Education
What Happens When You Sleep If you've ever wondered what goes on inside your brain...
Melatonin plays a key role in regulating our circadian rhythm. The pineal gland is inactive during the day, but as the sun goes down, it activates and naturally produces melatonin to help induce sleepiness. About two hours before you naturally awaken in the morning, melatonin production slows and you begin to slowly awaken. Melatonin also plays a role in cardiovascular health, blood sugar management, immunity and hormonal health.
Does getting a good night's sleep seem more and more elusive? Do you find yourself either not getting to sleep or waking up feeling unrefreshed? This time of year many people struggle with sleep, especially with the change in daylight savings. If you're ready to do something about it, you're in luck! There are many natural ingredients that can help you regain that perfect night of slumber. Here is a list of natural sleep aids that can help you not only get to sleep but to regain that precious deep sleep you've been wanting.
Many of us assume that as we age we lose brain cells or fail to make new ones. But this isn’t completely true! In fact, the pool of new neurons in the aging brain remains reasonably intact. The real issue is that the tiny capillaries that bring food and nutrients to brain cells often become compromised in older people. In other words, an older person makes and maintains just as many neurons as a younger person, but these neurons aren’t receiving the nourishment they need to function well.
Vitamin D is an essential nutrient that your body needs for many vital processes, including building and maintaining your brain function, immune system, and bone structure. Vitamin D is also a fat-soluble vitamin made by our bodies only when our skin is exposed to the sun. It’s considered an essential nutrient because the human body cannot make it on its own, without the assistance of sunlight, food, and/or dietary supplements. Over 85% of people have insufficient vitamin D levels, so we've compiled some effective ways you can increase your vitamin D levels, but first, we'll dig into the research.
Did you know, that a complete sleep cycle takes an average of 90 to 110 minutes and takes us through four distinct stages of sleep (although some people identify five stages with stages 3 and 4 characterized as deep sleep)? There are three stages of non-REM sleep and one stage of REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. We should go through a complete cycle of sleep between 4 and 6 times a night. However, not all sleep cycles are the same. The first 2 to 3 sleep cycles each night have relatively short REM sleep periods and long periods of deep sleep, but later in the night, REM periods lengthen and deep sleep time decreases.
