Circadian Rhythm

How the Anti-Aging Nutrient NADH Benefits Overall Health

After more than a century of study, science is making real breakthroughs in its understanding of how nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) works in cells to preserve cellular health and function, as well as fight disease. First discovered in 1906 through a study on the fermentation of yeast, modern science recognizes that NAD is present in all living cells as an essential coenzyme with a vital role in aiding the cells’ mitochondria to produce energy. NAD affects the body on a cellular level, impacting mitochondrial performance. Learn more about how anti-aging nutrient NADH benefits include helping to fight disease and protect overall health.

What NAD Does

NAD takes two forms, depending on what point in the energy production cycle it is. These two forms are NAD+ and NADH. NAD levels decrease with age, contributing to the mitochondrial inefficiency and deterioration linked to aging and disease processes.

The human body is made up of an amazingly complex set of highly integrated systems that act as a whole. The foundation of all body and mind functions lies in the almost inconceivable number of chemical reactions and electrical impulses that take place in our cells, molecules, atoms and subatomic particles. As an essential coenzyme, NAD acts as a critical partner, or helper molecule, to regulating proteins, called enzymes, facilitating and enabling the chemical reactions that form the base of the life processes and functions of cells. NAD is essential to the processes involved in the generation of energy by the mitochondria due to its dual function of receiving and providing electrons.

Understanding the Forms NAD Takes

NAD is a term used to encompass the two forms it takes (NAD+ and NADH) while giving or receiving electrons during energy production and transfer processes. When NAD is oxidized, it becomes NAD+, with one of its nitrogen atoms having a positive charge. NAD+, in its role in breaking down glucose into usable elements, receives the electrons and hydrogen produced by that metabolic process. The breaking down of glucose involves chemical reactions called redox reactions.

In its coenzyme role, NAD+ has been linked to the function and health of the mitochondria and sirtuins, which help regulate cellular metabolism and a cell’s response to various types of cellular stress, including oxidative stress. Sirtuins have been linked to the aging process and longevity, as well as some disease processes, including many of those related to the metabolic system and inflammation.

When NAD+ receives hydrogen and two electrons, it shifts into its high energy form, NADH. This is the NAD form that transports and donates electrons, giving it a critical role in energy production. After donating its electrons, eventually NADH is converted to NAD+ again. During the glucose metabolism process, each molecule of glucose yields two NADH molecules. The ratio of NAD+ to NADH tends to skew toward NADH because NAD+ levels go down as we get older. Science has not yet confirmed the ideal ratio between the two, but do theorize that disruptions of that ratio can contribute to aging and disease processes.

How NADH Benefits Health and Well-Being

NAD, via its two forms – NAD+ and NADH – impact health and well-being in a variety of ways. The role of NAD in metabolizing glucose and receiving, transporting and donating electrons is critical to life itself. However, its role in health extends well beyond that vital function. NAD+ and NAHD benefits have been getting a lot of attention from scientists specializing in anti-aging and aging-related disease prevention. That’s not surprising considering the connection between mitochondrial deterioration and aging.

In animal studies and test tube studies done with human muscle tissue, increasing NAD+ has been shown to improve age-weakened muscles. This is thought to relate to the impact of the increased NAD+ and NADH on mitochondrial health. Studies have connected the use of NAD supplements to a number of health benefits relating to the role of this substance in mitochondrial energy production.

These NADH benefits include better cognitive performance, improved circadian rhythm regulation, reduced fatigue, decrease in symptoms in those suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome, healthier skin and protection against age-related vision problems. Some studies show a link between NAD+ levels and better cardiovascular health.

NAD has a vital role in many essential processes that protect health and well-being. Among these are DNA repair, oxidative stress mitigation on a cellular level and metabolic efficiency. As the body of information grows concerning the function of NAD+ and NADH, scientists are looking at how to translate this new information into effective treatments for such diseases as Alzheimer’s and dementia, as well as developing effective strategies to protect against the diseases and physical frailties associated with aging.

