recommend getting it and reading it before jumping in and using amino acids on your own so you are knowledgeable. And be sure to share it with the practitioner/health team you or your loved one is working with.

There is an entire chapter on the amino acids and they are discussed throughout the book in the sections on gut health, gluten, blood sugar control, sugar cravings, self-medicating with alcohol and more.

The book doesn’t include product names (per the publisher’s request) so this blog, The Antianxiety Food Solution Amino Acid and Pyroluria Supplements, lists the amino acids that I use with my individual clients and those in my group programs. You can find them all in my online store.

If, after reading this blog and my book, you don’t feel comfortable figuring things out on your own (i.e. doing the symptoms questionnaire and respective amino acids trials), a good place to get help is the GABA QuickStart Program (if you have low GABA symptoms). This is a paid online/virtual group program where you get my guidance and community support.

If you are a practitioner, join us in The Balancing Neurotransmitters: the Fundamentals program. This is also a paid online/virtual program with an opportunity to interact with me and other practitioners who are also using the amino acids.

Have you had success with a weighted blanket …for sleep issues and anxiety?

If you have seen these benefits with a weighted blanket:

  • I’m also curious if you’ve observed reductions in sugar cravings, less anger issues, less irritability, less PMS symptoms, less negativity and less worry and panic attacks? These are all symptoms of low serotonin. I suspect that if there is an increase in melatonin there may also be an increase in serotonin (which is used to make melatonin).
  • Have you noticed any other benefits?
  • Be sure to share which weighted blanket you have, what percentage of your weight it is, and how often you use it.
  • Have some of the nutritional approaches helped too?

If you have not seen benefits or didn’t like using one, please feel free to share your experiences.

If you’re a practitioner, do you recommend a weighted blanket to your clients/patients?

If you have questions please share them here too.

Lactium® (alpha-s1 casein hydrolysate/hydrolyzed casein) for lowering high cortisol, reducing anxiety and improving sleep

By Trudy Scott 29 Comments

lactium cortisol anxiety

Lactium® is my second choice for lowering high cortisol and reducing the type of anxiety that we see when cortisol is high i.e. anxiety that feels like an adrenaline-type surge.  It is especially helpful when cortisol is high as you wake up. This can be confirmed by a 4 collection saliva test. The reason why Lactium® is the best choice in a situation like this is because Seriphos (a phosphorylated serine product) is most effective for lowering high cortisol when it’s used 3 hours before the high cortisol measurement and you can’t do this when anxiety and adrenaline-type surges happen on waking in the morning. This is where Lactium® shines. It also helps to reduce anxiety at other times in the day and to improve sleep.

The Lactium® research

There is research supporting the use of Lactium® for improving sleep, reducing anxiety and lowering high cortisol. The number of Lactium® studies are not extensive but the results are very promising and correlate with what we see clinically. Here are a few of them:

“The study subjects were (double blind) randomly allocated to ingest three times, 12 hours apart, two capsules containing either 200 mg of alphaS1-casein hydrolysate or bovine skimmed milk powder as a placebo.” They were then subjected to successive stress situations. There was a significant decrease of plasma cortisol concentrations and heart rate remained stable in the Lactium® group. The study conclusion is as follows: “On the basis of blood pressure and cortisol changes, these results suggest an anti stress profile of this alphaS1-casein hydrolysate in human subjects.”

48 participants exhibited mild to moderate degree of sleep disturbance and after 4 weeks of Lactium® use, “overall perceived sleep profiles in sleep diaries were significantly improved … represented by increased total sleep time and sleep efficiency, as well as decreased sleep latency and wake after sleep onset.” It was concluded that Lactium® “was well tolerated and could improve sleep quality, with possible cumulative beneficial effects with long-term administration.”

39 subjects were given a supplement containing Lactium® and theanine for four weeks. The authors concluded that “given its beneficial effects without notable adverse events, it would be advantageous to use these nutraceutical ingredients to promote better sleep quality” (and in a larger study).

You’ll see Lactium® referred to as alpha-s1 casein hydrolysate, hydrolyzed casein concentrate, and tryptic hydrolysate from bovine milk alphaS1-casein.

INGREDIA of France manufactures Lactium and you will see some of the studies have been initiated and/or co-authored by them.

The product I use is called Biotics Research De-Stress. It contains 150mg Lactium® in one capsule. I’ve had clients use 1-2 capsules at a time, based on symptoms and the relief they feel.

Lactium® works on GABAA receptors

What is really interesting is an animal study that reports Lactium® works on the GABAA receptor: A tryptic hydrolysate from bovine milk αs1-casein enhances pentobarbital-induced sleep in mice via the GABAA receptor

It was found that Lactium® “enhanced the sleep induced by pentobarbital sodium in mice. It also promoted slow-wave (delta) EEG activity in rats; a pattern indicative of sleep or relaxation.” The authors state that the effects are “probably mediated through the GABAA receptor-chloride ion channel complex.”

