According to a study in the Journal “Sleep”, making a special effort to cool down before bedtime may be of particular benefit to insomnia sufferers.
One way to do this is to take a hot bath about 90 minutes before bedtime. Afterward, there will be a rapid drop in body temperature which will help with falling asleep faster.
Another key thing is that when it gets dark in the evening, the brain produces the hormone known as melatonin. Melatonin signals our bodies that its time to get tired and go to sleep.
However, a special type of light called “blue light” that’s generated from a computer or laptop, is very effective at inhibiting melatonin and preventing good sleep. So its best to reduce computer, laptop, and cell phone use in the evening or use amber colored “blue light blocking glasses”.
Calcium and magnesium are proven natural sleep aids. In one study published in the European Neurology Journal, researchers discovered that calcium levels in the body are higher during some of the deepest levels of sleep, such as the rapid eye movement (REM) phase.
In another report called “The Nutritional Relationships of Magnesium”, the author noted that the “classical sign of magnesium deficiency is insomnia characterized by falling asleep easily but awakening frequently throughout the night, with individuals finding themselves tired even after several hours of sleep.”
One natural insomnia remedy showing good results is Sleep Minerals II from Nutrition Breakthroughs. This natural sleep aid contains powerful forms of calcium and magnesium, the best known minerals for relaxation and sleep, as well as for restless leg syndrome, teenage insomnia, menopause insomnia and stronger bones.
Tammy M. of Meridian, Idaho says: “I was plagued with insomnia for five years and desperate for a breakthrough. Nothing has helped me more than Sleep Minerals II – I’m so sold on them I could go door to door promoting them. I’m 60 years old and have never slept so soundly.”
Sleep is such valuable and vital part of life and health.
Almost six out of ten Americans report having sleeplessness and insomnia at least a few nights a week, according to the National Sleep Foundation.
More and more research is being done that connects the benefits of good sleep to greater well-being, lower disease rates, more happiness, sharper mental capabilities and less fatigue.
A newly completed joint study from the Division of Sleep Disorders at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston has found that 204 college students have been benefited greatly by getting regular, good sleep. These students, who were between the ages of 18 and 25, participated in a 30-day study that measured their sleeping times and duration.
When the students made the transition from irregular sleep patterns to regular sleep during the week, there were measurable, significant improvements in their levels of evening and morning happiness, a higher level of healthiness and better calmness and composure during the week. There was even increased well-being on the day following the week of improved sleep.
The lead author, Akane Sano, PhD, who is a research scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, said that: “Irregular sleep-wake schedules are common in our modern society. Our results indicate the importance of sleep regularity, in addition to sleep duration, and that regular sleep is associated with improved well-being.”
In another interesting study that was published by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, professional baseball players increased their hours of sleep over a five night period and then demonstrated significant improvements in mental processing speed. In addition, their tension, fatigue and sleepiness during the day, all decreased by over one-third.
Cheri D. Mah, lead researcher at the University of California San Francisco Human Performance Center said: “Our study indicates that short-term sleep extension of one additional hour for five days resulted in demonstrated benefits for the visual search abilities of athletes, as well as improvement in their quick response.”
“Fatigue over a season can negatively impact performance and sleep extension during periods of high training volumes may be a practical recovery strategy.”
For a nutritional approach to insomnia, the minerals calcium and magnesium have been shown to be effective sleep remedies that can increase the quality of life.
In a study from the University of Medical Sciences in Iran, research was done with 46 adults who were experiencing insomnia. Taking magnesium oxide tablets resulted in significant increases in sleep time and reduced the cortisol levels in their bodies, which is a stress hormone that can keep people awake.
In another research study from the Human Nutrition Research Center of the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, scientists found that a high magnesium diet is associated with deeper, less interrupted sleep. Foods high in magnesium include green leafy vegetables, black beans, pumpkin seeds, almonds, avocados, figs, bananas, brown rice, and nuts and seeds.
One supplement with highly absorbable forms of magnesium and calcium is Sleep Minerals II from Nutrition Breakthroughs. These are the most well researched minerals for insomnia and waking during the night, as well as for heart health, aches and pains, bone strength and menopause insomnia.
Sleep Minerals II includes vitamin D and zinc and is delivered in a softgel form with healthy carrier oils, making it more quickly absorbable than tablets or capsules. This provides a deeper, longer-lasting sleep.
