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Sleep is essential for everyone, butunfortunately most Americans do notget enough of it. According to theNational Sleep Foundation, the rec-

ommended amount of sleep is 10 to 11hours per night for children, 8.5 to 9.25 forteenagers and seven to nine hours for adults.However, nearly 30 percent of adults get lessthan six hours of sleep per night.

“The majority of Americans do not getoptimal sleep,” said Jacob Teitelbaum, MD,Natural Practitioner advisory board memberand director of the Practitioners AllianceNetwork. “The average night’s sleep in theUnited States used to be nine hours a nightuntil 130 years ago when light bulbs weredeveloped. It has now dropped to 6.75—basically a 30 percent pay cut for your body.”

Stress and anxiety have a lot to do withthe inability to get a good night’s rest,according to Penny Kendall-Reed, ND, med-ical advisor to Pennsylvania-based DouglasLaboratories, who noted that more than halfof all sleep problems are caused by these

issues. “Chronic stress results in a loss ofnegative feedback within the HPA (hypo-thalamic-pituitary-adrenal) axis leading tocontinued production of cortisol, which per-sists independently of the stressful stimulus,”she explained. “This shifts the natural circa-dian rhythm of cortisol secretion and createsa glucocorticoid peak at 2-4 a.m. This notonly wakes the individual but also impairsstage-4 delta wave recuperative sleep.Regular sedatives and sleep aids are ineffec-tive for this problem.”

Douglas Labs’ Sereniten Plus helps restorenormal functioning of the HPA axis.Dysfunction of the HPA and loss of feedbackis one of the main causes of sleep distur-bance ranging from occasional nighttimewaking to chronic insomnia. “Establishing anormal stress response permanently fixes theproblem and restores healthful, restorativesleep,” said Dr. Kendall-Reed. “Supplementsthat simply mop up excess glucocorticoidproduction or lower cortisol release are farless effective since once the supplement is

stopped, the underlying problem of HPAdysregulation still exists.”

Mary Bove, ND, medical educator forGaia Herbs, Inc. in North Carolina notedthat pain and inflammation are also com-monly linked to sleep issues, and that thosewith a hormonal imbalance—such aswomen experiencing menopause, peoplewho are magnesium deficient or those withadrenals that are fatigued are more likely toneed support for restful sleep. “‘Adrenalfatigue’ is a term people are hearing in themedia more often, and that is starting theconversation around healthy stress response,restful sleep and balanced hormones,” Dr.Bove explained. “As resiliency becomes amore common topic, that too becomes partof the conversation about stress and, in turn,sleep.”

According to Dr. Kendall-Reed, other fac-tors that lead to tossing and turning all nightinclude poor diet, lack of exercise, medica-tion, and health conditions such as obesity,gastric reflux, sinus congestion and hyper-

SleepTight

Getting enough sleep and rest is essential for the human body to

function properly. By Shari Barbanel

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thyroidism. In addition, our dependence andoveruse of smartphones, tablets and com-puters can also impact the quality of sleepwe get. “A lack of sufficient sleep and restmay have a variety of causes for any oneindividual. Environmental factors such aslight—especially the type of lightthat comes from constant access toa screen, as on a smartphone—cansignificantly influence sleep cyclesthrough influencing the release, orlack thereof, of sleep hormones,”explained Adam Killpartrick, DC,CNS, Natural Practitioner advisoryboard member and chief scienceoffice of Vermont-basedFoodScience Corporation (makerof DaVinci Laboratories of Vermont prod-ucts). “The American work schedule andnotions of productivity may also be relatedto insufficient sleep. Finally, sleep and wake-fulness disorders are incredibly common,with an estimated 50-70 million adults in

the United States experiencing some type.Sleep apnea and insomnia are two importantand well-known sleep disorders.1

“There is a higher bar set on everything wedo in our culture,” added Andreas Koch, vicepresident of marketing for Texas-basedNatural Vitality. “We work more hours peryear than most countries around the globe.Even away from work, the body’s ‘switch isturned on’ and that affects our overall health.We are having more difficult time findingtime to relax or ‘turn our switch off.’”

Making ChangesWhen dealing with sleep issues, Americansoften turn to over-the-counter (OTC) sleepaids or talk to their doctor about prescrip-

tion medications, such as Ambien orLunesta. According to the Centersfor Disease Control and Prevention(CDC), nearly nine million adults inthe U.S. take prescription sleep aids.But often, these pills come withunwanted side effects such as night-mares, daytime drowsiness or a feel-ing of being “hungover” the nextday. Further, these aids are meant to

be used in the short term, but many peoplebecome reliant on them, and some areunable to sleep without them. Even moreworrisome, some people turn to alcohol tohelp them sleep.

According to Carolyn Dean, MD, ND,

medical advisory board member of theNutritional Magnesium Association, thesesleep aids have “probably fallen out of favorbecause they don’t really work,” she said.“Sleeping pills have a warning that they arefor short-term use only or you can becomeaddicted and can suffer from many harmfulside effects. And people can become addictedto alcohol if they use it inappropriately tohelp them sleep. Thus, they search for otheroptions.”