As you may already know, GABA is one of the amino acids I use extensively with folks with low GABA physical anxiety and related sleep issues. There is also compelling research on the benefits of GABA and theanine for improving sleep and easing anxiety.

I have found that many of my clients do well on both GABA (when GABA levels are low) and Lactium® (when cortisol is high).  Lactium® can be used in the daytime and at night when cortisol is high (and so can Seriphos).

Seriphos and other ways to lower high cortisol

As I mentioned above, Seriphos is my first choice for lowering high cortisol and easing this type of anxiety, especially when cortisol is high during the night. Seriphos is a phosphorylated serine product and I find it much more effective than regular phosphatidylserine products.

If you’re new to Seriphos here is my blog post – Seriphos Original Formula is back: the best product for anxiety and insomnia caused by high cortisol

There are other ways to lower cortisol too:

Resources if you are new to using GABA and other amino acids as supplements

If you are new to using any of the amino acids as supplements, here is the Amino Acids Mood Questionnaire from The Antianxiety Food Solution (you can see all the symptoms of neurotransmitter imbalances, including low GABA).

If you suspect low levels of any of the neurotransmitters and do not yet have my book, The Antianxiety Food Solution – How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood, and End Cravings, I highly recommend getting it and reading it before jumping in and using amino acids on your own so you are knowledgeable. And be sure to share it with the practitioner/health team you or your loved one is working with.

There is an entire chapter on the amino acids and they are discussed throughout the book in the sections on gut health, gluten, blood sugar control, sugar cravings, self-medicating with alcohol and more.

The book doesn’t include product names (per the publisher’s request) so this blog, The Antianxiety Food Solution Amino Acid and Pyroluria Supplements, lists the amino acids that I use with my individual clients and those in my group programs. You can find them all in my online store.

You can also find Biotics Research De-Stress in my online store (see link above for how to set up an account and purchase).

If, after reading this blog and my book, you don’t feel comfortable figuring things out on your own (i.e. doing the symptoms questionnaire and respective amino acids trials), a good place to get help is the GABA QuickStart Program (if you have low GABA symptoms). This is a paid online/virtual group program where you get my guidance and community support.

If you are a practitioner, join us in The Balancing Neurotransmitters: the Fundamentals program. This is also a paid online/virtual program with an opportunity to interact with me and other practitioners who are also using the amino acids.

Have you used Lactium® for improving your sleep, reducing anxiety and/or lowering your high cortisol?

Have you also used any of the above approaches to lower cortisol or reduce anxiety too?

How quickly did each one help?

If you’re a practitioner do you use Lactium® with success?

If you have questions please share them here too.

Does 5-HTP (an amino acid) cause nightmares or does it help prevent nightmares (and also support low serotonin symptoms)?

By Trudy Scott 24 Comments

5-htp and nightmares

How do you do with using the amino acid 5-HTP for supporting your low serotonin symptoms of anxiety, worry, ruminating, fears, depression and insomnia?  Does it help or does it cause nightmares? On a recent Facebook thread someone shared that 5-HTP causes really bad nightmares, so she had to stop using it. A few others posted saying 5-HTP also caused them nightmares. I’ve not had any clients report nightmares, so I was surprised to hear this feedback.  However, most folks on the same Facebook thread shared that 5-HTP works very well for them and does not cause nightmares. There is also research that supports the use of 5-HTP for night terrors. I suspect it may have to do with low vitamin B6 and share more on that below.

Here is her experience with 5-HTP and nightmares and some of my feedback:

I don’t know how anyone takes 5-HTP. The horrific nightmares I got from taking it made me stop 50 mg. I tried 3 times thinking it was a fluke and it happened every time. Too scary for me.

My first try was suggested from my Naturopath, Metagenics SeroSyn. 200 mg. First morning waking up I had a nightmare so bad I can’t even share it. I also woke up feeling unable to wake up, drugged almost. So I waited, did more research and googled 5-HTP and nightmares just to see if there was a connection. I found it. I read to lower the dosage. So I went to Pure Encapsulations 50 mg. Same thing happened. I tried 2 more times, same thing happened. When I researched, I found so many people talking about “vivid dreams” and after my last attempt the dream was so real I thought my son was in my home when I woke up and had to process reality from my dream. That did it for me. Now I’m terrified of it. Just my own experience. I did get help from depression though! But I cannot go through one evil for another. Now I’m stuck looking for help and answers.

I thanked her for sharing and agreed it does help to do a few experiments to be sure it was the 5-HTP. I also shared that I would not consider the Metagenics SeroSyn a good 5-HTP to test because of all the other ingredients. But it also happened with Pure Encapsulations 50 mg 5-HTP – that was a good test to confirm.

I also shared that some folks do better on 5-HTP and some on tryptophan so if 5-HTP did help with low serotonin symptoms then I’d consider a trial of tryptophan especially since she did say using the 5-HTP helped with her depression.

We would also look for other ways to support serotonin – saffron, turmeric, St. John’s Wort, theanine (it supports GABA, serotonin and dopamine) and of course diet (real whole food, quality animal protein, no gluten/sugar/caffeine, fermented foods, organic vegetables and fruit, healthy fats etc), gut health and more.

