3 infusions that help you fall asleep

Humans spend about a third of our lives sleeping. A recent survey conducted by a team of scientists from Bar-Ilan University, Israel, helped to understand why: Sleep has a restorative effect on neurons. The findings of the team, led by Professor Lior Appelbaum, were published in the journal Nature Communications.

For research, scientists have observed zebrafish, which is usually used in this type of test because it has similarities with humans. About 70% of human genes are also present in marine species. Through 3D imaging, scientists have observed the effects of sleep on a micro-scale and its impact on neurons. High-resolution technology, says the Medical News Today portal, has allowed Professor Appelbaum and his team to track the movements of DNA and proteins in neurons.

They found that during sleep, the neurons were able to develop "maintenance" in its nucleus, the one that contains a large part of the genetic material of the cells.

When the nucleus deteriorates, the DNA information it contains is also damaged, which can lead to aging, disease and dysfunction of an organ or tissue. The researchers explained during sleep that neurons have the ability to recover from the accumulated stress during the day and "to repair" any damage they may have suffered.

"To sleep", explained Appelbaum, "It offers the opportunity to reduce the damage to DNA accumulated in the brain during waking."

Now that we know how important it is to sleep, there is nothing more exasperating than staying in bed without being able to get it.

Anyone who has spent hours turning and turning in bed while waiting for sleep, exhausted but unable to keep an eye, knows it.

There are certain natural infusions that, without guaranteeing a one hundred percent effective or definitive solution, we can try to be our allies against insomnia. Some of them are:

1. chamomile

Chamomile has been used for years as a natural remedy to reduce inflammation, reduce anxiety and treat insomnia. Its soothing effects are attributed to an antioxidant called Apigenin, explains the portal HealthLine.com. This antioxidant binds to brain receptors that can reduce anxiety and cause sleep. A study of people with chronic insomnia found that those who had received 270 milligrams of chamomile twice a day for 28 years fell asleep 15 minutes earlier than others, in addition to waking up less often at night.

2. Valeriana

Valerian is very popular among people with insomnia, because of its potential to calm sleep disorders. It is also used against anxiety and stress, although there is little scientific research on this, explains the WebMD portal. It can be consumed in capsule or tea form. Researchers do not quite know why valerian root helps improve sleep, says HealthLine, but they think it may be due to an increase in neurotransmitter levels called γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), inducing sleep. study taking into account 27 people having difficulty falling asleep revealed that 89% of participants improved when they were consuming valerian extract.

3. lavender

Lavender is an herb often praised for its soothing aroma. In ancient times, Greeks and Romans added lavender to their baths to inhale their perfume which induces calm. Today, many people drink lavender tea to soothe their nerves and help them sleep. There is research that supports these badumptions, says HealthLine. A study that followed the experience of 80 Taiwanese women shortly after giving birth revealed that those who took the time to smell the scent of lavender and drink lavender tea for two weeks had less fatigue than those who did not have one.