L.R.C. of Massachusetts says: “I had become dependent on sleeping drugs and couldn’t sleep without them. Now I take the Sleep Minerals before bed and I can sleep through the night without drugs. I’m also able to easily fall back to sleep if I do have to get up. Another benefit is it helps alleviate my chronic fatigue and aches and pains.”
The benefits of achieving better sleep are appearing in countless research studies and the energy invested in obtaining it is well worth the effort. For more information, visit the Sleep Minerals II page.
Nutrition Breakthroughs wishes you and your family the most festive, rewarding, pleasurable and healthy holiday season. And here’s to the realization of your hopes and dreams and goals in the New Year.
Our purpose is to provide you with high quality nutrition articles and natural health products that contribute to your good health, energy, restful sleep and well-being. Enjoy the season!
The link between what we eat and how we sleep is closely related, especially when it comes to consuming healthy fats.
In an article from the journal “Endocrinology – An Integrated Approach” (endocrinology deals with the glands and hormones), the author writes that all hormones are made from cholesterol.
This includes estrogen, testosterone, progesterone, adrenal gland hormones, vitamin D, and the sleep hormone melatonin.
Eating healthy fats with our meals can play a vital role in helping us sleep better and achieve greater health, as these provide the basic building blocks for cholesterol production and hormones. The best fats to eat are nutrient rich foods like eggs, natural butter, olive oil, salmon, sardines, shrimp, cod liver oil, avocados and coconut oil. The less healthy fats are vegetable oils such as safflower oil, sunflower oil, canola oil and hydrogenated oils like those in margarine..
Milk is well-known for its positive effects on sleep, and dairy foods contain cholesterol, however some people are not able to digest dairy well and are better able to assimilate fermented dairy foods like yogurt and kefir. Milk also has the benefit of containing calcium, which has been found in studies to soothe insomnia.
In one study from the European Journal of Clinical Neurology, researchers tested the use of milk that was fermented with yogurt cultures for its effect on sleep quality. They discovered that there was a significant improvement in the time needed to fall asleep, as well as a reduced number of night time awakenings for the participants who drank the fermented milk daily. No significant changes in sleep were observed for the placebo group.
Regarding the use of minerals for better sleep, one study called “The Nutritional Relationships of Magnesium”, notes that the type of insomnia associated with a calcium deficiency causes difficulty with falling asleep. The classical sign of magnesium deficiency is insomnia characterized by falling asleep easily, but awakening frequently throughout the night, with individuals finding themselves tired even after several hours of sleep.
A balanced calcium magnesium ratio is important to overall health, and these two minerals should be taken together for best results, in a two to one ratio with twice as much calcium as magnesium. The original research on this recommended ratio appeared in 1935 in the Journal of Physiological Reviews.
In addition, a softgel form containing healthy carrier oils mixed with the minerals is more digestible than tablets or capsules and provides a deeper, longer-lasting sleep. One popular formula that has these qualities is Sleep Minerals II from Nutrition Breakthroughs. Sleep Minerals II contains highly absorbable forms of the best minerals for relaxation: calcium and magnesium, combined with vitamin d, zinc, and heart-healthy rice bran oil in a softgel.
Kimberly B. of Troy, Michigan says: “I have been taking Sleep Minerals II for about a month now. I have tried everything out there and this supplement is amazing. I have suffered with insomnia for 2 1/2 years. I have also had restless leg syndrome my entire life and this is the first relief I’ve ever had…gone for a month now.”
In summary, eating good healthy fats and also taking enough sleep-inducing minerals, can be a good combination for achieving better sleep.
Vitamin E is a health-giving, disease preventing vitamin that is found in many foods such as almonds, leafy greens, sunflower seeds, eggs, sweet potatoes, avocados, olive oil and rice bran oil.
Studies are showing that vitamin E health benefits include strengthening the heart, assisting in preventing eye disease, boosting immune function and enhancing muscle health. A stronger heart and immunity can also support better sleep and help remedy insomnia.
The top three antioxidant vitamins are Vitamin E, C and A. An “antioxidant” is a nutrient that counteracts and neutralizes the harmful effects of oxygen in the body. These “oxidative” effects contribute to aging and disease and are caused by an unhealthful diet, air pollution, smoking, drinking, and also by the normal processes of digestion and metabolism.
