Sleep... It's Important

Just like food and exercise, sleep is just as important for the human body. Whether you're an athlete, avid gym goer, CEO, or a busy parent, getting enough sleep is essential for daily functioning.

The benefits of quality sleep seem to be an endless list and if you're looking to grow and maintain muscle muscle mass, we cannot stress the importance of having enough. In fact, one of our latest blog posts gives important information regarding the link between sleep and muscle growth.

Sleep not only boosts your mood and energy levels, but also promotes better recovery, improved focus, and even lowers disease and health risks. During sleep, the brain has time to restore while muscles have time to recover and grow. Why is this exactly? Sleep has a direct effect on insulin. Insulin's main role in the body is to shuttle amino acids to cells to allow for protein synthesis (muscle growth). Without enough sleep, our muscles are incapable of recovering and cannot allow for new muscle growth.

What Are Sleep Supplements?

Sleep supplements are over-the-counter products that aid in the process of falling asleep and staying asleep. These supplements are usually made from synthetic ingredients, derived from plants, or from vitamins and minerals. Many people who suffer from mild to moderate insomnia tend to lean toward natural sleep supplements opposed to prescription sleep medications.

Although many sleep-aids may leave you feeling groggy the next day, we can assure you that there are a handful of natural sleep supplements that help can help you wind down and relax without the next day slump! Keep reading to learn the top two natural sleep supplements to promote a restful night of sleep!

A Guide To Safe Sleep Supplements:

With many sleep-aids out on the market it's easy to get confused on which ones are not only effective, but safe in the long run. Products such as ZzzQuil and Tylenol PM are a popular quick fix to help you to fall asleep much quicker. However, those looking for an extra boost to fall asleep and stay asleep may benefit more from a natural supplement approach. Below is an in-depth description of popular sleep supplements Zylaria™ and MitoBurn®: two sleep supporting supplements found in AstroFlav's MetaBurn!

WHAT IS ZYLARIA™?

Zylaria™ is a supplement that is derived from the fungus called Xylaria nigripes. This plant grows in the spring and summer and was initially performed by Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practices years ago. Just like other mushrooms, Zylaria grows about a foot down in dark and warm soil and grows along side of termite nesting. Termite nesting... You read that right! Zylaria benefits from growing along side of termite nesting due to natural environmental conditions.

Xylaria has been shown to be a rich source of amino acids. In fact, the most profound amino acid is the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid or GABA.

GABA is an essential chemical in the body that transmits messages between the brain and nervous system, which essentially plays a role in sleep and relaxation. GABA plays a role in slowing down nerve cell activity and counteracts compounds that "excite" the brain, allowing the body to relax and unwind (Beaty, 2023).

Correspondingly, GABA-T breaks down GABA into SSA and glutamate. Glutamate plays a role in starting and keeping our sleep/wake cycles in balance.2 GAD (glutamic acid decarboxylase) is an enzyme that plays a critical role in regulating the balance of neurotransmitters in the brain, specifically GABA. By converting glutamate to GABA, GAD helps to keep the balance of neurotransmitters in the brain in check, which is important for maintaining normal brain function, including sleep/wake cycles. Keep scrolling for a deeper dive into the link between Zylaria and improved sleep!

Xylaria nigripes (Zylaria) doesn't simply knock you out as NyQuil or Melatonin would. Zylaria works by slowly winding down your mind by calming message signals from your brain to your nerve cells. To help promote a sense of calm, supplementing with Zylaria may increase likelihood of a restful night's sleep without brain frog and grogginess the next day (Beaty, 2023).

ZYLARIA™ as a Natural Mood Booster

It's no secret that sleep deprivation often leads to low energy, poor concentration, and lower moods. Zylaria™ also serves as a natural mood booster. Cycling back to the neurotransmitter GABA, those with lower levels of GABA have a higher likelihood of mood complications. That said, studies have found that those who suffer from depression and anxiety have been found to have lower levels of GABA. As this specific amino acid neurotransmitter helps reduce the excitability of nerve cells, research suggest that supplementing with Zylaria™ may also help ease feelings of anxiety, depression, and ADHD (Byun & Shin, 2018).

WHAT IS MITOBURN®?

