Sleep is an absolute necessity for everyone. An average adult needs around 7 or more hours of sleep per night. Without enough sleep, you open yourself up to several health problems including heart conditions, high blood pressure, depression, and more. You’ll also feel tired, disoriented, and irritable throughout the day.
That being said, getting enough sleep is easier said than done for some people. In fact, in Australia, 48% of adults suffer from at least two sleep-related issues. Taking nootropics for these sleep problems can help alleviate them greatly. But before you take nootropic supplements to increase REM sleep and to improve your sleep quality, we need to first understand what REM sleep is exactly.
What is REM sleep and why is it important?
Rapid eye movement sleep, known as REM sleep, refers to the stage of sleep characterised by dreaming and the rapid movement of the eyes, hence the name. Aside from this, REM sleep also differs from non-REM sleep in that your brain waves are active, your heart rate is increased, your breathing becomes irregular, and your muscle tone lessens. REM sleep is the fourth and final stage in the cycle, occurring 60 to 90 minutes into a deep sleep before it reverts back to the first stage.
REM sleep is vital for protecting emotional processing and memory storage as the amygdala, the part of our brain in charge of emotions, becomes active during this stage. The brain also processes the knowledge we’ve acquired that day and stores them as memory. Studies suggest that a lack of REM sleep can negatively affect the formation of memories.
For this reason, taking sleep nootropics to increase REM sleep may be beneficial in helping your body get enough shut eye for continued memory function and overall health.
What are some nootropics you can take for better sleep quality?
There are lots of nootropics that help improve your sleep cycle. How they can be taken varies, with some designed to be taken as is and others mixed with other supplements to promote the best sleep cycle. Here are some to look out for to achieve bet quality sleep.
Ashwagandha root
Ashwagandha is an herb native to India and Southeast Asia used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine. Researchers suggest that it functions as a sleep aid through the presence of compounds in it such as triethylene glycol. Several studies have shown its positive effects in getting people to fall asleep faster and to spend more time sleeping.
Magnesium
Magnesium is a mineral crucial in maintaining proper bodily functions. It helps keep blood sugar, blood pressure, muscles, nerves, and cardiac health stable. In relation to getting better sleep, research suggests that magnesium supplements help make falling asleep easier, improve the quality of sleep, and deal with conditions such as insomnia and restless legs syndrome.
Passiflora incarnata (passionflower)
Passionflower is commonly used to treat anxiety and sleep disorders. This plant is a well-known modulator of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). GABA is an amino acid noted to have qualities that diminish stress and improve sleep. It also regulates and diminishes brain cell activity, which prevents the brain from being too active when trying to go to bed.
These nootropics may help in increasing sleep quality, thereby increasing the time spent in REM sleep in the process. How each of these nootropics improve your sleep cycle varies in many ways, but they are all stacked in our CALM nootropic product in order to maximise their calming benefits. Read more about its ingredients and the science behind each one to know the full effects of these nootropics stacked together.
Knowing the right supplements to improve sleep quality, coupled with following a healthy lifestyle and sleeping schedule, can do wonders to the amount of REM sleep you receive. Check out our nootropics at Yootropics to get the best sleep supplements available for quality sleep and rest!
Love your brain,
The Yootropics Team