Sleep Like A MTHFR

From a mutant, get tips on how to sleep like a MTHFR.

I have a toxic friend in my life and his name is sleep. I know I need him. He knows I need him. But even when I settle down early with a cup of tea and a great book, he doesn’t always show.

A few years back, our relationship got real rocky. We’re talking…

• insomnia
• night terrors
• body temperature fluctuations
• struggling to wake up

It took a while, but I finally came up with a system to put our issues to bed. So if quality rest eludes you, let me teach you how to sleep like a MTHFR.

Why Do MTHFRs Need Sleep?

I’m low on serotonin, have been all my life. Serotonin is a neurochemical that promotes a calm, contented mood. Toward evening, our serotonin supply converts into melatonin to help us wind down and sleep. So if you don’t naturally produce adequate serotonin, like me, it could mean you tend toward anxiety, alertness, and insomnia. 

While teen-me could often be found making Kraft mac-and-cheese at 2 AM, what I know now as an active adult with a lackadaisical MTHFR gene is that getting adequate, quality sleep is nothing to nap on.

We still don’t have a complete, big picture for all sleep does for us. But if you’ve ever missed a night, you know there are real consequences for losing sleep – however fun the alternative.

MTHFRs especially need to prioritize good sleep. Our neurochemicals tend to be persistent because we often lack necessary components to efficiently break them down. Stress — yes, missing sleep causes stress — releases a ton of neurochemicals into our brains at once, and if we don’t support their breakdown we can become prone to irritation, anger, and, given enough time, neurological dysfunction. 

Got stress? Get sleep.

How To Sleep Like A MTHFR

You’ve heard all the pro tips on sleeping well by now:

• Avoid blue light an hour before bedtime (the blue light tricks your brain into thinking you’re seeing daylight, disrupting your hormone cycle.)
• Take melatonin or magnesium supplements (magnesium glycinate specifically is thought to support sleep, while melatonin can help improve sleep.)
• Build a wind-down routine (tell your brain what’s coming next — rest, hopefully.)

All great suggestions. Now I’d like to list a few more based on personal experience. 

If I’m committed to getting the best night’s rest possible, these are my non-negotiables.

For Great Sleep, DON’T…

• Eat before bed

Intermittent fasting introduced me to a piece of not-so-common sense: the digestive system also needs rest. The standard eating window for intermittent fasting is between six and twelve hours. Ending my meals three (by 8 PM) or even five hours (by 6 PM)  before bedtime has drastic effects on my sleep: lower body temperature, quicker transition time, less intense dreams, fewer wakeups, and an easier time rising.

Why might a MTHFR?
In America, there are tons of unsafe food additives – from hormone-disrupting microplastics to poisonous pesticides – in everything we eat and every container it comes in. An active MTHFR mutation inhibits production of the body’s most important detoxifier, glutathione. I’ve found that reducing the time my body spends fighting these harmful invaders also reduces effects on my sleep.

• Drink caffeine, alcohol, or even water before bed

Avoiding alcohol is a no-brainer: it raises your heart rate and body temperature and demands all your body’s attention to detox as long as it’s in your system. If you want to sleep well, don’t drink before bed. Caffeine has a similar effect on top of the extra energy boost. Even water can keep your digestive system active – not to mention, nature calling. I notice substantial differences in the depth and quality of my sleep when I avoid all of these things for at least six hours before bedtime (one hour for water.)

Why might a MTHFR?
Again, alcohol and caffeine toxins are especially harmful to an unsupported MTHFR gene already struggling to produce enough glutathione to fight toxic crap. Plus, alcohol is known to deplete methylfolate stores. As a MTHFR already underproducing methylfolate, that’s the last thing you need — for stress or sleep.

[What’s methylfolate? Great question for this article to answer: What is Folate B9? A Guide for MTHFRs]

• Work out before bed

Did you know that working out causes stress? Reading Dr. Lynch’s Dirty Genes taught me that. (I highly recommend his book to all MTHFRs.) Yep, when you work out, your brain floods with neurotransmitters like dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin, and acetylcholine, putting you into a state of stress and alertness. As a former late-night gym goer, I can attest it did nothing to help my insomnia. Now, I keep my weight training between the hours of 4 and 6 PM. Any later, I switch to a relaxing yoga class or stretching. This aids the consistency of my sleep schedule by reducing the amount of dopamine bouncing off the walls of my skull.

Why might a MTHFR?
Brain chemicals are sensitive buggers in anyone, but especially in us MTHFRs. It can be hard for us to get rid of neurotransmitters, translating to difficulty winding down for sleep.

For Great Sleep, DO…

• Track your sleeping habits

The more you know yourself, the better you can treat yourself. Many people use apps or wearable devices like the Apple watch to track their sleep. If that works for you, great. If not, it could be time to check out Eight Sleep.

[P.S. I’m not an Eight Sleep affiliate, just a happy customer.]