Vitamin E is a key player in the fight for a healthy heart. A study from the New England Journal of Medicine found that men who consumed higher amounts of vitamin E had a lower risk of heart disease. This benefit occurred with 60 to 100 international units (IU) per day, although the amount often used for disease prevention is 400 IU daily.
The health of the red blood cells is vital as they carry oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. In a study from the journal “Nutrition Research”, the breakdown of red blood cells was decreased by 38% in adults that took 300 milligrams of vitamin E daily for four months. Levels of vitamin E in the blood increased significantly and cellular oxygen stress was lowered by 47%.
The University of Hong Kong did a study on how vitamin E benefits immunity, which showed that there’s a specific requirement for vitamin E in immune cells. The vitamin was demonstrated to strengthen immunity and help immune cells to flourish.
Vitamin E health benefits for sleep were discovered in a recent study from the journal of Gynecologic and Obstetric Investigation. It was found to be a natural alternative to estrogen therapy and an effective remedy for hot flashes and night sweats.
The researchers found there were significant improvements in the hot flash severity score after women took a 400 IU vitamin E (in a softgel cap) daily for 4 weeks. They concluded that vitamin E is recommended for the treatment of hot flashes, which for many menopausal women is great news and an effective aid to better sleep.
Another aspect of vitamin E is that it has the potential for preventing or delaying prostate cancer in men, according to the book “Vitamin E: New Research”.
It isn’t surprising that Vitamin E is vital to the health of the muscles and enhances the ability to exercise, because the heart is essentially muscle tissue and vitamin E is known to strengthen it.
In a study from the Medical College of Georgia, it was found that exercise causes muscle cells to burn a lot more oxygen than usual, causing “oxidative” stress in muscles. Their finding was that vitamin E is essential to rapid muscle cell membrane repair and it can also help to prevent muscle-wasting diseases.
Vitamin E foods such as nuts, leafy greens, sunflower seeds, eggs, sweet potatoes, avocados, olive oil and rice bran oil are great ways to get more of it, and vitamin E supplements are also beneficial to overall health.
This natural health news is provided by Nutrition Breakthroughs, a provider of health articles and effective natural remedies since 2001. Nutrition Breakthroughs makes the original calcium and magnesium based natural sleep aid Sleep Minerals II, which contains highly absorbable forms of calcium, magnesium and vitamin D, formulated in a base of vitamin E-rich rice bran oil.
Richard P. of Parkville, Maryland says: “The Sleep Minerals are making quite a difference. I was regularly waking up at around 3:00 a.m. and after a few days use my sleep improved quite a lot. I wake up once a night to go to the bathroom, but the great thing is, I then fall back asleep and sleep several more hours. This has been a great improvement.”
It’s Jobee Knight from Nutrition Breakthroughs. I’ve included a beneficial chart for you below with several key tips for better sleep. This chart is full of great advice, with many things that are supported by research studies.
For example, a study was published in the journal Sleep Health titled: “Walk to a better night of sleep: Testing the relationship between physical activity and sleep.” It found that people who walked more and had more low-impact physical activity slept better and with a higher sleep quality than those who didn’t.
More tips for better sleep: Regarding the benefits of taking calcium at bed time, one study published in the European Neurology Journal discovered that the normal course of sleep is restored following the normalization of the blood calcium level.
This news is provided to you by Nutrition Breakthroughs, maker of the effective natural sleep aid Sleep Minerals II.
Sleeping well is a highly valued thing. According to an article in the United Kingdom’s “Daily Telegraph”, a good night’s sleep has been voted life’s “Greatest little pleasure”. The poll, which interviewed 3,000 people in the UK, asked them what their greatest little pleasures in life were. The sleep theme showed up in other places as well, with “Little pleasure” number three being “Sleeping in newly laundered bedding.“ Number six was “Cuddling up with a loved one in bed”.
Chronic insomnia contributes to sleepiness during the day, increased accidents and illness, and may have an adverse effect on concentration, relationships and the ability to handle stress. Because good sleep is so vital to health, scientists continue to pursue the trail of finding things that enhance its quality and quantity. Dr. Ramakrishnan, a professor at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, says, “Exercise improves sleep as effectively as sleeping drugs in some studies.” His study found that on average, exercise increases total sleep time by 42 minutes.
