Let’s talk about getting better sleep with MCAS. Sleep can be a significant issue when you have a complex chronic illness like Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS). Without adequate sleep, you can’t function at your best; you are chronically tired and prone to accidents and mistakes. But beyond that, mast cell mediators can actually cause insomnia, excess histamine can cause sleep disturbance, and sleep deprivation can be a trigger for your MCAS symptoms. It is a self-perpetuating cycle that can lead to total misery.
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Table of Contents
Who is Betsy Leighton?
I’m a writer, blogger, and healer dedicated to helping individuals reconnect with their innate peace and wholeness by healing nervous system dysregulation. My personal experience with chronic illness called Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) shapes my work, and my content offers tools to empower those with chronic illness to improve their well-being and take charge of their health.
I created the Sacred Self-Healing Method and am a trained and certified Safe and Sound Protocol provider, an author, blogger, and A Course in Miracles Teacher. I hold a Master of Divinity in Spiritual Counseling and am a trained spiritual mentor, with certificates in sound healing, aromatherapy, nutrition, and Sacred Deathcare. I offer a self-study certificate program in the Sacred Self-Healing Method, provide spiritual counseling and coaching, courses, and supported subscriptions for the Safe and Sound Protocol.
What is MCAS?
Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) is a chronic condition that affects all organ systems. It can cause severe, disabling symptoms every day, including potentially fatal anaphylaxis. MCAS often occurs with other chronic conditions like Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). Managing MCAS is challenging because many healthcare providers are unaware of it, and diagnostic tests can be unreliable. Treatments include antihistamines and mast cell stabilizers, as well as avoiding triggers. Check out this post on managing MCAS.
Normal sleep physiology
Several physiological processes usually happen at night while you rest and digest. For some people with MCAS, body functions can be a trigger for mast cell activation. Your body is digesting the food from your last meal of the day, and digestion can trigger mast cell activity. Your body naturally releases histamine around 3 a.m. Your body also detoxes during the night, typically between 2-4 a.m., which can add another potential source of mast cell activation.
The bucket theory
The bucket theory simplifies understanding symptom reactions with MCAS. Imagine your body as an empty bucket you don’t want to overflow. Reactions to various stimuli fill the histamine bucket at different rates, forming the total histamine level (how full your bucket is). More histamine means more symptoms. By managing triggers, reducing exposures, and taking medications and supplements, you can control your bucket’s level.
Know your typical symptom progression
Understanding your symptom progression during a flare is key to developing your rescue plan. This post discusses how to recognize symptom progression so you can be prepared to address them.
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Want a tool to easily track your symptoms?
Homeopathy for sleep
One of my favorite sleep remedies is Energetix Relax Tone. Relax Tone is a homeopathic remedy that helps with restlessness and sleep. I discuss homeopathy for MCAS in this post.
Supplements for better sleep with MCAS
Three aspects of sleep MCAS can impact: Trouble falling asleep, trouble staying asleep, and waking too early. Supplements can target these issues, though people with MCAS or histamine intolerance do not tolerate many sleep supplements. For instance, GABA is well known for improving sleep, but I am not able to accept it.
Always speak with your healthcare provider before adding supplements to your routine. And start slowly, adding only one new supplement every 4 days so you can tell whether you are reacting to it.
Chamomile – either in capsule form or as a tea- helps reduce stress so that you can fall asleep, and it lowers inflammation. I like to make a pint jar of chamomile tea each day and put it by my bedside. I have a cup of it at bedtime with my supplements, and then it is ready to drink if I wake up during the night.
Melatonin – Melatonin is a hormone that regulates your sleep cycle and helps you fall asleep and stay asleep. I like this brand.
DIM – Estrogen stimulates your mast cells to release histamine, and excess estrogen is implicated in insomnia. If you know you have estrogen dominance, then DIM can help you metabolize estrogen during the night when it is likely to wake you up.
Magnesium – Magnesium supplements can help with constipation and sleep. My favorite oral form of magnesium is this one. I like to use Earthley Good Night Magnesium Lotion at bedtime to help me stay asleep. I put it on my legs or belly at bedtime. Getting a couple of forms of magnesium into your system helps with absorption.
Using frequency healing for sleep
Individualized, targeted microcurrent can be fabulous for balanced sleep, insomnia, and the specific issues that affect your sleep.
This post discusses my favorite red light therapy device, which offers PEMF and grounding capabilities, and specific sleep programs.
Ten Strategies for Better Sleep with MCAS
- Unwind Early – A good bedtime routine is critical because routine calms mast cells. Take a bath, put on your jammies, have a cup of herbal tea, read a book in a quiet room, brush your teeth, and dim the lights to signal to your brain that it’s time to go to bed.
