Sleep is an elementary part of our lives. We spend about a third of our entire time on this earth sleeping, which underlines how important a night's rest is for us. For a long time, sleep was treated somewhat neglectfully by medicine. Short nights were (and often 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 nightly rest for a longer period of 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 will show you the scientific background and explain what steps you can take to improve your sleep and how QNIGHT can possibly support here.
What is insomnia?
First, let us take a look at the term insomnia. definition is sleep disorder with difficulty falling asleep or sleeping through the night or unrefreshing night sleep with the resulting daytime fatigue and Impairment of daily activities.
A distinction is made between acute insomnia, which are usually limited in time and chronic insomniain which those affected are no longer able to sleep properly for a longer period of time.
Studies have shown The older we get, the greater the risk of falling into one of these categories.
What prevents us from getting a good night’s sleep?
The factors are diverse and range from excessive stimulation through media consumption, above increased stress levels up to certain underlying diseasesIf you are suffering from sleep problems, please consult an expert in the field. If in doubt, they can help you with comprehensive diagnostics.
Fortunately, many sleep problems are mild and can be managed with a few tips and tricksWe will show you which processes prevent us from getting a healthy sleep and what we can do about it.
Stress and sleep – not the best of friends
During sleep, our body is supposed to find rest. The pulse slows down and the parasympathetic nervous system (the part of our autonomic nervous system that is responsible for relaxation) takes over. It seems logical that stress gets in the way of our sleep. It has the exact opposite effect:
- Stress leads to a increased heart rate
- stress activates the sympathetic nervous system
- When we are stressed, our brain has more excitatory (i.e. excitatory) synapses are active.The activity of GABA (a calming neurotransmitter) is reduced
- under stress our Body temperature slightly elevated (but for a restful sleep we need a lower body temperature)
These are some examples of how stress prevents us from sleeping at the molecular level.
Stress reduction – but how?
Some of these tips will probably sound familiar to you, but 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 don't worry as much at night
- No alcohol before bed
- For people sensitive to caffeine. Drink the last cup of coffee before 3 pm if possible
Did you know? Andrew Huberman, a neuroscientist from Stanford, has developed his podcast Huberman Lab to the top of the podcast charts One of the first topics he has dealt with in his university-level episodes is the Sleep. He describes over several hours how the morning light activates the nucleus suprachiasmaticus 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 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” that cortisolWithout this hormone from the adrenal cortex, we could not survive and short spikes of cortisol can even be beneficial to our health. When we are in love, our cortisol levels are also increased and make our heart beat faster.
For a short time, cortisol makes us more efficient, alert and attentive. But if the cortisol levels are sufficient for increased for a longer period of time, this has negative consequences for our body and can be one of the reasons why we do not sleep well.
Have you ever noticed that you don't sleep as deeply the first time you spend the night in a new environment, such as a hotel? This is due to an ancient instinct. The new environment makes us more alert, which comes at the expense of sleep. What used to be useful for spotting enemies in time is now 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 manage to do yoga or meditation. Are there other methods to lower cortisol levels?
There are indeed some micronutrientsthat have a positive effect on sleep. Valerian, chamomile or passionflower you may know.Specifically responsible for the sleep-promoting effects are secondary plant substances, like that apigenin in the chamomile.
In addition, the Ayurvedic medicine known as Indian ginseng, better known as Ashwagandha, have shown their effectiveness in treating sleep disorders in clinical studies.
Sleep is an extremely important part of a healthy daily routine. In addition to classics such as magnesium, apigenin also shows promise for improving sleep quality.
Ashwagandha and Sleep
The Ashwagandha contained in QNIGHT was able to reduce cortisol levels in studies and in this meta-analysis It was investigated how the plant affects our sleep. Especially in In people with insomnia, Ashwagandha significantly improved sleep quality, when the participants regularly consumed the Indian berry. Particularly interesting is the root of the Ashwagandha plant, as it has a significantly higher content than the berry itself.
The molecular effect seems to be mediated by a reduction of cortisol levels but the GABA-like effect of Ashwagandha also plays a role.
What is GABA?
GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) is a central, inhibitory messenger substance in the brain that plays a key role in regulating the excitation states of nerve cells. Its main function is to dampen the activity of our nerve cells, which has a calming effect on the brain. An adequate GABA level is essential for processes such as relaxation, sleep quality and stress management.
Ashwagandha contains ingredients that can affect the GABA system, which includes parts of the nervous system that use GABA as a neurotransmitter. Research suggests that Ashwagandha may enhance the effects of GABA in the brain, similar to the effect of GABA itself or other substances that bind to GABA receptors.
Ashwagandha could therefore potentially help calm the nervous system and promote states of relaxation by indirectly increasing GABA effects.
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 getOne of the reasons for the decrease in slow-wave sleep is changes in our hormonal axis. In this case, the hormones cortisol, as well as renin and angiotensin (which are needed for blood pressure, among other things) play a role.
The result seems to be a reduced activity of GABA neurons in the brainIn 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, on the one hand, promote GABA activity 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 a number of ways. Firstly, it helps with relaxation of 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 overcome the blood-brain barrier and thus have a positive effect on sleep. This includes the QNIGHT included magnesium bisglycinate.
In the Everyday Essentials Bundle you will find three products for the most common deficiencies 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 actors is the adenosinewhich accumulates in our brain while we are awake. If there is enough adenosine, a "sleep pressure" is created. We become tired and while we dream, the adenosine is transported out of the synaptic cleft.
caffeine also acts exactly at this point in the brainIt blocks our adenosine receptors, giving the impression that we are more "awake." But the long half-life of caffeine also explains why a late afternoon cup of coffee 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 seems at first glance. To put it simply, there are Melatonin is the starting signal for sleepThe hormone is produced in the pineal gland produced and reaches its highest concentration in the evening when we go to bed.
Melatonin levels are influenced by several factors. Light is one of the most important. There is also evidence that melatonin levels decrease with age.
In some studies, sour cherries were able to improve sleep quality and increase melatonin levels.
Cherry juice for insomnia?
Cherries contain anti-inflammatory effective secondary plant substances also melatonin and the precursors of the hormone – mainly tryptophan and serotoninSome studies have already shown that the juice of various sour cherries has a positive effect on sleep. Why is this the case?QNIGHT and sour cherry extract – more than just melatonin
Next to Ashwagandha and magnesium bisglycinate is melatonin-containing sour cherry extract the third ingredient in Qsleep and thus rounds off the trio for successful relaxation. The sour cherry not only increases the amount of melatonin, it also has very strong anti-inflammatory properties. In this meta-analysis The effect of sour cherries on athletes after a strenuous exercise session was investigated. Inflammation parameters were lower and athletes had a shorter recovery time.
Conclusion
QNIGHT contains a potent trio of sour cherry extract (with melatonin), ashwagandha and magnesium bisglycinateAll three molecules affect 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.
