Sleep is as essential to life as food and water. Seen by many as a hedonistic luxury, quality sleep is, in fact, a necessity that not only allows the body to recover from daily activities and stress but provides the setting for processes essential to good health and wellbeing. It’s simple really – without sleep creatures die.
A seminal study on sleep published in 2006 by the National Sleep Foundation found that “sleep is essential to helping maintain mood, memory, and cognitive performance. It also plays a pivotal role in the normal function of the endocrine and immune systems. In fact, studies show a growing link between sleep duration and a variety of serious health problems, including obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and depression.”
A new study, completed in January 2009 at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, discovered that sleep deprivation impairs the immune system function. Researchers found that anything less than 7-8 hours of solid sleep lowered the body’s resistance to the common cold virus by almost three times.
So how much sleep is enough? Well, a recent “Sleep in America” poll recommended a minimum of 7-9 hours of quality sleep for adults and 12 hours for kids. Unfortunately, as of 2008, the average adult sleeps just 6.5 hours a night while 70% of children experience sleep issues more than twice a week. All up, at least 70 million Americans are affected by sleep problems either chronically or intermittently, citing stress concerning economic, financial, or familial concerns as the number one issue that keeps them up at night.
It doesn’t end there. It is well known that sleep deprivation adversely affects cognition and motor skills; one study showed that subjects who were awake for up to 19 hours “scored substantially worse” on performance and alertness tests than those who were legally intoxicated. Is it any wonder then that a lack of sleep is responsible for an estimated 100, 000 auto accidents annually, while sleep disorders result in over an annual $100 billion in medical expenses, insurance claims, sick time, and lost productivity for American schools and businesses?
It would appear that lack of sleep is fast becoming a public health crisis. Many social problems, it may be argued, would be solved if everyone could just get a decent night’s rest. Is sleep deprivation the reason why so many people seem quick-tempered, aggressive, rude, impatient, inattentive and downright mean? It has becoming increasingly apparent that a civil society depends on its inhabitants enjoying a healthy, contented sleep cycle.
So what then, is the answer? As in desperation, people turn to all kind of solutions in an effort to solve their sleep dilemma. And certainly, there is an increasingly loud call coming from those seeking a natural and better alternative to the “knockout” drugs prescribed like jellybeans by some in the medical profession, that seem to reduce so many in society to little more than walking zombies.
Agebest Basics® nocturnal calm™ sleep blend may be your answer. It is a unique mixture of three natural ingredients that, in combination, induce the mental and physical relaxation needed to facilitate a good night’s sleep.*
Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha)
Withania somnifera, also known as Ashwagandha, is a small shrub found primarily in Africa and India, where the root of this plant has been used for centuries therapeutically and in traditional and Ayurvedic medicine. A member of the pepper family, it is a known adaptogen, a non-toxic botanical that not only helps the body deal with and reduce the effects of stress and but also produces a “normalizing” influence on the body (promoting homeostasis, or a state of equilibrium).
The active constituents of the Ashwagandha root are antioxidants and withanolides. The antioxidants boost the immune system while the withanolides, comprised of steroidal alkaloids and steroidal lactones, have been found to inhibit cyclooxygenase enzymes (that is to say, act as COX-2 inhibitors). This may explain why Ashwagandha is known to promote normal and healthy inflammatory levels.*
In addition, scientific studies have found Ashwagandha reduces everyday anxiety and stress, promotes healthy cognitive function, and supports healthy cardiovascular system function.*
5-htp (5-hydroxytryptophan) (Griffonia simplicifolia seed)
Extracted naturally from the seeds of Griffonia simplicifolia, a woody, stout shrub native to West and Central Africa, 5-htp is a derivative of the essential amino acid tryptophan, and is the intermediate step to tryptophan’s conversion into serotonin.
Research has shown that as we age, our serotonin levels decline. This deficiency can lead to anxiety, sleeplessness, depression, muscle tension/aches and a propensity to overeat (particularly simple carbohydrates such as sugar) that may lead to weight gain and diabetes.
So what exactly is serotonin? Serotonin is a neurotransmitter made in the brain that influences the cardiovascular, renal, immune and gastrointestinal systems. In addition, it affects many basic psychological functions in the brain and modulates pain, anger, mood, sexuality, appetite, metabolism, body temperature, sleep and feelings of wellbeing.
Serotonin is made within the brain neurons, and cannot be “imported” into the brain artificially (supplemented) because of the blood-brain barrier, a protective device designed to prevent the passage of toxins from the blood into the brain. Studies have shown that 5-htp is well absorbed orally, and that it easily crosses the blood-brain barrier where it effectively assists in serotonin synthesis.
C-phycocyanin
Phycocyanin (or C-Phycocyanin) is a blue-green pigmented biliprotein extracted from spirulina using our proprietary processing technology. It is a natural antioxidant that helps promote normal immune function.* Scientific studies have shown that phycocyanin possesses properties that enhance the body’s natural inflammatory and histamine responses.* This proprietary phycocyanin is the differentiating factor in making Nocturnal Calm™ sleep blend totally unique in the natural sleep alternatives category.
If you would like to see the scientific studies and articles that support the information listed above, complete with links to the actual abstracts, please click here to enter our Reading Room.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.