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There is no denying sleep is the foundation of good health. Sleep is essential for the body to rest and repair, balance blood sugar and hormones, drain the brain of toxic waste and release essential molecules like proteins and hormones.

Getting a good night’s sleep seems harder to achieve as we age. Due to work-stress, children, dogs, aches and pains, an activated brain, never ending to-do lists and maybe a little too much caffeine… There are many barriers to sleep that insidiously add up and disrupt our precious sleep. 

There is no denying sleep is the foundation of good health. Sleep is essential for the body to rest and repair, balance blood sugar and hormones, drain the brain of toxic waste and release essential molecules like proteins and hormones. 

We’ve all been there–without adequate sleep you’re cranky and slow, irritable and snacky. You reach for that second and third cup of coffee, the carb-rich snack and the same cycle repeats. 

Inadequate sleep sabotages your efforts to get healthy and maintain a healthy weight. In fact, inadequate sleep will set you up for insulin resistance, cardiac disease, mood disorders and lower your life expectancy. 

Sleep is essential, yet many people struggle to get and stay asleep, and obtain those deep restorative z’s your brain and body need. 

Barriers to quality sleep to explore: 

• Blood sugar dysregulation 

• Mineral imbalance 

• Stress and anxiety

• Elevated cortisol

• HPA axis dysfunction

• Medications or supplements  

• Aches and pain 

• Sleep apnea

• Irregular sleep-wake cycle 

• Poor sleep hygiene 

Sleep hygiene is the practice of setting yourself and your environment up to encourage the best possible sleep. This looks like following a brief night time routine to prepare your mind and body for sleep and tap into the parasympathetic, rest and digest state. 

1. Get dressed for bed. 

2. Mindfully complete dental and skin care. 

3. Shut down electronics 1 hour prior to sleep. Store away from the bedside table. 

4. Cool and darken the bedroom completely. 

5. Take magnesium. 

6. Complete nighttime or sleep meditation. 

7. Read or journal in bed. 

Preparing for sleep actually starts during the day. Cortisol is the hormone that gets you up out of bed and moving, peaking mid-morning and gradually decreasing until its lowest point at night.

With the gradual fall of cortisol, melatonin is on the rise, causing you to be drowsy and ready for sleep. Cortisol and hormones are two of the many hormones involved in the sleep-wake cycle.

New research suggests supplementing with NMN during the afternoon can help synchronize your sleep-wake cycle, leading to more restful sleep and sustained energy during the day (Hill, 2020).

Recently, researchers are recognizing NAD+ and its precursor, NMN, roles in the sleep-wake cycle, and how supplementing with NAD+, and/or its precursors, can be supportive to sleep and age-related factors that disrupt sleep. 

Nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) is a precursor to NAD+, a vital molecule every organism needs to power hundreds of processes in the body such as 

• Repairing damage

• Fighting infection

• Combating inflammation

• Fueling brain function

• Slowing the effects of aging 

In a recent study, NMN supplementation was seen to improve sleep quality and reduced drowsiness in adults (Weiss, 2022). Participants took 250 mg doses of NMN in the afternoon for 12 weeks.

Because participants were sleeping better, their cognition and physical performance improved, which understandably had a positive effect on their quality of life and outlook on life. 

In a separate study, researchers observed “youthful behavior” in mice as well as reduced aspects of aging (Hill, 2020). Researchers postulate NAD+ and its precursors help to regulate the sleep-wake cycle, therefore positively influence sleep and energy levels. 

Holistic Health Code recommends Elevant’s NMN-C products which are scientifically designed to improve your health at a cellular level and prevent age-related declines.

Prime reinforces your health on a long-term basis acting at a cellular level to strengthen your immunity, powering your cells while Optima enhances your brain health by reducing dips in concentration and focus for a better brain clarity. 

Combined together, they support NAD+ production, and power your health and sleep-wake cycle for longer. Talk to your practitioner at HHC to understand if NMN is a good supplement for you. 

References 

Hill, S. (2020). NAD+ and the Circadian Rhythm. Retrieved from https://www.lifespan.io/news/nad-and-the-circadian-rhythm/ 

Weiss, B. (2022). Japanese Study Suggests NMN Can Benefit Sleep and Physical Performance in Older Adults. Retrieved from https://www.nmn.com/news/afternoon-nmn-intake-improves-sleep-and-physical-performance-in-older-adults 

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