Eight Sleep is a mattress cover with adjustable temperature controls, sleep tracking capabilities, and somatic alarms. It’s mine and Kevin’s favorite thing we’ve ever done for our sleep and our least favorite part of traveling is leaving it behind.

My bedtime routine begins first thing in the morning when I get a text from the Eight Sleep AI Autopilot updating me on last night’s sleep. Analyzing heart rate, breath rate, routine, and quality of light, REM, and deep sleep, Eight Sleep scores me from 1 – 100. I now know my habits throughout all 24 hours of the day, and can adjust them and my Eight Sleep accordingly.

Why might a MTHFR?
Tuning into your body and getting to know its tendencies and reactions is an invaluable skill for MTHFRs in learning how to support your mutant gene. That doesn’t end when your head hits the pillow.

• Use a nose strip to ensure nose breathing

Nose breathing, man – it’s magic. When I was ill and undermethylating, I was constantly congested, sneezing, AND rhinorrhoea-ic. (How can the nose be stuffy and runny at the same time? I’m still baffled.) Then Kev, who had an expensive and ineffective nose surgery in his early twenties and has been battling bouts of sleep apnea ever since, discovered the concept of nose breathing. Apparently, the human nose has a built-in filtration system to protect us from air pollutants. When I leverage that with nose strips, I notice a distinct difference – in sleeping depth and morning breath.

Why might a MTHFR?
Pesky floating toxins in our air, originating from engines, factories, cleaning products, fragrances, etc., often invade our homes and get trapped there. Breathing through your nose during sleep can alleviate your body’s burden.

• Consider occasionally supplementing with 5-HTP

Always consult a doctor before starting a supplement! Even though they’re over the counter, our bodies are delicately balanced. Even adding a small amount of something extra may have unintentional consequences.

5-HTP is a chemical form of serotonin. Because I’m chronically low in serotonin and struggle with insomnia, I find that taking it once or twice a week in the mornings can alleviate anxiety and depression and help me get to sleep sooner.

HOWEVER, it’s important to note this is my own experience and there’s no evidence to back up 5-HTP as a sleep aid. Some studies suggest an adverse effect in older people (over 60.) Its chief use is to treat symptoms of depression, which sometimes include insomnia.

Why might a MTHFR?
A MTHFR mutation is common among those who have depression, a condition that often messes with sleep. It’s important to know which neurochemical is associated with your depression before doing any kind of supplementation for it — and work with a doctor to diagnose and treat it — but if it is serotonin you lack, you might consider trying the occasional 5-HTP boost.

• Allow sunlight to wake you

I’m a pitch-black sleeper, but I find leaving a gap in the curtains for morning sunlight helps me pop out of bed easier and supports the consistency of my sleep cycle.

Why might a MTHFR?
Consistency is key in everything, even sleep. If you struggle feeling alert when you wake up, try letting the sun ease the process.

My MTHFR Sleep Story

As I mentioned before, sleep and I never had a steady relationship. He saw other girls, I drank too much. It took things getting a lot worse before they got better. 

A few years ago, I was very ill and methylating poorly due to enormous stress, poor diet, poor lifestyle choices, and poor support for my C677T homozygous MTHFR mutation. My sleep took a big hit in quality and quantity. Things climaxed in the summer of 2023. 

At the time, sleeping was hell. I not only suffered from insomnia, I didn’t want to sleep. Horrific night terrors kept me trapped in a cycle of stress, night and day. Kevin often had to call from work to help me escape them. Each night, despite feeling frozen, I sweat through clothing and sheets. Panic and hopelessness followed me from morning ’til night, when the cycle began again.

It was through months of these conditions I learned the value of restful sleep. I began to pursue solutions. They didn’t come overnight. It did take facing internal and external obstacles and developing discipline and healthy habits like the ones above to find the way out. Today, I’m far from perfect, but sleep and I have settled our differences and we’re working toward a healthier relationship. 

I share these do’s, don’ts, and experiences because they’ve helped me immensely to realize the healing power of great sleep. From one MTHFR to another, I hope they help you find your way toward better rest and greater health.

Disclaimer

I am not a healthcare professional. None of the content on this blog is meant to replace or substitute the advice of your doctor, nor should it be seen as health advice. Use your own good judgement and research to take what you will.

Sources

• https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/public-education/brain-basics/brain-basics-understanding-sleep
• https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/sleep/why-sleep-important
• Dirty Genes by Ben Lynch
• https://www.mthfrdoctors.com/mtfhr-gene-mutation/
• https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Folate-HealthProfessional/
• https://examine.com/research-feed/study/1JnrZ1/?requirelogin=1
• https://examine.com/supplements/5-htp/faq/does-5-htp-affect-sleep/
• https://examine.com/supplements/5-htp/faq/what-are-5-htps-main-benefits/
• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5928534/
• https://www.mthfrdoctors.com/mental-illness-genetics-domino-effect/
• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/instance/1737050/pdf/v069p00228.pdf

Your Turn

What are your best tips for getting great sleep? Have you struggled with sleep problems as a MTHFR?