Schedule an Appointment

Day: October 21, 2025

Posted on

Why You’re Always Distracted (And What You Might Be Missing)

Do you find yourself drifting through your day, mentally fuzzy, missing appointments, or constantly distracted, even when you should be focused? Maybe your mind feels like it’s wrapped in cotton wool, small tasks feel overwhelming, and despite doing all the “right” self-care, your to-do list only grows longer. It’s easy to chalk it up to stress, anxiety, or burnout. But sometimes, these symptoms trace back to a frequently overlooked condition: adult inattentive-type ADHD.

What Is Inattentive-Type ADHD?

Unlike the classic picture of restless, hyperactive children, adult inattentive ADHD often looks quieter and sneakier. It may show up as scattered attention, forgetfulness, procrastination, chronic disorganization, and difficulty sustaining effort. These challenges often masquerade as anxiety, depression, or simple overwhelm. However, beneath the surface, the brain is working differently—sometimes influenced by hormonal imbalances or nutrient deficiencies that impact mental clarity.

 

Common Signs You May Be Missing

      • Persistent brain fog and memory glitches. Details slip away even after a good night’s sleep.

      • Chronic distraction. Not just from external noise, but from a wandering, unfocused mind.

      • Procrastination. Starting tasks feels paralyzing—not from fear, but because your brain can’t “switch on.”

      • Forgetfulness. Missed appointments, misplaced items, or zoning out mid-conversation are all classic cues.

    Why It’s Often Misdiagnosed

    Adults with inattentive ADHD, especially women, are often diagnosed with anxiety, depression, or stress instead. That’s because they don’t display the stereotypical hyperactive behaviours. Instead, they struggle with quiet but persistent issues: emotional dysregulation, fatigue, and overwhelm. When the true root cause is missed, people may feel stuck or ashamed, especially if medications or therapies don’t fully resolve their symptoms.

    What’s Happening Beneath the Surface

    At its core, inattentive ADHD involves executive dysfunction, the brain’s ability to organize, prioritize, and act on tasks. Neurotransmitters like dopamine and norepinephrine are often dysregulated in areas of the prefrontal cortex that govern attention, motivation, and impulse control. This creates the frustrating experience of knowing what to do, but feeling unable to do it consistently.

    A Functional Medicine Approach

    Traditional treatments often focus on medications, which can be helpful. But we frequently ask: What’s driving these imbalances, and how can we support the whole system?

    1. Functional Testing

        • Nutrient testing to check for deficiencies in iron, zinc, magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids, and B vitamins, all critical for neurotransmitter balance.

        • Blood sugar and insulin testing to assess glucose regulation. Dysregulated blood sugar can mimic or worsen ADHD symptoms.

        • Comprehensive stool or microbiome testing if gut health issues are suspected, since gut inflammation can affect brain chemistry.

        • Hormone panels are used when symptoms overlap with thyroid issues, adrenal dysfunction, or estrogen/progesterone imbalances.

      2. Nutrition for Focus and Clarity

          • Steady blood sugar = steady focus. A protein-rich breakfast and balanced meals throughout the day can reduce crashes that worsen distraction.

          • Omega-3 fatty acids. Found in fatty fish, chia, and flax, these support brain cell membranes and neurotransmission.

          • Iron, zinc, and magnesium. Common deficiencies linked with ADHD symptoms; leafy greens, nuts, seeds, and legumes can help.

          • Elimination diets (when appropriate). Food sensitivities (like gluten or dairy) may exacerbate brain fog and inflammation in some people.

        3. Lifestyle and Brain-Supportive Habits

            • Prioritize sleep. Deep, restorative sleep helps reset the prefrontal cortex. Aim for a consistent bedtime and reduce screens before sleep.

            • Movement. Regular exercise boosts dopamine and norepinephrine naturally, improving focus and mood. Even short walks between tasks can help.

            • Mind-body practices. Mindfulness, yoga, or breathwork can calm the nervous system and reduce the overwhelm that compounds ADHD symptoms.

            • Nature breaks. Time outdoors helps restore attention and reduce cognitive fatigue, a concept known as attention restoration theory.

