Sleep is a fundamental part of our lives. We spend around a third of our entire time on this earth asleep, which underlines how important a good night's sleep is for us. For a long time, sleep was somewhat neglected by medicine. Short nights were (and in many cases still are) seen as a status symbol in some professions. Over the last few years, however, the picture has changed somewhat.
We now know more about the many molecular pathways that are activated during sleep - and the sometimes serious consequences if we are denied a good night's rest for a long time.
This article is about how we can improve our sleep. Almost one in five Germans suffers from a sleep disorder (insomnia) within a year. We show you the scientific background and explain what steps you can take to improve your sleep and how QNIGHT may be able to help here.
What is insomnia?
First, let's take a look at the term insomnia. The definition is a sleep disorder with disturbance of falling asleep or sleeping through the night or non-restorative night sleep with resulting daytime sleepiness and impairment of everyday activities.
A distinction is made between acute insomnia, which is usually temporary, and chronic insomnia, in which those affected can no longer sleep properly over a longer period of time.
Studies have shown that, the older we get, the more likely we are to fall into one of these categories.
What prevents us from getting a good night's sleep?
The factors are varied and range from excessive exposure to stimuli through media consumption, to increased stress levels and certain underlying diseases. If you suffer from sleep problems, please consult an expert in the field. If in doubt, they can help you with extensive diagnostics.
Luckily, many sleep problems are mild and can be managed with a few tips and tricks. We show you which processes prevent us from sleeping well and what we can do about them.
Stress and sleep - not the best of friends
Our body should find rest during sleep. The pulse slows down and the parasympathetic nervous system (the part of our autonomic nervous system responsible for relaxation) takes over. So it seems logical that stress gets in the way of sleep. It has the exact opposite effect:
- Stress leads to an increased heart rate
- Stress activates the sympathetic nervous system
- When we are stressed, more excitatory (i.e. excitatory) synapses are active in our brain. The activity of GABA (a calming neurotransmitter) is reduced
- Under stress, our body temperature is slightly elevated (but we need a lower body temperature for restful sleep)
These are some examples of how stress prevents us from sleeping at the molecular level.
Stress reduction - but how?
Surely some of these tips will sound familiar to you. They can still be a useful start to improving your sleep hygiene:
- No smartphone in the bedroom
- Stable bedtime ritual
- Relaxation techniques before falling asleep (yoga, meditation)
- Diary: Before going to bed, you can write down your thoughts on paper so that you brood less at night
- No alcohol before going to sleep
- For caffeine-sensitive people. Drink your last cup of coffee before 3 pm if possible
Did You Know Andrew Huberman, a neuroscientist from Stanford, has made it to the top of the podcast charts with his podcast Huberman Lab . One of the first topics he tackled in his university-level episodes was sleep. In it, he describes over several hours how the morning light activates the suprachiasmatic nucleus via our photoreceptors and thus wakes us up. But also how caffeine keeps us awake and why it is advisable to drink your last cup of coffee between 2 and 3 pm.
Cortisol - our stress hormone
Stress manifests itself through different processes in the body. One of the most prominent examples is our "stress hormone", the cortisol. Without this hormone from the adrenal cortex, we could not survive and short spikes of cortisol can even be beneficial to our health. Even when we are in love, our cortisol levels are elevated and make our heart beat faster.
For a short time, cortisol makes us more efficient, alert and attentive. But if cortisol levels are elevated for a longer period of time, this has negative consequences for our body and can be one of the reasons why we don't sleep well.
Have you ever noticed that you don't sleep as deeply the first time you stay overnight in a new environment, z.B. a hotel? This is due to an ancient instinct. The unfamiliar environment makes us more alert, which comes at the expense of sleep. What used to be useful for recognizing enemies in good time is nowadays more of a hindrance.
QNIGHT and stress
Our everyday lives are often stressful enough and no matter how good our intentions are, we often don't make it to yoga or meditation. Are there any other methods of lowering cortisol levels?
There are indeed some micronutrients that have a positive effect on sleep. Valerian, camomile or passionflower you may be familiar with. Specifically responsible for the sleep-promoting effects are secondary plant substances, such as apigeninin camomile.
In addition, the sleep berry known from Ayurvedic medicine, better known as Ashwagandha ,has been shown to be effective in clinical studies for sleep disorders.
Sleep is a hugely important part of a healthy daily routine. In addition to classics such as magnesium, apigenin is also promising for improving sleep quality.
