16/01/2026
Even when haemoglobin levels are normal, low ferritin can lead to lighter, fragmented, and non-restorative sleep.
How low ferritin can disrupt sleep:
🔹 Prevents deep sleep
🔹 Increases night-time awakenings and restlessness
🔹 Reduces sleep quality — even with enough hours
🦵 Restless sleep & night-time movement
Low iron can reduce dopamine activity in the brain, increasing the urge to move and causing discomfort — often worse at night.
This may lead to:
- Difficulty falling asleep
- Frequent night waking
- Light, unrefreshing sleep
- Disturbed sleep for bed partners
🌙 Fragmented sleep & micro-awakenings
Iron deficiency can impair neurotransmitter balance and increase stress-nervous-system activity, making sleep less stable.
You may experience:
- Frequent brief awakenings
- Difficulty staying in deep sleep
- Waking up feeling unrefreshed
😴 Less restorative deep sleep
Iron plays a key role in brain energy metabolism. When levels are low, the brain struggles to maintain slow-wave (deep) sleep.
Result:
- More light sleep
- Reduced physical recovery
- Morning fatigue
💭 Night-time anxiety & racing thoughts
Low ferritin can heighten anxiety-like symptoms by affecting dopamine, GABA, and cortisol balance.
This may cause:
- Difficulty switching off at night
- Early-morning waking (3–5am)
- Poor sleep onset
You may want to check your ferritin if you experience:
✔️ Restless or heavy legs at night
✔️ Frequent night waking
✔️ Unrefreshing sleep
✔️ Night-time anxiety without clear cause
✔️ Daytime fatigue despite enough sleep
⚠️ Important notes
! Iron supplementation should always be guided by blood tests
! Too much iron can be harmful
! Sleep improvements often take weeks, not days, after correction
👉 That’s why it’s important to do a Silex Iron Deficiency Test — to understand your ferritin levels and address one of the most overlooked causes of poor sleep.