Mold Toxicity and Insomnia: What’s Keeping You Up at Night?
Do you find yourself tossing and turning at night, unable to fall or stay asleep—despite doing “everything right”? The answer may not lie in your sleep hygiene, but in your environment. One sneaky culprit? Mold toxicity.
Many of our patients come to us after months or even years of disrupted sleep. What they—and many doctors—often don’t realize is that mycotoxins, the toxic compounds produced by mold, can profoundly disrupt neurological and hormonal systems that regulate the sleep-wake cycle.
The Mold–Sleep Connection
Sleep issues in mold-exposed individuals are more than anecdotal. Clinical observations and research studies have linked environmental mold exposure to a wide range of neurological symptoms, including:
Brain fog
Anxiety
Night sweats
One study published in Toxicology and Industrial Health found that individuals exposed to mold and damp indoor environments experienced significantly higher rates of sleep disturbances, including insomnia, compared to control populations.
But why does mold mess with our sleep so much?
How Mycotoxins Disrupt Sleepy
Mycotoxins such as ochratoxin A, aflatoxins, and trichothecenes can:
Inflame the central nervous system, activating microglia and creating a state of neuroinflammation that disrupts normal sleep-wake signals.
Lower melatonin production, either by affecting the pineal gland or through inflammatory cytokine production, making it harder to fall asleep.
Trigger anxiety or HPA axis dysregulation, leading to surges of cortisol at night, which can prevent deep sleep and cause early waking.
Destabilize the autonomic nervous system, particularly in individuals with mold-related limbic system impairment or mast cell activation, leading to "tired but wired" sensations.
Real Stories: Mold and Sleepless Nights
I’ve seen countless patients who didn’t connect their environmental exposure to their chronic insomnia. In many cases, their sleep improved dramatically once mold illness was addressed.
I use a combination of advanced urine mycotoxin testing, environmental inspections, and targeted detox protocols to restore balance and help the nervous system calm down—so sleep can return.
What You Can Do
If you suspect that mold toxicity might be affecting your sleep:
Look for patterns — Are you sleeping better when you’re away from home?
Test your environment — Consider an ERMI
Get tested — Do a urinary mycotoxin test from Vibrant or RTL’s
Support detox pathways — Use binders, sauna, lymphatic drainage, and glutathione to help eliminate toxins.
Regulate your nervous system — Practices like vagus nerve stimulation, breathwork, and limbic retraining can support deep rest and repair.
Final Thoughts
Insomnia isn’t always just about stress or screen time. If your body is living in a state of fight or flight because of mold toxicity, sleep will be elusive no matter how many lavender oils or blue light blockers you try.
If you’ve tried everything to sleep better, but nothing’s working, it might be time to consider mold. I work on uncovering hidden root causes—like mold toxicity—that silently sabotage health.
Your environment matters. Your sleep matters. And yes—there is hope.
References
Hope, J. (2013). A review of the mechanism of injury and treatment approaches for illness resulting from exposure to water-damaged buildings, mold, and mycotoxins. ScientificWorldJournal, 2013, 767482. https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/767482
Straus, D. C. (2011). Molds, mycotoxins, and sick building syndrome. Toxicology and Industrial Health, 27(4), 261–272. https://doi.org/10.1177/0748233710389713
Curtis, L., Lieberman, A., Stark, M., Rea, W., & Vetter, M. (2004). Adverse health effects of indoor molds. Journal of Nutritional & Environmental Medicine, 14(3), 261–274.