New Knowledge Builds Upon Old

While much of the newest knowledge concerning NAD+ and NADH benefits is based on animal studies, it is built upon a foundation of older knowledge that goes back more than 100 years. This value of this vital coenzyme has long been recognized for its critical role in overall health and well-being.

Vital to cellular energy and function, NAD+ and NADH support health at the most foundational levels. NAD supports DNA health and function, the energy producing metabolic system and is firmly linked to the aging process via its coenzyme action in relation to sirtuins. If you choose to use supplements to boost NAD+, do your research and choose a high-quality, fully bioavailable supplement.

Melatonin Protects Against Free Radicals and Promotes Healthy Aging

Nov 19 by Ewcopywriting

Melatonin boasts remarkable antioxidant properties, making it a powerful tool in fighting against premature aging and the onset of disease. In short, there is no limit to the ways that melatonin can boost your overall health and well-being. Here is what you need to know about this naturally occurring hormone and how melatonin can help protect against free radicals in the body while promoting long-term health.

Understanding Free Radicals

In its most basic definition, melatonin is a hormone produced by the body’s pineal gland. The functions of melatonin are many. While most people understand that melatonin is the driving force behind the body’s sleep and wake cycles, its importance goes far beyond the regulation of sleep. While the body naturally produces melatonin, it is also possible to take a melatonin supplement to boost its natural functions.

In order to understand how melatonin protects against free radicals, you need to know what free radicals are. Also known as reactive oxygen species (ROS), free radicals are compounds that form as a result of oxidation. These unstable chemical molecules are triggered as a reaction to pressures from the surrounding environment. Free radicals may occur as a result of the food that you eat, medications, irritants in drinking water and even the quality of the air you breathe. While it is normal and not unhealthy to see some free radicals in the body, too many of these compounds can accelerate the aging process. In turn, this premature aging will inevitably lead to a greater risk of disease and illness.

Free Radicals, Premature Aging and Disease

Many scientists promote the free radical theory of aging. This widely accepted theory explains how free radicals damage cells, leading to premature aging. During the younger years, the body employs a protective system known as the superoxide dismutase (SOD). This defense system keeps free radicals from inflicting too much damage on the body’s cells. However, as we age, these free radicals are able to infiltrate cells and kill them.

The presence of excessive free radicals has been blamed for numerous diseases and health conditions. Some of these include cancer, heart disease, arthritis, obesity, asthma and dementia. This list is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the damage that free radicals can cause.

How Melatonin Protects Against Free Radicals

In recent years, medical researchers have discovered that melatonin can protect against the infiltration of free radicals. This is due in large part to the powerful antioxidant properties of melatonin. Not only does melatonin have antioxidant properties of its own, but it also stimulates the body’s antioxidant production.

For example, the presence of melatonin and its antioxidant effects guards skeletal muscles, mitigates cellular damage, boosts total antioxidant capacity and shields the body from the overall dangers of oxidative stress By neutralizing free radicals in the body, antioxidants like melatonin can also boost overall health. This benefit makes melatonin a vital tool in your arsenal for fighting premature aging and disease.

How to Promote Optimal Melatonin Levels in the Body

The encouraging news is that there are a number of steps that you can take today to promote optimal melatonin levels in the body.

Avoid Looking at Blue Light in the Evening

One of the worst habits to come out of the digital revolution is the increase in the use of phones, tablets and computers at all hours of the day. The blue light emitted from these devices can disrupt the production of melatonin, making it important to avoid these devices for at least two hours prior to bedtime.

Seek Sun in the Morning

In order to boost production of melatonin in the evening, you need to increase the levels of serotonin in the morning. You can support serotonin production by exposing your body to sunlight in the morning.

Eat Foods Rich in Melatonin

Melatonin can also be found in many of the foods that we eat. Eating these melatonin-rich foods a few hours before going to sleep can help to support healthy sleep cycles. Good foods to add to your diet include olives, corn, asparagus, cucumbers, pomegranate, flax seed, walnuts and rolled oats.

Go the Supplement Route

Many people swear by the use of a melatonin supplement for optimal sleep and health. These non-addictive supplements can provide a host of health benefits while also helping you to fall asleep faster at night, ensuring that you get a good night’s rest.

