Daylight savings is upon us which means we get an extra hour of sleep. Yay! Unfortunately, that isn’t going to help any sleep problems we might have once we adjust to the new time.
Constant sleep trouble can lead to a risk of diabetes, heart disease and even high blood pressure. It might seem a little crazy, but sleep really matters! It plays an important role in keeping your central nervous system functioning properly.
While you sleep, your brain and body go into a sort of maintenance time. When you don’t get that time to rest and recuperate, your brain and body don’t have time to gear up and prepare. Your immune system produces infection-fighting chemicals and your brain forms new pathways to store information. Sleep seems a little different now, right? You need to give your body time to relax and maintain itself.
Getting Better Sleep
With better sleep in mind, here are a few other factors you should think about it in helping you get your 8 hours. Here are our fave Purium ways to support deep, restful sleep every day.
Mindfulness
Besides windows and doors, there’s one more thing you can keep open that can help you get more shut-eye. It’s your mind! Okay…that was a bit cheesy, but nonetheless, it’s true.
Actually, one study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests simply meditating before bed could help you rest better. (2)
Meditation could mean different things. For some, that might include thinking about the next day. For others (like us), that could trigger an onslaught of worry and thoughts.
Give it a try tonight. This blog gives clear direction and helpful tips for guided meditation.
Light
While meditation allows you to let the light in metaphorically, you might not want to do it literally. Exposure to light can actually hurt your circadian rhythm and prevent you from falling asleep. Because of this, The National Sleep Foundation recommends sleeping with the lights off.
Here are some tips for limiting light:
- Use light-blocking curtains if too outside stimuli permeates your windows and doors.
- Limit TV and computer time before sleeping.
- Put your phone down before you sleep and place it somewhere that is not easily accessible. (Resist the urge to scroll in the wee hours of the night!)
More Tips for Better Sleep
Now that you know why you should improve your sleep, here are some tips on how to do it:
- Lavender: This aromatic herb can work like magic in calming nerves and comes in a variety of form: essential oil, supplement, lotion, scented candle or freshly cut from the garden.
- Stretch: Unwind with some bending and lengthening movements to increase blood oxygen levels and relax muscles.
- Warm Bath (or shower): Two naturally calming elements, warmth and water, relax tense muscles and provide a moment of serenity after a long day.
- Massage: Rub lavender lotion or oil on your shoulders or neck, and massage away the stress knots.
- Routine: Doing the same thing, every night before bed helps to create balance, which gives a healthy peace of mind.
- Natural Support: Load up on sleep-supporting Purium products.
Support and research for this blog can be found here.
Better Sleep with Purium
There’s nothing wrong with looking for holistic help. Should you consider turning to supplements, we suggest you stay clear of dangerous sleeping pills and look for a more natural alternative.
Some of our sleep-supporting products that people love include:
Each product is made up of plants and herbs that can help take you on a one-stop trip to slumber-town. Here’s how they do it.
Apothe-Cherry: Melatonin-Booster
What Does It Do?
Apothe-Cherry is a legacy-product for a reason. The concentrate contains just one ingredient: organic tart cherries. Just 1 oz. of of the dark red liquid condenses the nutritional potency of approximately 30 sour cherries. Can you say, efficient?
What’s more, this superfood naturally boosts melatonin production, a hormone your body produces to help you sleep. And this is because it naturally contains the hormone. As it turns out, consumption of this dark red fruit can help us sleep better.
In one randomized, double-blind study published in The European Journal of Nutrition, this fruit’s extract was found to boost melatonin levels, sleep time and quality of sleep. (1) That’s why the cherry is even being studied as a possible treatment for insomnia.
So, consumption of the cherry could help you get some precious shut-eye. But how exactly does that work? Well, melatonin helps regulate your sleep-wake cycle, also known as circadian rhythm.
Tart cherries also contain antioxidants that can help soothe inflammation and support uric acid metabolism. But you know, that’s just an added bonus.
How Should You Use It?
We suggest adding 1 oz. (around 2 tbsp) to 8-10 oz. of water. We also like to splash a little in our Powershakes or Bio Fruit.
Bio Relax: Plant-Based Relaxation
What Does It Do?
Bio Relax capsules contain a handful of herbs and plants:
- passiflora
- tart cherry
- cranberry
- hyaluronic acid
- kava root
Cranberry and hyalurnoic acid help promote healthier-looking skin by relaxing the face; passiflora, tart cherry and kava root support calming the rest of the body.
Passiflora, also known as passionflower, has been used in Native American medicine for centuries. The plant naturally supports gamma-aminobtyric acid (GABA) in the brain. Basically, the acid is related to relaxation and stress.
Interestingly enough, one study published in Phytotherapy Research explored the plant’s relationship with sleep (2). Participants drank either one cup of passionflower tea or placebo a day and kept a diary of how they rested. Six participants from the passiflora group reported better sleep.
Of course, more study is warranted, but we still think that’s pretty cool. Kava root supplies similar benefits.
Holistic health practitioners use this root to natural treat anxiety and promote relaxed vibes. A study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders studied this root’s ability to help quell sleep problems (3). Researchers found that sleep issues associated with anxiety disorders could be treated with the root’s extract. That’s a win in our book.
Ionic Elements: Mineral Support
What Does It Do?
Ionic Elements is a specially-formulated combination of fulvic acid and ocean trace minerals that can help athletes and non-athletes alike. This acid comes from small, water-soluble minerals that are found in soil-grown vegetables.
Our concentration also contains other ocean and plant-derived minerals to help the immune system. Because our bodies sometimes lack these minerals, it is thought that the acid can not only help boost energy, but also allow us to recuperate and recover. That comes in handy when you’re trying to drift off to sleep.
How Do You Use This?
We recommend adding 2 pumps to your water (or any drink) for daily maintenance. You can do this up to three times per day. You can also drop a little in your morning breakfast bowls.
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Sleep Stages & How Many Hours of Sleep You Need
Most people know that a good night’s sleep requires 8 to 10 hours. However, not everyone realizes that a key element is the kind of sleep you are experiencing.
Read on to learn sleep facts about sleep stages, how many hours you should be getting and how Purium can help you get better sleep.
Technically, there 5 different sleep stages, but they can be categorized as 3 basic phases of sleep: Light Sleep 1, Light Sleep 2 and REM.
Light Sleep 1, the transitional phase between our waking and sleep states, only makes up 3% of the average night’s sleep. Light Sleep 2 is the majority of an average night’s sleep and is the segue to REM. While there is no such thing as too much REM, a healthy amount is between 1.5 – 2 hours.
So, why does it matter?
There isn’t any doubt that your sleep patterns change with age and to an extent, that’s healthy. But, even though adults don’t require as much sleep as a child, the healthy average is still a full 8 hours. Based on a study conducted in 2015, the National Sleep Foundation released their new sleep recommendations for each stage of life:
- Newborns (0-3 months): Sleep range narrowed to 14-17 hours each day
- Infants (4-11 months): Sleep range widened two hours to 12-15 hours
- Toddlers (1-2 years): Sleep range widened by one hour to 11-14 hours
- Preschoolers (3-5): Sleep range widened by one hour to 10-13 hours
- School age children (6-13): Sleep range widened by one hour to 9-11 hours
- Teenagers (14-17): Sleep range widened by one hour to 8-10 hours
- Younger adults (18-25) and adults(26-64): Sleep range is 7-9 hours
- Older adults (65+): Sleep range is 7-8 hours