Pocket these tips for better quality sleep the all-natural way

Our obsession with smartphones, long office hours or shift work during uni days is wreaking havoc on the modern body clock, as difficulty sleeping continues to cause a massive headache for millennials and gen z.

A survey by the Sleep Health Foundation found one in three Australians are sleep deprived which not only makes us look a little worse for wear, it damages our health and relationships too.

We all know the feelings of exhaustion and moodiness that follows a poor night of sleep but not getting enough of both Rapid Eye Movement (REM) and non-REM sleep also means you miss out on vital body processes.

Sleep Yourself Healthy

During sleep our body has time to recuperate and reset. Research shows that sleep helps our immune T cells to attach properly. The TLDR is that this means our immune system needs rest to be able to fight off viruses.

In recent decades this escalating issue of sleep deprivation has seen increasing reliance on potentially harmful sleeping tablets and opioids, leading to issues with addiction and countless other unwanted and sometimes detrimental effects.

The main risk of sleeping pills is that you become dependent on them. This means they become less effective, you can’t sleep well without them, and you may feel unwell, or worse, become unable to sleep at all when you try to stop.

But we are seeing a positive trend away from sleeping tablets, reports Peta Teuma, the Chief Naturopath with premium New Zealand supplements brand, GO Healthy, which has been operating in Australia since 2018.

A 1000-person survey conducted by Research Now on behalf of GO Healthy found almost one in six Australians were now turning to sleep-inducing supplements to aid their rest and a majority would choose good sleep over good sex!

Let’s Talk Natural Options

Responding to the public interest, experts have been looking at what works best for a sound sleep, drawing on a mix of traditional eastern and western medicines to create a safe way to support falling and staying asleep for longer.

One unlikely hero to emerge in this war against wakefulness is the dried fruit flesh of sour cherries, which can be paired with natural sedative passionflower to help restless minds. Sour cherry is a traditional herbal remedy for sleep as it is naturally high in melatonin, a regulator of sleep hormones.

“Passionflower is a herb I recommended frequently as a naturopath as it is traditionally used as a mild sedative and anxiolytic or anxiety aid,” Peta explains. “I find it valuable to reduce mild agitation for people who become frustrated easily and find it difficult to calm down and relax.”

Zizyphus is another herb to regain popularity recently. It is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine used as a mild sedative and a way to reduce core body temperature for those afflicted by night sweats.

All Hail Magnesium

But there’s one supplement that tends to reign supreme when it comes to both sleep and general wellbeing – magnesium.

Studies have shown that long term sleep deprivation compounds the problem by reducing magnesium stores. Magnesium is also a GABA agonist, which means it works with the nervous system’s receptors to produce a sedative affect, helping to promote relaxation.

“With magnesium involved in the contraction and relaxation of muscles, it may also help to relieve the discomfort of night-time cramps which can disturb people’s sleep. Nocturnal cramps can be quite distressing and disruptive to the sleep cycle.”

Statistically speaking, there’s a good chance your body isn’t getting the magnesium it needs, but it’s always worth chatting to your healthcare professional if you have concerns.

It is estimated that almost two thirds of the western world’s population are not getting adequate daily levels of magnesium in their diets, which may lead to problems with anxiety, muscle spasms, cramps and restless legs.

“The very best way to consume magnesium is of course through your diet – so include leafy green vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, avocados and some oily fish,” Peta says.

“But you do need a considerably large volume to get adequate intake, and many foods contain less magnesium than they used to thanks in part to changes in soil and agricultural methods, so supplementation has become a popular choice,” she explains.

GO Healthy stays on the cutting edge of research and looks to constantly challenge the status quo. New Zealand’s No.1 Selling Supplements brand in pharmacies selectively sources the best ingredients from around the world and its comprehensive testing guarantees quality and purity.

GO Healthy products are available at leading pharmacies nationally. For more information or to find a stockist click here.

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