Information on fatigue and insomnia

by Marcelle Pick, OB/GYN NP

In both my professional and personal life, I’ve learned first hand that stress has the tendency to feed on itself. This means symptoms of stress — like insomnia, fuzzy thinking and fatigue — often lead right back to stress and make it worse. At times it seems like you’ll be stuck in the stress loop forever!

The truth is that we have to address each woman’s stress individually, looking closely at emotional and lifestyle patterns. Conventional practitioners rarely have the time to sit and discuss a woman’s personal and emotional well-being, so they hand out prescriptions for antidepressants and sleeping pills or encourage patients to “simply relax,” when we all know it’s not really that easy! On the contrary, being told to relax can lead to more anxiety and stress — and prescriptions for depression, anxiety, or insomnia are just short-term solutions that don’t address the real problem and may even make it worse.

Many women who feel chronic fatigue and stress ask, What’s wrong with me? It’s as if they’ve somehow missed out on a secret for juggling competing needs. The bottom line is that we’ve all experienced stress, and many of us have seen the negative effects it has on our bodies. There are no secrets — except that each woman has to find relief on her own terms.

The articles in this section of our website look beneath the surface of fatigue, insomnia and stress to help you understand how these conditions arise in your body and what effects they have on your health. Gaining insight into the physiology of sleep, stress, and fatigue will allow you to begin charting your own course to recovery. We offer suggestions for restful sleep, restoring energy, and relieving stress. But keep in mind that what works for one woman may feed the stress loop in another. We’re all impacted by our personal histories in different ways. It won’t happen overnight, but I promise working toward restoring yourself will give you insight into your body and help you to feel better than ever!

Our most popular resources on fatigue, insomnia and stress

To access an article, just choose from the list of excerpts below. To find more articles, use the search function below. Don’t see a topic that’s important to you? Let us know.

• Chronic fatigue — get your energy back!
  Experiencing constant fatigue can seem like a normal state after months or years of enduring it, but you don’t have to feel depleted all the time. Learn about the many ways to address chronic fatigue, and renew your energy.
• What you can do about fuzzy thinking
  Many women worry about greater implications when it comes to memory lapses and trouble focusing, but fuzzy thinking can be very common during perimenopause. Here’s a look at some root causes that may be leading to your brain fog and what you can do about it. Includes links to our pages on ADHD and Alzheimer’s disease.
• Insomnia in women: reset your inner clock
  Sleep is essential for your body to restore itself, but in today’s constantly “plugged-in” world it’s easy to disrupt your circadian rhythm and end up awake during the hours you want to be sleeping. Here’s a commonsense approach to resetting your rhythms and getting the sleep your body needs and deserves.
• Treating fibromyalgia naturally — so you can shine again
  Fibromyalgia is a complex, difficult, and painful disorder, but a natural approach can help women to cope with fibromyalgia pain.
• Alternative treatments for insomnia
  Sick of talk about sleeping pills and Tylenol PM? Women of any age can experience difficulty getting to sleep or staying asleep, and it seems like the only help available is in the form of a prescription or over-the-counter drug. Here are some alternative options to explore for getting regular and restful sleep naturally.
• Women to Women’s Sleep Log
  Keep track of your good and bad nights with Women to Women’s Sleep Log. Recording what you eat, what you do, and how you feel on a given night can bring surprising insights into your sleep patterns.
• Finding peace for your legs — a simple approach to restless legs syndrome
  Drugs used for RLS can have many strange side effects. Sleep better with a natural solution from Women to Women.
• The caffeine controversy
  Most of us have heard that caffeine isn’t so good for our health, but some say the opposite. What are the real facts about caffeine? Here’s a balanced look at the controversy and some advice on listening to your body to find answers. Includes a quiz to determine your addiction to caffeine.
• Alzheimer’s disease — or just a little forgetful?
  When your memory and concentration are off, it’s natural to wonder whether something larger is at the root. Here’s a look at the common symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and what your chances are for getting it.
• Deep breathing — the truly essential exercise
  It may come as a surprise that something as second nature as breathing can provide so many benefits to your health. It’s true. Like exercise, deep breathing helps the heart and immune system, while reducing depression and anxiety. Here’s a closer look at the benefits and some easy ways to incorporate deep breathing into your life.
• Are you Spent? An interview with Frank Lipman, MD
  An interview with Frank Lipman, MD, author of Spent: End Exhaustion and Feel Great Again.
• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
  ADHD is one of the first things that come to mind when we or our children experience a lack of focus. But does this label really serve women or their children? Here’s some perspective on a disorder that is becoming more and more popular and some natural options to pursue before prescription medication.
• Lyme disease — could it be causing your fatigue?
  If you and your practitioner have tried everything and still can’t determine what’s causing your fatigue, this unsuspecting disease could be at the root. Learn about current testing and risks of Lyme disease.

Our Personal Program is a great place to start

The Personal Program promotes natural hormonal balance with nutritional supplements, our exclusive endocrine support formula, dietary and lifestyle guidance, and optional phone consultations with our Nurse–Educators. It is a convenient, at-home version of what we recommend to all our patients at the clinic.

• To learn more about the Program, go to How the Personal Program works.
• To select the Program that’s right for your symptoms, go to Choose the plan that works for you.
• To assess your symptoms, take our on-line Hormonal Health Profile.
• If you have questions, don’t hesitate to call us toll-free at 1-800-798-7902. We’re here to listen and help.

 

Original Publication Date: 03/15/2006
Last Modified: 08/17/2009
Principal Author: Marcelle Pick, OB/GYN NP