Seriphos: Support for Sleep, Sensitivity & Stimulation
One of the most frustrating symptoms among my patients is the inability to get adequate sleep.
My patients often say, “If I could just get quality sleep, it would be easier to heal my Adrenal Fatigue.” Of course, I do agree that healing Adrenal Fatigue does require sufficient rest and sleep. But is the Adrenal Fatigue itself that affects the sleep architecture in the brain, and limbic system. Those effects lead to insomnia and sleep disruption.
Adrenal Fatigue not only affects the adrenals; it is a dysfunction of the entire stress response system. This can lead to feeling “wired and tired,” over stimulated, increased sensitivity, and high anxiety in my patient population. For that reason, Seriphos has become one of my top and favorite recommendations for patients in my healing program.
Calm the Stress Response System
The most successful approach to healing Adrenal Fatigue is to calm the body before adding in specific supplements to support in its healing. There are several ways to help the body calm. These include bio-devices and vagus nerve stimulation. It can also look like exercises to assist in rewiring the limbic system and the addition of supplements. If calming is not addressed first, healing cannot occur. Patients are left in a state of high anxiety and sometimes even feelings of panic.
At the first mention of Adrenal Fatigue, I often see adaptogens as a leading recommendation. I have found adaptogens to be overstimulating and unsuccessful for most of my highly sensitive patient population. One of the most successful supplements I have found for assisting the body in calming is Seriphos.
Seriphos is a natural supplement that helps control and modulate the stress response.. It is a combination of phosphorylated serine, choline, ethanolamine molecules (phospholipids), combined with magnesium and calcium. Seriphos is safe and gentle enough that it is well tolerated by most Adrenal Fatigue patients.
The Calming Effect of Seriphos
Seriphos helps reduce elevated cortisol levels and balance erratic cortisol levels during times of stress. It is especially useful in reducing the evening cortisol levels elevation of which is a common pattern in Adrenal Dysfunction. This is why it is my favorite supplement recommendation for sleep support.
Research suggests that Seriphos works at the pituitary level, blunting the stimulation of the pituitary gland on the adrenal glands. This calms the Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal Axis. We also know that phosphorylated serine acts to stabilize cell membranes in these and other glands. This makes the glands less susceptible to over stimulation.
Seriphos can be used at night to help patients fall asleep and stay asleep. I also often recommend Seriphos to be used throughout the day to support patients during acute episodes of anxiety. I have seen Seriphos successfully calm patients during a full blown anxiety attack.
What My Patients Expect from Seriphos
The effects of Seriphos can usually be felt within 15-30 minutes after taking it. It should help to calm the system, control the wired, panicky, anxious feelings, or help sleep if taken at night.
When I recommend Seriphos for sleep, I ask my patients to keep in that they will not awaken “refreshed” immediately. Even if the symptoms of insomnia subside, it takes some time for your body to catch up.
Seriphos will not have the same effects as taking prescribed sleep medications. Some patients notice immediate results when using Seriphos and their sleep improves drastically. Other patients will slowly notice small improvements over time. I ask patients not to get discouraged if they don’t notice immediate changes in your sleep patterns. Seriphos is aiding in calming the body and is only one piece of the healing puzzle.
Supplements Are Part of a Comprehensive Healing Regimen
Insomnia, over-stimulation, hypersensitivity, and anxiety can all be the result of a stress response system that has been dysfunctional for years. Unfortunately, insomnia can be one of the more stubborn symptoms to resolve. But with good sleep hygiene in combination with supporting the body in shifting out of stress physiology, insomnia can be resolved and deep sleep will be restored.
Of course, Seriphos alone will in no way “fix” Adrenal Fatigue, and it should be used under a clinician’s supervision. It does a great job as a piece of the full Trilateral healing puzzle.