Ashwagandha and sleep
The ashwagandha contained in QNIGHT has been shown in studies to lower cortisol levels and this meta-analysis examined how the plant affects our sleep. Especially in people with insomnia, ashwagandha significantly improved sleep quality, when the participants regularly consumed the sleep berry. Of particular interest is the root of the ashwagandha plant , as it has a significantly higher content than the berry itself.
The molecular effect appears to be due to a reduction in cortisol levels but the GABA-like effect of ashwagandha also plays a role.
What is GABA
GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) is a central inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain that plays a key role in regulating the excitatory states of nerve cells. Its main function is to dampen the activity of our nerve cells, resulting in a calming effect on the brain. Adequate GABA levels are essential for processes such as relaxation, sleep quality and stress management.
Ashwagandha contains ingredients that can act on the GABA system. This includes parts of the nervous system that use GABA as a neurotransmitter. Research suggests that Ashwagandha may be able to enhance the effects of GABA in the brain , similar to the effects of GABA itself or other substances that dock to GABA receptors.
Thus, ashwagandha could potentially help calm the nervous system and promote states of relaxation by indirectly enhancing the GABA effect.
QNIGHT and GABA
The GABAergic system therefore plays an important role in our sleep. The older we get, the less deep sleep (slow-wave sleep) we get . One of the reasons for the decrease in slow-wave sleep is changes in our hormonal axis. In this case, the hormones cortisol, renin and angiotensin (which are needed for blood pressure, among other things) play a role.
The result appears to be a reduced activity of GABA neurons in the brain . In addition to ashwagandha, there is another molecule in QNIGHT that acts on GABA: Magnesium.
This extremely versatile mineral is involved in more than 300 reactions in our body and its concentration also decreases with age. Magnesium can promote GABA activity on the one hand and on the other hand it dampens the excitatory antagonists (NMDA).
Magnesium and its effect on sleep
Magnesium can have a positive effect on sleep in various ways. Firstly, it helps to relax the muscles and nerves . In this study the researchers were also able to show that taking magnesium led to improved sleep with more "slow-wave sleep". Magnesium is therefore extremely versatile.
However, there are many different molecules available and, depending on the magnesium molecule, the bioavailability varies between 4 and 80%! There are only a few formulations that are able to cross the blood-brain barrier and thus have a positive effect on sleep. These include the magnesium bisglycinate.
In the Everyday Essentials Bundle you will find three products for the most common deficiency symptoms in humans. These include vitamin D, omega 3 and magnesium.
Our circadian rhythm
Another aspect that magnesium affects is our circadian rhythm. By this we mean the "internal clock" , which tells us more or less reliably when it is day and when it is night.
Our circadian rhythm is influenced by various factors, both internal and external. One of the players is adenosine , which accumulates in our brain while we are awake. If there is enough adenosine, this creates "sleep pressure". We become tired and while we are dreaming, the adenosine is transported out of the synaptic cleft.
Caffeine also acts at precisely this point in the brain . It blocks our adenosine receptors, giving the impression that we are more "awake". The long half-life of caffeine also explains why a cup of coffee in the late afternoon can prevent us from falling asleep.
In addition to adenosine, there is another molecule that is important for our circadian rhythm: Melatonin
Melatonin - our "sleep hormone"
The science behind melatonin is more complex than it appears at first glance. Put simply, melatonin gives the start signal for sleep . The hormone is produced in the pineal gland and reaches its highest concentration in the evening when we go to bed.
Melatonin levels are influenced by a number of factors. Light is one of the most important. There is also evidence that melatonin levels become lower with age.
Sour cherries have been shown in some studies to improve sleep quality and increase melatonin levels.
Cherry juice against insomnia
Cherries contain anti-inflammatory active secondary plant substances also melatonin and the precursors of the hormone - mainly tryptophan and serotonin . Some studies have already shown that the juice of various sour cherries has a positive effect on sleep. Why is this the caseQNIGHT and tart cherry extract - more than just melatonin
Neben Ashwagandha und Magnesium-Bisglycinate is melaton-containing tart cherry extract the third ingredient in Qsleep thus rounding off the trio for successful relaxation. Tart cherries not only increase the amount of melatonin, they also have very strong anti-inflammatory properties. In this meta-analysis the effect of tart cherry on athletes after a strenuous exercise session was investigated. Inflammation parameters were lower and athletes had a shorter recovery time.
Fazit
QNIGHT contains a potent trio of tart cherry extract (with melatonin), ashwagandha and magnesium bisglycinate . All three molecules act on different aspects of relaxation and have proven their effectiveness in studies. However, the most important aspect for a good night's sleep is and remains healthy sleep hygiene.