I’d also look into and address low zinc and low vitamin B6 as both are needed to make serotonin and the other neurotransmitters. More on low vitamin B6, pyroluria and nightmares below.

Here is some of the feedback from other folks who also had issues with 5-HTP:

  • 5-HTP didn’t mix well with my body either. Taken at night, horrible dreams, and 50mg Pure Encapsulations formula in the morning made me feel so dark, spaced out and terrible nausea.
  • I appreciate this post. I had nightmares from a magnesium supplement that included 5-HTP! Now I know I’m not alone.

And here is some of the feedback from folks who do well with 5-HTP (the majority of those who responded):

  • I take 100 mg of 5-HTP in the morning (Natural Factors) and about 350 mg of tryptophan before bed (Lidtke). It works well for me. No nightmares although I do dream a lot. Mostly noticed improvement in mood and ruminating thoughts. Also taking Sam-e which also helps.
  • I take chewable natural factors Tranquil Sleep. It contains other ingredients (like theanine) as well but it’s really easy to dose. If I take 2 it’s too much. I get weird dreams and a headache. So 1 1/2 it is.
  • 5-htp helped me so much! But I had to take it in the morning. 250mg was perfect for me. I was using this for my debilitating anxiety which would keep me in flight or fight all day and I would ruminate. Really helped me along with therapy. I no longer need it.
  • I’ve just started taking 50mg 5-HTP at night. It’s a micronized version I buy from a compounding chemist in Australia. No negative side effects so far.
  • Grateful for the reminder … I did great on 5-htp myself. Have had all dose amounts, given at different times too. I deal with chronic pain and trauma/stress.
  • My sister gets anxiety on 5-HTP but it helps me so much! I have not tracked regular consumption compared to my sleep (I get too much REM without it and wake up exhausted). I also no longer need it as a daily and can take it as needed. I take 200mg, forget the brand but it’s a single ingredient.
  • I take 50 mg of 5-HTP from Seeking Health and do very well on it. It has helped me with depression, worry, fear, more energy and motivation and no nightmares.
  • I take the Now brand, 100mg at bedtime along with the same brand of L theanine. No nightmares and I’ve been doing this for about 5 years.
  • I use 50mg Seeking Health 5-HTP and I love it. It gives me energy and motivation, helps with intrusive thoughts and anxiety. I’ve used the Jarrow brand in the past without results. No nightmares. P5P, on the other hand, I cannot take. It gives me such clear, vivid nightmares I would wake up crying. Never again.

We are all unique and there is clearly no one-size fits all.

Low vitamin B6 can cause nightmares or poor dream recall

It’s well recognized that low vitamin B6 can cause nightmares or poor dream recall. In this study, Effects of Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) and a B Complex Preparation on Dreaming and Sleep (which was randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled), 100 participants from across Australia were given 240 mg vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride) before bed for five consecutive days. Other study participants were given a B complex. This is the outcome of the study:

  • vitamin B6 significantly increased the amount of dream content participants recalled but did not significantly affect dream vividness, bizarreness, or color, nor did it significantly affect other sleep-related variables
  • participants in the B complex group showed significantly lower self-rated sleep quality and significantly higher tiredness on waking

This vitamin B6/dream recall research is of particular interest to me because of my work with pyroluria, a social anxiety condition which responds really well to supplementation with zinc, vitamin B6 or P5P (pyridoxal-5-phosphate) or a combination of both, and a few other key nutrients.  Here is the pyroluria questionnaire.

One of the classic signs of pyroluria is poor dream recall, stressful or bizarre dreams, or nightmares, signs which the late Carl Pfeiffer, MD attributed to low vitamin B6 status. He suggested that your dreams and dream recall serve as a good indicator of your need for vitamin B6. You should dream every night and you should remember your dreams. They should be pleasant – the kind of dreams where you wake up and want to close your eyes and continue dreaming.

Could it be that folks who get nightmares with 5-HTP, happen to also have pyroluria? Or perhaps they simply have low vitamin B6 status? I have all my anxious clients supplement with vitamin B6 and/or P5P and this may be why nightmares with 5-HTP was news to me.

5-HTP can increase cortisol – does this affect nightmares?

There is research and clinical evidence supporting that, for some individuals, 5-HTP can raise cortisol. I’ve blogged about this here:

This is not always the case. Someone in the same Facebook thread shared this: “My cortisol measured above the reference range, but 5-HTP is the only thing I’ve found that’s helping me sleep recently.”

I’m not aware of a high cortisol-nightmare connection but it’s possible. In one study, nightmares triggered high cortisol the next morning, but I donut this has relevance in this situation.

5-HTP induces long-term improvement of sleep terrors in children

There clearly is a subset of folks who don’t do well with 5-HTP and yet there is evidence that it can actually improve sleep terrors. In a small open label clinical trial of 45 children, it was found that 5-HTP was able to “modulate the arousal level in children and to induce a long-term improvement of sleep terrors” (in the majority of children in the trial). There were 34 male and 11 female children ranging in age from 3.2-10.6 years.

