God's Calming Herbs, Part I – Sleep
God has provided natural, safe ways for you to enjoy restful sleep at night so you can enjoy healthy, productive days.
Sleep is as important to your health as a healthy diet and regular exercise. Whatever your reason for sleep loss, insomnia can affect you both mentally and physically. People with insomnia actually report a lower overall quality of life compared with people who are sleeping well.
Those who don't get enough productive sleep have lower job performance and are more likely to be involved in accidents. They are also at an increased risk of psychiatric disorders such as depression or anxiety, as well as physical problems such as obesity and poor immune system function, and long-term diseases such as high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes.
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Given an alternative, most would rather not turn to prescription medication since the problems of substance dependence and the side effects of sleeping pills are so well documented. But God has provided us with a number of natural, herbal remedies that are non-addictive and provide a safe, gentle alternative to prescription drugs.
Valerian Root
Valerian is an herb that is well known for its ability to induce sleep. Traditional Chinese and Indian Ayurvedic medicine recommend valerian for treatment of insomnia. Currently, valerian is number eight on the world's list of best-selling and most purchased herbs, and is approved for treatment of some sleep disorders in Germany.
Many studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of valerian as a sleep aid, and, unlike many pharmaceutical sleeping pills, valerian won't cause feelings of grogginess upon waking or lead to a chemical dependency.
Chamomile
Dried chamomile flower is an age-old medicinal drug known in ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome. It has been used for centuries in teas as a mild, relaxing sleep aid. Extensive scientific research over the past 20 years has confirmed many of the traditional uses for chamomile and validated its long-held reputation. It has become increasingly popular, and is now included as a medicinal substance in the pharmacopoeia of 26 countries.
Passion Flower Extract
The extract of this flower has a relaxing, mild sedative action. Passion flower is believed to work by increasing levels of a neurotransmitter known as GABA that creates a relaxing effect by lowering the activity of some brain cells. The active compounds present in the extract include flavonoids such as Chrysin that mimic the action of the sleeping medication benzodiazepine to produce a calming effect. Numerous studies have substantiated the claim that it encourages sleep and relieves nervous irritability. It also alleviates cramps that prevent deep and restful sleep.
Hops Flower Extract
This herb has long been used in traditional medicine to promote restful sleep. One clinical study reported that hops lessened sleep disturbances when given in combination with valerian, and another found that a hops and valerian combination demonstrated equivalent results of sleep quality, fitness, and quality of life as compared to the prescription benzodiazepine drug. In Germany, hops is licensed as a standard medicinal tea, and hops extract is found in dozens of prepared sedative medicines there.
Other Nutrients and Compounds to Support Better Sleep
Melatonin
Melatonin is a hormone secreted naturally by the pineal gland, mainly at night. Your body has its own internal clock that controls your natural cycle of sleeping and waking hours. In part, your body clock, or circadian rhythm, controls how much melatonin your body makes. Normally, melatonin levels begin to rise in the mid- to late evening, remain high for most of the night, and then drop in the early morning hours.
Seasonal changes such as shorter days, changing time zones and altered sleep/wake cycles (for instance, working night-shifts) can disrupt this body clock and lead to sleep problems. Natural melatonin production also decreases with age – some older adults make very small amounts of it or none at all – and the decrease is associated with some sleep disorders, particularly in the elderly.
It appears that the sleep- promoting effects of melatonin are most apparent only if a person's melatonin levels are low, so taking it as a supplement will not lead to too-high levels.
vitamin D
Once linked to only bone diseases such as rickets and osteoporosis, Vitamin D is now recognized as a major player in contributing to overall human health. Vitamin D is involved in nearly every system, including immune response, heart and blood pressure regulation, muscle strength, insulin regulation and brain activity. You can add sleep regulation to the list, as low-levels of vitamin D have been shown to cause insomnia and poor sleep.
L-Theanine
There's a phytochemical found in green tea that promotes relaxation and improves sleep quality. The key substance is the amino acid L-theanine, which preliminary research suggests might calm the brain to enhance concentration and mental stamina. It appears that L-Theanine increases dopamine and GABA levels in the brain and inhibits the stimulatory properties of caffeine.
Calcium and Magnesium produce calming effects on the brain and are essential for normal sleep. A deficiency in these minerals can cause restlessness and wakefulness that prevents sleep. A lack of calcium and magnesium can also cause leg cramps during the night, which can disrupt sleep.
Sleep Support contains all of these vitamins, minerals, extracts and God's calming herbs, recommended for promoting restful sleep. This all-natural supplement is safe enough for daily use, is not habit-forming, and will not cause morning grogginess. Enjoy a good night's sleep so you can have a productive, healthy day!
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