Mood-Pain-Sleep Connection: Serotonin

The Mood, Pain, Sleep Connection: Serotonin

Your body operates on signals from the brain called neurotransmitters (NTs). These NTs are chemicals sent by neurons (nerve cells) in the brain to signal your heart to beat, stomach to digest and lungs to breathe. They also influence your sleep, weight, concentration and mood, causing adverse symptoms when out of balance. Diet, drugs, genetic predisposition, stress, alcohol and caffeine use can affect NT levels.

Neurotransmitters are generally categorized as excitatory which stimulate the brain and inhibitory which are calming and help balance the brain. The inhibitory NTs are often low in situations where the excitatory are over reactive. Excitatory NTs include epinephrine, norepinephrine, histamine and dopamine. Inhibitory NTs are serotonin, GABA and dopamine. Dopamine plays a dual role in driving our focus on one hand and also lightening our mood to be happy, carefree on the other.

In certain conditions such as chronic pain, insomnia, depression, alcoholism, the NT serotonin is found low.

Low serotonin levels affect our ability to be upbeat, to sleep and to modify pain signals. In fibromyalgia (FM) for example, substance P is higher in spinal fluid. Substance P is a NT that relays pain signals. Fibromyalgia is considered an amplified pain condition with nerves firing at 3-4 times more than normal, even to things not typically considered painful. Gentle breezes. The weight of clothing on the skin. Another person's touch. These amplified pain signals are a problem in FM when the inhibitor NT serotonin is unavailable to "quiet" them. Remember inhibitory NTs can become low when excitatory NTs are overactive.

Serotonin can help with over-excited pain signals and offer a sense of well-being and calmness. Restoring serotonin levels often helps bring balance back, supports an uplifted mood, improves sleep and even helps modify pain signals. Since serotonin converts to melatonin, it could also help with changes in daily and seasonal rhythms, which may counter "winter blues" sleep-wake cycles and jet lag, too.

As 5-HTP is a precursor in the biochemical chain to producing serotonin, it is often thought of as a "building block" to help restore serotonin levels when taken as a supplement. 5-HTP may be the serotonin solution for you if you struggle with mood, pain and sleep. One more thing to know: in order for your body to synthesize serotonin, it needs magnesium and B6. Pairing a 5-HTP supplement with these two important nutrients supports your body's natural ability to produce serotonin.

A good diet also supports NTs. In order for your body to manufacture NTs, it requires a steady supply of amino acids. Other nutrients which help a healthy brain and neuron-signaling are essential fatty acids (fish or krill) and the B vitamins (often called the "de-stress" vitamins). Other supporting vitamin and mineral cofactors needed can be easily supplied with a daily multiple and/or a supplement to support cognitive function by increasing the messaging potential between nerves.

Research by Dr. Cordero and colleagues found a correlation between low CoQ10 and serotonin levels. When CoQ10 was supplemented, serotonin levels improved as did sleep, pain and mood. The dose that Dr. Cordero found that "worked" the best was 100 mg up to 3 times a day in a divided dose.

Note: There is a big difference between the occasional mood swings and having a diagnosis of depression. Please seek a health care professional to be appropriately diagnosed and treated.

©TyH, Inc. For informational purposes only. Please consult your health care provider for any personal medical advice.