After the first visit, L -5-HTP was administered (2 mg/kg per day) at bedtime to 31 randomly selected patients for a single period of 20 consecutive days. After 1 month of treatment, 29/31 (93.5%) of patients showed a positive response. In the comparison group without drug therapy, after 1 month, the episodes disappeared only in four children (28.6%) while ten children (71.4%) showed the persistence of episodes with the same frequency as before. After 6 months, 26/31 (83.9%) of children treated with L -5HTP were sleep terror-free, while in five children (16.1%) sleep terror episodes persisted. Of the children in the comparison group, ten (71.4%) continued to show sleep terrors at 6-month follow-up.

If we assume a 10-year-old weighs, 70lb or close to 32kg, they would have been given 60mg 5-HTP (i.e. 2 mg/kg).

Typical adult dosing of 5-HTP is 50mg twice a day, mid-afternoon and evening. For a 10-year-old we may start with a quarter of this dose i.e. 12.5mg or 25mg 5-HTP twice a day, for a total of 25mg or 50mg a day – which is close to what was used in this study.

You can read more about this in the paper here: L -5-Hydroxytryptophan treatment of sleep terrors in children

Resources if you are new to using 5-HTP and other amino acids as supplements

If you are new to using any of the amino acids as supplements, here is the Amino Acids Mood Questionnaire from The Antianxiety Food Solution (you can see all the symptoms of neurotransmitter imbalances, including low serotonin and low GABA).

If you suspect low levels of any of the neurotransmitters and do not yet have my book, The Antianxiety Food Solution – How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood, and End Cravings, I highly recommend getting it and reading it before jumping in and using amino acids on your own so you are knowledgeable. And be sure to share it with the practitioner/health team you or your loved one is working with.

There is an entire chapter on the amino acids and they are discussed throughout the book in the sections on gut health, gluten, blood sugar control, sugar cravings, self-medicating with alcohol and more.

The book doesn’t include product names (per the publisher’s request) so this blog, The Antianxiety Food Solution Amino Acid and Pyroluria Supplements, lists the amino acids that I use with my individual clients and those in my group programs. You can find them all in my online store.

If, after reading this blog and my book, you don’t feel comfortable figuring things out on your own (i.e. doing the symptoms questionnaire and respective amino acids trials), a good place to get help is the GABA QuickStart Program (if you have low GABA symptoms). This is a paid online/virtual group program where you get my guidance and community support.

If you are a practitioner, join us in The Balancing Neurotransmitters: the Fundamentals program. This is also a paid online/virtual program with an opportunity to interact with me and other practitioners who are also using the amino acids.

How do you do with 5-HTP for low mood, worry-type of low serotonin anxiety, cravings, PMS, negative self-talk, anger/rage/irritability, insomnia, ruminating thoughts, winter blues etc? Does it help?

Or does it give you nightmares that are bad enough that you have had to stop?

Please share how much you used? And if tryptophan or other serotonin support helped instead?

Did the addition of vitamin B6 or P5P help prevent the nightmares when using 5-HTP?

And do you have pyroluria or suspect you may have it? Do you have high cortisol?

If you’re a practitioner I’d love to hear your experiences with 5-HTP and nightmares.

If you have questions please share them here too.

Thera360 Plus: my portable full-spectrum infrared sauna from Therasage (better sleep and digestion, more energy, and even more joy!)

By Trudy Scott 39 Comments

thera360 plus

Today I’m sharing why I personally chose the Thera360 Plus, a portable full-spectrum infrared sauna from Therasage. And I also share my feedback on how I feel after using this sauna.  I also have a call to action asking you to share your sauna experiences so the community can benefit from the collective wisdom of everyone who has one or uses one.

I also highlight some of the many health benefits of regular sauna sessions – both mental and physiological.

Mental health benefits: improved well-being, reduced pain, stress reduction and improved sleep

Here are some of the mental health benefits from this paper, Clinical Effects of Regular Dry Sauna Bathing: A Systematic Review):

  • In addition to having profound physiological effects, sauna bathing is reported to have beneficial psychological effects that are reflected in the many reports of improved well-being and pain tolerance.
  • The psychological impact of sauna bathing may be due to a combination of factors that include release of endorphins and other opioid-like peptides such as dynorphins, forced mindfulness, psychological stress reduction, relaxation, improved sleep, time out from busy life schedules, placebo effects, and other aspects of individual psychological and social interactions that likely occur around frequent sauna activity.
  • While it is difficult to distinguish between the different factors that produce positive psychological effects, such effects may enhance other physiological and metabolic benefits as they are likely to promote adherence to regular sauna activity.

Remember, endorphin release leads to feeling joyful.

And this last bullet is an important one to highlight: when you really enjoy doing something you are more likely to continue doing it. This means you’ll continue to see benefits.

There is also research that supports serotonin-boosting effects and cortisol-lowering effects, both of which are important when it comes to anxiety and mood too. (I’ll address this in a future blog on saunas, together with other mechanisms).

