Tips, tricks, herbs and supplements that can be used to tackle insomnia.

As you know, sleep is very important not only for muscle building, weight loss and recovery, but also for overall health and mental well-being. You can read what all sleep affects in some of the previous articles (link available here and here) and today's article is dedicated to ways that can eliminate or help prevent problems with lack of sleep. Sleep deprivation can lead to weight gain, irritability, impaired memory and cognitive function, the development of depression, anxiety, performance decline and other not-so-positive symptoms. Sleep problems plague more people than you might think. Everyone has a different "optimal" amount of sleep that their body needs, but research suggests that the recommended "universal minimum sleep time" is around 7 hours, and that's what almost everyone should be around. Probably everyone has had trouble falling asleep at some point, but if it is a frequent or prolonged condition, you should not take the problem completely lightly and should seek medical attention. Let's take a look today at the advice, tips and supplements you can use to boost the quality of your sleep.

LIFESTYLE CHANGES

The first point to focus on in improving your sleep will be your lifestyle. With modern times being hectic, we are all almost permanently stressed and we often unknowingly cause our own sleep problems, we need to look for faults in our lifestyle first and then reach for the pill. The following points offer tips on how to work towards better sleep, by influencing just a small lifestyle change.

DIET

Avoid eating foods, drinks and snacks in the afternoon and evening that could have a negative effect on your sleep. In particular, avoid foods that contain stimulants such as caffeine, foods that are too heavy, spicy or fatty, and sweets. Drinking alcohol is not a good choice either. In the evening, you should not overeat, but at the same time it is not good to fall asleep with a growling stomach. Nicotine also has a big effect on the quality of sleep, so you should not smoke cigarettes when you are about to go to bed. You can also take advantage of the therapeutic effects of herbs, which we will discuss below.

MOVEMENT

Exercise boosts overall health, this is not news. It improves your mood, energizes you, helps you reduce weight and last but not least, of course, it has an effect on your sleep. One study concluded that when subjects exercised for at least 150 minutes a week for six weeks, they significantly reduced the frequency of sleep problems and depression. The implication is that you should get at least 20 minutes of exercise a day - it's not just strength training, walking in the fresh air counts too, which is very good for improving sleep quality, and other forms of exercise.

But also pay attention to the optimal time to exercise. Few of us have the opportunity to exercise in the morning, but more strenuous physical activity close to bedtime can have a negative effect and disrupt the sleep process. It takes the body at least 2-3 hours, maybe even longer, to calm down after activity. So if you exercise late in the afternoon, watch out for problems falling asleep. In addition, be careful if you use any kind of kicker during your workout. In case you exercise late in the afternoon, it is better to reach for a decaffeinated supplement. (for example SERIOUS PRE)

YOGA

Studies suggest thatyoga has a beneficial effect on sleep quality. It relieves stress, improves the functioning of the body as a whole, and also helps strengthen memory and concentration. The slow, controlled movements that yoga focuses on will help you focus on what you are doing and calm your mind. Good choices for treating insomnia are yin yoga and restorative yoga. If you want to use yoga to improve your sleep quality, focus on postures that are good for meditation, calming and breathing work rather than overly complicated or strengthening postures. Incorporating yoga before bed can help you to calm your body, help you to relax and improve your sleep progression and overall sleep quality.

MEDITATION - MINDFULNESS

There is another point intrinsically linked to yoga that is mainly used to calm the mind and that is meditation. Although many people find it funny these days, the effects of meditation have been proven by studies, and research suggests that meditation can actually reduce the symptoms of insomnia and improve sleep quality. Mindfulness meditation is based on slow, calm breathing while sitting in a quiet place. The point is to learn to become aware of your breath, body, thoughts and feelings and let them flow freely. According to some experts, meditating can relieve symptoms of stress, improve concentration and improve overall cognitive function.

