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Sleep is one of the most important parts of a healthy life, but for many it can be surprisingly difficult to fall asleep and relax. If deep, restorative sleep sounds like a dream, you've come to the right place. We offer a collagen complex for better sleep with ingredients that can help you say goodnight to stress and get you a good night's sleep.
We offer nutritional supplements that contribute to better sleep and increased relaxation that contain ashwagandha for sleep, magnesium for better sleep, GABA for sleep and zinc for better sleep, as well as vitamin B6 for sleep. Our popular food supplement with collagen for sleep COLLAGEN - SLEEP & RELAX ASHWAGANDHA is a mixture with collagen, vitamin C, magnesium which is good for sleep, ashwagandha for sleep and GABA which contributes to a better and deeper sleep.
Magnesium helps to reduce fatigue and exhaustion.
Ashwagandha (KSM66®) helps improve the body's resistance to stress , helps the body deal with stress , and helps you recover from stressful events. Ashwagandha (KSM66®) also helps maintain mental balance and emotional stability as well supports falling asleep.
Vitamin C contributes to the reduction of fatigue and exhaustion.
GABA contributes to deep sleep and mental balance.
The best supplements for better sleep are ashwagandha, GABA, magnesium, zinc and vitamin B6.
A surprising benefit of taking collagen is the positive impact this protein can have on your sleep. This is because collagen is loaded with the amino acid glycine, an inhibitory neurotransmitter that calms the central nervous system and helps you wind down, relax and fall asleep.
You often hear that it is important to eat healthy and exercise to maintain a healthy weight and reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases. Sufficient sleep and relaxation are, however, at least as important for maintaining health throughout life. In our society, many people stress and sleep far too little. Both stress and lack of sleep are some of the risk factors for, for example, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. Lack of sleep has also been linked to weight gain, depression, and accidents in traffic and at the workplace.
Getting enough sleep can be difficult for many, which is probably largely due to the use of computers, mobile phones and televisions late at night. Stress and worry can also be a contributing factor leading to fewer hours of sleep.
There are a lot of things you can do to get a better night's sleep, and we're going to focus extra on sleep supplements; why magnesium, zinc and vitamin B6 can be helpful for sleep problems. We will also address the importance of dietary supplements with GABA and ashwagandha for a good night's sleep.
A lack of sleep leads to higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the body, which can lead to high blood sugar and cravings for carbohydrate-rich foods and sugar. In the long run, this can lead to several health problems such as weight gain, and at the same time affect mental health.
Yes, our popular product COLLAGEN - SLEEP & RELAX WITH KSM-66 ASHWAGANDHA ® contains collagen, together with ashwagandha, magnesium and GABA + vitamin C.
Magnesium regulates the neurotransmitters that communicate with the brain's nervous system. So the right amount of magnesium in the body can help calm the nervous system. A calm nervous system, in turn, makes it easier for the body to relax and fall asleep.
Magnesium is a mineral that is needed for the functioning of several enzymatic reactions in the body that are part of various processes, such as nerve function, blood sugar control, protein synthesis, etc. In the cells, there is a lot of magnesium in the mitochondria, the so-called "energy factory of the cells". They are usually called that because it is precisely in the cells' mitochondria that nutrients are burned and converted into energy.
Building energy may not sound like something that can promote sleep, but as we mentioned earlier, magnesium affects a number of different processes in the body! Magnesium is also a natural agonist* to GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) and antagonist** to NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate). This may sound tricky, but to explain it briefly, GABA is a signaling substance with an inhibitory effect on the brain, so it can, among other things, relax the body's muscles and promote sleep when it is activated. Instead, the NMDA receptor has a stimulating effect on the brain. Glutamate is an amino acid that can bind to the NMDA receptor and activate it. However, if magnesium binds to the NMDA receptor instead of glutamate, glutamate cannot bind there, which in turn inhibits the stimulating effect on the brain.
*An agonist is a substance that binds to a receptor and stimulates its activity. In this case, it means that magnesium stimulates the GABA receptor, which promotes sleep and relaxation of muscles.
**When an antagonist binds to a receptor, it prevents other substances from binding to the same receptor. In this case, magnesium prevents glutamate from binding to the NMDA receptor when binding to it.
STUDIES ON MAGNESIUM AND SLEEP
In one study, 46 elderly individuals with insomnia were given either 500 mg/day magnesium in the form of a dietary supplement, or a placebo pill, for 8 weeks. The results showed that the group receiving magnesium had lower serum concentrations of cortisol compared to the placebo group. In addition, the subjects receiving magnesium had higher serum concentrations of the sleep hormone melatonin than the placebo group. Furthermore, the magnesium supplement seemed to improve subjective measures of insomnia, including sleep time, effective sleep and how early the subjects woke up in the morning.
