The Effects of Serotonin on Sleep

The neurotransmitter serotonin is produced in the brain and can affect the cardiovascular, renal, gastrointestinal and immune systems. Serotonin also affects a number of basic physiological functions including anxiety levels, mood, aggression, appetite and sex drive. Sleep is also heavily influenced by serotonin levels, so if your levels of this neurotransmitter are too high or low you may experience a variety of sleep disturbances.

Insomnia

• Low serotonin levels can cause insomnia. When you have insomnia you may have difficulty falling and staying asleep. This can cause a variety of symptoms; you may wake up and not feel rested and you may feel tired or fall asleep during the day. It can also cause you to become stressed and frustrated about not getting enough sleep.

Sleep Cycle Disturbance

• Imbalances in serotonin can cause disruption in the normal sleep cycles. There are three stages of sleep. During the first stage light sleep occurs; during the next stage eye movement stops and brain waves slow; and during the third stage deep sleep occurs with no eye movement or muscle activity. When you are experiencing sleep cycle disturbances or not experiencing all the cycles of sleep, it can affect your emotional health, concentration, reaction time, energy levels and overall wellness.

Dreams

• Your serotonin levels also affect your dreams. Serotonin levels are the lowest when you are experiencing REM, or rapid eye movement. If you have high serotonin levels, it may affect the brain's ability to form dreams. Your dreams may be fragmented, incomplete or non-existent. This often occurs when a person is taking an anti-depressant in the SSRI (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor) family because the serotonin level stays steady rather than dropping low enough to trigger the dream state.