Top 10 habits for better sleep

We all know how important it is to get a good night's sleep. After all, whether we sleep well or poorly has repercussions on our daily lives. A good night's sleep is good for our ability to learn, our memory, our ability to concentrate, our emotional balance, our body's repair, and so on.

And we've all had a night when we had trouble falling asleep. All this tumult is often caused by excess stress. In our fast-paced society, it's not easy to have the peace and quiet of restful nights. But other factors can also influence our sleep, such as digestive or metabolic problems, or a lack of physical activity, which makes it difficult to fall asleep and/or wake up at night.

Given that sleep accounts for a third of our lives, this recovery time is of the utmost importance for our balance and well-being. In our sleep dynamic, it's not necessarily a question of getting a good night's sleep, but rather the quality of that sleep that makes all the difference. The feeling of a good night's sleep is always accompanied by a sense of being well rested and ready to tackle life's tasks with gusto. Otherwise, it leads to accumulated fatigue, diminished vitality, the need to sleep during the day, headaches and so on..^{1, 2, 3}

Daytime stress influences our sleep

Stress upsets our biorhythm. When we wake up in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep, cortisol (a hormone produced by the adrenal glands) rises uncontrollably.

In the morning, it's the rise in cortisol that puts us in 'action' mode. In the evening, it's melatonin that takes over, putting us to sleep.

Stress has repercussions on our natural rhythms: it's hard to wake up in the morning, could it be that my cortisol is too low or, I'm having trouble falling asleep, maybe my cortisol is too high and my melatonin is too low? To get a good night's sleep, you need to adopt good lifestyle habits during the day to encourage hormones at the right time..⁸

Tips for better night-time sleep 

Top 10 sleep habits

• Exercise during the day to manage cortisol levels
• Listen for sleep signals (blinking, yawning, heavy eyelids, etc.)
• Sleep in a pleasant environment
• It's best not to go to bed hungry (have a snack if you feel the need).
• Sleep on your side (according to studies, sleeping on your side is conducive to a good opening of the respiratory tract, and therefore to good sleep).
• Practice relaxation before going to sleep by meditating, listening to soothing music, doing guided relaxation, etc.
• Maintain a cool temperature in your bedroom, and make sure your bed is dedicated exclusively to sleep.
• Keep the bedroom completely dark, to stimulate melatonin (the sleep hormone).
• A silent bedroom, i.e. without ticking clocks, etc.
• Sleep with pillows between your knees (good for posture and prevents your body from rolling onto its back during the night).^{1, 2, 4}

Bad habits that affect sleep

• Don't drink tea or coffee in the afternoon (avoid stimulants after 4:00 p.m.)
• Avoiding physical activity in the evening
• Do not take hot baths
• Don't have screens in the bedroom, and turn them off an hour before going to bed (electronic devices emit blue light, which is very stimulating).
• Avoid eating and drinking too late (going to the bathroom interrupts restorative sleep).^{1, 2, 4}

Sleep cycles

Putting the whole organism to rest is one of the challenges of our era. Our sleep is made up of different stages that follow one another throughout the night and change with age, due to the insufficiency of the sleep hormone (melatonin), which comes from the pineal gland at the base of our brain. Regardless of age, the stages are differentiated, over 8 continuous hours (ideally). Sleep is made up of 90-minute cycles. We speak of sleep onset, light slow wave sleep, deep slow wave sleep and REM sleep, the sleep of dreams and memory..^{3, 5}

Better sleep with Deep Sleep from Genuine Health

Deep Sleep is a natural supplement from Genuine Health formulated to help you get a better night's sleep..⁷ 

It can help complete sleep cycles from the beginning to the end of the night. This 5-ingredient formula helps you fall asleep quickly, stay asleep all night and wake up feeling refreshed.

It's a combination of L-theanine, Gaba, magnesium and reishi mushroom. Let's take a look at the role of each ingredient in this sleep formula.⁷

Deep Sleep combines 5 natural ingredients

Reishi mushroom : An adaptogen promoting intestinal well-being, reishi relieves stress. It has been shown to reduce the time it takes to fall asleep, increase the time spent sleeping and improve sleep quality..⁷ 

L-Theanine L-theanine is an amino acid found in tea that has a relaxing, non-drowsy effect. It reduces stress-induced tension while keeping you alert. It helps maintain concentration, thereby improving learning and alertness. In this way, it promotes good quality sleep without a direct sedative effect.

L-theanine calms repetitive thoughts. It is invaluable for students at exam time, hyperactive people or those with attention deficit disorders. In short, it promotes mood balance..⁶

GABA : Gaba (gamma-aminobutyric acid) is a chemical messenger widely distributed in the brain. It is the main central nervous system inhibitory neurotransmitter naturally produced by the body. Its function is to reduce nerve activity in the neurons to which it binds.

Some researchers believe that GABA also plays a role in the ability to control fear and/or anxiety, which manifests itself as neuronal overexcitation.

L-Theanine and GABA: Synergistically promote sleep by signaling the brain (via the gut) to reduce stress. Their action also increases alpha brainwave activity to promote restful sleep..⁷

Magnesium Magnesium is an important mineral, playing a role in over 300 enzymatic reactions in the body. It is essential for the nervous and muscular systems, arterial regulation and the proper functioning of the immune system. It plays an important role in obtaining deep sleep, as it is involved in the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone..^{6, 7}

Melatonin : Melatonin, also known as the sleep hormone, is secreted by a gland in the brain, the epiphysis or pineal gland. It is produced in the absence of light. It gradually increases in the evening and decreases in the early hours of the morning, until you wake up.

The product Deep Sleep contains a dose of melatonin to help you fall asleep without becoming addictive. An effective dose for sustained use.⁷

Let's cultivate restful sleep with Deep Sleep!

About the author

Marie Couture, Certified Naturopath

Specialized in :

• Digestive disorders
•  Inflammation
• Hormonal problems
• Stress management

References :

1. Joyeux Pr. Henri, Joyeux Jean, Manger mieux et meilleur de 0 à 100 ans (in French only)éditions du Rocher, 2017, 326 pages

2. Habib Dr. Navaz, Activate your vagus nerveEdtions Thierry Souccar, 2020, 238 pages

3. Marieb Elaine, Anatomy and physiologyERPI, 1999, 1194 pages

4. https://www.orkyn.fr/parlons-questions-reponses/bienfaits-dun-sommeil-efficace#:~:text=Un%20bon%20sommeil%20favorise%20%C3%A9galement,de%20d%C3%A9pression%2C%2

5. http://www.psychomedia.qc.ca/sommeil/2008-08-15/quels-sont-les-stades-ou-phases-du-sommeil

6. https://www.supernutrition.fr/magnesium-et-sommeil/

7. https://genuinehealth.ca/products/deep-sleep?_pos=1&_sid=d13bc6aa4&_ss=r

8. https://www.brain-effect.com/fr/magazin/cortisol-hormone-du-stress#:~:text=Le%20cortisol%20est%20l'antagoniste,sentir%20en%20forme%20le%20lendemain.