Summary
Highlights
Waking up between 1 and 3 AM with a pounding heart is often misdiagnosed as an adrenal problem. The brain is 100% dependent on liver fuel (glycogen) during sleep, not muscle glycogen. A healthy liver should store enough sugar to feed the brain all night. However, a fatty or inflamed liver, or insulin resistance, prevents proper fuel storage and leads to excess sugar production.
A dysfunctional liver causes multiple blood sugar swings throughout the night. When blood sugar drops, the brain signals the liver for fuel, leading to an adrenaline spike. Adrenaline rapidly mobilizes stored sugar but also acts as a stress hormone, waking you up feeling wide awake. This is often the cause of 3 AM awakenings, not cortisol.
Cortisol spikes usually occur later in the night or early morning. To regulate cortisol and the circadian rhythm, expose yourself to blue light from the sun in the morning to increase cortisol at the right time. In the evening, dim lights and avoid blue light three hours before bed to stimulate melatonin production and help you get tired.
To increase sleep pressure, engage in weight training, high-intensity interval training, or physical work. Avoid excessive stimulants like caffeine. Magnesium glycinate and zinc taken in the evening can also aid sleep. The liver performs crucial functions at night, including fat burning, detoxification, sugar production, bile creation, and histamine clearance. A dysfunctional liver interrupts these processes and sleep.
Liver problems are primarily caused by seed oils (high omega-6 inflammatory oils), industrial sugars and starches in ultra-processed foods, low choline foods, low sulfur foods, late-night snacking, and alcohol. Symptoms of liver issues include a full sensation under the right rib cage, bloating, and referred pain to the right shoulder blade, often due to stagnant bile sludge.
While the brain primarily uses glucose from the liver, it can also run on ketones, which bypass insulin resistance. When starting a ketogenic diet, a gradual reduction in carbs is recommended to avoid temporary sleep problems during the two-week transition period to full ketosis.
Adopt these strategies for better sleep and liver health: Stop eating 4 hours before bed. Increase choline intake through egg yolks, liver, grass-fed meat, salmon, and cruciferous vegetables. Consume sulfur-rich foods like garlic, onions, cruciferous vegetables, and sauerkraut to support liver detoxification. Support the gallbladder by eating bitter foods like arugula and dandelion greens, and consider taking TUDCA (bile salts) on an empty stomach to thin bile. Go low-carb and embrace the ketogenic diet. Manage blood sugar and insulin resistance with apple cider vinegar, Vitamin B1, magnesium, potassium from foods like avocados, and quality animal protein.