NAFLD describes the presence of fat cells within the liver, which affects most people to varying degrees. Problems arise when these fat cells prevent the organ from working properly by causing a buildup of toxic waste in the body. The greater the extent of this damage, the less likely the organ will recover, which may warrant a liver transplant in some cases.
Sleep The disturbances are a well-known feature of liver scarring that can significantly affect quality of life, according to the journal Nature and Science of Sleep.
Medical brian moonKansas City-based integrative and functional medicine specialist and chiropractor, suggests taking note of the time you wake up to discern whether liver disease is causing your sleep disturbances.
The expert explained: “Usually the most common cause of waking up between 1 and 4 in the morning is a liver problem.
“It could be that you have inflammation of the liver or fatty liver disease, also known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.”
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According to the Journal of Thoracic Diseasessleep disorders affect approximately 60 to 80 percent of patients with chronic liver disease.
The most common presentations are insomnia, decreased sleep efficiency, daytime sleepiness, and restless leg syndrome.
“When your liver is burdened with stored fat, it can no longer accommodate and detoxify your body efficiently and effectively,” Dr. Lun explained.
“Since toxins cannot be safely neutralized and removed from the body, the risk of degenerative diseases increases.
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“So if your liver is sluggish and stagnant due to a buildup of fat during liver cleanse time (1 and 4 am), the body will try to allocate more energy for detoxification and trigger your nervous system to wake up.”
However, it should be noted that a person’s circadian rhythm can change with age, causing older adults to wake up early in the morning.
In this population, there is a greater tendency to wake up three to four times a night, depending on the sleep foundation.
Conditions such as nocturia, anxiety, and other symptoms could be potential causes of age-related sleep changes.
While there is a lack of research supporting a role for liver disease in awakenings between 1 and 4 am, some studies have linked wake-time variability to various lifestyle factors.
Research published in the Journal of Public Health, in 2015, suggested that having bedtimes that varied by more than 30 minutes was a reflection of a lower quality diet and higher alcohol consumption.
In other words, inconsistent bedtimes seemed to be associated with poorer overall patterns of lifestyle behaviors.
The researchers added: “Greater variability in waking hours, usual bedtimes, and usual waking hours were inconsistently associated with lifestyle behaviors.”