Being diligent about supporting melatonin function in the body can have far-reaching effects on a number of profound health functions. There is simply no reason not to learn more about how supporting healthy melatonin levels can help you to live a longer and healthier life.

Melatonin Supplementation: How Long Does Melatonin Last in the Body?

Oct 16 by Ewcopywriting

Melatonin is a hormone produced by the body in response to low levels of light to initiate sleep. Due to its influence on the sleep-wake cycle, it is also a primary ingredient in many sleep aid formulas. How long does melatonin last in the body? This is an important consideration, as melatonin supplements can be formulated in a variety of ways, including immediate-release, delayed- or extended-release and pulsatile-release.

What is Melatonin?

While melatonin is the primary ingredient in many sleep formulas, it is also a hormone that’s naturally produced in the brain’s pineal gland. Melatonin is released in the evening to help regulate the sleep cycle, and its release is governed by the circadian rhythm — the body’s internal clock.

However, in the presence of an irregular sleep schedule or activities that disrupt the circadian rhythm, the release of melatonin may be disrupted. Something as simple as using a mobile device too close to bedtime can be enough to throw off your internal clock. In this case, the release of melatonin can be delayed or reduced, making it hard to fall asleep or sleep soundly through the night.

Although melatonin is best known for its role in promoting sleep, it also provides a myriad of other health benefits. For example, melatonin can be helpful for seasonal depression, which results from the reduced sunlight and shorter days of fall and winter. In this case, small doses of melatonin have helped individuals to fall asleep earlier so their circadian rhythms can adjust to the changes that the colder seasons bring about. As a result, seasonal depression can be soothed, and episodes of insomnia reduced.

Other research has found that melatonin is helpful in managing blood pressure, the immune system and stress hormone levels. For these conditions, taking smaller doses than those necessary to aid in sleep can be helpful. In general, taking 0.5–10 mg a day is beneficial in aiding sleep and providing other health benefits.

Because it’s a natural hormone, melatonin is safer than prescription drugs and causes no undesirable side effects when taken as directed. However, it should not be taken in combination with alcohol. If you’re already taking other medications, you should consult your doctor before adding a melatonin supplement to your daily routine.

How Long Does Melatonin Last in the Body?

For those looking to supplement with melatonin to help with occasional bouts of sleeplessness, it’s important to know how long does melatonin last in the body, as this will affect your choice of which type of melatonin supplement to take. Some melatonin supplements are immediate-release, meaning that they instantly release melatonin into the body. These types of melatonin formulas are designed to take effect within an hour of taking them, making it important to take the supplement close to bedtime.

Conversely, delayed- or extended-release melatonin supplements do not release melatonin immediately, but after a delay, release melatonin slowly over a period of time so the melatonin stays in the system longer. This type of melatonin supplement may be preferable for those who have a tendency to awaken in the middle of the night and have difficulty falling back to sleep. A down-side of delayed-release melatonin is that it may cause morning grogginess.

Revolutionary pulsatile-release melatonin supplements tap into the science of chronobiology, which studies the way the body uses hormones and other nutrients differently at various times of the day or night. Unlike either immediate-release or delayed/extended-release melatonin supplements, pulsatile-release melatonin supplements mimic the body’s natural nighttime melatonin release pattern. These supplements release an initial burst of melatonin to help initiate sleep, followed by additional pulses of melatonin over the next seven to eight hours. This special delivery system promotes a sound and restful sleep while allowing you to awaken feeling refreshed and energized with no morning grogginess.

How to Promote Healthy Melatonin Production Naturally

Your Diet Matters

There are two ways the foods you eat can help your brain produce and release more melatonin. First, certain fruits, such as bananas, tart cherries, pineapples and tomatoes, directly affect the production of the sleep hormone. Secondly, some foods contain an amino acid called tryptophan, which promotes the production of melatonin. Foods that provide the greatest supply of tryptophan include turkey, chicken, beans, nuts, lentils, seeds and seafood.

