How Does Having a Fast Metabolism Cause Sleep Issues?
By: Kelly Murray, Certified Adult Sleep Coach, FDN-P
If I had a dollar for every time I wished I had a fast metabolism, I’d be a very rich lady. I wouldn’t be here today telling you how to get better sleep! Instead, I’d be on a beach somewhere, drinking a piña colada and soaking in the sunshine.
Since that hasn’t happened yet, I’ll instead explain why my dreams of having a fast oxidation rate have now been turned around. As a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition - Practitioner (FDN-P) and certified Adult Sleep Coach, I’ve learned that having a “fast metabolism” isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. At the end of the day, when it comes to anything involving the body, especially our metabolism, what we should strive to achieve is balance.
Believe it or not, having a metabolism that is too fast comes with its own unique set of challenges, including insomnia.
Today I’m going to talk to you about exactly what it means to have a fast metabolism, some of the causes of it, what the symptoms are, how those symptoms relate to poor sleep, and finally, what you can do to slow down your metabolism so that you can get a good night’s sleep!
What is a Fast Metabolism?
Having a fast metabolism means that you burn energy quickly, as well as minerals. This is because fast oxidizers tend to retain excessive amounts of sodium and potassium. As you may remember from my last blog, sodium and potassium are solvents; they allow our body to dissolve minerals. As a result, fast oxidizers tend to burn through their calcium and magnesium rather quickly. This can be a bad thing when it comes to your mental state, as well as your sleep, because calcium and magnesium are very soothing minerals.
The reason fast oxidizers tend to hold on to a lot of sodium is that they tend to produce an excessive amount of aldosterone, which retains sodium. In addition, they tend to retain a lot of potassium because they have a higher level of thyroid activity. And, in addition to high thyroid activity, fast oxidizers tend to have faster adrenals, as well.
How Does This Cause Sleep Issues?
I can usually pick out the fast oxidizers before I even get their lab results! In order to determine their oxidation rate, I have my clients take a hair-tissue-mineral analysis (HTMA). Pieces of hair from the scalp are taken and sent to a lab for analysis.
What I find with fast oxidizers is a unique pattern. It’s the opposite of the pattern shown by slow oxidizers. Instead of high amounts of magnesium and calcium, fast oxidizers have very low levels of magnesium and calcium.
Meanwhile, fast oxidizers’ sodium and potassium levels are high. Sodium and potassium aren’t just solvents - they’re also our electrolytes, a type of stimulating hormone.
Individuals who have fast metabolisms typically are very wound up. They’re a little aggressive and may show lots of anxiety; these are the type-A individuals of the world. They also tend to have a hard time turning off their brains and relaxing. This typically translates into sleep issues, because they just can’t relax and turn their brains and bodies off at night.
How Can I Avoid Having a Fast Metabolism?
You might be thinking to yourself, “I don’t want to have a fast metabolism.” If you’re thinking that, you are correct! You’re probably wondering how to avoid a fast oxidation state.
The answer to that is the same one I give when it comes to any dysfunction in our bodies. Reduce your stress! Chronic stress is one of the main causes of fast oxidation. This doesn’t just include mental or emotional stress. It also includes physical stress, like gut dysbiosis (check out my blog post here to learn all about how gut dysbiosis leads to dysfunction and sleep issues).
Other physical stressors can come from exposure to pesticides or toxic metals; excessive supplementation of vitamin C or B-complexes, maca root, ginseng, adrenal and thyroid glandulars (which speed up thyroid activity); use of certain medications, like thyroid medications, antidepressants, and cortisone.
Tips to Slow Your Oxidation Rate
If you suspect you have a fast oxidation rate and it’s contributing or causing your sleep issues, here are some tips for you:
1. Make sure you’re doing something every day to combat mental and emotional stress.
This could be going outside to spend time in nature, spending time with your pets, connecting with friends and family, meditating, breathing deeply, doing yoga, listening to music, or any number of things. It doesn’t matter what in particular you do - as long as it brings you peace and you do it consistently.
2. Eat foods that are high in calcium and magnesium.
Calcium-rich foods include cow’s milk, goat’s milk, cheeses, spinach, almonds, sardines, tofu, and edamame. In addition, make sure your diet is high in healthy fats and good protein sources, such as pasture-raised and/or grass-fed animal products. These types of animal products are high in omega-3s, which work as antinflammatories. Grain-fed animal products are high in omega-6s, which are inflammatory. Both healthy fats and good protein sources will slow your metabolism.
3. Eat complex carbs.
Eating calcium- and magnesium-rich foods doesn’t mean you shouldn’t eat any carbs. You should also eat complex carbohydrates with each meal. It’s essential to eat complex carbohydrates because they contain fiber, which is good for the digestive tract.
Some foods that are rich in magnesium include avocados, bananas, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, almonds, Swiss chard, kale, spinach, and my personal favorite, dark chocolate!
Should I Take Supplements?
Now you may be asking yourself if you should be taking magnesium and/or calcium supplements. While I think that anyone can benefit from taking magnesium, even slow oxidizers, if you think you’re a fast oxidizer but are actually a slow one, not supplementing with sodium and potassium too can actually make things worse. (Check out my blog on slow oxidation to learn more.)
With calcium, you have to be careful. Calcium should be deposited in your bones and teeth. If you’re going to take calcium supplements, make sure you’re also taking MK7, as well as K2. Supplementing with calcium can be dangerous if you’re a slow oxidizer, or if you’re not excessively low in calcium. This is because the calcium can instead be deposited in your blood, which can lead to heart issues.
Before adding supplements to your diet, it’s best to test and not guess. Find a practitioner who runs a hair-tissue-mineral analysis, like myself, so you know exactly what you need.
Seeking Sleep Solutions?
If you’re interested in working with me, you can schedule a complimentary 30-minute discovery call. During our discussion, I’ll be able to learn a little more about your sleep troubles, we’ll talk about things you’ve tried (those that have worked and those that haven’t), and what it would look like for us to work together. That way, you can decide if my program will be a good fit!
Sweet Dreams
Kelly Murray is a certified adult sleep coach and an award-winning pediatric sleep consultant based in Chicago offering sleep coaching services nationwide.