Contents
Sleep fills up to a third of our lives, and its duration is an individual matter. There are people who are satisfied with four hours of sleep. Others, even when they sleep eight hours, do not feel refreshed. Why this is so is not fully known. Sleep researchers speculate that it is influenced by our expectations of sleep, and they cite observations from medical and polytechnic students as an illustration of this phenomenon. Although medical students slept an hour or two shorter than those at the polytechnic, they rated their sleep much better on the sleep quality scales. So why do we get sleepy and when should it really bother us?
It is well known that trouble falling asleep – which has just appeared – is not yet a disease, but a symptom that signals that something disturbing is going on in the body. The problem, however, begins only when, although we feel tired, we cannot sleep. And the condition is chronic. By losing hours of sleep, not only do we feel more and more tired. Good sleep is a prerequisite for health. It regenerates the body, restores strength and delays the aging process. In addition, it slows down the heart rate, lowers blood pressure and slows down the functions of the body. Damaged organs are repaired during sleep. Research has shown that a person’s need for sleep is stronger than the need for food. Meanwhile, in Poland, insomnia affects one third of all adults. The TNS OBOP research shows that 19 percent report having difficulty falling asleep. men and 28 percent. women, and the problem worsens with age. Problems with satisfying this basic need of the body have 5 percent. people up to 24 years of age and 42 percent. over 65 years of age. Young people aged 15 to 19 have more and more problems falling asleep.
Stress and insomnia
Many factors affect the quality and duration of your sleep. One of the most important is stress. Insomnia not only affects the deterioration of physical and mental performance the next day. It is known from the conducted research that people who have trouble falling asleep experience an increased secretion of adrenaline and norepinephrine, i.e. stress hormones, also sometimes called “fear-fight-and-flight hormones”. Adrenaline plays a critical role in the stress mechanism. It causes an accelerated heart rate, an increase in blood pressure, dilation of the bronchi and pupils, etc. It also negatively affects blood glucose and intestinal peristalsis. In this way, the body becomes ready to fight. Chronic stress causes the brain to release more adrenocorticotropic hormone, which stimulates the production of adrenaline and norepinephrine by the adrenal glands. Once the emotions have subsided and the state of readiness has passed, the body’s immunity decreases and exhaustion comes fairly quickly. That is why people who perform stressful work are more likely to contract infections while on vacation.
Source: radioklinika.pl
How to take care of a healthy sleep
Sleep hygiene is essential: regular bedtime, avoiding the use of stimulants such as coffee and cigarettes, and eating before going to bed. Remember that the bed is for sleeping and making love. You shouldn’t read books, watch TV, work, argue or discuss in it. It is also worth getting ready for sleep. Silence, ventilate the bedroom, shade the windows and take a hot bath. When these methods fail, think about what you are eating. Insomnia can be caused by a poor diet, poor in some micro and macro elements. The most important of these is magnesium, which plays a vital role in the body’s stress response. It is also important in the proper functioning of the nervous system. Magnesium increases the production of calcitonin, while acting to reduce the secretion of adrenaline, insulin and parathyroid hormone. This has a positive effect on the calcium and phosphate metabolism, mainly bone metabolism. On the other hand, with a deficiency of magnesium, catecholamines (adrenaline and norepinephrine) responsible for the stress reaction are disturbed, which results in difficulties falling asleep.
Herbal teas, relaxing essential oil and lemon juice are helpful in falling asleep and fighting stress, which you can buy today at Medonet Market in a special Stress Kit. You can also use the natural dietary supplement Sen & Stress Adaptogen, the price of which is currently discounted.
The need for magnesium
Physiology and nutrition experts point out that magnesium intake should be correlated with body weight and should be 4-12 mg / kg body weight. It increases in pregnant and lactating women, as well as during adolescence and recovery from illness. Higher values of magnesium are essential for people who are under stress, “in high gear”, whose emotions keep them awake. Magnesium supplementation should also be implemented in all cigarette smokers, drinkers of alcohol and large amounts of coffee.
Magnesium supplementation – chemical form, content of Mg ions
At first glance, it might seem that magnesium supplementation, which is an effective form of supplementing deficiencies of this element, will not be a problem. After all, there are so many preparations to choose from. But do they all work the same?
Let’s start from the beginning. Medicines and dietary supplements containing magnesium are available in pharmacies. What is actually the difference between them? Magnesium preparations, in order to be registered as drugs, must have full medical documentation. Their introduction to the pharmaceutical market is connected with conducting clinical trials confirming their therapeutic effectiveness, including qualitative, toxicological and pharmacological tests. In the case of a dietary supplement, such tests are not required, which causes, inter alia, that its interactions with other drugs are unknown. Information on whether a given preparation is a drug or a dietary supplement is included in the medication lists and should be provided by the pharmacist.
Another aspect to consider is the chemical form of the magnesium preparation. The results of the research confirmed that the organic salts of magnesium, i.e. citrate, ascorbate, aspartate and lactate, are best absorbed. On the other hand, magnesium oxide is characterized by a low, only 4%, bioavailability. Therefore, the chemical form is the key to effective supplementation. Although the advantage of preparations containing magnesium chelates (compounds with organic acids) is debatable, there are reports of high stability of chelated compounds, which may translate into their bioavailability.
It is also worth paying attention to the content of magnesium ions in individual preparations per mg. In one serving, it ranges from 20 to 150 per mg. That is, in order to obtain the daily physiological dose of magnesium, some preparations would have to be used in the amount of up to 20 tablets a day. The research shows that the highest concentration of magnesium ions is obtained with the use of magnesium citrate.
The preparations also differ in the addition of vitamin B6. This is important because vitamin B6 facilitates the intracellular transport of magnesium ions, i.e. increases the effectiveness of the preparation due to the facilitation of the absorption and transport of magnesium into the cells and ensuring its constant supply in the cells. Pyrodoxine, one of the forms of vitamin B6, is responsible for increasing the concentration of magnesium in plasma and red blood cells, as well as reducing its excretion in the urine.
Do you want to maintain your vitality? Try the Maca root dietary supplement available on Medonet Market. We also recommend Energy – the Panaseus dietary supplement, which is based on natural ingredients and improves both mental and physical well-being. The BoostMe Now Health Labs supplement also has a supportive effect on the brain and improves well-being – when you need to stimulate quickly.