Take an Early Walk

It’s necessary to help your circadian rhythm to reset itself, particularly if you spend most of your day indoors. This involves going for a walk or run first thing in the morning when the sun is rising. Exposure to the sunlight soon after awakening will help to adjust your internal clock to the appropriate time of day.

Turn Off Electronic Devices Early

Just as exposing your eyes to sunlight early in the morning will help your brain adjust to the day, you should also help your brain adjust to the evening hours. The blue light that a mobile device gives off can disrupt this process, which can negatively impact the production of melatonin at night. Doctors recommend shutting off electronic devices at least one hour before bed.

Create a Bedtime Ritual

Instead of using your electronic device, create a relaxation ritual that you can do every night. This will help you train your brain to recognize the signs that it’s time for rest, while also helping you wind down. This can involve taking a warm bath, reading a good book or meditating to soft music. Any practice that you find relaxing and enjoyable can be included in your bedtime ritual.

Make Your Sleeping Quarters More Comfortable

If you can’t completely eliminate the ambient light that seeps into your bedroom, you should invest in a sleep mask that helps block out light. Similarly, background noises, such as traffic noise, can also inhibit your ability to sleep, so it may help to wear earplugs to bed. You can also improve the comfort in your bedroom by turning on the AC or a fan. It has been proven that people sleep more comfortably in cooler temperatures.

If you try these suggestions and still find it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep, consult your doctor. In some cases, a sleep disorder can be the symptom of another health condition. Your doctor can help you identify the cause of your insomnia so you will sleep better more regularly.

Do You Suffer From a Melatonin Deficiency?

Jun 26 by Ewcopywriting

It’s commonly known that healthy melatonin production is an essential to a restful sleep. As nighttime comes and we prepare for bed, our internal clock, or circadian rhythm, signals the brain that it’s time for sleep. In response, the brain releases melatonin, a hormone that’s used to regulate sleepiness and wakefulness. If you have trouble sleeping, a melatonin deficiency may be to blame. Learn how to recognize the signs and how to get more of this sleep hormone.

How Does Melatonin Benefit Human Health?

While setting the stage for slumber is one role of melatonin, it does much more than just help people fall asleep. Even after you fall asleep, melatonin acts as a powerful antioxidant, assisting the body in maintaining health and repairing damage throughout the night.

As melatonin helps regulate sleep, it also influences metabolism by telling the body when it should be active. During sleep, the body enters into a fasting period, so one of the roles melatonin plays is to slow the metabolism and make the body more insulin resistant. This helps store energy for the waking period, when that extra energy will be needed. As the individual awakens and starts their day, the brain stops releasing melatonin and, as a result, the metabolism speeds up and the body becomes hypersensitive to insulin.

As a powerful antioxidant, this sleep hormone also helps to fight free radicals in the body. In this way, sufficient melatonin levels also help protect against unhealthy cell growth throughout the body. It helps guard against heart disease by promoting better cardiovascular health and also strengthens the immune system.

Looking at the way melatonin helps to maintain a healthy immune system, researchers recently found that the hormone may also help protect people from contracting viruses like COVID-19. In addition to being a powerful antioxidant, melatonin possesses potent anti-inflammatory processes, and can help maintain healthy inflammatory processes throughout the body.

In recent studies, melatonin has been found effective in modulating the lung inflammation that results from coronavirus infection. It also has been found to limit the production of proinflammatory cytokines and to keep immune cells in the lungs from becoming infected. Some research suggests the lung tissue damage that COVID-19 causes can also be prevented by the presence of melatonin. While researchers continue to investigate the possibility of using melatonin as a possible COVID-19 treatment, there’s already enough evidence to suggest a sufficient supply of melatonin is beneficial to our overall health.

What Causes a Melatonin Deficiency?

Unfortunately, many people experience a melatonin deficiency without realizing that’s the source of their health problems. While insomnia and similar sleep disorders are one sign that the brain isn’t producing sufficient quantities of melatonin, there are other indications that you may lack a sufficient supply of this hormone.