Studies at the University of Arizona found that walking more than six blocks a day at a normal pace significantly improves sleep at night for women. Scientists suspect that exercise helps set our biological clock into a consistent wake/sleep pattern, or it may boost the brain’s production of serotonin, a neurochemical that encourages sleep.
A drop in body temperature may help you fall asleep. According to a study in the Journal “Sleep”, making a special effort to cool down before bedtime may be of particular benefit to insomniacs. Researchers identified the time at which the subjects’ body temperature fell most sharply. This point almost always occurred in the two hours before sleep began. A hot bath about 90 minutes before bedtime may benefit sleep. When getting out of the bath, the body temperature will drop rapidly and this may help falling asleep faster. It also helps to sleep in a comfortably cool room, using extra blankets as needed.
Warm milk has long been a highly recommended folk remedy for insomnia. Regarding this, William Sears, M.D. says: “Calcium helps the brain use the amino acid tryptophan to manufacture the sleep-inducing substance melatonin. This explains why dairy products, which contain both tryptophan and calcium, are one of the top sleep-inducing foods.”
Calcium is directly related to our cycles of sleep. In one study, published in the European Neurology Journal, researchers found that calcium levels in the body are higher during some of the deepest levels of sleep, such as the rapid eye movement (REM) phase. The study concluded that disturbances in sleep, especially the absence of REM deep sleep or disturbed REM sleep, are related to a calcium deficiency. Restoration to the normal course of sleep was achieved following the normalization of the blood calcium level.
Jobee Knight, a nutritional researcher and President of http://www.NutritionBreakthroughs.com in Glendale, CA., is someone who fought her own battle against sleeplessness and insomnia. She decided to put her background to use by searching out effective natural insomnia remedies for relaxation and deeper sleep. The result was Sleep Minerals II, a sleep remedy which contains highly absorbable forms of the best minerals for sleep and relaxation: calcium and magnesium. The ingredients are delivered in a softgel form with healthy carrier oils, making them more easily assimilated than capsules or tablets and providing a deeper, longer-lasting sleep.
Wendy R. of Honolulu, Hawaii says: “My friends know that I’ve had insomnia for a very long time. Surprisingly, I received the Sleep Minerals II and took it and I actually slept. This thing really works. I wanted to say, its funny, but people know I have insomnia and once in a while a co-worker will ask me how I slept. In the past, if I ever got a good nights sleep I’d say “I slept like a baby”, but that’s the wrong analogy. Those little guys get up every two hours. I am actually beginning to sleep like an adult — a much-rested adult.”
So if you need help with getting better sleep, take the tips of recent research studies and do some form of exercise during the day, keep yourself cool before bedtime, and use an effective form of calcium as a sleep remedy to relax yourself into a deep, restful sleep.
Vitamin E is famous for it’s health benefits to glands and organs, however it may not be generally known that vitamin E is a proven remedy for hot flashes. Adelle Davis, the first nutritionist to base her recommendations on science-based studies, says: “During the menopause the need for vitamin E soars ten to fifty times over that previously required. Hot flashes and night sweats often disappear when 50 to 500 units of vitamin E are taken daily, but they quickly recur should the vitamin be stopped.”
One study supporting vitamin E is from the University of Iran, published in Gynecologic and Obstetric Investigation in 2007. 400 IU of vitamin E in a softgel cap was given to the participants daily for four weeks. A diary was used to measure hot flashes before the study and at the end. The researchers concluded that vitamin E is effective and is a recommended treatment for hot flashes.
This article is provided to you by http://www.NutritionBreakthroughs.com, maker of the effective natural sleep remedy “Sleep Minerals II”. This insomnia remedy contains highly absorbable forms of magnesium and calcium, the best-known minerals for relaxation and rest.
Rita B. of North Carolina says: “I am a 53 year-old female in the throes of pre-menopause. I was starting to develop insomnia and did not want to go there. Since I’ve been taking Sleep Minerals II, I am sleeping so much better. I still wake up for the nightly trip to the restroom, but other than that I am sleeping through the night and I wake up feeling rested and ready to tackle the day. I am not into social media and have never written a review, but I wanted to say that I am very grateful for this product.”
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