Not getting enough restful sleep?
According to the Sleep Foundation, over one-third of American adults face similar difficulties when it comes to getting enough sleep. These folks get less than the recommended seven-to-eight hours a night, whether their sleep troubles are related to stress, sleep disruptions, sleep disorders, or something else, we all have to find different ways to deal with it that work for us individually.
If you struggle to get enough sleep to keep you alert and ready for the day when you get out of bed, using adaptogenic mushrooms for sleep may be something to consider. Below is a look at why people often use mushrooms for sleep, the best mushrooms for sleep, and more.
The Importance of Good Sleep
To understand the importance of sleep, you've gotta understand what happens when your mind and body enter sleep mode. Essentially, sleep is the cycle of your day reserved for rest and repair. The bodily systems slow down, the brain takes a break, and important recovery processes take place. The body temperature drops slightly, metabolism drops by about 15 percent, and neural systems clear toxic byproducts. While you sleep:
- Nerve cells and neurons reorganize
- Protein synthesis occurs to support muscle repair
- Hormone levels stabilize
- The immune system releases agents to keep you well
- Respiration slows
All these biological processes are undeniably important to your overall mental and physical health. People who don't get enough sleep are at a higher risk of diabetes, heart disease, illness, obesity, and more. Plus, when you are not sleeping enough, your concentration and focus are inhibited, and you may be more prone to emotional stress.
How Do You Know You Are Getting Good Sleep?
Good sleep quality may seem difficult to gauge, but truly is not that hard when you know what to look for. When you visit a doctor due to sleep problems, they would look at several factors that could indicate that you are not sleeping well, such as:
- If you are falling asleep within 30 minutes of going to bed
- Whether you wake up 4 or more times through the night
- If you stay awake for longer than 5 minutes when you do wake through the night
- Whether you are asleep for at least 85% of the time you are in bed
Most people recognize when they are not sleeping well by how they feel in general. Lack of focus, irritability, trouble following along with directions, forgetting things, there's all kind of difficulties you might have if you aren't getting enough sleep.
Why Mushrooms for Sleep?
Mushrooms are highly multifaceted. While many people think of mushrooms for just culinary purposes, mushrooms can also be functional or medicinal in nature. The enzymes, minerals, and nutrients that are found in mushrooms can deliver a wealth of benefits to the human body and possibly even help with sleep. Certain types of fungi have been celebrated for millennia for their therapeutic benefits, and many modern-day wellness experts recommend mushrooms for various ailments.
Different mushroom types contain unique biologically active compounds that may be valuable for sleep support. For example, some mushrooms contain beta-glucans, which help with stress reduction and potentially regulating hormones like melatonin that help with sleep. Other mushrooms may work in other ways to offer sleep support.
The Best Mushrooms for Sleep and Why
While many types of mushrooms contain compounds that appear to be good for general wellness, an elect few are thought to be good options in terms of the best mushrooms for sleep. Take a look at the top three fungi to try for sleep support below.
Reishi
Reishi is easily the most notorious mushroom type when it comes to helping people sleep better, even though red Reishi benefits go beyond sleep support. In animal studies that looked at Reishi for sleep, the mushroom seemed to help rodents fall asleep quicker, have more non-REM sleep time, and stay asleep for longer. Non-REM sleep is important because this is considered the deepest phase of sleep when the body spends more time on cellular restoration. Reishi mushroom and sleep is such a popular concept that many over-the-counter sleep-support products contain this type of fungi.
Cordyceps
Cordyceps are readily mentioned when it comes to physical performance and energy levels, but these fungi may also be good for sleep. Cordyceps contain a specific agent, cordycepin, which is an adenosine analog that is a factor in sleep-cycle regulation. Of course, if you take Cordyceps to support sleep, be sure to plan to do so earlier in the day to allow time for any provided energy to wear away.
Lion's Mane
Many people would not consider Lion's Mane a good mushroom for sleep because it is primarily known for things like focus and staying productive. However, Lion's Mane has been examined several times in formal research for its sleep-support qualities. In a 30-day study of undergraduate students who took Lion's mane, the majority of the group stated they had slightly better sleep quality, less anxiety, and fewer problems with insomnia.
How to Take Mushrooms for Sleep Support
Once you find the mushrooms that work best for you for sleep support, you can easily work them into your nighttime regimen. While most people don't have access to fresh mushrooms during all seasons of the year or from every geographic location, everyone can get their preferred mushrooms in supplement form. Supplements make it simple to get your nightly dose of mushrooms to help you achieve a peaceful slumber.
For example, Troomy Nootropics offers a collection of mushroom gummies made with a variety of fungi to support different wellness goals. If you are looking for a mushroom chummy for sleep support, for instance, you may want to try Troomy Calm made with Reishi mushrooms, or Troomy Sleep, which offers a blend of Red Reishi and melatonin. You can simply take your mushroom gummy an hour or two before bed to make sure you are relaxed and ready for sleep.
A Final Word on Mushrooms and Sleep
As we all grow more familiar with the world of fungi, we are bound to find more mushrooms for sleep. However, there is already a good selection of prospects ready to come into your life and potentially help you sleep better. Looking for an easy way to get functional mushrooms into your daily plans? Don't wait. Be sure to take a look at the full collection of mushroom gummies at Troomy Nootropics here, and get better rest with Sleep gummies today!