In addition to having difficulty falling asleep, it may also be difficult to stay asleep. Even if someone with an insufficient supply of melatonin stays asleep throughout the night, they will likely experience a restless sleep. A melatonin deficiency may also cause an individual to awaken too early and find that they can’t get back to sleep.

People with insufficient melatonin levels will often experience symptoms in their waking hours as well. They may awaken feeling fatigued or they won’t feel as refreshed and energetic as they should. They may experience depressive episodes and suffer cognitive impairments, such as forgetfulness and confusion. Hypertension and increased sensitivity to stress can also be signs of insufficient melatonin levels, which can also expose them to a higher risk for heart disease.

Boosting Melatonin Production Naturally

A doctor can help confirm whether you’re suffering from a melatonin deficiency. Once you know your brain isn’t producing enough of this hormone, there are some steps you can take to resolve the problem. Here are a few suggestions.

Shut Down One Hour Before Bed

Melatonin production relies on the circadian rhythm to tell the brain when it’s night, but the blue light that the screens of electronic devices emits disrupts that process. The light tricks the brain into thinking it’s still daylight, so it won’t produce melatonin when it should. Research suggests that shutting down devices one hour before going to bed will solve this problem.

Boost Daylight Exposure

If you spend the majority of your day indoors, you may be inhibiting the way your circadian rhythm functions. By spending some time outside, where you can benefit from direct sunlight exposure, you’ll be helping your brain adjust to the 24 -hour cycle. Getting that sunlight earlier in the day will help kick start the production of melatonin earlier in the evening.

Take a Melatonin Supplement

You can also add an evening supplement to your routine. For example, Melachron is a supplement that’s engineered to help you fall asleep sooner and stay asleep throughout the night. This supplement uses chronobiology to provide a steady supply of melatonin, so you’ll be able to sleep throughout the night. The seven-hour supply of melatonin will help you sleep at night without leaving you feeling groggy or fatigued in the morning.

Darken Your Bedroom

Just as getting sunlight in the day will help you fine-tune your biological clock, keeping your bedroom dark will also help. Eliminating light as much as possible will make the melatonin response in your brain that much more powerful, so you’ll feel sleepier in your bedroom at night. A darker bedroom will help you relax better, so you’ll also have a more restful sleep throughout the night.

Melatonin and Metabolism: How the Sleep Hormone Supports Healthy Weight

May 29 by Ewcopywriting

Melatonin is most often thought of as the “sleep hormone,” as it is produced by the body in response to lower levels of light at the end of the day in order to promote sleep. New research finds a link between melatonin and metabolism, suggesting the sleep hormone is also essential in maintaining a healthy weight.

Research Links Melatonin and Metabolism

There is a confirmed link between melatonin and metabolism; but how does a hormone that promotes sleep also help the body burn fat? In a recent study, it was discovered that melatonin helps the body to make a special kind of fat cell that actually works to burn calories.

In the study, 16 rats were divided into two groups and each group was fed exactly the same diet. The only difference was that the first group was given water mixed with a melatonin supplement, while the rats in the second group drank regular water.

Once the trial period was over, the researchers conducted tests on all of the rats to get an accurate count of brown and white fat (adipose) cells. These two types of cells are of particular interest, because brown fat cells burn fat and encourage weight loss, while white fat cells store calories and promote weight gain. The rats who drank the mixture of melatonin and water were found to have significantly more brown fat cells than the rats who weren’t given the supplement.

These findings are especially interesting in that all of the rats were fed the same diet and engaged in similar levels of physical activity. Dr. Russel Reiter, who co-authored the study, explained that the melatonin had a positive effect on the brown fat cells in the rats’ blood. He suggested that the hormone encouraged the production of more brown fat cells, while also causing white fat cells to turn brown.

These are the same brown fat cells that are produced as the result of physical activity, so there’s hope that this research may lead to new treatments for weight loss and obesity. Even though melatonin is used by the brain to promote sleep, melatonin supplements do not make people overly drowsy like sleeping pills do. This means the side effects of taking a melatonin supplement for reasons other than sleep are minimal and that it is safer than most over-the-counter medications.

