Many people don’t have enough hours of quality zzzzz and this directly affects your immune system as well as your mental health.

 

Luckily, there are a few things you can do to help you get the right amount of quality sleep, such as:

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• Follow the circadian rhythms – The Circadian rhythms are 24-hour cycles that are part of the body’s internal clock, running in the background to carry out essential functions and processes. One of the most important and well-known circadian rhythms is the sleep-wake cycle which helps with the distribution of cortisol and melatonin. Cortisol is the hormone that helps us get up in the morning and melatonin is the hormone that helps us to fall asleep in the evening. Circadian Rhythms

• Supplement with Magnesium – magnesium is an essential mineral that is pivotal with nerve and muscle functioning. studies have shown that magnesium can help with sleep with supporting the production of neurotransmitter called GABA Eating a diet rich in green leafy vegetables, nuts and seeds can help you to up your magnesium levels.

• Limit alcohol 3 hours before bed – alcohol and sleep-related problems have shown that alcohol disrupts sleep through multiple mechanisms, such as disrupting electrophysiologic sleep architecture, triggering insomnia, and contributing to abnormalities of circadian rhythms and short sleep duration (SSD) in cross-sectional studies. Alcohol also increases breathing-related sleep events such as snoring and oxygen desaturation, especially in those with pre-existing problems.

• Limit caffeine – everyone metabolizes caffeine differently but as a guideline, don’t drink coffee after 2:00 pm as it interferes with your melatonin level and stimulates cortisol secretion. caffeine stimulates cortisol secretion

• Meditating and deep breathing – although further studies are needed, the preliminary findings suggest that mindfulness meditation may be effective in treating some aspects of sleep disturbance. mindfulness on sleep quality

• Drink Passionflower tea - Passionflower is a flowering type of vine that’s been said to help with insomnia, anxiety, hot flashes, and pain. Passionflower  works by increasing gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the brain. GABA is a naturally – occurring amino acid that reduces activity in the central nervous system. This results in relaxation, enhanced mood, better sleep, and pain relief.