Discussing LifestylesSleep disorders often occur due to otherissues in the body, such as a hormone imbal-ance, poor diet or a lack of exercise. Dr. Bovenoted that in her practice, she talks topatients about their lives to try to pinpointtheir issues. “In my naturopathic practice,when people came to me to talk about sleep,I take a step back and ask them about theirlifestyle and habits. Sleep is rarely just aboutthe hours we spend in bed resting,” sheexplained.

“I would ask about their evening habits—are they winding down or getting worked upjust before bed? Are they eating a big meallate at night or burning the midnight oil?”she continued. “Are they exercising duringthe day—or perhaps too close to bedtime?Are they using alcohol, caffeine or nicotine?”

“One thing practitioners might want tolook at doing in practice is connecting sleepto their symptoms,” added Dr. Killpartrick.“Include sleep questions on the intake. Notsimply how many hours do they sleep, butthe quality of the sleep, if they feel restedwhen they wake, etc.”

Dr. Killpartrick also noted that it isimportant for practitioners to rememberthat not all patients have the same naturalsleep cycle and it is best to find programs orideas that work for each individual patient.“Developing a healthy sleep routine, choos-ing to go to bed at the same time every nightand wake up at the same time every morn-ing, for example, can be a part of the solu-tion,” he said. “Similarly, striving for consis-tency and moderation in diet and exercise,screen time, and even temperature of thesleeping space can have an influence.Caffeine in the afternoon, large meals beforebedtime and nicotine should be avoided.”

Supplements for SleepIn addition to making lifestyle changes tohelp patients sleep, supplementation may bebeneficial. “Health supplements designed forsleep and rest are well placed in today’s mar-ket,” said Crystal D. Webber, MS, RD, man-ager, product development for New Jersey-based Ajinmoto North America, Inc. “Manylifestyle and behavioral modifications can

Mary Bove, ND, medical educator forGaia Herbs, Inc. noted that a bed-time routine is beneficial for those

that have trouble sleeping. Here, she offerssome small, sustainable lifestyle changesthat patients can apply to their daily livesto help them get some shuteye:

• Having a bedtime routine is important.If you want a restful night’s sleep, you needto slow down in the evening. That meansmaking sure there isn’t a lot of excessivelight, digital screens in the bedroom, etc.Don’t eat too late—try to have your lastmeal at least four hours before bed. (A lightsnack 30 minutes before bed is fine forthose whose blood sugar tends to be low.)Get some exercise to help get you good andtired, and eat a healthy, well-balanced dietduring the day. Those will all contribute tosleep hygiene.

• Some easy, enjoyable ways to unwindare to take a bath, preferably with herbsand Epsom salts, or drink a cup of herbaltea. One of my colleagues recommends herpatients with sleep and stress concerns havea mug of herbal tea in the evening, and she

insists that part of the routine be thatnothing else can happen while you’redrinking your tea. You sit, sip and savor;the rest can wait. I like that idea—to usetea as a meditative ritual. (And the herbs inthe tea could also support rest and healthysleep.)

• Though as adults we scoff at the idea, aregular bedtime is important. Our bodiesnaturally like to go to sleep and wake up atthe same time.

• After dinner is not the time to stimu-late or invigorate the mind and body. Ioften tell people who want to sleep betterto avoid stimulating or agitating conversa-tions at night. That includes rehashingwork stress to your partner. (Let it go aspart of building resilience.) I also say no 11p.m. news and no suspenseful 10 p.m. TVshows—use our round-the-clock access totechnology to your advantage and catch upon headlines or your favorite programtomorrow morning or afternoon. Instead,do some light yoga and read somethingentertaining but not stimulating. (Savesudoku and crosswords for morning, too).

Tips For Sound Sleeping

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greatly improve sleep quality. However, thosemodifications are not easy or even possiblefor some individuals in the U.S. Medicationsare available but clients and their health carepractitioners often prefer to try a naturalintervention first.”

Ajinmoto’s dietary sleep aid, Glysom, hasthe active ingredient glycine, an endogenousamino acid and the most prevalent aminoacid in our food supply. The targeted dose ofglycine in Glysom, when taken right beforebed, can promote sounder and more restfulsleep. Since Glysom is non-habit formingand does not cause morningdrowsiness it does have advan-tages over some other types ofsleep aids and medications.

Webber explained thatGlysom helps to induce sleepby resetting the body’s “inter-nal clock.” “This happensthanks to a complex process ofcellular activity that signals thebody to relax and prepare for a more satisfy-ing and restful sleep,” she said. “Glysom con-tains glycine, a specific amino acid, which isproduced in the body and can be found inmany of the proteins we eat.”

