02/06/2026
If you don’t have enough serotonin, you can’t make melatonin.
If you can’t make melatonin, you can’t sleep.
And if you can’t sleep, the brain doesn’t detox and the body doesn’t repair.
This is exactly why I always come back to regulation, not hacks.
Because serotonin and melatonin aren’t just chemicals you “boost.”
They’re byproducts of a body that feels safe, supported, and rhythmically aligned.
And so many people I work with are doing everything “right”…yet their bodies still won’t fully let go at night.
✨ Most of your serotonin is made in the gut.
✨ So gut health matters.
✨ Your microbiome matters.
✨ Your digestion, nervous system tone, and stress levels all feed into this loop.
None of this happens in isolation.
Circadian rhythm matters deeply here too.
☀️ Morning light in the eyes is one of the most powerful regulators we have.
It gently tells the brain and nervous system:
It’s daytime. We’re oriented. We’re safe to be awake.
That early signal is what allows melatonin to rise naturally later, without force.
🌎 Earthing helps regulate the nervous system and reduce inflammatory load…..something I often see people overlook because it feels “too simple.”
☀️ Sunlight on the skin, when available, supports vitamin D production, immune health, hormonal balance, and gut integrity.
And on the flip side, excessive blue light at night disrupts this entire rhythm.
It tells the body it’s still daytime.
It suppresses melatonin.
It keeps the nervous system in a subtle state of alertness… even when exhaustion is present.
This is why sleep struggles are rarely just about sleep.
✨ They’re about rhythm.
☀️ They’re about regulation.
✨ They’re about the gut–brain axis.
☀️ They’re about how safe the body feels to actually let go.
Small, consistent practices…..morning light, time outside, grounding, reducing blue light in the evening, and nervous system support may look simple…
But they work at the deepest biological and nervous system levels.
This is repair work.
This is regulation work.
This is foundational healing.
A gentle question to sit with ⬇️
What would it look like to support your sleep not by doing more, but by helping your body feel safer and more rhythmically held throughout the day?
No pressure to change everything.
Just notice what feels supportive.
Take what resonates and leave the rest.
Hugs,
Nichol