Fucoidan Health News March: Say Goodbye To Insomnia

WHY IS SLEEP IMPORTANT?

Sleep recharges and heals your body cells. According to National Sleep Foundation, adults need 7-9 hours of sleep every night, while those aged 65 or above need 7-8 hours. The lack of sleep doesn’t allow our brain and body to function properly.

Which Type Of Insomnia Do You Have?

◼️ Sleep Onset Insomnia: Tossing and turning for more than 30 minutes to fall asleep.

◼️ Sleep Maintenance Insomnia: Hard to stay asleep or sleep tight, resulting in bad sleep quality and inadequate sleep time.

◼️ Acute Insomnia: Struggling to sleep because of an exam or a meeting the following day but the situation can last for days or weeks.

◼️ Chronic Insomnia: Cannot fall asleep in 30 minutes, waking up too early or at midnight, and struggling to fall back to sleep. If this goes on for more than 3 months, it is chronic insomnia.

Effects Of Inadequate Sleep

◼️ Adults: Bad sleep will affect daytime activities and wellbeing worsening memory and cognition, immune system, metabolism, and skin. It can also trigger high blood pressure, heart disease, lung disease, and other chronic illnesses.

◼️ The Elderly: Sleeping for too long or too short will impact brain function differently. Studies have revealed that when sleeping for 6 hours or less, the level of β amyloid in the bodies of the elderly will go up, significantly increasing the risk of dementia.

◼️ Cancer Patients: Insomnia affects more than 50% of cancer patients, which will aggravate other cancer-related conditions, including pain, tiredness, depression or anxiety, and a weaker immune system. Their live quality and treatment progress will be disturbed, too.

Eat Right To Sleep Well

As mentioned earlier, sleep is critical for our health but are sleeping pills the only way to counter sleeplessness? Franky Au, the nutritionist from Hong Kong, recommends the following five natural foods to help sleep through the night.

✓ Quinoa: Having a bowl of quinoa in the evening helps us sleep. Although it is a carbohydrate, quinoa is a nutritious food that is low-calorie and high-protein. Carbohydrates can stimulate insulin secretion, which will help deliver tryptophan to the brain as a sleeping aid.

✓ Honey: Having a glass of water with honey helps us fall asleep. It is absorbed by the human body more easily. Fructose and glucose in honey can stimulate insulin secretion to supply tryptophan to the brain. Honey also contains minerals such as potassium, calcium, and magnesium, which can relieve muscle soreness for better sleep quality.

✓ Milk: Milk is rich in tryptophan, vitamin B, and calcium. The human brain needs tryptophan to produce serotonin and melatonin to aid in relaxing and unwinding. Tryptophan deficiency can lead to insomnia. We can heat a glass of milk in the microwave for 30-45 seconds and drink it before bed.

✓ Banana: An ideal snack before bedtime, a banana is rich in fructose and magnesium, which can regulate arrhythmia, relax muscles and nerves, and lower blood pressure to help sleep tighter and longer.

✓ Salmon: Rich in unsaturated fatty acid omega 3 and DHA, salmon can lower blood pressure and bad cholesterol and keep the brain cells healthy. Studies have shown that omega 3 can improve the sleep quality of adults along with cognition.

Everybody has a sleepless night, and we understand how difficult and frustrating it feels. Chronic insomnia is likely to trigger many health problems. If you are troubled by it, or your daily life has been affected, please seek medical help immediately for solutions to stay healthy.