Sleep problems in adults tend to continue for periods of time without resolution, and they complicate our lives by making it more difficult to work, resulting in another source of stress.
Hormones And Neurotransmitters
Hormones and neurotransmitters govern our wake-sleep cycle. We rely on dopamine to give us drive, acetylcholine for strength, thinking and movement, and the wideawake neurotransmitter noradrenaline to give us focus and attention for our tasks during the day. These neurotransmitters are made from nutrients commonly found in foods, such as the amino acid L-tyrosine and choline, found in egg yolks.
Serotonin
Serotonin on the other hand is very relaxing even to the point of helping us fall asleep. Serotonin is made from the amino acid L-tryptophan, which is found in most protein foods, to varying degrees, however.
Foods high in L-tryptophan include milk and turkey. When tryptophan is taken with carbohydrates, this tends to form serotonin and help us to sleep. So turkey at lunchtime may not be a good choice, while milk and a biscuit before bed may be just the thing to help a child drop off to sleep.
Melatonin
Melatonin, a hormone of the pineal gland, brings on sleep, and in some countries, one can buy it as a supplement to assist with sleep on flights. However, it is not a natural answer for regular use, as your own system should produce it.
Sleep Assisting Medicines
Many medicines to assist with sleep work like neurotransmitters, but very often they can upset the natural balance of these brain chemicals, affecting our energy during the day, so a natural approach is always welcome.
However very often the problem may not lie exactly with the neurotransmitters or hormones, but rather with an underlying imbalance in the diet. Sleep problems tend to become more prominent as we get older, and it can make all the difference if we have a way to ensure that we get good sleep.
The Natural Approach To Aid Sleep
One of the simplest ways to correct this is to take calcium and magnesium before bed. This is a truly natural approach. These minerals both support the nervous system in a beneficial way. Alternatives may be to take milk, yoghurt, or cheese before bed to ensure a supply of calcium, but all of these have disadvantages. Any liquids such as milk, or yoghurt, in particular, could cause reflux in susceptible individuals, while the high-fat levels in most cheeses could be considered inadvisable for an older person to take before bed when the circulation tends to slow down naturally.
This is where a supplement of calcium and magnesium with supporting nutrients can come in. This kind of dietary improvement can make a noticeable difference in the quality of sleep.
Just two Tony Quinn Educohealth Bone and Nerve Formula capsules can provide suitable and very effective amounts of calcium and magnesium, with supportive Vitamins D and K2, before bed. These would be best taken on their own with some water only.
Written by Martin Forde – Naturopath & Osteopath