- Don’t Use Caffeine – Caffeine is a stimulant and can trigger mast cell activation. If you can tolerate caffeine at all, try to limit your caffeinated beverages to the morning and avoid caffeine eight hours before bedtime.
- Keep it Blah – Emotional upset triggers mast cell activation, so it is best to have emotional conversations and interactions early in the day. Likewise, having an orgasm can be an MCAS trigger, so morning is often the best time for lovemaking. This gives you time to address potential mast cell activity earlier in the day.
- Skip Alcohol – Alcohol is a known histamine liberator. You may be tempted to use alcohol because it is sedating, but besides the histamine problem, it wakes you up repeatedly, causing fragmented sleep.
- Clear Your Brain – Write down your to-do list so you aren’t thinking about it while you are trying to fall asleep—journal before bed to review the day and clear your mind. Keep a pen at your bedside so you can write things down and avoid ruminating about them. You’ll sleep better if you can go to bed with an empty mind.
- Unplug from screens – Ideally, be screen-free for two hours before bedtime.
- Use natural light in the evening – The blue light from phones, TVs, and computers can stimulate and negatively affect sleep quality. Keep bedtime simple, quiet, and dim.
- Avoid Naps – Napping disrupts the sleep cycle and can lead to poorer-quality sleep. If you do nap, make it brief, and take an 8-20 minute power nap.
- Harness the Power of the Breath – Fall asleep fast with the 4-7-8 breathing technique. Inhale to the count of 4, hold your breath to the count of 7, and exhale to the count of 8. Or use any of the breath techniques I mention in this post.
- Close Your Senses – Wearing earplugs while you fall asleep can help you focus inward. Or to drown out any external noise, you can use a sleep program on your phone, a fan, or a sound machine. Cover your eyes too! Sleep hats and eye masks are a good way to shut out external light that might keep you awake.
- Use an Air Filter – Keep your bedroom cool and keep the air clean with a HEPA air filter. I like this filter because it is compact, cost-effective, and offers a pleasant hum like a sound machine.
Check out these circadian health tools!
I’m an affiliate with Bon Charge, a company that makes tools for circadian health, and you can receive 15% off your order with my coupon code BETSYL.
Bon Charge offers tools such as yellow– and red-tone blue-blocking glasses, red light therapy devices, PEMF mats, infrared saunas, and EMF-blocking products.
Sign up for the SSP!
I’ve found the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) to be the most helpful bottom-up healing strategy if your nervous system has been overloaded with toxic exposures, including mold or non-native EMFs, chronic infections, concussions, stress, or trauma. The SSP is a passive listening therapy based on Polyvagal Theory that helps heal nervous system dysregulation. Many people with MCAS and other chronic conditions have nervous system dysregulation stemming from infections, toxic exposures, concussions, and trauma. The SSP is an easy-to-use app that lets you listen to specially filtered music for 30 minutes each day as part of a 5-hour cycle. Studies show the SSP has a profound effect on mental health and chronic conditions. Here’s a short podcast describing the Safe and Sound Protocol.
You can sign up for the SSP here!
Heal your mind!
While the SSP is a bottom-up, somatic therapy for healing the nervous system, the Sacred Self-Healing Method I offer is a top-down nervous system-healing modality that focuses on cognition, attention, perception, and emotion, using the mind’s higher functions. The SSP and the Sacred Self-Healing Method complement each other and together produce lasting results. Here’s a short podcast on my self-healing practice.
I provide one-on-one in-person and remote chronic illness and caregiver coaching, as well as Sacred Self-Healing Sessions based on the Sacred Self-Healing Method, a proven, novel co-creative healing modality detailed in my Books.
Order my books!
Here’s a short podcast highlighting my five books.
My latest book, Living In The Light: Healing with Forgiveness, Sound, and Light, is all about the tools that have been most helpful for me to heal: forgiveness, sound, through nervous system retraining using the Safe and Sound Protocol, and light, through entraining my circadian rhythm with the energy of the sun. Living In The Light is available here!
Rocks and Roots chronicles my solo backpacking journey on the Superior Hiking Trail and my efforts to overcome nervous system dysregulation, gut dysbiosis, and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome symptoms to complete the 328-mile hike successfully.
The Sacred Self-Healing Method ebook is available here and in most ebook retailers!
The Sacred Self-Healing Workbook is available for purchase here!
Betsy’s first book, Sacred Self-Healing: Finding Peace Through Forgiveness, is available here
Companion Recordings
The companion audio recordings of chants, guided meditations, and sound healing demonstrations that accompany the Sacred Self-Healing Method are available for free on my YouTube channel here
What do you think?
I’d love to have your reply below!
Disclaimer
The preceding material does not constitute medical advice. This information is for information purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, cure, or treatment.
