Description

Adequate sleep quality is essential for mental and physical wellbeing as well as for healing and recovery. This course reviews and the physiology of sleep, the classification of sleep disturbances as well as in office assessment and outcome tools to assess sleep quality. Laboratory tests beneficial in the treatment and assessment of imbalances of the circadian rhythm and hypothalamic pituitary (HPA) axis are introduced along with  intervention tools including lifestyle, nutraceuticals and active care. Topics:

• The classification and definition of sleep disturbances
• Sleep physiology
• Outcome assessment tools for sleep quality
• Laboratory tests for imbalances in the diurnal rhythm
• Review of the biochemistry of neurotransmitters involved in sleep
• Importance of cortisol and melatonin in the HPA axis
• Nutraceutical intervention for resetting the HPA axis
• Lifestyle and nutrition interventions resetting the HPA axis

Learning Objectives: Understand the significance of sleep disturbances on physical and mental health Review sleep physiology to determine sleep quality versus sleep quantity Learn the appropriate tests to order to assess imbalances the HPA axis Understand the relationship between amino acids and neurotransmitters involved with sleep Learn simple nutraceutical interventions to promote balance in the HPA axis Discuss lifestyle interventions to track and improve sleep quality