Sleep truly is at the base of the health pyramid. It is such a vital pillar of health that so often gets neglected. According to Statistics Canada, Canadians are not getting enough sleep¹ and insomnia affects a large percentage of the population on a situational, recurrent and chronic basis². Now as the world is facing this current global pandemic, it is likely that sleep disturbances have only increased as a result of stress, anxiety and the upsets in people’s daily routines and normal sleep patterns. To correct this, it often takes a multi-tiered approach requiring you to correct poor, long held sleep hygiene practices along with the use of herbal, mineral and vitamin formulas to get back on track.

Support Your Biological Clock

It takes practice to learn how to work with and adjust your own biologic clock, or circadian rhythm. Melatonin, your sleep hormone, works inversely to cortisol, your stress hormone. When it starts to get dark outside, your brain receives a signal to start producing melatonin, which makes you sleepy. Your cortisol levels should simultaneously begin to lower, while your melatonin levels rise and should be peak in the middle of the night. As night turns into day and dusk sets in, the opposite should occur – your cortisol should start to rise to make you alert and your melatonin should taper off. These two hormones work in a fine-tuned balance and both need to be addressed to help regulate your sleep. 

Be Consistent with Your Bedtime Routine

Establish a bedtime routine that works for you. Your bedtime routine should start 1 to 2 hours before you go to bed and should include any activity that you enjoy if it is in the realm of soothing, relaxing, restorative and sleep-promoting. Sipping a cup of herbal tea, reading, journaling, or taking a warm bath are all great sleep-inducing activities you can incorporate. Whichever activity you choose, just remember to do it often as consistency is the key to settling into any new, long lasting routine. 

Adjust Your Sleep Environment

Your sleep environment should be dark, cool, cozy, and quiet. Melatonin helps to cool your body internally, but make sure your thermostat is cooling your external environment as well. Another sleep wellness tip is to aim for a bedroom temperature of 18°C for optimal sleep³. Try cracking open a window to let in some cool air, as long as the external environment is not too noisy.

Choose the Right Sleep Support for You

One way to support and reset your sleep pattern is to use a supplement. Harmony My Sleep contains magnesium along with a synergistic blend of the herbs – Hops, Ziziphus and Sour Cherry. These herbs have been used for centuries as traditional medicines to calm the mind and to gently relieve insomnia, restlessness, nervousness and irritability. Sour cherry, also known as tart cherry, contains naturally occurring melatonin⁴. Hops is a mild sedative, sleep-inducing herb, while Ziziphus is used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for its mood-enhancing, calming and neuroprotective qualities. Magnesium is an essential mineral that has been shown in studies to improve sleep time and sleep efficiency⁵.

A truly unique, multi-herbal formula, Harmony My Sleep is vegan friendly, dairy-free and gluten-free. When taken on a regular basis, My Sleep can help you get your sleep back into balance.

References
1. Chaput, J-P, Yau, Jessica, Rao, Deepa, Morin, Charles (2018). Health Reports: Prevalence of insomnia for Canadians aged 6 to 79. Statistics Canada. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/82-003-x/2018012/article/00002-eng.htm
2. Morin CM, Benca R. Chronic insomnia. Lancet 2012; 379(9821): 1129-41.
3. Walker, M. (2017). Why We Sleep – Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams. Penguin Random House.
4. Howatson, G, Bell, P & Talent, J. (2011). Effect of tart cherry juice (Prunus cerasus) on melatonin levels and enhanced sleep quality. European Journal of Nutrition, 909-916.
5. Schwalfenberg, G, Genuis, S. (2017). The Importance of Magnesium in Clinical Healthcare. Scientifica (Cairo), 2-14.

About the Author: Martin & Pleasance

For over 150 years Martin & Pleasance has provided an extensive range of natural remedies and medicines based on a commitment to integrity, quality and innovation. They are committed to providing premium products, which combine traditional and scientific knowledge. Learn more at martinandpleasance.ca.