          4. Therapeutic Supports

              • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) tailored for ADHD can help reshape negative thought patterns.

              • ADHD coaching provides accountability and systems for organization.

              • Executive function “hacks.” Using timers, visual reminders, or breaking tasks into micro-steps reduces mental load.

            5. Medication (When Needed)

            For many, stimulant or non-stimulant medications remain a helpful part of treatment. A functional approach doesn’t exclude these tools—it simply works to optimize the environment they act within, so clients can thrive more consistently.

            Inattentive ADHD is not laziness, lack of intelligence, or lack of willpower. It’s a neurocognitive condition with clear biological underpinnings. Once recognized and addressed through both root-cause investigation and daily practical supports, you can move from chronic brain fog to clarity, from distraction to focus, and from overwhelm to a sense of control.

            Sources:

                1. American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.

                1. Kessler, R. C., Adler, L., Ames, M., Demler, O., Faraone, S., Hiripi, E., … & Walters, E. E. (2005). The prevalence and correlates of adult ADHD in the United States: Results from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. American Journal of Psychiatry, 162(4), 716–723.

                1. Ramsay, J. R., & Rostain, A. L. (2015). The adult ADHD toolkit: Using CBT to facilitate coping inside and out. Routledge.

                1. Wigal, T. L., Gupta, S., Heverin, E., & Stehli, A. (2022). Efficacy of viloxazine extended-release capsules in adults with ADHD: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Journal of Attention Disorders, 26(10), 1345–1354.

                1. Sibley, M. H., Kuriyan, A. B., Evans, S. W., Waxmonsky, J. G., & Smith, B. H. (2014). Pharmacological and psychosocial treatments for adolescents with ADHD: An evidence-based review. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 43(4), 527–551.

              Posted on

              Why You Wake Up Between 2 and 4 AM

              Waking between 2 – 4 AM, wide awake and restless, can be exhausting week after week. You may lie there feeling wired, anxious, or simply unable to fall back asleep. It can leave you dragging through your day, craving sugar, feeling foggy, or emotionally frayed. What’s worse, standard sleep tips, like blackout curtains or bedtime teas, might not help you here, because this pattern often signals a physiological imbalance—in your liver’s detox pathways, overnight blood sugar regulation, or stress hormone rhythms, such as cortisol or DHEA imbalances.

              1. Your Liver’s Late-Night Duty

              Your liver is a metabolic powerhouse with its own circadian rhythms. Between roughly 1 and 3 AM, it’s processing toxins, managing hormones, and fine-tuning your internal chemistry. If the liver is overwhelmed, due to fatty buildup (e.g., MASLD), toxin exposure, poor nighttime eating patterns, or even shift work, it can disrupt sleep.

              Recent research shows that patients with metabolic-associated steatosis (MASLD) experience more fragmented sleep and less efficient rest, with frequent awakenings, even when total sleep time isn’t dramatically lower than healthy peers. And deeper research suggests that chronic sleep deprivation can actually reprogram liver gene expression tied to circadian rhythms and metabolism. In simpler terms: when your liver’s rhythm is off, your body’s rhythm gets off, waking you up in the night.

              2. Blood Sugar Rollercoaster

              Your body tightly controls blood sugar overnight, either via stabilizing it or via counterregulatory systems when it dips too low:

              • Hypoglycemic wake-ups: If your blood sugar crashes mid-sleep (e.g., you skipped dinner or have poor metabolic flexibility), your body jolts you awake by releasing survival hormones like adrenaline and glucagon, often with sweating, heart palpitations, or a sense of unease.

              • Dawn phenomenon: Before dawn (even between 2–4 AM), your body releases hormones, growth hormone, cortisol, catecholamines, that signal the liver to release glucose. In people with normal insulin response, this is balanced. But in those with insulin resistance, it can cause spikes and even a subtle morning wakefulness. While this is well-documented in diabetes, milder versions affect many.

              To figure out what’s triggering your wake-up, tools like continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) can be very revealing. CGM is especially helpful for distinguishing between reactive rebound (Somogyi effect) versus dawn hormone surges.

