What is Sleep?
There was a time when people thought that sleep was simply a time when the body and brain “shut off” for a few hours each night to rest in preparation for the next day.
In actual fact, the body and brain are often working even harder than they do during the day, undergoing processes to restore cells, process information, and improve health.
- Recovery - Cells restore and regenerate. The body temperature, heart rate, and breathing rate drops in order to conserve energy.
- Facilitates learning & memory - Not only do you need rest to sustain the attention and concentration necessary to learn new tasks, but according to Harvard’s Division of Sleep Medicine, sleep is a time for the brain to consolidate memories, which makes learning new things easier1.
Even more intriguingly, a recent study in Natural Neuroscience showed that people can learn completely new behaviours while they are completely asleep2.
- Immune function - According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, cytokines, which help your immune system fight off infection are produced during sleep when you are sick, which is one of the reasons for fatigue felt when sick. Rest gives the body the time it needs to produce these infection-fighting proteins and to restore itself to wellness3.
- Brain Health – Restoration of your brain occurs while you sleep. Cerebrospinal fluid, the clear liquid that surrounds and cushions the brain and spinal cord circulates the meninges that surround your brain. Research has shown that one of the jobs of cerebrospinal fluid is to cleanse the brain of toxic proteins. These proteins that have been closely linked with the development of Alzheimer’s disease4.
Circadian Rhythm
The human body follows a natural, 24-hour pattern called the circadian rhythm. This rhythm is influenced by the environment for example lightness or darkness as well as your genetic makeup and determines your sleep patterns by releasing hormones when it’s time to sleep.
Abnormalities in the circadian rhythm can lead to sleep disorders like insomnia.
Stages of Sleep
Sleep has two main phases—REM (Rapid Eye Movement) and non-REM. We spend about a quarter of our sleeping lives in the REM phase, which is a period of vigorous brain activity, marked by vivid dreams. This stage may be responsible for consolidating information and processing memories, which is why babies (whose entire days are full of new experiences the brain needs to process) spend twice as much time in REM sleep than adults do.
Non-REM sleep has four distinct stages. These grow gradually deeper throughout the night until it becomes very difficult to be disturbed from sleep. During this time, the body works to gently lower the heart rate, temperature, and breathing rate. This is when the body repairs muscle and tissues, stimulates growth and development, boosts immune function and generates energy for the day ahead5 6.
Why is sleep so important?
Not getting enough sleep has both short-term and long-term health implications7.
Short-term health impact:
- Increase stress
- Low mood and irritability
- Impaired concentration
Long-term health impact:
- Heightened risk of diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Decreased immune function
- Increased risk of some cancers
- Depression
- Obesity
Supporting Sleep with Nutrition
With many sleep products on the market, it is so important to choose synergistic, well researched nutrients and herbs that aid restful and restorative sleep without causing drowsiness and promote vitality.
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxal-5-phosphate)
P5P is the active night form of Vitamin B6, taken in its purest form offers the best health benefits, especially when taken with magnesium.
P5P is a cofactor essential in the formation of many neurotransmitters associated with sleep and stress.
Glutamic acid to GABA – Healthy levels of GABA promote and protect restful sleep ensuring we spend the correct amount of time in slow-wave and REM sleep8.
5-HTP to serotonin - our feel-good hormone9
Magnesium (Bisglycinate and taurate)
Magnesium increases GABA, promoting relaxation and sleep.
Magnesium regulates the body’s stress response system, and a deficiency is associated with stress and anxiety.
Magnesium glycinate and taurate in chelated forms enhance bioavailability and activity.
Research shows that glycine triggered a drop in body temperature and at the same time helped people both fall asleep faster and spend more time in REM sleep10.
Oral glycine elevates serotonin essential to produce melatonin, our sleep hormone, reduce insomnia and improve sleep quality. Studies also show it may help you bounce back to healthy sleep cycles after periods of disturbed sleep11.
Studies show that Taurine, that is found in the thalamus controls and regulates the release of both GABA and melatonin, which are necessary in stress reduction and healthy sleep12.
Black Cherry (Montmorency)
Tart cherries have a naturally high melatonin content, providing sleep regulating properties13.
Tart cherries contain proanthocyanidins, which help your body convert tryptophan to serotonin14.
They act as an anti-inflammatory counteracting inflammatory cytokines that are related to sleep modulation15.
Hops (Humulus lupulus)
Hops have sedative properties, coming from its bitter resins.
These resins act by increasing the activity of GABA (y-aminobutyric), therefore inhibiting the central nervous system (CNS).
The active resins also work to lower body temperature which helps to bring about drowsiness16.
Chamomile
Chamomile is well known for its sedation and relaxation properties. Sedative effects may be due to the flavonoid, apigenin that binds to benzodiazepine receptors in the brain.
It is regarded as a mild tranquiliser and sleep inducer17.
Lemon Balm
Lemon balm has been used since the middle ages for its stress reducing and sleep promoting properties.
Studies show its sedative properties come from its ability to decrease serum corticosterone levels as well as its ability to increase GABA
Lemon balm when combined with other herbs such as hops and chamomile show improved sleep in menopausal women.
L-theanine
The amino acid theanine promotes relaxation, cognitive performance, emotional status and sleep quality. L-theanine aids in stress and anxiety reduction, promoting healthy sleep18.
L-theanine and the amino acid glutamine are structurally similar. Glutamine is required to make the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate. L-theanine can bind to the same receptors in the brain creating an opposite effect, one of calm and relaxation19.
Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha has positive benefits to the endocrine, cardiopulmonary and central nervous system.
It has powerful anti-inflammatory, anti-stress and antioxidant effects20.
The leaves of the plant contain triethylene glycol which promotes sleep.
It has shown particularly beneficial in insomnia by reducing Non-restorative sleep (NRS)21.