FOOD WITH MAGNESIUM
Magnesium occurs above all in whole grain products, green leafy vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, fish and shellfish.
Magnesium supplement sleep:
COLLAGEN - SLEEP & RELAX WITH KSM-66 ASHWAGANDHA ®
Magnesium is essential for your brain and your body; from regulating blood sugar levels to increasing athletic performance. Magnesium is found throughout the body. In fact, every cell in your body contains this mineral and needs it to function. About 60% of the magnesium in your body is found in your bones, while the rest is found in muscles, soft tissues and fluids, including blood.
One of its main roles is to act as a cofactor - a helper molecule - in the biochemical reactions continuously carried out by enzymes. It is involved in more than 600 reactions in your body, including:
Energy creation: converting food into energy
Protein formation: create new proteins from amino acids
Maintains the genes: helps create and repair DNA and RNA
Muscle movements: help with muscle contraction and relaxation
Regulation of the nervous system: regulates neurotransmitters, which send messages throughout your brain and nervous system
Yet studies suggest that approximately 50% of all adults get less than the recommended daily amount of magnesium.
Benefits of magnesium:
Approved health claims for magnesium:
Taking zinc together with magnesium can contribute to better sleep.
Zinc, like magnesium, is both a mineral and an antagonist for the NMDA receptor, and thus may also be beneficial in promoting sleep. Since both magnesium and zinc inhibit the activity of the NDMA receptor, and thus inhibit the stimulating effect on the brain, it is also believed that they could have an anti-depressant effect.
STUDIES ON ZINC AND SLEEP
In a Japanese study, people who received zinc supplements daily for three months fell asleep faster and had improved sleep efficiency (i.e., how much time spent in bed you actually sleep) than people who received a placebo supplement.
FOOD WITH ZINC
Foods rich in zinc are, for example, pumpkin seeds and other seeds and nuts, oysters, meat, beans and whole grain products.
DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS WITH ZINC
25 mg ZINC + vitamin C - VEGAN
COLLAGEN - IMMUNE SUPPORT WITH NAC (N-acetylcysteine)
Vitamin B6 is required for the formation of several signaling substances, such as serotonin, dopamine, GABA and melatonin, which can affect sleep in different ways*.
Even with mild deficiencies of vitamin B6, it has been seen, for example, that the formation of GABA is downregulated. Vitamin B6 is also considered an "anti-stress agent", and low levels of the vitamin have also been associated with depression.
*Melatonin is a hormone that makes us sleepy. Serotonin is needed partly to produce melatonin, but also regulates our sleep and wakefulness cycle. Dopamine is associated with alertness.
STUDIES ON VITAMIN B6 AND SLEEP
In studies done on mice, it has been seen that vitamin B6, both alone and in combination with zinc, showed increased levels of melatonin in the mice. In another study where vitamin B6 was injected into mice every other day for two months, an increase in melatonin levels was also seen there. Results from human studies have shown mixed results. In a study of 12 healthy men who were given 100 mg (oral) of vitamin B6 in the evening, no effect was seen on their nocturnal levels of melatonin in the blood. However, it was seen that the levels of melatonin doubled when 100 children between 1.5-8 years old were administered 3 mg/kg body weight of vitamin B6 intravenously at night.
FOODS WITH VITAMIN B6
You can find vitamin B6 in foods such as bananas, cereals, meat, eggs, chicken, potatoes, pistachios and avocados.
DIETARY SUPPLEMENT WITH VITAMIN B6
COLLAGEN - IMMUNE SUPPORT WITH NAC (N-acetylcysteine)
GABA reduces stress and promotes sleep through its inhibitory effect on the brain.
GABA is a neurotransmitter that has an inhibitory effect on the brain and can promote sleep and relax muscles. In addition to magnesium and zinc activating GABA, GABA is also available as a dietary supplement. When 30 people received dietary supplements with 300 mg of GABA every day for 4 weeks, they experienced improved sleep quality compared to a control group (20 people) who only received a placebo. In another study conducted on rats, they looked at the effect of a combination of dietary supplements with 100 mg/kg body weight GABA and 20 mg/kg body weight L-theanine (amino acid found in tea leaves). Taking this dietary supplement resulted in a shorter time when the rats went from being awake to falling asleep, and that the treatment led to longer sleep times. Therefore, it is believed that both GABA and L-theanine could help with insomnia, especially when they are combined. In another study (in humans) it was seen that stress-related symptoms, such as sleep, anxiety and depression, were reduced after 4 weeks of using dietary supplements with L-theanine (200 mg/day). It was also seen that sleep quality was improved in the group that received L-theanine compared to the control group that received a placebo.