Physiological benefits: reduced inflammation, benefits for Alzheimer’s, reducing toxins and improved heart health

Here are a few studies you can read to learn more about some of the many physiological benefits of sauna:

And this is an excerpt from the Therasage site

The Thera360 Plus sauna enhances mitochondrial health and cellular energy, improves microcirculation and blood oxygenation, enhances the natural production of nitric oxide, offers skin and anti-aging benefits, and the best natural detoxification possible, along with all the amazing health benefits of Full Spectrum Infrared.

The many positive features that helped me pick this sauna

The Thera360 Plus is the sauna I own and endorse. Here are a few of the many positive features that helped me decide to purchase this one (I did a fair amount of research and did look at other units too):

  • It is a full-spectrum (near and far) infrared sauna
  • It comes with red light/photobiomodulation panels (which also help with pain, mood and reducing inflammation).
  • It has the tourmaline gemstones built-in (these generate negative ions so it feels like you’ve been at the beach or a waterfall).
  • The chair and foot base is made of non-toxic bamboo materials. I’m used to having to leave new items outside for days in order to off-gas. I was surprised that this was not needed. Their “No Off-Gassing” message holds true.
  • The bamboo foot base is a grounding mat.
  • It is low EMF and shields not only EMF’s but also ELF’s, RF’s and dirty electricity. Before I purchased my sauna, I met with the owner and am super-impressed by this feature.  It’s a really important factor for me and anyone with anxiety or chronic illness and/or electromagnetic hypersensitivity). As soon as it arrived I set it up (set up is so easy) and got out my meter and measured all the EMFs and sure enough there is no exposure when inside the sauna.
  • The digital temperature controller is simple to use.
  • It’s portable, small and convenient to use.
  • It’s affordable, is made in California and the company ships internationally.

My personal feedback as to how I feel after using this sauna

For me, this infrared sauna (with red light therapy and tourmaline) helps me with sleep, digestion and energy primarily (I have chronic Lyme). I also know it’s helping me with ongoing detoxification, mitochondrial health, stress reduction and mood support, immune function and cardiovascular health.

The good news is that the sauna has anti-inflammatory benefits and provides me with wonderful relief from pain, muscle spasms and other injuries.

Also, I feel a real sense of joy after using it … I can’t stop smiling for hours after a session.  That is the endorphin and serotonin boost I’m getting, plus some of the benefits of negative ions! I love the outdoors and after a session in the sauna, I almost feel like I’ve been for a hike or walk on the beach.

I’ve also positioned my sauna facing a large window that looks onto our covered patio. It has lots of greenery and I can see the blue sky off to the left. This is particularly pleasant on a cold winter’s day and I get some of the benefits of nature.

sauna
sauna

I love the bamboo chair that ships with it but it wasn’t providing me with any lower back support (I’m prone to back injuries).  I made a modification with a bamboo garden stake and PVC bracket (with some help from my darling father-in-law). Here are some images in case it’s something you’ve been considering….it works perfectly for the back support I need, keeps my bare back exposed to the heat and the bamboo garden stake slides out if needed.

sauna chair
sauna chair PVC clip

A more in-depth blog post: mechanisms and additional insights

I believe we can all benefit from regular sauna bathing! And I’ll be sharing a more in-depth blog post on additional benefits of infrared sauna, some of the mechanisms, how to interpret the research (since there is so much research on traditional/Finnish saunas which are shorter duration and higher temperatures), how to assess the different saunas that are available, and how to use one and get the most benefits.

I’ll also share my insights on using sauna bathing for benzodiazepine, SSRI, opioid and alcohol detox; why folks with pyroluria may see specific benefits; and using sauna bathing to help reduce the impact of these things that increase anxiety – toxic mold, heavy metals, Lyme disease, pesticides, glyphosate, fluoride, phthalates and much more.

Learn more about the Thera360 Plus sauna here on the Therasage site. If you decide to purchase use coupon code TRUDY10 to save 10%.

I was confused when I started looking into saunas and if you’ve been following me for a while you know I like to share what I learn – hence this blog post. I’m still learning and will continue to share in follow-up posts.

There are many excellent saunas available for purchase and this is just one of them that I landed upon after researching a number of them.

If you have a home sauna, please share:

  • which one you have
  • why you purchased this type/brand (or use this type of sauna)
  • and the benefits you have experienced.

And do feel free to share more about:

  • how you use yours – duration, frequency, temperature
  • what you do before and after (for hydration)
  • if you dry-brush (before or after)
  • if you use certain nutrients (like niacin, charcoal, magnesium and other electrolytes, glutathione, NAC etc)
  • anything else you do as part of your sauna bathing
  • what other detox approaches you use (such as rebounding or castor oil packs etc).

By using the collective wisdom from this community we can all learn and benefit. And giving/contributing gives you a nice endorphin boost too!

If you have questions please share them here too.

Does 5-HTP make you “wired-tired” and affect your sleep when cortisol is high? (“yes” and “not sure” and “no, 5-HTP was miraculous!”)

