Health Hotline Magazine | May 2021

THERE ARE SO MANY BARRIERS TO GETTING A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP, whether medical, nutritional, or lifestyle induced. It’s no wonder an estimated 70 million Americans of all ages and socioeconomic classes suffer from sleep-related problems, or that an estimated 164 million Americans struggle to get a good night's sleep at least once a week. i ii How we eat and drink; how our brain functions; how much screen time we encounter during the day, and especially at night; how much we weigh; and how much stress we’re under all contribute to the quality of our sleep, or the lack thereof. While some medical sleep conditions must be properly diagnosed and treated by a doctor or a sleep-support specialist, consider these natural sleep solutions and tweaks to your bedtime routine that may finally offer you some much needed zzz’s. Melatonin is perhaps the most widely known natural sleep aid for its use in treating sleep disorders, particularly jet lag and insomnia. iii iv A hormone produced in the pineal gland in the brain, studies show that melatonin supplementation significantly reduces sleep onset latency (i.e., the time it takes to fall asleep), increases sleep efficiency, and increases sleep duration. v vi There are many factors that can interfere with our body’s Dreaming OF A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP? Natural sleep solutions you should try tonight by Liz Mueller

ability to produce adequate melatonin each night. One factor is that as we age, our production of melatonin decreases. vii Perhaps it’s not surprising then to learn that clinical trials involving elderly insomniacs showed improvement with supplemental melatonin. viii

An effective dose of melatonin can vary widely from person to person, ranging from .5 mg up to 3 mg. To find the amount that works best for you, start with a lower dose and increase the amount until you find your “sweet spot.”

Another major factor interfering with melatonin production, regardless of age, is our exposure to light before going to bed. Research shows that being in a fully lit room prior to going to sleep resulted in a delayed and shortened production of

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