Improving Mood, Sleep and Behaviour

Mood and sleep are intrinsically linked whereby biochemical or environmental disturbances can influence a cascade of dysregulation and disease manifestation. The ‘monoamine hypothesis’ suggests that the development of mood, sleep and behaviour disorders occurs when monoamines, such as the neurotransmitters serotonin and noradrenaline, are at insufficient levels in the synaptic cleft. Therefore, associated symptoms and conditions can be improved by increasing synaptic levels of monoamines (such as by supporting neurotransmitter synthesis, release or breakdown), and subsequent activation of serotoninergic and noradrenergic postsynaptic and autoreceptors.1 Whilst low serotonin can indeed contribute to lower mood, poor sleeping patterns and altered behaviour, this does not occur in isolation. Psychosocial and environmental factors, stress, nutritional status, inflammation and a range of other influences also contribute to the development of sleep and mood dysregulation and should be taken into consideration when implementing a nutritional intervention.