Insomnia
Overview
Insomnia is persistent difficulty in falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking too early, despite adequate opportunity for sleep. The loss of continuous deep sleep keeps stress‑hormone levels elevated, impairs tissue repair, and prevents the brain’s nightly waste‑clearance cycle.
Health Consequences
A 2024 meta‑analysis confirmed that chronic insomnia is an independent risk factor for atrial fibrillation, myocardial infarction, and hypertension. Fragmented sleep also disrupts leptin/ghrelin balance, promoting weight gain and insulin resistance.
Rebis Treatment Approach
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT‑I)
Timed light therapy and circadian re‑anchoring
Integrative lab work to assess nutrient, hormone, and inflammation status
Stress‑modulation strategies (breathwork, craniosacral therapy)
Short‑term sleep medication when clinically appropriate
Connection to Other Health Domains
| System | Untreated Impact | Key Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Cardiovascular & Metabolic |
≈50% higher myocardial-infarction risk; elevated blood pressure | J Clin Sleep Med 2024 meta-analysis |
| Hormone Imbalances | Evening cortisol spikes; altered leptin/ghrelin drive hunger | Physiol Behav 2022 study |
| Immune / Chronic Pain | ↑ inflammatory cytokines; lowered pain threshold | Multiple cohort studies |
| Gastrointestinal | 65% higher risk of developing IBS alongside shift-work insomnia | Gut 2025 cohort |
Benefits of Treatment
Restoring a consolidated 7–9 hour sleep window lowers blood pressure, re‑balances hormones, strengthens immunity, and calms digestive motility—leading to brighter days and healthier labs.
Key References:
Associations between insomnia and cardiovascular diseases – https://jcsm.aasm.org/doi/10.5664/jcsm.11326
Effects of acute sleep loss on leptin and ghrelin – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36404495/
Rotating shift work, insomnia and IBS risk – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40206171/