By Trudy Scott 38 Comments

5-htp and sleep

Both 5-HTP and tryptophan are amino acid supplements that are known to help to boost serotonin levels so you can feel happy, calm, sleep well and not crave carbs in the afternoon/evening. They also help with panic attacks and phobias, lack of confidence, depression, negativity, imposter syndrome, PMS, irritability, anger issues, pain/fibromyalgia, TMJ and anger. I typically have my clients with low serotonin symptoms start with a trial of tryptophan because I see such excellent results with this amino acid. That being said, some people simply do better on one versus the other and you may do better with 5-HTP.

There is one big caveat with 5-HTP. I don’t recommend 5-HTP when a client has elevated cortisol levels because we know that it can raise cortisol levels in certain individuals. This can leave you feeling agitated, cranky, as well as “wired and tired” at the same time. You may be able to relate to this if you’ve ever used 5-HTP to help with anxiety and insomnia and ended up feeling more anxious and more wide-awake despite your exhaustion and need for sleep.

Today you’ll hear actual feedback from members of my community who responded to a past blog post: 5-HTP can raise salivary cortisol: does this cause a “wired-tired” feeling?.

Read on to hear how one woman found that 5-HTP did lead to her feeling wired and tired and how 5-HTP made sleep worse and worse in another; how one woman wasn’t sure if 5-HTP caused her disturbed sleep and waking in the night; and how one man found that 5-HTP was miraculous for his wife.  In each instance I offer input and next steps if necessary.  As you can see their responses were very different and my hope is that you may see yourself in some of these “cases” and learn more about using the amino acids.

And be sure to read the original blog post if you’d like to check out the study and some of my feedback on it and using 5-HTP.

5-HTP did lead to feeling wired and tired and made sleep worse and worse

Gloria shared  how 5-HTP did not help her sleep and made her feel wired and tired. She figured out the tryptophan did work for her:

I so appreciate your blog and have learned so much that is helpful. I tried 5-HTP and it did not help me sleep. I do much better on Lidtke tryptophan. The 5-HTP did make me feel wired and tired. I also have that reaction to GABA Calm because of the taurine and do much better on GABA-T SAP. Thank you for all your research.

I appreciate her sharing and am so pleased she has good results with tryptophan. The Lidtke brand is the one I have the most success with. The GABA-T SAP is a combination of GABA and theanine and is another product I recommend and see good results with.

Alexandra knew she had high night time cortisol and yet has been taking 5-HTP at the recommendation of her psychiatrist and her sleep was getting worse and worse. She shared this on the above blog post:

Your posts do not stop amazing me! I have been diagnosed with HPA axis dysfunction with high cortisol at night, my psychiatrist had me on 200 mg of 5-HTP and my sleep was getting worse and worse! I had to stop taking it because I was going to get the DUTCH test done by Geneva and noticed I slept much better without it…. I am so grateful for your posts!

I appreciate her for sharing and glad she made the connection. Hopefully she shared this information with her doctor too.

The 200mg 5-HTP dose is considered relatively high, certainly as a starting dose. I start clients on 50mg and increase based on symptoms so I assume she worked up to taking 200mg.

When 5-HTP is making things worse we switch to tryptophan, also starting low and increasing based on need. Keep in mind that 50mg 5-HTP is equivalent to 500mg tryptophan but I like to have clients start low when making a switch and increase based on results.

It’s always important to address the high cortisol levels (with Seriphos and other adrenal support). And to consider checking for parasites, changes in sex hormones, SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth), gluten issues and other food intolerances, toxin exposure, new EMF exposure, medication side-effects, mold toxicity and infections – all of which can affect sleep and may impact cortisol levels.

Not sure if 5-HTP caused disturbed sleep and waking in the night

Merrily experienced some really good results using 5-HTP, starting low and working up to her ideal dose of 200mg. And then she started experiencing disturbed sleep and wasn’t sure if it was the 5-HTP:

Because of mood issues – dysthymia [low mood], irritability, negative thoughts, and low energy, my doctor recommended 5-HTP. I started on 50mg 5-HTP and have worked up to 200mg daily (which I’ve been taking at bedtime for over 2 years now). On the occasions when I cut back, mood issues returned which does suggest to me it’s working.

Lately I am experiencing problems with disturbed sleep, waking during the night which I had not associated with the 5-HTP. Shall I switch to tryptophan?

Thank you so much for your blogs, your book and lectures. You really make a difference Trudy!

She has a few options. One is to cut back the 5-HTP again and see if her mood issues return. If they don’t return and sleep improves she can stay on the lower dose but may need to increase it temporarily during the winter time

Another option is to space out her dosing and take less at night and some mid-afternoon.

Finally she could switch to tryptophan. As I mentioned above, 50mg 5-HTP is equivalent to 500mg tryptophan but I like to have clients start low when making a switch and increase based on results.

