How Reishi Improves Your Sleep
Understanding Insomnia:
Insomnia is a common sleep disorder that makes it difficult for people to get enough quality sleep. It affects around 33-50% of adults, with 10-15% experiencing chronic issues. When people suffer from insomnia, they may feel tired, depressed, irritable, or have trouble concentrating during the day. These daytime problems are not just annoying—they can lead to more serious health issues, like heart disease, stroke, and mental health disorders.
Unfortunately some people are genetically predisposed to insomnia but luckily for most it is usually a case of some stressor is negatively effecting certain genes that lead to and overproduction of certain proteins, making the individual an insomniac and prolonging the insomniac state.
How Genes Influence Insomnia
Genes contain the instructions for making proteins, which carry out various functions in the body, including those related to sleep. These proteins can be neurotransmitters, hormones, or other molecules that influence how the brain and body regulate the sleep-wake cycle.
Two Potential Mechanisms
1. Genes Triggering Insomnia:
- Some genes might have variations (mutations or polymorphisms) that predispose a person to insomnia. For example, a gene might code for a neurotransmitter that makes it harder for a person to fall asleep or stay asleep. If these genes are more active or produce more of their associated proteins, they could create or maintain an insomniac state. This could happen even without any external stressors, just because of the genetic makeup of the individual.
2. Stress-Induced Gene Activation:
- Stress or other external factors (like poor sleep hygiene, anxiety, or physical illness) can signal certain genes to become more active. When these genes are activated, they might produce proteins or neurotransmitters in excess, which could disrupt normal sleep patterns. For example, stress can lead to the overproduction of cortisol, a hormone that can make it difficult to sleep. If the genes related to cortisol production or its regulation are overstimulated, this could lead to an ongoing state of insomnia.
How Reishi Might Help
- Reishi’s active compounds could interact with these genes or the proteins they produce, helping to regulate their activity. For example, Reishi might help reduce the overproduction of certain stress-related proteins or modulate the activity of neurotransmitters that are involved in sleep regulation, thereby helping to restore a more normal sleep pattern.
Reishi’s Role in Sleep
Reishi is known for its many health benefits, one of which is improving sleep quality. Scientific studies have shown that extracts from Reishi can help reduce the time it takes to fall asleep and increase the overall duration of sleep. This effect might be related to how Reishi influences certain chemicals in the brain, such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) receptors. TNF is a substance in the body that can help promote sleep, especially the deep, restorative kind known as non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. GABA receptors, on the other hand, help calm the brain and nervous system, making it easier to relax and fall asleep.
Active Compounds in Reishi
Reishi is packed with various active compounds that work together to enhance sleep. One important compound is beta-sitosterol, a type of plant sterol that can pass through the blood-brain barrier, a protective shield that controls what substances can enter the brain. Beta-sitosterol has been found to have sedative and hypnotic effects, now those 2 words might worry you but it is just science/biology jargon which simply means, it can help calm the mind and promote sleep.
But beta-sitosterol isn’t working alone. Reishi also contains triterpenes and other sterols, which may affect different genes related to sleep and immune function. For example, some triterpenes in Reishi can influence the activity of TNF, which we know is important for sleep. These compounds might work together to regulate sleep by affecting the body’s natural rhythms and the immune system.
How Reishi Work
Reishi seems to help with sleep by acting on both the central nervous system (CNS)—which includes the brain and spinal cord—and the peripheral organs, like the heart, thyroid gland, and liver. In the brain, Reishi might affect the pineal gland, which is responsible for producing melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate our sleep-wake cycle, also known as the biological clock. It also influences other parts of the brain, such as the amygdala and prefrontal cortex, which are involved in emotion control and sleep regulation.
In the rest of the body, Reishi’s effects on the heart, thyroid, and liver might also play a role in improving sleep. The heart, for example, is closely linked to our circadian rhythm, the 24-hour cycle that tells us when to sleep and wake up. According to TCM, the heart and brain are connected in controlling the “spirit” or mental state, which could explain why Reishi’s effects on the heart might improve sleep. The liver is involved in metabolism and the processing of hormones, and although its connection to sleep isn’t fully understood, it could be another way Reishi helps regulate sleep.
Potential for Broader Health Benefits
Reishi doesn’t just help with sleep; it might also have benefits for other health conditions, particularly those related to the heart, blood vessels, and digestion. Since insomnia is often linked to other health problems, Reishi’s ability to address multiple issues at once makes it a promising natural remedy. For instance, by reducing inflammation or helping with cholesterol management, Reishi could indirectly support better sleep while also improving overall health.
Conclusion
Reishi improves sleep by affecting both the brain and other parts of the body through its complex mix of active compounds. These compounds interact with various biological processes and pathways, showing that Reishi is not just a simple sleep aid but a powerful natural remedy with the potential for broader health benefits. Further research could uncover even more about how Reishi works and what other advantages it might offer. So if you are someone who sturggles to fall or stay asleep give Eusporias Alcohol free 30ml dual extract Reishi tincture a try!
Reference:
This blog is a summary of the paper “
Exploration of the anti-insomnia mechanism of Ganoderma by central-peripheral multi-level interaction network analysis
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34715778/