5 Natural Sleep Aids for a Restorative, Peaceful Sleep.
There is nothing quite like the feeling of climbing between fresh sheets after a long day. Relaxing, slowing down, and feeling the sense of sleep wash over you. But sleep doesn’t always come naturally. Some nights, it may feel like the morning will never come as you watch the clock, hoping and wishing to catch some zzz’s.
Join us as we explore natural sleep aids and see if we can find that restorative sleep every night.
• What’s the big thing about sleep?
• Bedtime Rituals
• L-Tryptophan Supplement
• Ditch the Caffeine
• Magnesium
• Wean off Screens
• Final Thoughts
What’s the big thing about sleep?
In a fast-paced world, it can be hard to slow down and rest, yet rest is what our bodies need daily to rebalance, regulate, and restore. Sleep is vital to our health, from balancing hormones to supporting mental health. It can even play a role in preventing illness and disease.
As adults, it is recommended to have 7-9 hours of sleep each night. So how do you create healthy sleeping habits, drift off quickly, and sleep peacefully?
1. Bedtime Rituals
Bedtime routines aren’t just beneficial for kids. Creating a simple evening ritual can help banish insomnia and encourage sleep. It’s all about consistency, gently guiding your mind and body towards a restful state. Each evening routine should involve ways to care for yourself and relax. Take 30-60 minutes before you hit the sack to start your bedtime ritual (1,2).
We love to ease into it with a relaxing bath and some gentle music. Other ideas might be a cleansing routine, followed by reading a few pages of your favourite book. By habitually following a nightly pattern, your body and mind learn to relax while you form the start of a natural sleep cycle.
2. L-Tryptophan Supplement
If you are curious about how nutrition can help improve slumber, the amino acid L-Tryptophan is a good foundation. Found in a diet of red meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy, L-Tryptophan plays a role in enhancing your sleep cycle. A vital amino acid, L-Tryptophan, is required in the production of melatonin, a hormone that regulates the sleep cycle. Studies have shown that supplementing L-Tryptophan can improve sleep quality, especially in those with insomnia (3).
Eating a big meal before bed to get your L-Tryptophan fix may not be the best thing for a good night’s rest. We recommend our L-Tryptophan supplement as an easy and safe way to take this essential natural sleep aid.
3. Ditch the Caffeine
Latte, espresso, or filter coffee is loved worldwide for its ability to wake up and energise. A natural stimulant, coffee is often enjoyed first thing in the morning or after a meal. But with a lack of restorative sleep, this black elixir may be relied on a little too much, causing over-stimulation and impairing rest.
Coffee contains caffeine. It is this stimulant that blocks the sleep-inducing adenosine, causing wakefulness instead of slumber. Studies have shown how consuming coffee close to bedtime increases the reduction of sleep and also the quality (4).
For a more peaceful sleep, it might be good to skip the Irish coffee and try a cup of sleep-inducing chamomile tea instead (5).
4. Magnesium
Magnesium is a mighty mineral deeply involved in the intricate workings of the body. It comes as no surprise then that magnesium can be used as a natural sleep aid.
Magnesium is known to calm and regulate the nervous system. It does this by controlling the release of cortisone, a stress hormone, ultimately reducing stress and creating a more peaceful nervous system. With lower stress levels, it may be easier to relax and drift off to sleep (6).
A snack of nuts, dark chocolate, or seeds might boost your magnesium levels. To keep pre-bed sugar levels regulated, we prefer to add our precision Blended Magnesium supplement to our daily routine.
Magnesium’s sleep aid doesn’t end there. As a muscle relaxant, magnesium is beneficial in promoting muscle relaxation. We find using a Magnesium spray can directly target achy muscles and tired limbs or even reduce restless legs, giving you a more peaceful sleep.
5. Wean off Screens
Finally, it’s night-time, work is finished for the day, the kids are in bed, and it’s time to relax. What better way than watching a movie, catching up on some sports, or binge-watching your favourite show? We all love a good chill time and often resort to screens to unwind, but did you know that watching on your TV, laptop, tablet, or phone before you go to sleep doesn’t unwind but stimulates instead?
Many studies have shown that using devices before bed can lead to a reduction in sleep quality, sleep duration, and a feeling of fatigue during the daytime. It is thought the blue light emitted from devices interferes with the production of the sleepy hormone melatonin, causing alertness rather than relaxation (7).
The use of blue light-blocking glasses is becoming a popular way to combat this. Another option is to avoid watching on a device a few hours before bedtime, making your bedroom a phone-free zone, and picking up a book or trying some meditation before sleeping instead.
Final Thoughts
Sleep is vital to both mental and physical health. By incorporating natural sleep aids into your daily routine, creating a calm and restful environment, and establishing a nutrient-rich diet, sleep can come naturally, last longer, and rejuvenate the mind and body. Explore our range of naturally tailored supplements to aid your sleep and optimise your health journey.
References
1. Baranwal N, Yu PK, Siegel NS. Sleep physiology, pathophysiology, and sleep hygiene. Prog Cardiovasc Dis. 2023 Mar-Apr;77:59-69. doi: 10.1016/j.pcad.2023.02.005. Epub 2023 Feb 24. PMID: 36841492.
2. Chaput JP, Dutil C, Featherstone R, Ross R, Giangregorio L, Saunders TJ, Janssen I, Poitras VJ, Kho ME, Ross-White A, Zankar S, Carrier J. Sleep timing, sleep consistency, and health in adults: a systematic review. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2020 Oct;45(10 (Suppl. 2)):S232-S247. doi: 10.1139/apnm-2020-0032. PMID: 33054339.
3. Sutanto C, Loh WW, Kim JE. The Impact of Tryptophan Supplementation on Sleep Quality: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis and Meta-Regression. Curr Dev Nutr. 2021 Jun 7;5(Suppl 2):373. doi: 10.1093/cdn/nzab037_083. PMCID: PMC8181612.
4. Gardiner C, Weakley J, Burke LM, Roach GD, Sargent C, Maniar N, Townshend A, Halson SL. The effect of caffeine on subsequent sleep: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sleep Med Rev. 2023 Jun;69:101764. doi: 10.1016/j.smrv.2023.101764. Epub 2023 Feb 6. PMID: 36870101.
5. Adib-Hajbaghery M, Mousavi SN. The effects of chamomile extract on sleep quality among elderly people: A clinical trial. Complement Ther Med. 2017 Dec;35:109-114. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2017.09.010. Epub 2017 Oct 13. PMID: 29154054.
6. Zhang Y, Chen C, Lu L, Knutson KL, Carnethon MR, Fly AD, Luo J, Haas DM, Shikany JM, Kahe K. Association of magnesium intake with sleep duration and sleep quality: findings from the CARDIA study. Sleep. 2022 Apr 11;45(4):zsab276. doi: 10.1093/sleep/zsab276. PMID: 34883514; PMCID: PMC8996025.
7. Šmotek M, Fárková E, Manková D, Kopřivová J. Evening and night exposure to screens of media devices and its association with subjectively perceived sleep: Should “light hygiene” be given more attention? Sleep Health. 2020 Aug;6(4):498-505. doi: 10.1016/j.sleh.2019.11.007. Epub 2020 Mar 18. PMID: 32197951.