              3. Cortisol and Stress Hormones

              Good sleep relies on your stress-response and circadian systems being in sync. Under ideal circumstances:

              • Cortisol is lowest around midnight,

              • Rises slowly during the night,

              • Peaks in the early morning to help you wake naturally.

              But chronic stress, late-evening stimulation, or circadian disruption can shift this pattern, sometimes causing a premature cortisol spike between 2 and 4 AM, triggering wakefulness. Experts now stress that cortisol’s balancing role is as vital as melatonin’s sleep-inducing one, and that poor rhythms can fragment your sleep and reduce deep sleep phases.

              Sleep Cycles and Conditioned Wakefulness

              On top of these metabolic triggers, our brains naturally cycle through lighter sleep stages as the night progresses. By the early morning, we’re more prone to waking. In people under stress or with conditioned insomnia, the brain may become “trained” to wake at 3 AM, even without a clear physiological reason.

              Practical Strategies for Supporting Deep, Silent Nights

              Here’s an enhanced toolbox for staying asleep between 2 and 4 AM:

              • Support your liver’s night-time work: Keep dinner moderate, avoid heavy or fatty meals late, favor fiber, antioxidants, and nourishing greens trimmed earlier in the evening.

              • Balance your evening glucose: Include protein and healthy fat at dinner; consider a small bedtime snack (e.g., nuts, cheese, or lean protein) if you suspect nocturnal drops.

              • Stabilize stress hormone rhythms: Wind down early and limit screens and bright light, use soft lighting, and practice calming breathwork or journaling before bed.

              • Honor circadian timing: Aim to fall asleep earlier (ideally before midnight), as late sleep onset is linked with liver risk and metabolic disruption. Keep sleep and wake times consistent, even on weekends.

              • Track and test: If wake-ups persist, consider specialty lab testing for:

                • Liver panel (ALT, AST, GGT) or imaging.

                • CGM or glucose checks overnight.

                • Salivary or serum cortisol rhythm testing.

              • Light and food timing: Get morning light exposure to help reset your clock; eat within consistent windows to nourish your circadian system (“chrononutrition”)

              Waking in the 2–4 AM window isn’t random. it’s your body’s whisper for balance. Digging into liver cycles, overnight glucose regulation, and cortisol rhythms, along with your sleep environment and habits, can reveal where support is needed. Systemic adjustments, not just quick fixes, can return you to deeper, restorative sleep. If you need some guidance, we are here to help!

              Sources:

              1. Reinke, H., & Asher, G. (2016). Circadian clock control of liver metabolic functions. Gastroenterology, 150(3), 574–580.

              2. Liu, S., Zhuo, K., Wang, Y., Wang, X., & Zhao, Y. (2024). Prolonged sleep deprivation induces a reprogramming of circadian rhythmicity with the hepatic metabolic transcriptomic profile. Biology, 13(7), 532.

              3. Schaeffer, S., et al. (2024). Significant nocturnal wakefulness after sleep onset in patients with MASLD. Network Physiology, Article.

              4. Schmidt, M. I., Hadji-Georgopoulos, A., Rendell, M., Margolis, S., & Kowarski, A. (1981). The dawn phenomenon: early-morning glucose rise implications. Diabetes Care, 4(6), 579–585.

              5. Potter, G. D. M., et al. (2016). Circadian rhythm and sleep disruption: metabolic consequences. Endocrine Reviews, 37(6), 584–608.

              6. Hirotsu, C., et al. (2015). Interactions between sleep, stress, and metabolism. Journal of Sleep Research, Article.

              7. Verdelho Machado, M. (2024). Circadian deregulation, MASLD, and chrononutrition. Nutrients, Article.

              8. Kovacs, M. (2025, August 6). Sleep mistakes that harm your health—and how to fix them tonight. Tom’s Guide (News article).

              9. Verywell Mind. (2025). Keep waking up at 3 a.m.? Here’s what your body might be telling you. (News article)

              10. Tom’s Guide. (2025). The surprising role cortisol plays in our sleep—and why it’s just as important as melatonin. (News article)