Ashwagandha can improve sleep quality and also reduce anxiety-related symptoms.
Ashwagandha, which is an herb widely used in Ayurvedic medicine. One of the herb's many purported benefits is that it can improve sleep quality. In one study, 60 people were divided into two groups where 40 people received an extract of ashwagandha root for 10 weeks, and 20 people received a placebo. The study was blinded, i.e. that the participants did not know whether they were taking ashwagandha or a placebo. The results showed improvements in sleep quality in the group receiving the Ashwagandha root extract, compared to the placebo group. Participants in this group also experienced a reduction in anxiety-related symptoms.
DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS WITH ASHWAGANDHA, GABA, MAGNESIUM AND COLLAGEN FOR BETTER SLEEP:
COLLAGEN - SLEEP & RELAX WITH KSM-66 ASHWAGANDHA ®
Sleep is absolutely necessary for good health, but about a third of the adult population reports that they sleep less than the recommended seven hours per night.
Most also use some type of alternative medicine or dietary supplement to help or treat various sleep disorders. A natural remedy used to treat sleep problems is ashwagandha, an Indian herb that has properties to promote a good night's sleep. Ashwagandha is also one of the most important herbs in Ayurvedic medicine where it has been used for more than 4000 years.
Ashwagandha is an herb that comes from a small shrub called Withania somnifera. Ashwagandha is used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine to treat a variety of conditions, including sleep problems.
Ashwagandha has a specific effect on the stress hormone cortisol. What ashwagandha does is increase the body's resistance to stress by normalizing the body's stress system (HPA axis). The result is a normalization of the stress hormone cortisol, which allows the body to recover and rest/calm down. If you sleep poorly, your sleep improves, and if you are tired and easily irritated due to stress, this also stabilizes for the better. Overall, it can be said that ashwagandha contributes to:
more calm
better sleep
emotional balance
recovery and stamina
Ashwagandha is considered an adaptogen (biologically active substance of natural origin) in alternative medicine that protects the body during periods of stress, worry and anxiety, or other stresses. An adaptogen has certain properties in the body:
Research has found that ashwagandha can help people fall asleep faster, sleep longer, and get a better quality of sleep.
After taking ashwagandha for six weeks, participants in one study reported an average of 72% better sleep.
Several compounds found in ashwagandha may be responsible for its sleep-promoting effects. Perhaps Ashwagandha's most important active ingredient is withanolides which have a host of benefits including the ability to relieve stress. Stress has been linked to poorer sleep quality and excessive sleepiness during the day. So taking an ashwagandha supplement before bed can increase your chances of falling asleep faster, sleeping longer, and getting a better quality of sleep!
Many people take ashwagandha to promote a good night's sleep, and some evidence suggests it may help with sleep problems.
A study of 50 adults ages 65-80 found that those who took ashwagandha supplements for 12 weeks significantly improved their sleep quality and mental alertness compared to those who received a placebo.
An analysis of five high-quality studies found that ashwagandha had a small but significant positive effect on overall sleep quality.
Taking ashwagandha reduced people's anxiety levels and helped them feel more alert when they woke up. The researchers noted that the results were more pronounced in people who suffered from insomnia.
Ashwagandha can be an effective dietary supplement for improving sleep and can especially help people who suffer from insomnia.
Ashwagandha comes in several different forms. There are e.g. such as powders, teas, pills, capsules, etc. The price may depend on brand, quantity and quality. Dietary supplements with ashwagandha can also be mixed with other healthy ingredients such as collagen (a protein with many healthy properties).
COLLAGEN - SLEEP & RELAX WITH KSM-66 ASHWAGANDHA ® - contributes together with magnesium, GABA and vitamin C - to better sleep and mental balance - a dietary supplement containing 7440 mg of PEPTAN B® collagen per daily dose.
To use ashwagandha for sleep, follow the instructions for the specific supplement that you purchase. The optimal dose of ashwagandha is still under debate and it may differ between different supplements. Typical doses used to help people sleep are generally 200–600 mg. However, ashwagandha should not be used for more than three consecutive months.
Ashwagandha is considered a dietary supplement. The Swedish Food Agency does not review dietary supplements before they are placed on the market to ensure quality and safety. It is therefore important to choose supplements from a serious manufacturer who is careful about what they put in their supplements and who you feel you can trust.
