Antioxidants Improve Sleep

If you are looking for a drug-free way to sleep, studies show that antioxidants improve sleep. Sleep is very important for the proper functioning of the body. Antioxidants may help.

According to Dr. Nikos M. Linardakis and Carli Dixon, health, sleep & wellness experts, "antioxidants may boost sleep and prolong life." Antioxidants have proven to do many things for the body, so it wasn't a surprise to me to see this and many other studies showing the benefit of antioxidants on sleep.

Getting the proper amount of sleep has been one of the personal struggles my husband and I have faced. Antioxidants from eating blueberries has helped us both.



How Important is Sleep?

According to Dr. Alexander Golbin in his article, "Antioxidants May Help You Catch More Productive Zzzs," sleep is vital for the maintenance and repair of our body and mind. This article discusses the need for sleep as a prerequisite for a healthy life. If we aren't getting the proper amounts of good sleep, our body will have trouble functioning properly.

Lack of sleep has been shown to an increase in the hormone cortisol which actually causes more difficulty sleeping. Lack of sleep leads to depression, high blood pressure, obesity, osteoporosis, hypertension, cardiovascular problems, and hormonal imbalances such as PMS, infertility, and menopausal symptoms.

Sleep also is important for the functioning of the immune system. According to Dr. Golbin, "One of the body's most powerful cancer fighters, called tumor necrosis factor, increases tenfold during a good night's sleep. However, without that slumber, natural killer cells, another important part of the immune system's cancer defenses, are noticeably weakened." This is just one of the many ways sleep helps to heal the body.

How Do Antioxidants Improve Sleep?

A study on this question was recently tested by Christou, et al. of the University of Thessaly in Greece. This study showed that there is a relationship between oxidative stress and obstructive sleep apnea. What this means is that lack of sleep causes more oxidative stress on the body.

Antioxidants, like those found in blueberries, can help to restore the body's internal equilibrium during sleep. Restoring this natural balance promotes the calm feeling that you need to have to fall asleep and to have the deep, restful sleep that the body requires.

Healthy sleep is one of the extra benefits we can get from eating fruit. Color is a good judge of antioxidant potency. The most protective foods are foods that have deep, rich colors. Blueberries happen to top the list and have the deep, rich color which is packed with antioxidant power.

Antioxidants improve sleep by rebuilding functions in the body which become stressed. Some of those who could really benefit from this are smokers, high-stress individuals, type A people, busy moms and active athletes.

An article I found on the National Sleep Foundation site states that 67% of women have sleep problems. This affects their hormones, mood, and many aspects of their lives. A majority of women try to deal with this problem by using caffeinated beverages to stay awake. This is an unhealthy option. Eating powerful antioxidant fruits such as blueberries and getting good sleep is a much better option.

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