It's a common problem.
You feel tired, so you go to bed.
However, once you get into bed, you find yourself lying awake for hours on end unable to get yourself off to sleep.
Forget counting sheep; there may be a better, more effective solution to sleep problems.
Oxytocin influences sleep processes Although there haven't been any direct studies linking oxytocin to curing insomnia, scientists do know that oxytocin influences sleep processes, and there is plenty of evidence to back this theory up.
A recent study by Blagrove et al, 2011, [1] found that oxytocin levels peak at around five hours after the start of sleep, typically during the REM stages of sleep.
The study found that oxytocin levels are correlated with stages of light Stage Two sleep.
Solution for disorders that impact on a person's sleep Higher levels of oxytocin in the body have therefore been suggested to lead to a better effectiveness at getting to sleep and staying asleep.
Many studies have found that oxytocin can be an effective treatment for disorders that affect sleep, such as depression and social anxiety (MacDonald et al, 2011) [2].
As a result of these findings, it is suggested that oxytocin administration (in the form of an intranasal spray) may also be an effective treatment for direct sleep disorders such as insomnia and dream disorders.
Calming for nightmares Oxytocin is regularly associated with encouraging emotional bonds between both mothers and their children, and between partners.
Research has demonstrated that the hormone connects social relationships in waking life.
The way oxytocin affects people's sleep is said to be similar to the way it affects their relationships; current evidence from many scientific studies has concluded that oxytocin attenuates amygdalar hyper-responsivity to negatively valences emotional stimuli (Kirsch et al.
2005) [3].
This finding would suggest that, due to the fact that nightmares are linked to abnormal amygdalar activity, taking a dose of oxytocin nasal spray may help the person to sleep and may alleviate the severity of nightmares.
It is a theory that Dr.
Tammy Tucker, a family physician based in Bentonville, Northwest Arkansas, agrees with whole-heartedly.
In her program and book, which promotes general health and wellbeing, she firmly states that oxytocin levels are closely linked to sleep - as well as several other health issues - and that a way of improving sleep quality is by taking a dose of oxytocin nasal spray or drops.
Improves sleep quality and amount All of this promising research suggests that oxytocin modulates social emotions in dreams.
This exciting prospect will no doubt lead to further research, hopefully leading to clues as to how the brain generates dreams and dream content.
This would enable us to interpret our dreams more clearly; it could suggest that a person's dreams are an extension of his or her social cognition.
But what does this mean for those people who are suffering from the crippling effects of insomnia? In short, it means that oxytocin could be found to significantly modulate sleep and sleeping patterns.
If this is the case, it could be possible to manipulate a person's oxytocin levels in order to improve their sleeping ability and quality.
Simple to procure, simple to administer The simple, self administration capabilities of oxytocin in the form of a nasal spray or sublingual drops, add to its appeal as a treatment for insomnia and other disorders that interfere with our sleep patterns.
[1] Psychology Today, Oxytocin Sleep and Dreams [2] Psych Central, Treating Depression with the Oxytocin, the Love Hormone [3] NCBI, Oxytocin modulates neural circuitry for social cognition and fear in humans, Kirsch P, Esslinger C, Chen Q, Mier D, Lis S, Siddhanti S, Gruppe H, Mattay VS, Gallhofer B, Meyer-Lindenberg A, Cognitive Neuroscience Group, Center for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Justus-Liebig University, D-35385 Giessen, Germany.
You feel tired, so you go to bed.
However, once you get into bed, you find yourself lying awake for hours on end unable to get yourself off to sleep.
Forget counting sheep; there may be a better, more effective solution to sleep problems.
Oxytocin influences sleep processes Although there haven't been any direct studies linking oxytocin to curing insomnia, scientists do know that oxytocin influences sleep processes, and there is plenty of evidence to back this theory up.
A recent study by Blagrove et al, 2011, [1] found that oxytocin levels peak at around five hours after the start of sleep, typically during the REM stages of sleep.
The study found that oxytocin levels are correlated with stages of light Stage Two sleep.
Solution for disorders that impact on a person's sleep Higher levels of oxytocin in the body have therefore been suggested to lead to a better effectiveness at getting to sleep and staying asleep.
Many studies have found that oxytocin can be an effective treatment for disorders that affect sleep, such as depression and social anxiety (MacDonald et al, 2011) [2].
As a result of these findings, it is suggested that oxytocin administration (in the form of an intranasal spray) may also be an effective treatment for direct sleep disorders such as insomnia and dream disorders.
Calming for nightmares Oxytocin is regularly associated with encouraging emotional bonds between both mothers and their children, and between partners.
Research has demonstrated that the hormone connects social relationships in waking life.
The way oxytocin affects people's sleep is said to be similar to the way it affects their relationships; current evidence from many scientific studies has concluded that oxytocin attenuates amygdalar hyper-responsivity to negatively valences emotional stimuli (Kirsch et al.
2005) [3].
This finding would suggest that, due to the fact that nightmares are linked to abnormal amygdalar activity, taking a dose of oxytocin nasal spray may help the person to sleep and may alleviate the severity of nightmares.
It is a theory that Dr.
Tammy Tucker, a family physician based in Bentonville, Northwest Arkansas, agrees with whole-heartedly.
In her program and book, which promotes general health and wellbeing, she firmly states that oxytocin levels are closely linked to sleep - as well as several other health issues - and that a way of improving sleep quality is by taking a dose of oxytocin nasal spray or drops.
Improves sleep quality and amount All of this promising research suggests that oxytocin modulates social emotions in dreams.
This exciting prospect will no doubt lead to further research, hopefully leading to clues as to how the brain generates dreams and dream content.
This would enable us to interpret our dreams more clearly; it could suggest that a person's dreams are an extension of his or her social cognition.
But what does this mean for those people who are suffering from the crippling effects of insomnia? In short, it means that oxytocin could be found to significantly modulate sleep and sleeping patterns.
If this is the case, it could be possible to manipulate a person's oxytocin levels in order to improve their sleeping ability and quality.
Simple to procure, simple to administer The simple, self administration capabilities of oxytocin in the form of a nasal spray or sublingual drops, add to its appeal as a treatment for insomnia and other disorders that interfere with our sleep patterns.
[1] Psychology Today, Oxytocin Sleep and Dreams [2] Psych Central, Treating Depression with the Oxytocin, the Love Hormone [3] NCBI, Oxytocin modulates neural circuitry for social cognition and fear in humans, Kirsch P, Esslinger C, Chen Q, Mier D, Lis S, Siddhanti S, Gruppe H, Mattay VS, Gallhofer B, Meyer-Lindenberg A, Cognitive Neuroscience Group, Center for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Justus-Liebig University, D-35385 Giessen, Germany.