Sleep

Omega-3 for Kids: Why You Should Boost Your Child’s Intake

The therapeutic properties of omega-3s can help in the treatment of many short-term ailments while also providing protection against long-term health conditions. But omega-3 fatty acids are not just beneficial for adults; research has proven that there is no shortage of health benefits of omega-3 for kids. This important fatty acid can produce a profound effect on children’s short-term and long-term health.

Here is what you need to know about omega-3 fatty acids, how they can boost your child’s health and wellness in a variety of ways and how you can ensure that your child is getting sufficient amounts of this nutrient.

What Are Omega-3 Fatty Acids?

If you have spent any time researching vitamins and minerals, you have likely run across studies documenting the many benefits of omega-3 fatty acids. But what are omega-3s exactly? These fatty acids are vital to many health functions, most specifically fetal development, immunity strength, heart health and brain function.

Because your body does not produce these fatty acids on its own, they are considered essential. This means that you need to be proactive about getting them from food and other supplements.

There are three primary types of omega-3 fatty acids. You can find alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) in plant foods, including some vegetables, nuts, seeds and vegetable oils. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are found in fatty fish such as tuna and salmon. Many people also choose to obtain their EPA and DHA from supplements.

Omega-3 for Kids Benefits

Although the generous health benefits of omega-3s is well-documented, it has been more recently that the advantages of this fatty acid for the growing bodies of children has come into light. These benefits include both physical health advantages and an improvement of mental wellness. Here are some of the most compelling reasons to incorporate omega-3 fatty acids into your child’s diet.

Protects Against Asthma

A study out of the UK shed light on how the intentional intake of more omega-3 fatty acids can offer protection against asthma. The intake of these acids provides a preventative measure in the development of asthma in children.

Boosts Brain Health

What parent does not want to boost their child’s brain function? Kids who regularly eat fatty fish or take an omega-3 supplement have been shown to score higher on intelligence quotient (IQ) tests. In addition, multiple studies have demonstrated that omega-3 supplements may decrease the symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Encourages Healthy Sleep Patterns

One of the reasons that children enjoy better mental health and brain function due to the intake of omega-3s is because this fatty acid also encourages healthy sleep patterns. The studies show that regular intake of omega-3s reduces sleep disturbances, supporting healthy sleep patterns.

Lowers Cholesterol Levels

Supplementing with essential fatty acids has been shown to offer protection to kids with unhealthy cholesterol levels. The protection is vital because it helps to guard against the development of heart disease later down the road. The intake of this nutrient provides this protection by increasing the level of healthy omega-3 fatty acids in the bloodstream. The research showed that an omega-3 supplement has the potential of changing the lipid profile of a child’s bloodstream, lowering their risk of heart disease later in life.

How to Incorporate More Omega-3s into Your Child’s Diet

While you may have to work a little harder to incorporate omega-3s into your child’s diet when compared with more accessible nutrients, it is still within reach if you are diligent about this practice. The amount of omega-3s needed to see optimal benefits largely depends on the age and size of your child. Your healthcare provider will be a good resource when determining the dosage goal that is appropriate for your child.

Start with looking at ways to incorporate the omega-3s through food. The gold standard for omega-3s is cold-water fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, mackerel and sardines. Other good food choices include nuts, seeds and plant oils. Walnuts, chia seeds, flax and canola oil are some of the most accessible foods for children.

Fortunately, many of today’s most kid-friendly foods are also fortified with omega-3s, making it even easier for your child to hit the recommended intake for optimal health. It is a good idea to get in the habit of reading labels to find foods that are high in this fatty acid.

Supplements also provide an extra layer of insurance for your omega-3 needs. There are a number of omega-3 supplements designed with a child’s growing body in mind, giving you the assurance that your child will not be deficient in this crucial building block for good health.

As more evidence pours in, it becomes even more obvious that kids can benefit from omega-3 fatty acids. Health-savvy parents would be wise to consider using these fatty acids as a means to supporting optimal health and wellness for their children.

How COVID-19 Lockdowns Affect the Immune System

May 05 by Ewcopywriting

In the past, it was revealed that the COVID-19 lockdowns and self-isolation contributed to a rise in emotional health problems. While this is disturbing in itself, an additional concern has been that these practices may have also had adverse effects on physical health by compromising the strength of the immune system in certain cases. Learn more about how COVID-19 lockdowns affect the immune system.

New Research Examines How COVID-19 Lockdowns Affect the Immune System

How COVID-19 lockdowns affect the immune system has become a common concern among many people in recent times. The concern is that isolation and social distancing could be contributing to poor immune system health by preventing people from exposing themselves to the bacteria, viruses and germs that would otherwise force the immune system to maintain stronger defenses.