If these approaches don’t work it would be useful to test salivary cortisol levels to see if her cortisol levels are now high and if yes, address this with Seriphos and other adrenal support as I mentioned for Alexandra above. And to consider checking the same root causes that can affect sleep and cause high cortisol levels.

No, 5-HTP was miraculous for his wife!

When serotonin levels are low and cortisol is not high, results with 5-HTP can be miraculous for some individuals. Russell shared how much his wife benefitted from just 50mg 5-HTP twice a day:

I treated my wife with 5-HTP when she suffered from work burn out, depression and menopause. This all hit at once.

I spent hours researching what I could to relieve the night sweats, mood swings etc. and came upon 5-HTP. I used 50 mg 5-HTP, one before bedtime and the other on waking up and it basically fixed everything that was associated with the problems mentioned above.It was miraculous to say the least and my wife was also very happy.

I’m thrilled for his wife and thanked him for sharing the wonderful results she has experienced with 5-HTP.

If her results were not sustained, I’d suggest taking her doses mid-afternoon and before bed as this is when serotonin is lowest. Otherwise, I’d say continue as above.

Keep in mind that 50mg 5-HTP twice a day is a typical starting dose and we increase from there. In her case, this was sufficient and she did not need to increase her dose or take additional doses during the day.

Positive research and positive case studies

My intention is not to scare you away from doing a trial of 5-HTP if you have low serotonin symptoms, but rather to educate. As with all nutritional approaches, there is no one-size-fits-all so we just need to be smart with using amino acids.

There are also many studies supporting the serotonin-boosting effects of 5-HTP:

These blog posts illustrate other positive case studies where 5-HTP was extremely beneficial:

I see wonderful results like this all the time, but always keep the high cortisol and “wired and tired” potential issues in the back of my mind.

Unfortunately many practitioners only ever recommend 5-HTP due to their concerns about tryptophan.

Resources if you are new to using 5-HTP (or tryptophan) as a supplement

If you are new to using the the amino acid 5-HTP (or tryptophan) as a supplements, here is the Amino Acids Mood Questionnaire from The Antianxiety Food Solution (you can see the low serotonin and other low neurotransmitter symptoms) and a brief overview here: Anxiety and targeted individual amino acid supplements: a summary.

If you suspect low levels of serotonin and do not yet have my book, The Antianxiety Food Solution – How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood, and End Cravings, I highly recommend getting it and reading it before jumping in and using amino acids so you are knowledgeable. And be sure to share it with the team you or your loved one is working with.

The book doesn’t include product names (per the publisher’s request) so this blog, The Antianxiety Food Solution Amino Acid and Pyroluria Supplements, lists the 5-HTP and tryptophan products that I use with my individual clients and those in my group programs.

Have you used 5-HTP with success? Or have you used it and felt “wired-tired” with an impact on your sleep? Have you correlated the success or failure of your 5-HTP use with your salivary cortisol levels?

What approaches have you used to lower your cortisol levels?

If you switched from 5-HTP to tryptophan did you have success with that?

If you’re a practitioner is this something you see with your clients/patients and take into consideration?

Feel free to ask your questions here too.

Around my period I definitely feel the need for extra tryptophan if I’ve had some extra heavy emotional stuff come up that I need to process

By Trudy Scott 6 Comments

period and extra tryptophan

Many women find that they need additional nutritional support i.e. tryptophan for serotonin support (and often GABA too) around their periods. Today’s case study highlights the hormonal shifts that may lead to a situation where it appears tryptophan doesn’t work, then it does work, and then sometimes it doesn’t work as expected. The variable results and the need to switch between lower and higher doses on an ongoing basis can occur with PMS (premenstrual syndrome) PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder, a severe, sometimes disabling extension of premenstrual syndrome). The variable results can also be more pronounced while recovering from trauma.

This case study is a follow-on from a blog I recently published: Tryptophan doesn’t work, then it does and then it doesn’t: could it be hormonal shifts, dietary factors and/or parasites?

Here is Kimberley’s feedback on the Facebook post that discussed these variable results. She shared how her hormonal shifts led to a need for additional tryptophan and 5-HTP:

Around my period I definitely feel the need for extra tryptophan. My PMDD symptoms have decreased since I started using tryptophan/5-HTP, but sometimes I need a bit more if I’ve had some extra heavy emotional stuff come up that I need to process (since that always happens with my period!).

I thanked her for sharing and said how happy I was for her. I also asked what symptoms have decreased and how much? I also asked how much tryptophan and 5-HTP she uses before her period and then around her period?

I was also curious if she just experimented with different doses until she figured it out or had she heard me talk about the PMDD tryptophan study: A placebo-controlled clinical trial of L-tryptophan in premenstrual dysphoria. In this study tryptophan was found to reduce symptoms of PMS when used in the luteal phase or second half of the cycle (i.e. after ovulation).

Her low serotonin symptoms have decreased as much as 75-80 percent

Kimberley confirmed that she had read the above study and related blog post – Tryptophan for PMS: premenstrual dysphoria, mood swings, tension, and irritability – and more about her symptoms:

I had read the blog you referenced, which is one of the reasons I tried tryptophan in the first place.