Why Does Sleep Play a Role in Weight Management?

Even before researchers found a link between melatonin and metabolism, it was known that sleeping habits played a significant role in obesity and weight loss. In a previous study, it was discovered that the resting metabolic rate was lowered in men who didn’t get enough quality sleep. A group of 15 men were deprived of sleep for a 24hour period, and afterwards, had their resting metabolic rates (RMR) examined. Researchers found that their RMR were 5 percent lower than normal. Additionally, their metabolic rates after eating were 20 percent lower, causing more fat to be stored in the body.

More research has found that poor sleep results in a greater risk of weight gain and obesity. While children with insufficient sleep cycles are 89 percent more likely to become obese, adults also face a 55 percent increased risk of obesity as the result of poor sleep. This may be the result of a combination of poor melatonin production and the development of poor nutritional habits that often accompanies sleep deprivation.

One study followed the sleeping habits of 60,000 non-obese nurses over a 16-year period. Researchers found that the nurses who got fewer than seven hours of sleep per night, averaging at 5.5 hours nightly, were 15 percent more likely to become obese within the 16-year period.

The problem is compounded by the fact that spending more time awake leads to frequent snacking and overeating. This is especially true of people who work unusual hours, such as graveyard shifts, because they tend to eat irregularly and exercise less. This adds to the problem of weight gain, which is further aggravated by a lack of sufficient sleep.

How You Can Maintain a Healthy Circadian Rhythm

Your body produces melatonin naturally, but the release of a sufficient amount of the hormone relies on maintaining a healthy circadian rhythm, or biological clock. The circadian rhythm regulates sleep and wakefulness by releasing hormones, such as melatonin, and the circadian rhythm itself is regulated by exposure to daylight and the darkness of night. These tips can help you use the changing of day into night to better regulate your own circadian rhythm.

Turn Off Electronic Devices

Your circadian rhythm uses the rising and setting of the sun to determine the best time for releasing melatonin, but it can be tricked by artificial light. This is why it’s a good idea to turn off electronic devices and dim lights at least one hour before bed. This gives your brain time to adjust and wind down for the night.

Get More Light During the Day

It’s just as important to expose yourself to natural sunlight as much as possible during the morning and early afternoon hours. If you’re not getting this sunlight exposure, your circadian rhythm can be thrown off balance and may not produce adequate amounts of melatonin at bedtime. At the very least, try to work next to an open window that’s facing the sun in the morning or afternoon.

Exercise Every Day

Getting at least 30 minutes of moderate-to-high intensity exercise each day will also help your body maintain a reliable circadian rhythm. If possible, you should exercise outdoors, or in a fitness center with plenty of windows. This will allow you to maximize your sunlight exposure, while also helping you promote better weight loss and muscle growth. This will all help your brain produce more sufficient levels of melatonin in the evening.

Eat Melatonin-Rich Foods

There are also a number of natural foods that contain melatonin, so eating a more varied diet that includes some of theses foods can help. Some examples include walnuts, sunflower seeds, almonds, tomatoes, cherries and fennel. A couple of spices that are also excellent sources of the hormone are coriander and cardamom. Since melatonin promotes a healthier metabolism, adding these foods to your diet can help you lose weight and sleep better. If you are finding it hard to eat enough melatonin-rich foods, you can take a high-quality melatonin supplement to help you fall asleep more quickly and enjoy a more restful sleep.

6 Ways to Get Better Sleep for a Strong Immune System

Apr 27 by Ewcopywriting

Even though research into the link between sleep and the immune system is still in its early phase, we have already learned that there is definitely an important correlation. While sleep will benefit your immune system, stress and other factors can still keep you from getting enough rest. These six proven tips can help you get better sleep.

How Are Sleep And Immunity Related?

Most people know that they’re more likely to get sick when they’re not well rested, but research into this area has uncovered some biological reasons for that link. In one study, researchers compared the immune system’s T cells in well-rested subjects to the T cells of subjects who were prohibited from sleeping. They found fewer T cells present in the blood of well-rested subjects, which led them to believe the resting state provides an opportunity for the T cells to be sent to the lymph nodes. Once there, the T cells are assigned to a specific immune response function to help fight off disease or infection.