According to Dr. Kendall-Reed, melatoninis needed to restore rejuvenating delta wavesleep and reduce sleep latency.Stress and cortisol block the pro-duction of melatonin, which isneeded to shift the brain from alphawave stage-3 sleep into deep, healingdelta wave stage-4 sleep, the onlyplace where the body and brainheal. “Melatonin is an importantsleep aid that pushes one into stage-4 delta wave sleep, the only versionof sleep that is healing and rejuve-nating,” she explained. “Melatonin isalso a brain antioxidant that mayhelp delay the onset of dementiaand Alzheimer’s. Melatonin increas-es apoptosis and interferes withestrogen binding onto cancerouscells. It is important to note thatmelatonin is not a true sedativeused to put one to sleep, but ratherrestores the quality of sleep.”

Dr. Killpartrick also recommendsGABA, the adaptogen ashwagandha and l-theanine because they all have supportiveeffects on the sleep cycle, calmness andrelaxation.* DaVinci’ Laboratories offers anumber of products that support sleep,including Sleep Benefits, which providesbotanical and nutrient support for optimalsleep with a clinically relevant dose of mela-tonin and direct support for the neurotrans-mitters associated with tranquility and relax-ation.* According to the company, Sleep

Benefits includes Bluenesse, a branded formof lemon balm, which has traditionally beenused to not only support a healthy stressresponse, but also to promote healthy sleephabits. In order to truly support long termbalance to the sleep cycle, it is essential tosupport the circadian rhythm, which isaccomplished effortlessly by the evidence-based Sensoril Ashwagandha.*

“We also carry l-theanine, which helpspromote a restful state and improved qualityof sleep, and Liposomal Melatonin Spray,which is a great choice for sleep support

because it contains 3 mg of high quali-ty melatonin in a liposomal form foroptimized delivery,*” Dr. Killpartricksaid. “Another popular choice is ourValer Amino to support muscle relax-ation and normal sleep. It contains

amino acids, valerian root,herbs and B vitamins toaid in relaxation.*”

Gaia Herbs has threeformulations to support specific sleep needs:Sound Sleep, to support a quick transition tosleep; SleepThru, to support sleepingthrough the night; and Sleep & Relax, toready the body for sleep.* “One of ournewest formulations is Turmeric SupremePain P.M., which supports restful sleep and a

healthy response to occasionalpain.* And I would also considerAdrenal Health, our best-sellingsynergistic blend of five adapto-genic herbs, to be a part of thiscategory.* The single herb LiquidPhyto-Caps Kava Kava Root andValerian Root are also on ourbest-sellers list.* In our GaiaKidsline, we have Sleep & RelaxHerbal Syrup, to promote a senseof calm while supporting a restfulnight’s sleep so children feelrefreshed upon waking.*”

Magnesium also plays a keyrole with sleep. According toWebMD, research shows thatmagnesium even a marginal lackof can prevent the brain from set-tling down at night. “Magnesiumis a simple effective sleep remedyand should be a first line of treat-ment,” noted Andrea Rosanoff,

PhD, director of research at the Center forMagnesium Education & Research. “Weneed to replenish our supply of magnesiumevery day. Since magnesium is constantly inmotion in our cells, tissues, circulatingblood, we lose a bit each day as skin cellsslough off, as we sweat, as our hair and fin-gernails grow, and in our urine as our kid-neys clean our blood.”

Natural Vitality’s Natural Calm features aproprietary formula that provides a highly

absorbable, water-soluble magnesium inionic form (having molecular charge thatallows the element to easily bond withwater), so it is ready to go to work rightaway, according to the company. NaturalVitality also offers Natural Calm PlusCalcium and Natural Calm Cream.

Because sleep plays a such vital role in aperson’s health and well-being, gettingenough quality sleep can help protect notonly an individual’s mental and physicalhealth, but their quality of life and safety aswell. “Educate them [patients] that eighthours a night is optimal, especially if fatigue,pain or immune dysfunction are present andoffer them the supplements and sleephygiene tips that can help them,” Dr.Teitelbaum concluded.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the food and drug administration. This product isnot intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent anydisease.

References:1 Institute of Medicine. Sleep Disorders and Sleep

Deprivation: An Unmet Public Health Problem.Washington, DC: The National Academies Press;2006.

■ According to the National SleepFoundation, nearly 30 percent ofadults get less than six hours ofsleep per night.■ An estimated 50-70 million

adults in the United States experi-ence some type of sleep and wake-fulness disorder.■ According to the Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) nearly nine million adults inthe U.S. take prescription sleepaids.■ GABA, the adaptogen ashwa-

gandha and l-theanine all have sup-portive effects on the sleep cycle,calmness and relaxation.

Healthy Take Aways

■ Ajinomoto North America, Inc.,(201) 292-3200, www.ajinomoto-usa.com

■ DaVinci Laboratories of Vermont,(800) 325-1776, www.davincilabs.com

■ Douglas Laboratories, (800) 245-4440www.douglaslabs.com

■ Gaia Herbs, Inc., (800) 831-7780, www.gaiaherbs.com

■ Natural Vitality, (800) 446-7462, www.naturalvitality.com

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

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