Are you gaining weight during your sleep?

"People who put out a lot of adrenaline at night are often in the unique position of gaining weight even while they are sleeping. This is in addition to the other characteristics of elevated night time adrenaline, such as tossing and turning, grinding teeth, restless leg syndrome, and getting up to urinate."  Dr. Platt

"People who put out a lot of adrenaline at night are often in the unique position of gaining weight even while they are sleeping."  States Dr. Platt

It’s that time of the year again – the time to enhance our road to good intentions. However, simply as a change of pace, perhaps this can be the year to achieve success with a weight loss resolution.

I think that part of the problem with regard to shedding pounds or weightloss is that many people have to contend with two factors that provide negative reinforcement – 1) whatever they are doing is not working, or 2) that they do achieve some weight loss, but as soon as they stop what they are doing, it comes right back on.

Those people who know my philosophy about approaching problems are aware that I feel that it does not matter what the problem is, the most effective way to deal with it is to treat the cause of the problem. Conditions felt to be incurable can be eliminated, simply by treating the cause.

Problems with Weightlosss?  It is often a hormone imbalance. 

Many people experience trouble losing weight.  They try many diets and fail.  Most often the cause is hormone imbalance.  Do you have a hard time losing weight around your middle?  You go to the gym and do crunches and sit ups but still no improvement? 
 
There might be several factors involved:

• Thyroid - It might be a low level of thyroid – the hormone that controls metabolism in every cell of the body.  (Refer to i-Throid has 12,500 mcg of iodine/iodide to enhance thyroid function.)
• Estrogen - Excess estrogen - a hormone that puts on fat around the hips, thighs, and buttocks.  (Refer to EstLess that lowers estradio levels.)  
• Insulin – Too much insulin - the hormone that puts on weight around the middle.
• Leptin – the hormone that controls appetite.  

However, I suspect that all these hormonal issues are insignificant causes of weight gain compared to the hormonal effects of excess adrenaline.  The primary approach to losing weight is lowering adrenaline levels.  As most people are aware, adrenaline is known as “the fight-or-flight” hormone.  Refer to my blog to demyth "adrenal fatique."   Certainly, an important function, but unless a person lives in a war zone, it is rarely needed for that purpose. Adrenaline has another extremely important function in the body that is not generally appreciated. This particular function is to always make sure that the brain has fuel to function. In essence, this is a survival mechanism at times. When the brain becomes low in fuel, it causes a person to be sleepy. They call this hypoglycemia, and it frequently occurs between 3-4 pm when insulin levels are the highest. It also occurs when people are in a car, either as a passenger or as a driver.When people fall asleep driving, they can go off the road and hit a tree and kill themselves. This is why the body always wants to make sure the brain has enough fuel.

How Adrenaline Works

Unless people are not eating in a way to provide fuel for the brain, the adrenal glands will release adrenaline to raise glucose (sugar) levels to provide the fuel. This is done via a process called gluconeogenesis. Not surprisingly, adrenaline levels are highest around 2:30 am, a time that the brain has been without fuel for quite a while. The release of this powerful hormone can cause insomnia, an urge to urinate, RLS, etc., but also stress for the body. The body responds to this by releasing cortisol to deal with the stress. The first thing cortisol does is to raise glucose levels via a process called glycogenolysis. So now, while people are sleeping, or trying to, the body has released two hormones that raise sugar levels.  As you probably know, progesterone cream is a thermogenic (fat-burning) hormone.

Are you creating fat while sleeping?

The thing about glucose is that it does not matter if you are eating it or if the body is making it, if you do not burn it up, the body will store it as fat in your fat cells. People are creating fat while sleeping. Which is why they can diet and exercise during the day and create fat at night preventing weight loss.

In my book “Adrenaline Dominance”, it explains more about excess adrenaline, the conditions caused by it that are often felt to be incurable and, of course, how to treat it. The need to utilize a 5% progesterone cream such as Platt PRO 5% to block adrenaline is addressed. 

Dr. Michael E. Platt has been a pioneer in the research and advancement of the therapeutic use of progesterone cream for use in managing adrenaline and hormonal imbalance. Dr. Platt is considered an important pioneer in observational, functional, alternative, and allopathic medicine focused on bio-identical hormones and adrenaline overload.  His three books “The Miracle of Bioidentical Hormones”, “Adrenaline Dominance” and “Platt Protocol” have received 11 literary awards.