LISTENING TO MUSIC

The results of recent studies suggest that listening to music can have a significant effect on facilitating falling asleep and the quality of sleep in general. It doesn't even have to be strictly relaxation or meditation music, but any favourite genre. Music should not be too loud. Music should ensure that you relax, especially your mind, and fall asleep more easily. The question is whether a metal song like this will actually calm you down before bed. :D

MORE TIPS

You should ensure that your bedroom is dark, not too overheated and with plenty of fresh air. The bedroom should only be used for romance and sleeping, not for working, eating, etc. (Note, but that's hard to do in a studio apartment, right?). Furthermore, we should not use electronic devices 1-2 hours before bedtime. A warm shower before going to bed is also advisable. Another of the principles of sleep hygiene concerns the regularity of bedtime. There are studies showing that if you go to bed at about the same time every day, your body is "set" to sleep, and you should be able to fall asleep better than if you go to bed irregularly. Massage is also a good relaxation technique.

DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS AND TREATMENT FOR INSOMNIA

If lifestyle changes aren't working for you but you still don't want to reach for sleeping pills, try some of the proven supplements that improve sleep quality.

HORSE

Magnesium is a natural mineral that is essential for the proper functioning of the nervous system, heart, and muscles. In fact, its effects include relaxing muscles, and studies suggest that it also has an effect on stress relief and sleep quality. Reach for chelated magnesium and start taking it regularly before bed (perhaps in combination with zinc) - you can read more about the effects of these two minerals in this article.

MELATONIN

Melatonin is known as the "sleep hormone" which the body produces itself and its release is a signal to the body that it is time to go to sleep. The production of this hormone is cyclic, meaning that its release into the blood fluctuates during the day and night. The level of melatonin rises the most in the evening and is lowest in the morning. Because melatonin is actually a sleep hormone, dietary supplements with melatonin are a very popular gentle way to treat insomnia, especially when the normal sleep cycle has been disrupted for some reason (jet lag, for example).

Melatonin is scientifically proven to help improve sleep quality, not only in people with sleep disorders. Some studies suggest that melatonin shortens the time it takes to fall asleep and increases sleep duration. On the other hand, there are also studies that have found no positive effects of melatonin in the treatment of insomnia. However, their number is much smaller than those that confirm the positive effect of this hormone in the treatment of sleep disorders.

GLYCIN

Glycine is an amino acid that occurs naturally in plant and animal proteins. In the central nervous system, it functions as an inhibitory neurotransmitter, contributes to maintaining a healthy digestive system, is anti-inflammatory and aids in tissue healing. Studies have shown that a 3g dose of glycine significantly helped improve sleep quality and reduce the time it took to fall asleep in people who had long-term sleep problems. It was also shown that even a triple 9g dose had no adverse effects such as daytime sleepiness. In a study investigating the effect of glycine on sleep quality in people who had their sleep time deliberately reduced by 25%, glycine reduced fatigue and daytime sleepiness compared to placebo. It also helped significantly improve scores on tests of mental performance. (buy here - link.)

HERBS AND INSOMNIA TREATMENT

The effects of herbs on sleep or calming the mind have been well known since ancient times. So let's briefly recap the most effective ones. But beware, even the use of herbs has its downsides. You should be cautious if you are taking antidepressants or blood thinners, as some herbs can inhibit the active ingredients in the drugs. You should also be cautious in case of pregnancy. Here is a list of herbs that are recommended for insomnia problems:

• HERMAN
• VALERIAN
• CHMEL
• FLOWER
• LEVANDULE
• WOMAN
• HONEYMOON

SLEEP DRUGS

The last item, in the list of insomnia helpers, is of course sleeping pills. However, this option should be the very last one. Sleeping medications are usually prescription and you should not start taking them without medical supervision.

WHAT CAN I TAKE AWAY FROM THIS?

If you suffer from sleep problems, it is advisable to look into the cause of these problems. It is often caused by pressure on the psyche. When it comes to dealing with sleep problems, try some of the small lifestyle changes first, because sometimes that really is enough. Make sure you eat a healthy, balanced diet, get enough exercise, learn to relax your mind and also follow the principles of sleep hygiene.

In addition, you can use some of the dietary supplements or herbs that have a positive effect on the quality of sleep. If your problems persist, it is advisable to seek professional help because sleep is important for many processes, health, muscle building, weight loss and life in general.


Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21397868
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https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0206531
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https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26571900
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