Your Sleep Problem Could Be Caused by Your DNA, But Also Fixed by It

Millions of people around the world have a hard time sleeping at night. It doesn’t mean that they are not exhausted – desperate for a good night’s rest, but insomnia and other sleep disorders plague modern society. Research from Amsterdam suggests that your DNA could be the source of the problem – but additional research suggests you can change your DNA to help you sleep more soundly.

Why Your Sleep Problem Might Be in Your DNA

Researchers at Vrije University in Amsterdam looked at the genetic material of approxiamtely 100,000 people and identified seven different genes that could be linked to insomnia and sleep disorders.

Some of the genes identified are known to play a role in specific, and very complex biological and cellular processes in the body—DNA transcription and exocytosis —and others have been linked to other types of sleep disorders like restless legs syndrome.

The results from Amsterdam also showed that the insomnia genes varied for men and women and overlapped strongly with internalizing personality traits (like anxiety and depression) and were negatively correlated with subjective well-being and educational attainment.

This might be obvious to some, but those among us who are genetically programmed to worry and obsess, are more likely to have trouble sleeping.

Genetic programs can be altered though, as we’ve seen in very astounding recent research involving epigenetics and cancer patients, for instance. Cell structure and behavior can be changed without genomic rearrangement.

Why Your Sleep Problem Can Be Fixed by Your DNA

Let’s say your parents were both worried and stressed out for most of their lives, and so were your grandparents and their parents. Yikes – that’s a lot of genetic material passed on to you which may also alter your ability to sleep soundly and get the rest your body so desperately needs. Research has even proven that epigenetic memories can go back up to 14 generations or more!

How can you hope to alter your DNA so that it resembles that of someone who falls asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillow, and sleep soundly until morning, waking up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated?

First, you can change every single trait that you’ve inherited. That’s the beauty of the latest DNA research. It doesn’t matter how many generations had cancer, depression, anxiety, insomnia, arthritis, heart disease, etc. You can change how your DNA expresses, even if it wants to lean toward those learned traits.

Just altering your thoughts and increasing your heart-brain coherence will start to alter your DNA expression. You can reprogram your DNA with your real-time choices.

Here are just a few studies to prove that this is not only possible, but scientifically documented.

• Epigenetic modifications mediate changes in gene expression. (Andreas Menke, MD)
• Alterations in epigenetics mechanism, such as DNA methylation, histone modification and microRNA expression could favor MDD advance in response to stressful experiences and environmental factors – meaning that you can be less depressed if you just change how your DNA methylates. (Kathleen Saavedra, et al.)
• Depressive states can be altered with histone modification. (HaoSheng Sun)
• Chronic insomnia is linked with mental disorders like depression and anxiety (but can be changed epigenetically). (Prof Dieter Riemann phD)

There are literally hundreds more studies. So, you can do your own research to further validate what we are saying. However, know this – all genetic changes you desire can be realized. We are not relegated to the genes of our ancestors to determine our current reality. Sure, you can blame your current insomnia and anxiety on your parents and grandparents and the genes they passed down to you, or you can do something proactive to change how those genes express – even altering how your own children will sleep and dream.

There are few simple steps you can take right now to start altering your gene expression so that you can sleep more soundly:

1. Schedule a DNA reprogramming session with Healers of the Light, or attend one of the scheduled classes.
2. Eat more fruits, vegetables, seeds, and whole foods. Also, add magnesium to your diet, as this helps to create the hormones which allow for better sleep.
3. Exercise. Not only does exercise alter your DNA, it also helps to create the internal environment for better sleep, less depression, and lowered anxiety.
4. Tune Out. Meditate and find quiet in your day to offload anxious thoughts and feelings. This way when you lay down to sleep at night your brain won’t be playing catch-up to process all the emotions that you ignored during the day.
5. Take a hot bath and turn off your cell phone. Our bodies were not meant to go from 60 to zero in three seconds like a fancy sports car. We need to relax and unwind. Get rid of the stimulation of electronic devices, and allow your body to relax completely before going to bed, and you’ll likely sleep much better.
6. Spend time in nature. The sounds and rhythms of the natural world are in harmony with our own circadian rhythms. There is great healing in nature for this reason alone. Even if you can only spend 30 minutes at a park or in a forest, at the beach or somewhere that plants and animals are more prevalent than people and urban landscapes, do it. You’ll find that you sleep more soundly at night.