Fortunately, lockdowns and isolation should not cause the immune system to lose the knowledge it has acquired in the past, so there’s no reason to believe that your body will no longer be able to fight off disease-causing microbes. By the time an individual reaches early adulthood, the body has already learned to fight off common threats to health. Even after a period of lockdowns and self-isolation, the immune systems of healthy adults should still be strong enough to eliminate most common microbial threats.

The story is a little different for children. When babies are born, they have the immune system that’s necessary to fight off diseases, but a lack of exposure to microbial threats means the child’s immunity isn’t fully developed. Young children need to be exposed to bacteria, germs and other threats to help their immune systems learn how to combat those threats. Doctors believe decreased exposure to these threats through more sanitary play and learning environments could be responsible for the increased incidences of eczema, hay fever, asthma and other respiratory conditions.

In short, exposure to microbial threats isn’t as necessary to continued immunity as many people believe it to be. This exposure is essential during pregnancy and through the first few months of infancy, but it becomes less important as the child ages. Instead, good hygiene and sanitary environments are actually more helpful to the immune system as children grow older. Professor Sally F. Bloomfield adds that it’s impossible to maintain an environment that’s completely free of hazardous microbes regardless of how frequently a parent cleans. As soon as those microbes are removed, more will come along to contaminate the same surface.

The answer is that moderate exposure to microbes is beneficial to immunity, but good hygiene practices are also important. For instance, taking the family for a daily “lockdown walk” to get some exercise is a good way to stay safe but also get exposure to an outdoor environment. Even allowing young children to play with friends at a playground can be beneficial; just be sure they wash their hands as soon as they get home. As more studies on how COVID-19 lockdowns affect the immune system get underway, researchers hope to find more information about how lockdowns, social distancing and self-isolation affect unborn babies and teen children.

Natural Ways to Boost the Strength of Your Immune System

If you’re concerned about keeping your immune system strong in a post-COVID world, there are plenty of natural ways you can boost your immune system. Here are a few suggestions that you can implement with your family to help keep everyone safe and healthy.

Regulate Your Circadian Rhythm

Your circadian rhythm is the biological clock that manages the various systems throughout your body. New research has found that it also regulates the release of microphages, which are immune cells that attack unwanted bacteria throughout the body.

When your circadian rhythm is disrupted, microphages can’t properly fight off disease-causing microbes. This is why people with irregular sleeping patterns have a greater risk of developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, cancer and other degenerative illnesses.

Proteins released by the circadian system help to regulate the production of enzymes and hormones, which, in turn, affect the functioning of the immune system. However, the positive proteins that regulate this system are sometimes blocked by negative proteins. This blockage remains in effect until the negative proteins degrade. This is a condition that can quickly create a cycle in which the positive and negative proteins are continuously interacting, preventing the positive proteins from functioning. Researchers believe these findings confirm that our circadian rhythm plays a key role in keeping our immune systems functioning optimally.

Get Better Sleep

Even though you may know that sleep is important for your health, it’s specifically vital to the production of T cells. These are the cells the immune system sends to lymph nodes, where those cells are then assigned specific tasks. In studies conducted on sleep, it was discovered that people who were denied sleep exhibited a T cell deficiency. T cells contain memory, which allows them to learn how to fight specific threats and store that information for future use.

To maintain a higher count of T cells, you can improve the quality of your sleep with the following tips:

Stop drinking caffeine six hours before bed.
Turn off your mobile device one hour before bed.
Replace scratchy or uncomfortable bedding.
Create a restful atmosphere by turning up the AC, wearing earplugs and putting on a sleep mask.
Engage in a relaxing activity, such as taking a warm bath, meditating or practicing yoga.
Take a sleep supplement that contains melatonin.

Other Methods for Boosting Immunity

There are many more ways to naturally boost your immune system, such as:

eating more plant-based foods
quitting smoking
reducing your consumption of alcohol
reducing your intake of refined sugar, trans-fat and cholesterol
exercising for 30 minutes each day

If you’re still concerned about your immune system’s strength, talk to your doctor. Your primary care physician will be familiar with your medical history, giving them the information to provide you with insight tailored to your situation. Under the guidance of your doctor, you can ensure you’ll live a longer and healthier life.

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.

