The Vitamins and Supplements Your Body Needs to Support Your Mental Health
Focus & Fitness
Disclaimer: Country Life Vitamins and Dr. Audrey do not diagnose, treat or prescribe. We aim to give you useful information to help you develop your own supplement routine that addresses your unique needs.
Dr. Audrey, Naturopath, Master Herbalist and Senior National Educator at Country Life Vitamins, discusses the importance of sleep for health, what factors can negatively impact sleep and what you can do to help foster a good night’s sleep consistently.
We all know – or at least, have been told – that getting a good amount of sleep is important for our overall health. But why – what is the importance of sleep? And how much sleep do you need?
Dr. Audrey: There are 4 basic stages of sleep: 3 are non-REM (rapid eye movement) and one is REM sleep. As you start to go to sleep, you can be startled awake very quickly and still be alert/know what’s going on. As you get deeper and deeper into sleep, if you’re startled awake, it may take you some time to get your bearings.
In the non-REM sleep stages, your body rebuilds bones, rebuilds tissues, rebuilds muscles and strengthens your immune system. So, there’s a whole process our body goes through in sleep.
CLV: What about the importance of REM sleep?
Dr. Audrey: In sleep, 20-25% of our time sleeping is spent in REM sleep. REM sleep is where you have dreams. Your brain is active, but your body is not moving. Think of this as the time of sleep where you’re rebooting your brain. You’re helping with learning and memory consolidation and kind of filing everything you learned during the day.
CLV: How come some of us have trouble sleeping and some of us don’t?
Dr. Audrey: A lot of things affect our circadian rhythm – our sleep/wake cycle. Light is one of them. In the daylight, we produce more serotonin, which keeps us awake (so it can be hard to sleep during the day). As it gets darker, the body begins to produce more melatonin, which helps you sleep. People who work night shifts will often have a problem with sleep because of this.
Blue light is another type of light that affects our sleep/wake cycle. The blue light from our computers, tablets and cell phones affects melatonin production. One of the most detrimental things you can do that could disrupt your sleep is look at your phone right before trying to go to sleep.
Having alcohol before going to sleep can also have a negative impact. Although you may feel like alcohol relaxes you, it can disrupt the whole sleep cycle. So just be aware of that.
CLV: How much sleep does a person need to get each night?
Dr. Audrey: The Sleep Foundation suggests, on average, adults need about 7 hours of sleep every night. Children need a bit more, depending on their age.
Of course, remember you’re an individual and you may need a bit more or a bit less. But try to set a goal of getting 7 hours of sleep and see how you feel.
Now that you’re aware of how much happens during sleep and why it’s important for our health, if you find yourself having difficulty sleeping, try some of Dr. Audrey’s tips below.
Remember, you have to adjust based on what you need. Experiment and find out what works for you.
If you’re looking for supplements to foster a better night’s sleep, Dr. Audrey recommends the following CLV products:
You can even combine the above products. Gut Connection® Stress Balance™ and Gut Connection™ Sleep Balance™ work well together. You can take stress balance at lunch and sleep balance 30-60 minutes before going to bed.
Dr. Audrey’s favorite combo is the Gut Connection™ Kids Sleep Balance™ and Gut Connection® Stress Balance™.
Overall, by combining the tips above, implementing healthy lifestyle habits all year long, and, if needed, choosing a supplement that helps, you can take more control of your stress, promote gut health, and foster a better night’s sleep.
DISCLAIMER: ** 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.