Source: Everyday Health

The phrase, “I never get any sleep,” is commonly used, but the majority of people do not understand how it truly feels. 

Approximately 1 in 3 people have actually been diagnosed with a sleep disorder, but that number is growing. For you and the millions of other people who struggle with sleeplessness, the night starts with anxious thoughts racing through your mind. You unblinkingly watch the clock and count down the time you have left to get to sleep.

The days are even worse. You feel distracted, half awake, and on edge. You’re not normally irritable, but you have to remind yourself not to snap at people. You know that this isn’t who you are, and all of this would go away if you could just get some rest. But when you start to get ready for bed, the worries about facing another restless night overwhelm you. It is almost as if you are too tired to go to sleep.

What causes this cycle of sleeplessness? New research suggests that it’s not the reasons you might think. Biological and social influences have converged to create a perfect storm that keeps us awake at night.

In pre-industrial times, people woke at first light and would naturally wind down as the sun began to set. After all, little work could be done in the dark by candlelight. But the invention of artificial light has altered our experience by turning night into day. Lights, television screens, and smartphones confuse our bodies’ internal clocks and interrupt our natural sleep cycle.

Modern society has conditioned us to think that sleeplessness is a badge of honor and productivity. Some people have naturally adapted to these changes. But for others, this change against our nature has exacerbated an underlying biological deficiency and created a cycle of sleeplessness.

Two compounds that occur naturally and play an essential role in regulating your sleep cycle are  GABA and melatonin. As the day wears on, absence of daylight increases and your body’s internal clock triggers the production of melatonin, which works with the neurotransmitter GABA to help wind down your mind and prepare your body for sleep.

However, when your sleep cycle is interrupted by anxious thoughts, levels of GABA and melatonin sometimes don’t reach the threshold necessary to induce sleep. And what’s even more concerning is how a lack of sleep affects the brain.

During a healthy sleep cycle, your nervous system functions like a dishwasher, cleaning up waste proteins and toxins produced by active brain cells during the day. But without enough sleep, your body does not have enough time to completely clean up the waste produced by your brain. In the same way, a dishwasher cannot properly clean dishware if it is turned off mid-cycle.

When you feel groggy after a restless night, you are actually experiencing the effects of toxin buildup in the brain. If such a cycle of sleeplessness continues for an extended period of time, there may be longer lasting detrimental effects to your brain and overall health.

Clinical studies in holistic remedies show that you can break this cycle without relying on harmful chemicals with addictive properties. You can alleviate this problem in a simple way that uses natural ingredients,  such as Melatonin, L-Tryptophan (think Thanksgiving turkey), Magnolia Bark, Lemon Balm, and Passion Flower to help your mind wind down and promote healthy, sustained sleep.

The natural ingredients are known to boost levels of GABA and melatonin, allowing your body to sleep peacefully and naturally flush waste proteins from the brain that accumulate you are awake. The result? You fall into a deep sleep more quickly, wake up feeling refreshed, and ward off morning grogginess.

Whether you are an early bird or a night owl, it may be worth a try to help you establish a healthy sleep routine centered around your specific needs. Always consult your primary care physician before introducing any supplements into your daily routine.