Dr. Stasha Gominak, a neurologist and sleep coach, discusses the intriguing relationship between vitamin D deficiency, changes in the microbiome, and poor sleep in this interview.
I had the pleasure of meeting Gominak at the American College for the Advancement in Medicine’s 2019 annual meeting in Nashville, where she gave a lecture on sleep improvement techniques. I was surprised by the connection she made between vitamin D and sleep, as it was something I hadn’t considered before.
Gominak’s research indicates that inadequate levels of vitamin D can impair the brain stem’s ability to produce normal sleep patterns. She has successfully treated over 7,000 patients using her innovative “sleep repair” method and has published scientific papers supporting her theories.
Initially, Gominak was focused on sleep and was puzzled by the high number of young, otherwise healthy patients struggling with sleep issues, including sleep apnea. She found that many of these patients lacked rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, which is essential for rest and healing. Further investigation revealed that most of these patients had low levels of vitamin D.
Gominak’s work has shed light on the importance of vitamin D in regulating sleep, a connection that has been largely overlooked in the medical community. She also found that vitamin D plays a role in modulating hibernation in animals, though its impact on human sleep is not widely recognized.
In addition to vitamin D, Gominak discovered that vitamin B12 and B5 can also influence sleep quality. Her research revealed that improper dosages of these vitamins can have negative effects on sleep and overall health.
By using fitness trackers like Fitbit or the Oura ring, patients can monitor their sleep cycles and ensure they are getting enough deep sleep, which is crucial for rest and repair. Gominak recommends against using Fitbit due to potential sleep interference from its green light and privacy concerns related to data sharing with Google.
Overall, Gominak’s work highlights the importance of proper nutrition, especially vitamin D and B vitamins, in maintaining healthy sleep patterns and overall well-being. Further research led her to hypothesize that B vitamins should ideally be produced in the gut by intestinal bacteria. Animals like bears who hibernate for months without eating every day still need a daily source of B vitamins, suggesting that the microbiome plays a crucial role in providing these essential nutrients.
Before the 1980s, it was believed that the body stored B vitamins, including B6, B5, thiamin, and vitamin C. However, Dr. Gominak struggled to explain why her patients would temporarily improve and then worsen again. She realized that giving vitamin D improved their sleep and helped with repairs, but as they made more repairs, they depleted their stores of B vitamins.
Dr. Gominak discovered that her patients’ gut bacteria were not properly producing B vitamins, leading to a deficiency that could not be fixed by simply adding vitamin D. Four species of intestinal bacteria work symbiotically to produce the eight B vitamins, ensuring that the body gets what it needs for optimal health and sleep.
It was noted that an ideal blood level of vitamin D is between 60-80 ng/mL, but the ideal level of B5 is still unknown. Blood measurements may not accurately reflect B vitamin stores. B5 absorption is facilitated by a pump that also transports other essential nutrients into the cerebrospinal fluid, where it becomes coenzyme A and helps produce acetylcholine.
B5 plays a crucial role in producing cortisol in the adrenal glands and acetylcholine in the brain. Acetylcholine is essential for maintaining the parasympathetic nervous system, alertness during the day, and transitioning through sleep stages at night. Dr. Gominak emphasized the importance of balancing vitamin D and B levels for proper cellular repair during sleep.
A healthy microbiome that produces B vitamins is essential for overall health. Dr. Gominak recommends maintaining a vitamin D level above 40 ng/mL and supplementing with B50 or B100 for three months to optimize gut health and sleep quality. This will aid in the restoration of your microbiome so that it can naturally produce the optimal amount of B vitamins.
Maintaining a vitamin D level above 40 ng/mL is crucial to prevent vitamin loss, according to Gominak. A balanced microbiome also enhances the body’s ability to defend against pathogens by producing natural antibiotics.
Gominak emphasizes the importance of a healthy microbiome throughout the body, not just in the gut. The presence of beneficial bacteria, viruses, and fungi on our skin and in our body fluids helps protect against infections and regulate harmful bacteria like clostridium difficile.
She believes that maintaining a vitamin D level above 40 ng/mL allows the microbiome to recover even after antibiotic use. The appendix is thought to store essential bacteria for the body.
The use of probiotics is not as effective as initially thought, and the focus should be on feeding the existing bacteria to maintain a healthy microbiome. Organic food is recommended to avoid antibiotics and glyphosate that can harm gut bacteria and mitochondrial function.
Sleep quality is influenced by factors like vitamin D and pantothenic acid levels, in addition to sleep hygiene practices. Restoring the gut microbiome with vitamin D and temporary B vitamin supplementation can improve various health issues.
After achieving microbiome restoration, excessive B vitamin intake can disrupt sleep patterns. Gominak suggests that microbiome restoration is a crucial first step in treating various health conditions, followed by careful supplementation for a limited period. Y luego mantén una mente abierta sobre el hecho de que eventualmente, llegarás a un lugar donde no necesitarás suplementar la mayoría de las cosas, a menos que tengas una debilidad genética particular.
Más Información
Para obtener más información, visita el sitio web de Gominak, drgominak.com. En “Conceptos Básicos de Inicio Rápido”, encontrarás el esquema general de su protocolo RightSleep. También en la página de inicio puedes comprar un libro de trabajo que te ayuda a seguir su protocolo durante el transcurso de un año.
“El sitio web está dedicado al porqué”, dice ella. “Estoy muy interesada en el porqué. Vi que estas cosas le sucedían a mis pacientes. No pueden inventárselo. No se conocen entre sí. Ni siquiera tienen la misma enfermedad, sin embargo, todos me dicen lo mismo.
Eso significa que la verdad básica siempre es lo que el paciente dice sobre su cuerpo. Y luego es mi trabajo ver si puedo encontrar una explicación científica para eso, en animales y otros humanos.
Tengo mucho material escrito. Tengo videos gratuitos … Tengo un libro de trabajo que puedes comprar. También ofrezco sesiones individuales … Creo que muchas personas que no están realmente muy enfermas y solo quieren agregar esto a su régimen de salud pueden hacerlo fácilmente con el libro de trabajo. Esa es la intención de todos modos.
También tengo que comentar que una vez que te recuperas desde este punto de vista del D-microbioma, lo que todos queremos es estar saludables y tener vidas largas. El sueño es uno de los cuatro pilares básicos: sueño, dieta, ejercicio y espiritualidad.
Realmente no puedes descuidar ninguno de estos y ser una persona feliz, completamente saludable y contenta. No paso mucho tiempo hablando sobre las otras partes, pero también son muy importantes.”