Do you use this to help you fall to sleep thinking it is a safer alternative?
What to do instead to help you get a good night's rest
Some people with difficulty falling asleep do not want to use a prescription medication (understandably). They may think that an OTC medication is a safer option.
If you take Benadryl to help you fall asleep because the main ingredient, diphenhydramine, causes drowsiness, a doctor recently warned people that a study found that taking these drugs long-term increases dementia risk.
The more often you take it, the greater dementia risk.
The medical doctor offered some other sleep solutions, and I am glad he did, but let’s look at why falling asleep or staying asleep may be difficult.
Reasons Why You Are Having Trouble Sleeping and Resolutions
Reason: Hormonal changes (as we age and our hormones shift, sleep can become challenging).
Resolution: Take the DUTCH test to see if hormones impact sleep (i.e., cortisol, DHEA, progesterone). As we age and enter our 50s and later years in life, hormones are more likely to impact sleep than when you are younger.
Reason: Blood sugar dysregulation (low blood sugar may wake you up for a mid-night snack).
Resolution: Balance blood sugar with dietary changes, such as ensuring adequate protein at each meal and saving complex, whole-food carbs for dinner time (avoid carbs like a bagel, orange juice, or cereal at breakfast). You may benefit from a small bedtime snack like half a banana with a teaspoon of nut butter.
Reason: Elevated Cortisol. Cortisol should be highest in the morning and lowest at night. Dysregulated cortisol can result from chronic physical or emotional stress. These people often describe themselves as “wired and tired” at bedtime. They are tired, but they cannot settle down.
Resolution: The DUTCH test (looking at cortisol several times in one day) can tell you if cortisol is a factor in sleep disruption. If so, adaptogenic herbs and magnesium can be helpful. Identify where the stress comes from and incorporate relaxation techniques such as deep breathing or meditation before bed.
A product called Seriphos, which contains phosphorylated serine, may help with insomnia related to hormonal issues such as adrenal dysregulation. When I used to give in-person presentations, sometimes I would not get home until quite late and could not unwind, and this is when I used Seriphos.
You can also try magnesium glycinate at bedtime or 5-HTP. Magnesium is calming, and 5-HTP converts into serotonin, then melatonin. Ashwagandha is an adaptogenic herb that supports the parasympathetic nervous system.
A recent study found that 100 mg of 5-HTP for 12 weeks in older adults (66 +/-3) improved sleep in people with poor sleep quality. The study did not specify how many females and males had significant results, which would have been helpful information to understand 5-HTP benefits in post-menopausal women.
Additional Sleep Tips
If a mini-turkey snack with a few sour cherries and walnuts helps, it may indicate a low level of melatonin.
If the banana and nut butter before bed help you sleep, it may indicate you need to address blood sugar dysregulation.
If your mind races at bedtime and you can't turn it off, the Seriphos (the original formula) may help.
You can also try Pharma GABA or Lactium (this works on GABA receptors) to support sleep and relax you. It may be beneficial for those with anxiety-related sleep issues.
Some issues may require further investigation. For instance, sleep disruption can be caused by mineral deficiencies, NAFLD, depression, or hypothyroidism.
Relaxing herbs helpful in the evening to help unwind and relax include hops, valerian, California poppy, chamomile, motherwort, skullcap, Kava Kava, lavender, and passionflower. Note that for some people, valerian can have the opposite effect. Test your response with valerian before buying an herbal blend that has valerian.
Other sleep issues:
A host of factors can cause sleep disruption. Some are easier than others to identify, such as these
Alcohol before bed
Sugar before bed
Blue light, TV in the bedroom
Sedentary lifestyle
Doing work right until bedtime (not turning off your brain)
Strenuous exercise too late in the evening or just before bedtime
Bedroom too hot, too cold, allergy or mold issues in the home
Caffeine late in the day
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This is NOT information allopathic practitioners will share with you.
For anyone interested, my morning tea blend is (all organic) yerba mate, rooibos, green or black, and nettle leaf (and nettle seed when I have it).
When my daughter had sleep issues, GABA helped her, and also a product called Neurocalm, which contains GABA along with some of the other things you've mentioned in this article. You can read the label on the website.
https://nutrikey.net/products/neurocalm-60-vegetarian-caps