Ashwagandha has been prized in traditional Indian Ayurvedic medicine for its health-giving properties for over 3,000 years. Made from the root of the Withania somnifera Dunal plant, it has become in high demand as consumers around the world look for natural solutions for health and well-being, especially adaptogens that promote balance in the body and help the body adapt to stressful conditions.
KSM-66® is full-spectrum ashwagandha extracted from 100% ashwagandha root - never from the leaves - manufactured by Ixoreal Biomed using gentle extraction techniques that follow the principles of "green chemistry". A full-spectrum extract maintains the natural balance between the various active components found in the original herb. Ashwagandha is believed to have so many extensive health benefits due to its complex blend of active phytochemicals that act synergistically on a systemic level in the human body.
KSM-66® retains both the hydrophilic components and the lipophilic components of the root and contains the highest percentage of withanolides (5%) of any brand extract available on the market today.
Ashwagandha is considered a safe dietary supplement when taken for up to three months. The most common side effects of Ashwagandha are mild and include:
Diarrhea
Nausea
Stomach upset
Vomiting
Ashwagandha may be an option for people interested in trying alternative solutions for better sleep. However, some groups should avoid ashwagandha. These groups include:
If you fall into any of these categories, talk to your doctor about other better sleep options that are safe for you to use. You should also talk to your doctor before taking ashwagandha to make sure it does not interfere with other medications you are taking.
Gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a naturally occurring amino acid that acts as a neurotransmitter in the brain. Neurotransmitters act as chemical messengers. GABA is considered an inhibitory neurotransmitter because it blocks, or inhibits, certain brain signals and reduces activity in the nervous system.
When GABA attaches to a protein in the brain called the GABA receptor, it produces a calming effect. This can help alleviate emotions such as anxiety, stress and fear. Too much stress is linked to poor sleep, a weaker immune system and a higher risk of depression.
The only foods that contain GABA are fermented foods; such as kimchi, miso, and tempeh.
GABA is both a substance produced in the body and a substance found in food supplements. Unlike melatonin, which is also produced in the body and is also a dietary supplement, GABA is not as well known when it comes to sleep supplements.
Considering the interest and popularity of GABA, and the importance of the body's own production of GABA for sleep, mood, and health - it is definitely worth knowing about this important amino acid!
Ashwagandha has a specific effect on the stress hormone cortisol. What ashwagandha does is increase the body's resistance to stress by normalizing the body's stress system (HPA axis). The result is a normalization of the stress hormone cortisol, which allows the body to recover and rest/calm down. If you sleep poorly, your sleep improves, and if you are tired and easily irritated due to stress, this also stabilizes for the better. Overall, it can be said that ashwagandha contributes to:
Research has found that ashwagandha can help people fall asleep faster, sleep longer, and get a better quality of sleep.
GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) is an amino acid produced naturally in the brain. GABA acts as an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system: it facilitates communication between brain cells. GABA's major role in the body is to reduce the activity of nerve cells in the brain and central nervous system, which in turn has a wide range of effects on the body and mind, including increased relaxation, reduced stress, a calmer and more balanced mood, relief of pain, and an increase in sleep.
Many medications interact with GABA and GABA receptors in the brain to achieve certain effects, often relaxation, pain relief, reduced stress and anxiety, lowering blood pressure, and improving sleep. Barbiturates, anesthetics, benzodiazepines and antidepressants are some of the drugs that target GABA.
A number of different dietary supplements can affect GABA activity, to relieve stress and anxiety, promote a balanced mood, and help with sleep. An example is magnesium, which has an effect on the brain's GABA activity.
GABA is found naturally in varieties of green, black, and oolong tea, as well as in fermented foods including kefir, yogurt, and tempeh. Other foods also contain GABA or can increase production in the body. These include whole grains, fava beans, soy, lentils and other beans, nuts including walnuts, almonds and sunflower seeds, fish including shrimp and halibut, citrus, tomatoes, berries, spinach, broccoli, potatoes and cocoa, and chlorella.
GABA is also found in dietary supplements. Dietary supplements with GABA are often used to treat sleep problems, high blood pressure, stress and anxiety, as well as to stimulate the body's natural growth hormone, often by athletes.
GABA can be called the "brakes of the brain". GABA is the body's most important inhibitory neurotransmitter, which means that it lowers the activity of neural cells in the brain and central nervous system, with the effect that the brain and body "downshift". By inhibiting neural activity, GABA improves sleep, reduces mental and physical stress, reduces anxiety, and creates a calm mood.