I was experiencing a lot of emotional distress, feelings of downright despair that left me miserable both during my period and ovulation (half the month, every month, which was truly awful). Those have definitely decreased, sometimes as much as 75-80 percent, other times they’re worse and I feel like I need more support.

I usually take 1x Lidtke 5-HTP (50mg) mid-afternoon and 1x Lidtke Tryptophan (500mg) at bedtime, but yesterday I increased to 2x Lidtke Tryptophan and do feel an improvement in my mood this morning.

I experimented to get the right dose of both amino acids, initially increasing to the maximum you recommend, and then slowly decreasing to what I’m taking now when I found I didn’t feel well when I took too much.

I just reread the blog you linked above and realized I should be using GABA every day to support progesterone (instead of just as needed for anxiety). Thanks for the reminder!

I love that after reading the blog she was inspired and motivated to experiment with different doses when she is/was feeling so bad. I encouraged her to continue trialing different doses at various times of the month especially in the second half of the month. I also reminded her that some folks do better with tryptophan and some do better with 5-HTP when it comes to low serotonin symptoms. And to continue to look at why serotonin is low and address that. Low GABA (related to low progesterone) can cause increased anxiety at this time and is a common issue with PMS/PMDD.

(You can see the entire list of low serotonin and low GABA symptoms here.)

She plans to continue experimenting with tryptophan and 5-HTP and may also try switching over to just 5-HTP and see if that changes anything. It’s unlikely that she would benefit from much higher doses of either as she shared “I don’t seem to be able to take more than 2 caps of either one without getting uncomfortable symptoms, though.”

Exercise and yoga for her low serotonin and PMDD

She did share how much exercise helps her mood, why she isn’t able to exercise as much:

The biggest thing I know to do to address low serotonin is add more exercise into my life, but this has been hard lately because I’ve had a couple of different viruses recently that left my exercise intolerance worse than it had been. I’m trying to support my mitochondria right now and add light exercise back in slowly.

Exercise is a wonderful way to raise serotonin levels and aerobic exercise has been shown to reduce the symptoms of PMS too. Yoga may be an option while she is recovering. In one study, yoga was found to be beneficial for PMS: “Alpha-brain waves production due to regular yoga practice are directly related with state of peace, creativity, mood elevation, relaxation, and release of serotonin, thus leading yoga practitioners feel more relaxed.”

Trauma: cortisol, serotonin, dopamine and estradiol

Kimberley also shared how how trauma plays into her situation:

I think some of the reasons for my health issues, low neurotransmitters, etc., are trauma related and I’ve been working through Dr. Aimie Apigian’s programs for that. But that’s another story.

I respect Dr. Aimie Apigian’s work in trauma and somatic experiencing and acknowledge this aspect must be addressed too. I love that Dr. Aimie brings this together with a functional medicine approach, looking at biology/biochemistry too. Recent trauma research confirms that there are major biochemical mechanisms involved in PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). These can include impacts to cortisol, serotonin and dopamine levels. And women are more vulnerable to these effects.

A 2021 paper, Estradiol, stress reactivity, and daily affective experiences in trauma-exposed women discusses high cortisol and more severe symptoms around their periods when estradiol (one of the estrogens) is low. As I mentioned above, estrogen and serotonin are closely related. The authors state this:“For women who are cycling, it may be useful to understand how the menstrual cycle affects their symptoms. When you can explain what’s happening biologically, it often becomes less threatening.”

Yoga may provide added psychological benefits as she works through her past trauma too.

Kimberly gave me permission to share her story and this is always something I appreciate so others in my community can learn from these types of experiences. If needed, I hope this her story gives you confidence to experiment with different doses and combinations around your period.

She also benefits from the comments from others on Facebook and the comments here on the blog, our back and forth, and this blog post.

She promised to keep me posted on how she goes and I’ll be sure to share when I hear back from her.

Resources if you are new to using tryptophan, 5-HTP and GABA and the amino acids as supplements

If you are new to using the amino acids as supplements, here is the Amino Acids Mood Questionnaire from The Antianxiety Food Solution (you can see the low GABA symptoms here) and a brief overview here, Anxiety and targeted individual amino acid supplements: a summary.

If you suspect low GABA or low levels of any of the neurotransmitters and do not yet have my book, The Antianxiety Food Solution – How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood, and End Cravings, I highly recommend getting it and reading it before jumping in and using amino acids so you are knowledgeable. And be sure to share it with the team you or your loved one is working with.

The book doesn’t include product names (per the publisher’s request) so this blog, The Antianxiety Food Solution Amino Acid and Pyroluria Supplements, lists the amino acid products that I use with my individual clients and those in my group programs.

Have you found you need additional tryptophan/5-HTP or GABA around your period? How have you experimented and how does it help you?

If you’re a practitioner, have you seen this with clients or patients?

Do you also feel better with exercise and/or yoga?

And are/were your variable results more pronounced while recovering from trauma?

Feel free to ask your questions here too.