Research has also found that people who do get enough rest have a higher quantity of memory T cells, which are cells that have the capability of recognizing illnesses that the individual has had previously. Since the T cells are familiar with specific illnesses, they already know how to fight and eliminate those threats to the individual’s health.

Lack of Sleep Harms Your Health in Other Ways

A lack of quality sleep leads to a number of specific health problems as well. One example is the link between insufficient sleep and an increased risk for obesity. During sleep, the body produces a hormone called leptin, which reduces hunger cravings and helps the body burn stored fat for energy. This is why people who don’t sleep well also tend to overeat and struggle with losing fat.

The risk of obesity goes hand in hand with an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, because more stored fat inhibits the body’s ability to produce enough insulin to push fat to the cells. Additionally, insufficient sleep causes the body to produce cortisol, a stress hormone. One of the effects that cortisol has on the body is to make the cells more resistant to insulin, which contributes to the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Research has also found that inadequate sleep can increase the risk of heart disease. In one study, a research team examined the heart health of 4,000 subjects with no previous heart conditions. The subjects who were deprived of sleep exhibited a more pronounced build-up of arterial plaque than those who were permitted to get seven hours of quality sleep each night. These results were consistent, regardless of age, gender, smoking and dietary habits.

What Can You Do to Get Better Sleep?

Many researchers believe there are more undiscovered health benefits that result when we get better sleep. While one night of poor sleep may not have a lasting impact on your health, consistently experiencing sleep difficulties will negatively impact you in a variety of ways. These tips for getting better sleep can help you resolve the difficulties you’re having, so you’ll fall asleep faster and sleep through the night.

Reduce Caffeine Intake

People expose themselves to stimulants consistently throughout the day even more so than they may realize. While you may know that caffeine is a stimulant, you may not know that it can take up to six hours to leave your system. Having your last cup of coffee, tea or soda in the early afternoon hours will provide enough time for the stimulant to dissipate so you can get the rest you need.

Shut Down Early

The screens on electronic devices give off a blue light that interferes with the brain’s circadian rhythm, or biological clock. The light tricks the brain into thinking it’s still daytime, so the release of the hormone that cause sleepiness, melatonin, is inhibited. Sleep researchers recommend shutting down computers and mobile devices at least one hour before bedtime. This will give your brain the time it needs to adjust to the transition from day into night.

Check Your Bedding

The comfort of your sleeping quarters cannot be underestimated when it comes to getting enough quality sleep. A poor mattress, scratchy blankets or worn pillows can interfere with your ability to get to sleep and stay asleep. You can cut corners in any other area of your home’s furnishings, but the bedroom is one place where you should pamper yourself. You’ll be amazed by the difference that a new mattress or softer sheets can provide.

Set the Mood

Your environment is just as important as your bedding when it comes to creating a sleep-friendly atmosphere. If you notice excess lighting spilling into your bedroom from a window or from the corridor, it may be helpful to wear a sleep mask. Similarly, wearing earplugs, or noise-canceling earmuffs, to bed can keep noises from waking you in the night.

You may also find that your room is too warm. Researchers have learned that people sleep better in cooler temperatures, so they recommend setting the thermostat at 60 to 65 degrees at night if possible.

Take Time to Relax

It can also be helpful to find a relaxing hobby to engage in just before bed. Once you power down your electronic devices, use that hour to take a relaxing bath or practice yoga. You can listen to soothing music while you engage in these activities to help your mind get into a more relaxed state. If you don’t feel relaxed by practicing yoga, you can engage in another form of exercise, or find a hobby that relaxes you, such as reading a good book. The activities you choose are up to you as long as you find them relaxing.

Take a Melatonin Supplement

If all else fails, it could be helpful to take a high-quality melatonin supplement before bedtime. Studies have shown that supplementing with melatonin can help people with insomnia to fall asleep faster. Taking a pulsatile-release melatonin formula will help you to fall asleep more quickly and promote a restful sleep throughout the night.