When we feel, think, experience and remember, neurotransmitters are involved.
GABA also plays an important role in regulating muscle tone. In combination with glutamate, the body's most important excitatory neurotransmitter, GABA is an important contributor to the body's overall mental and physical homeostasis, or balance.
GABA also plays an important role in the functioning of the body's immune and endocrine systems, as well as in the regulation of appetite and metabolism.
Low GABA activity in the body can result in:
GABA AND SLEEP
The body's own GABA activity is important for sleep. GABA enables the body and mind to relax and fall asleep, and sleep soundly throughout the night. Low GABA activity is linked to insomnia and disturbed sleep.
GABA REDUCES STRESS AND ANXIETY
GABA's primary role is to reduce the activity of nerve cells in the brain and central nervous system, putting the body in a state of relaxation, as well as relieving stress and anxiety. Dietary supplements with GABA can benefit sleep by helping with relaxation and reducing anxiety and stress.
GABA LOWERS HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
Dietary supplements with GABA are sometimes used as a natural way to lower blood pressure. A natural drop in blood pressure at night is part of the body's way of unwinding. High blood pressure can be a sign of hyperarousal, a state of physical alertness and vigilance that can make it difficult to fall asleep and maintain good sleep quality. Poor sleep and sleep disorders, especially sleep apnea, contribute to high blood pressure and can lead to the type of hypertension that is difficult to treat.
If you take GABA at the same time as taking high blood pressure medication, your blood pressure may drop too much. Always consult your doctor before taking GABA, if you are taking blood pressure lowering medications.
People taking antidepressants should also consult their doctors before taking GABA as a dietary supplement.
"Because GABA can lower blood pressure and act on neurotransmitters, people taking antihypertensive drugs or people taking antidepressants should be careful with their intake of GABA."
The best time to take GABA for better sleep varies from person to person. Studies indicate that 30-60 minutes before bed is the optimal time.
As with many sleep and relaxation supplements, you'll want to tailor the timing of your GABA intake to your unique sleep needs. Those who have trouble falling asleep may want to take their GABA supplement earlier in the evening, within a one- to two-hour window, while those who have trouble sleeping choose to wait until closer to bedtime.
Supplements that combine GABA with other relaxing minerals and herbs—for example, magnesium in the form of magnesium citrate and ashwagandha—can also be effective (perhaps incrementally given their synergistic action) for sleep.
Given how difficult it can be for a high percentage of the Swedish population to get quality sleep night after night, there are nutritional supplements aimed at helping us fall asleep faster and sleep longer. Supplements with GABA + magnesium citrate and ashwagandha are an option that can be very effective. To further promote good sleep, make sure you have enough time to unwind, avoid stimulating foods and activities before bed and keep your bedroom cool, quiet and dark!
Some people suffer from insomnia because they can't seem to "turn off" their brain at night. Magnesium helps slow down the brain's "thinking" by regulating the neurotransmitter GABA.
An essential amino acid, GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) plays a key role in your overall sleep health. One of GABA's primary functions is essentially to help your brain wind down for the night. This neurotransmitter slows down communication between your brain and central nervous system, helping you relax, de-stress and ultimately fall asleep.
Magnesium helps your body maintain healthy levels of GABA, enabling quality sleep. Additionally, GABA can help calm both body and mind as you prepare for sleep.
Zinc and magnesium from food supplements can be taken in the evening at bedtime as they activate the body's parasympathetic nervous system and make the body tired. Taking these two minerals will help you sleep better.
This is another benefit you probably wouldn't expect from collagen. When you sleep, you enter different stages of sleep, from stages 1 to 4. Stages 1 and 2 involve very light sleep and you can easily wake up from these stages. Stage 3 is a deep sleep stage, while the 4th level is REM sleep, where dreams usually occur.
The deep sleep stage is when your body rests and recovers. It is a very important stage of sleep that you need to go through in order to perform well the next day. At this stage, growth hormone is also released into the body, which is what drives your muscle growth.
However, some people cannot go into deep sleep due to health conditions or different habits. For example, consuming caffeine too late at night can disrupt your body from being able to reach deeper stages of sleep, such as stage 3. This causes drowsiness during the day and an inability to concentrate.
A study was conducted regarding the effects of a collagen intake on the sleep pattern. According to this research, people who took collagen before bed reported better sleep, and of better quality. The measurements made also showed that the subjects fell asleep faster and reached deep sleep faster than those who took the placebo. It also turned out that they did not feel tired during the day and furthermore had a good mental performance.