Serotonin Deficiency: Symptoms and Treatment

Aug 12 by Ewcopywriting

Serotonin (also referred to as 5-hydroxytryptamine or 5-HT) is a chemical messenger that helps the nerve cells in the body communicate. While serotonin was discovered by scientists over 60 years ago, the study of its importance to healthy body function continues to evolve. A serotonin deficiency has been linked to a variety of physical and mental health issues, making it important that you recognize and treat the problem. Here are a few things to know about this neurotransmitter that may help shed light on potential health issues as well as ideas on how you can boost serotonin levels naturally.

Why is Serotonin Important to Overall Well-being?

Your body produces serotonin from the essential amino acid tryptophan. The body sends signals between nerve cells through this vital neurotransmitter. While serotonin is primarily found in the digestive system, it is also present in various areas of the central nervous system, such as the brain, as well in blood platelets.

Getting adequate amounts of nutrients like tryptophan, vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids and certain B vitamins is necessary for your body to produce adequate levels of serotonin. Tryptophan is especially important when it comes to serotonin production. Without enough tryptophan in your diet, you may experience lower-than-desired levels of serotonin.

Serotonin is instrumental in a variety of bodily functions. This chemical modulates almost every behavioral function in the human body, including mood, aggression, memory, appetite, sexual function, anger and more. This means that serotonin plays a critical role in achieving adequate amounts of sleep, enjoying a positive mindset, experiencing good digestive support, having a rewarding sex life and much more. In fact, it is easier to find something that serotonin does not have a hand in than to try to list all of the functions that it touches.

What Causes Serotonin Deficiency?

There are a number of factors that may lead to a deficiency in serotonin. Because serotonin comes from tryptophan, a deficiency in this amino acid may cause serotonin levels to drop below an acceptable level. When a deficiency is present, it can be difficult to ascertain what is causing it precisely because serotonin has so many functions.

Scientists know that some of the most common causes of seroconin deficiency include changes in the brain related to age, not eating the right mix of healthy foods, chronic stress, poor exercise habits and inadequate amounts of natural light exposure. While it is possible to test serotonin levels, most physicians will try to evaluate possible conditions related to low levels of the neurotransmitter.

What Are the Symptoms of Serotonin Deficiency?

Low levels of serotonin can manifest through both physical and mental health issues. Some of the most common physical symptoms that may indicate a deficiency in this crucial chemical include problems with movement or balance, sexual issues as such as premature ejaculation and difficulties with digestion and incontinence. Individuals with low serotonin may also experience problems with wound healing because of poor blood clotting ability as well as unexplained chronic pain.

Low serotonin levels may also present through mental health problems. Some of the most common indicators of this deficiency include unexplained depression or anxiety, issues with memory or concentration and schizophrenia. Because serotonin helps to regulate sleep patterns, you may have problems falling or staying asleep if you are low on this neurotransmitter. Other symptoms of a deficiency include hyperactivity and issues related to sexual function such as changes in desire and the ability to find pleasure in sexual activity.

How to Boost Serotonin Levels Naturally

The good news is that there are many things that you can do to boost your serotonin levels naturally. Here are just a few ideas to consider if you or your doctor suspect serotonin deficiency.

Seek Out Natural Light

In addition to treating various types of seasonal depression, exposing yourself to natural light can help to boost serotonin levels. If this is a challenge for you because of your climate or lifestyle, you may want to consider using a light therapy lamp.

Focus on Emotional Well-being

Because serotonin levels and mental health are linked, it is recommended that you make your emotional well-being a priority. You can do this by being diligent about reducing chronic levels of stress in your life. Some people also find success in boosting serotonin through the use of psychotherapy. Engaging in these types of cognitive or behavioral therapies can have a positive effect on serotonin levels so that you feel better emotionally.

Get Moving

As with many health conditions, a little exercise can go a long way in helping to combat a myriad of issues. Regular exercise has been shown to raise serotonin levels, giving you just one more reason to commit to a consistent routine.

Watch Your Diet

Focusing on good nutrition can play a pivotal role in encouraging the production of serotonin. In addition to general nutritional guidelines with whole foods as the base, be sure to include foods rich in tryptophan such as turkey, pineapple, tofu, nuts, and chickpeas.

Take a Natural Supplement

Taking a high-quality natural supplement like Tryptochron® can help support healthy serotonin levels in the brain. Tryptochron® provides L-tryptophan, 5-HTP and vitamins B3 (niacin) and B6 (pyridoxine) in a patented formulation to help relieve certain symptoms of serotonin deficiency.

If you feel as if you are not quite yourself lately, it may be a prudent idea to get your serotonin levels checked out. Getting to the root of any possible deficiency will help you to live a healthier and happier life.

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.