5 minute read
Our natural go-to solutions for a better nights sleep 💤
Sometimes it’s obvious when you have a sleep issue: twitching, jolting, and alert in the night.
But poor sleep can show up in subtle ways; weight gain, brain fog, excessive hunger, poor concentration, energy dips etc..
30-40% of adults suffer from Insomnia; are you one of them? If you are, we’re sure you've tried reducing screen time, reducing caffeine, and exercising. You’re looking for some tips worth your time.
We’ve rounded up our customer favourites to dish the tea on getting sleepy, naturally.
CHAGA
Imagine if there was a heart-warming, hot drink you could sip at night to send you into sublime, un-disturbed sleep. Imagine if this drink tastes like coffee…
Chaga mushroom is your deep-sleep dream: our customers agree
Quality Of Sleep
For some people, falling asleep is easy (imagine that!). There is another kind of sleep issue occurring after falling asleep: 30% of all adults struggle with poor sleep quality (1).
In Chaga's traditional culture, it's used to regulate stress, improve hormone function, and nourish the body on a deep level.
In one study using Chaga extract, scientists found that sleep improved in two key areas. Subjects spent longer sleeping: and they spent longer in deep sleep -the phase of tissue and muscular repair (2).
Sipping a soothing cup of Chaga tea before slipping off to sleep can improve your sleep quality and length.
SD agrees - “Best sleep i’ve had in weeks after having my first cuppa last night!”.
Adaptogenic Properties That Reduce Stress
We all know the feeling; it’s 11pm, you’re tired, but you’re wired, and your brain is firing with the day you've had.
Stress is a sleep-murderer.
The stress that sabotages your sleep comes from an imbalance in cortisol.
If you have ever felt your stomach drop with your jaw, and your heart-beat harder on hearing hard news, then you know what cortisol does.
Cortisol is a hormone produced in response to stress: your HPA axis regulates its ebb and flow throughout the day.
The truth is, most of us lead lives that keep cortisol levels high. We end up with chaotic cortisol levels that leave us awake and alert at night.
Adaptogens are a group of herbs that help the body to adapt to this kind of stress. These herbs act like barometers, reacting to the environment to create stability.
Chaga is one of the most well known and well studied adaptogens.
Scientists aren’t certain how adaptogens help the body to adapt to stress, but the evidence that they do is overwhelming.
Studies suggest that they might work in the HPA axis to help the body in producing the right hormones at the right time.
With the help of Chaga, your body will feel sleepy and energised at the times it’s supposed to.
SHILAJIT
Wouldn’t it be nice to find a miracle pill that knocks you out?
We’re not sure that exists, but we know that Shilajit can help you in the long run. Sherell found this out after 2 weeks -”Noticed a difference in my sleep already!”.
Shilajit won’t send you into a deep sleep with one sip (you’re safe to sip on the drive home!).
Instead of inducing sleep, shilajit supplies the body with everything it needs to regulate its own sleep.
When you’re lacking in essential vitamins and minerals, your body struggles to regulate your stress response.
Essential Minerals
Have you ever twitched or jolted in your sleep? It could be a nutritional deficiency.
Magnesium and potassium are two of the most important minerals in regulating sleep.
Magnesium supports your sleep in three main ways.
- It triggers the parasympathetic nervous system. This part of your nervous system creates ‘relaxation’.
- It activates GABA neurotransmitters in the brain. This neurotransmitter is often targeted by sleep drugs.
- It regulates melatonin -the hormone responsible for inducing sleep.
Potassium helps to improve sleep architecture (the pattern your body should follow during sleep) (3). As an electrolyte, potassium also helps to balance nerve and muscle function.
If you have ever experienced muscle twitching, cramps, or jolts as you fall asleep, or that wakes you up, it may be down to a potassium deficiency.
Shilajit is a bounty of essential minerals, keeping your body healthy enough to fall into deep, undisturbed sleep.
SEAMOSS
You guys have shown us an unexpected effect of our star-selling Seamoss; apparently, it’s great for sleep!
“I have Seamoss at night with honey. I think it helps my sleep and gives me energy in the morning” (Anna).
We love hearing your feedback, and your testimonials got us curious. We couldn’t find any studies to support your claims, so we turned to our own Sea-moss knowledge. We know that Seamoss is bursting with magnesium, potassium and other essential minerals that might help to regulate your hormones and stress response.
Herbs For Sleep?
From stress, to nutritional deficiencies, the reasons for your poor sleep are often silent yet feel serious.
Shilajit, Chaga, and Seamoss are, perhaps, not the first herbs that come to mind for sleep. If you want a supplement that helps in all areas of life, though, they are well-worth considering -you have proved this for us!
REFERENCES
- SingleCare Team (2021). How much sleep does the average American get? [online] The Checkup. Available at: https://www.singlecare.com/blog/news/sleep-statistics/.
- Cui, X.-Y., Cui, S.-Y., Zhang, J., Wang, Z.-J., Yu, B., Sheng, Z.-F., Zhang, X.-Q. and Zhang, Y.-H. (2012). Extract of Ganoderma lucidum prolongs sleep time in rats. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 139(3), pp.796–800. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2011.12.020.
- Heizhati, M., Zhang, Y., Shao, L., Wang, Y., Yao, X., Abulikemu, S., Zhang, D., Chang, G., Zhou, L. and Li, N. (2019). Decreased serum potassium may disturb sleep homeostasis in essential hypertensives. Hypertension Research, [online] 42(2), pp.174–181. doi:10.1038/s41440-018-0131-4.