We've heard so much about genetics over the past couple years. How our genes are the blueprints for everything from how our bodies function to how they make proteins. But is it true that they even impact our sleep?
The answer is yes! We have what are aptly named, CLOCK genes. I just learned about these in our recent Nutrigenomics appointment. Six months ago I had never even heard of nutrition genomics or nutrigenomics. And now we are living and breathing nutrigenomics as we've had our entire lifestyles tailored to our genes. It has been a wild and fascinating ride. One that I hope to share with you all through this blog and posts on my Facebook account.
Back to the CLOCK genes. These genes help regulate our circadian rhythm. They help us get to sleep on a regular schedule....or not. That is if you have what is called a Single Nucleotide Polymorphism, (Yes, I promise not to get too sciencey-lingo here on this blog. My love is translating the hard science data into bite size chunks that are easy to digest.) or SNP (pronounced "SNIP").
SNPs are when one DNA base pair is switched from what it is supposed to be, to be the "normal" gene sequence. SNPs impact the function of the gene. They can upregulate the gene, or down regulate the gene depending on what the change is.
Where do SNPs come from? Well sometimes we inherit them from our parents, or sometimes when our DNA is coming together at conception these base pair substitutes just happen. Either way they lead to the same results.
With the CLOCK gene the SNPs make the gene not function as well. As we all know, sleep is so important for the immune system. Good sleep hygiene is vital for good health. There is just no getting around this. Sleep is when your body repairs, cleans house, and restores all the damage done while you were awake.
So it is really important if you have these SNPs that you commit to a solid sleep schedule. That means going to bed/sleep at the same time every day. To help with this, developing a sleep schedule or routine can make having to follow this rigid routine more fun and something to look forward throughout your day.
Creating these sleep schedules is a great topic for Integrative Health and Wellness Coaching. You can explore what that looks like for you, you can practice it, you can even trouble shoot areas not working for you with a professional trained in behavioral change methods. Making your journey easier, smoother, and typically reach success much faster.
Ready to explore if coaching is right for you? Book a free Discovery Call with me by clicking here.
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