Sleep Remedies: Introduction to Sleep Supplementation
If despite getting a good eight hours sleep a night, you’re still depending on your morning coffee to wake you up, then some simple sleep supplementation may improve your overall slumber.
But with so many choices available from magnesium, melatonin, mouth tape, sleep mouth guards and throat sprays, how does one make an informed choice?
Magnesium: What do I need to know?
Magnesium is a mineral that plays an important role in many of the body’s processes, influencing both sleep quality and quantity. Most people get the magnesium they need from their diets by eating whole grains, avocados, bananas, nuts, seeds, beans, and milk, however, supplementation can be a great help to counteract any deficiencies, relax sore muscles or to support a poor diet.
Before you stock up, it’s crucial to consider any contraindications. Magnesium supplements have the potential to interact with medications, plus the side effects of taking too much magnesium could include bloating, an upset stomach, and nausea.
Always consult your doctor to make sure the one you choose is safe for you.
Melatonin: Natural Sleep Aid or Not?
The brain’s pineal gland produces melatonin, a hormone. Your body starts producing it naturally when the sun goes down. Sleeping in a cool, dark environment, is also recommended as it induces melatonin production. Melatonin supplements work similarly.
Why is Melatonin a good option? Melatonin is not a sleeping pill. It won’t make you drowsy (like prescription medication can) or relax your muscles (like magnesium). It works to supplement the hormone levels in the body, encouraging you to sleep in a natural manner. Still, it is not the best idea to take it on a regular basis and should only be used for 3-4 days until your sleep cycle recalibrates.
Like any medication, it’s best to have melatonin after consulting with your doctor, as certain underlying issues might get affected by its use and dosage.
Sleep Mouth tape: Why Do it?
The human nose filters, warms, humidifies, and prepares oxygen, readying it for the lungs and bloodstream. The nose is lined with sensors that, when activated by breath, send messages throughout the nervous system. Bypassing the nose to breathe oxygen through the mouth, can have poor long-term effects, and the more you do it, the harder it becomes to stop!
Simply placing sleep mouth tape over your mouth can encourage you to breathe through the nose, offering a deeper more restful sleep without any side effects. However, mouth taping doesn’t work for everyone and can sometimes make sleep worse for some people! If that’s the case, having your nose and sinuses checked by a Doctor would be the next step.
Sleep Mouth Guards. Can they help?
Whether it’s stage-one snoring or full-blown obstructive sleep apnoea, nothing kills bed-sharing like a loud sleeper. Here’s how to fix it…
A mandibular splint (MAD) is a custom-made device for each patient’s mouth, that helps to treat breathing disorders that are affecting sleep. You wear the mouthguard each night to prevent obstruction of the airway, as determined by a camera assessment.
A MAD splint can be an effective, non-invasive treatment for sleep apnoea or snoring easily accessible through Auckland Sleep Clinic.
Throat Sleep Spray: Do They Work?
Snoring is quite openly a nocturnal bane for many adults. When you fall asleep, all of the muscles and soft tissues in your neck, throat and airway relax. When you inhale, you force the air over these relaxed and floppy structures, causing them to vibrate. It’s these vibrations that we hear as a snore!
A Throat Sleep Spray targets snoring by hydrating and lubricating the soft tissue at the back of the throat- providing effective snoring relief for up to 8 hours.
When Should You Consult a Doctor?
For the ultimate sleep advice, consult the authority in sleep health- Auckland Sleep. Our unique holistic approach to sleep health and wellness gives you comprehensive personalised care. You get an accurate diagnosis and a bespoke effective treatment plan, accessible to everyone.
Get in touch with us at our sleep clinic Auckland to find out how we can help you.