MitoBurn®, is considered to be an exercise-induced muscle factor β-aminoisobutyric acid (L-BAIBA). This amino acid is what muscles produce during exercise and is triggered by the PGC-1α protein (MitoBurn®, 2023). "Increased levels of L-BAIBA are associated with many of exercise’s numerous benefits... L-BAIBA helps regulate metabolism, increase energy expenditure, manage fuel selection, and more" (MitoBurn®, 2023).

MitoBurn® was designed to boost metabolism as well as increase levels of BAIBA. Additionally, MitoBurn® L-BAIBA is recommended for athletes looking to enhance their training and for those wanting to add healthy ways to tone up and lean out.

Did you know that we all have two different types of fat? White fat and brown fat. White adipose tissueis the type of fat that we can physically see and grab on our bodies. On the other hand, brown adipose tissueacts to increase energy expenditure opposed to being an energy saver.

MitoBurn® comes into play by converting white fat into brown fat. AKA it helps the conversion of bad fat into good fat. This "browning" of white adipose tissue serves an effective way to lose fat (MitoBurn®, 2023).

Other Sleep-Supporting Supplements:

MELATONIN

Melatonin is a hormone that is naturally produced in the brain to help regulate your sleep to wake cycle. "Insufficient melatonin production can disrupt the body’s sleep-wake cycle, making it difficult to fall asleep. Supplementing with melatonin can help people fall asleep faster" (Tony, T. 2023).

L-THEANINE

L-theanine is an amino acid that promotes relaxation and boosts levels of GABA (Faasm, 2022). Additionally, L-theanine elevates serotonin and dopamine levels, which are neurotransmitters that help regulate mood, emotions, alertness, and sleep. Supplementing with L-theanine may also help to reduce stress and calm anxiety due to its ability to lower levels of “excitatory” brain chemicals. Studies show that the combination of L-theanine and magnesium may help promote quality sleep.

The Bottom Line:

When looking for a sleep supplement that promotes quality sleep, it is important to search for ones that are safe and effective. Natural ingredients such as Zylaria and MitoBurn are common in many sleep-aids and are effective in many mays!

If you're having a hard time sleeping, it is important to talk with your doctor about possible underlying medical conditions and to get advice on which sleep supplement may benefit you the most.

AstroFlav's MetaBurnnot only contains both sleep-supporting ingredients Zylaria and MitoBurn, but also is an effective fat burner while you sleep! This supplement helps you fall asleep faster, sleep deeper, and rejuvenate your brain!

RESOURCES

Beaty, J. (2023, April 27). ZylariaTM: The Fungal Answer to a Good Night’s Sleep? - NuLiv Science. NuLiv Science. https://nulivscience.com/zylaria-fungal-answer-good-nights-sleep/

Lozinski, S. (2022). ZYLARIATM: THE SOLUTION TO A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP? ASN USA. https://www.asnusa.com/blogs/news/zylaria-the-solution-to-a-good-nights-sleep

Winkelman, J. W., Buxton, O. M., Jensen, J., Benson, K. L., O’Connor, S. M., Wang, W., & Renshaw, P. F. (2008). Reduced Brain GABA in Primary Insomnia: Preliminary Data from 4T Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (1H-MRS). Sleep, 31(11), 1499–1506. https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/31.11.1499

Byun, J. I., Shin, Y. S., Chung, S. P., & Shin, W. S. (2018). Safety and Efficacy of Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid from Fermented Rice Germ in Patients with Insomnia Symptoms: A Randomized, Double-Blind Trial. The Journal of Clinical Neurology, 14(3), 291. https://doi.org/10.3988/jcn.2018.14.3.291

MitoBurn®. (2023, April 3). MitoBurn®. https://www.nnbnutrition.com/ingredients/mito-burn/#:~:text=MitoBurn%E2%84%A2%20is%20L%2DBAIBA,many%20of%20exercise's%20numerous%20benefits.

Tony, T. (2023, March 7). Peak Rest is your sleep supplement to achieve quality sleep. tonyrobbins.com. https://www.tonyrobbins.com/health-vitality/guide-to-sleep-supplements/

Faasm, M. B. P. D. (2022). L-Theanine for Sleep. The Sleep Doctor. https://thesleepdoctor.com/sleep-aids/l-theanine/#:~:text=How%20L%2Dtheanine%20works,well%20as%20serotonin%20and%20dopamine.

At AstroFlav, we want the best for our customers. It is our goal to help everyone achieve their fitness goals and steer them in the right direction with trust-worthy advice AND trust-worthy supplements!

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