Unless you have been living under a rock your entire life, you know that the body requires a decent amount of sleep every night. Scientists have been baffled by this, though, because they have recorded people sleeping and noticed that they don’t save a lot of energy in the process. In fact, the amount of energy that is saved can be obtained for eating a piece of bread. It is known that the body enters certain phase of sleep and when it does it makes us feel more rested and alert, even if the physical proof isn’t there. If you are not sleeping well at night and are feeling the effects, you may want to consider taking supplements to help you.
The effects of not sleeping
No matter the real reason behind sleep, there are very real consequences of not sleeping. If you don’t get the sleep you need you can experience things like fatigue, headaches, a weakened immune system, and even make yourself more susceptible to heart failure. Your brain will eventually shut off, no matter how long you try to stay awake, and lack of sleep makes people extremely disoriented. Have you ever heard of Chernobyl or Three Mile Island? Both of these nuclear meltdown disasters have been linked to people not having enough sleep.
While these may be big cases of sleep deprivation, you can feel the effects after one all-nighter. You become forgetful, grumpy, and you can’t concentrate. Pull tow late nights in a row and you can start making poor judgments, even falling asleep in the middle of tasks. Three nights of missed sleep result in hallucinations, and you could even die if you don’t sleep.
These are all centered around brain functions, though. Lack of sleep has also been linked to high blood pressure and obesity, and people who don’t get enough rest are often more sick in flu season than those who get a full night of sleep.
How much sleep do you really need
The research is not solid on how much seep a person needs to get each night. Different people require more or less sleep to function, and certain people require naps to keep going. Everything from your job, weight, race, and medical conditions can affect this number. If you experience fatigue most mornings after you’ve been up for an hour, you need to get more sleep. Listen to your body to determine what is right for you. Most doctors, however, will agree that getting at least seven hours of sleep a night is recommended.
Reasons for insomnia
There are many reasons for insomnia, including taking medications and having a mental disorder. You can also make yourself have insomnia, though, by not getting enough sleep or eating the right foods. Lack of exercise and over-stimulating the mind late at night have all been linked to not sleeping. If you experience even mild insomnia too many days in a row you are setting yourself up for sleep deprivation.
Melatonin for sleep
Melatonin is a hormone found naturally in your body made by a small gland in the brain and it helps to sleep cycles. It can be bought as a supplement to help you sleep at night. As you age, melatonin levels decrease, so it’s harder for you to sleep. Sunlight also has an effect on producing melatonin, so if you are effected by things like Seasonal Depression during winter months, melatonin supplements can help regulate your body. Melatonin can help strengthen your immune system. Side effects of melatonin include sleepiness, grogginess in the morning, vivid dreams, and lowering the body temperature.
Valerian for sleep
European and Asian countries have use Valerian Root as a sedative for thousands of years. Studies suggest that it does help you fall asleep and stay asleep, but there is a lack of evidence on how much one should actually take. Valerian has no actual side effects, but it can make you feel hung over or cause you to have a rapid heartbeat or upset stomach immediately after waking up for m a night of sleep induced by the root. This root can make you have withdrawal symptoms after you stop taking it and it can interfere with other medications. Seek a doctor’s advice before starting it as a sleep supplement.
Both Valerian Root and Melatonin supplements can be found in most major grocery and health food stores. Both supplements can help you get a good night of sleep if you find yourself struggling with insomnia.
Have you tried either Valerian Root and Melatonin supplements? feel free to let me know how it worked for you in the comments below!
