Sleep Like A Baby
How well do you sleep? I heard a cute story today about a little boy wanting to know why grown-ups are so grumpy … and the answer provided was “They have that many more years than children with stuff to think and fuss about!”
It’s probably true! All those years and thoughts can really do a number on keeping us awake.
I confess, it’s getting harder as I get older, and I’m trying to figure out why. I remember so well my own mom who passed away at 95. Very long nights were just part of her life in her last 5-10 years and I wanted so much to help her.
Maybe that’s what’s keeping us awake!
GABA and Skullcap: Nature’s Aid For Better Sleep
When we first started sharing Settle Down in 2018, we spent a lot of time reading online and consulting with Dr. Maria about the different ingredients. What still impresses me most is the far-reaching benefits they have, beyond what we want them for with this product (anxiety, restlessness, insomnia, focus.)
These herbs positively impact things from heart health to reducing inflammation.
Here are two of them:
SKULLCAP: No, it’s not like baby cradlecap! It gets its funny name because the little blossom looks like a medieval helmet. Our good friend Dr. Axe says that skullcap, which is a medicinal plant in the mint family, has been used for many hundreds of years in traditional Chinese medicine.
Beyond China, for over 200 years it’s been a “go-to” for Americans and Europeans to help with calming anxiety in both humans and animals. And helping everybody sleep better!
It’s known to be helpful for menstrual cycles as it stimulates the blood flow, but also helps with headaches, lowering fevers, and relief from spasms. (Yes, there are people reporting help for tremors after taking Settle Down.) It is very helpful for healing inflammation.
There are some studies that show it may help eliminate toxic free radicals.
A recent study for learning about the heart-health effects of “baicalein” which comes from the root of skullcap showed that taking skullcap could prevent, or even possibly terminate some heart disease conditions!
You can read the whole article at Dr. Axe’s website: HERE
GABA: It’s pronouned like “guava”. If this word sounds like nonsense baby talk to you, just know it’s easier to say “GABA” than “Gamma-Amino-Butyric-Acid”. GABA is an amino acid and “neurotransmitter” that is actually created in our own bodies. Neurotransmitters are sometimes referred to as the body’s chemical messengers. They communicate information between our brain and the nervous system. These messages can affect heart rate, sleep, mood and fear.
Think of GABA like the brakes in a car to help it slow down at a stop sign.
(Hmm — pretty good description of what we’d love our minds to do as they churn up every last bit of our lives from the past 40 years at 2:00 a.m. while we try to relax and sleep. YES! Get my mind some brakes!)
Although our brains produce GABA on their own, there’s research showing that not enough of it creates feelings of depression, anxiety and stress — and sleeplessness. In fact, I watched a very interesting little video about it HERE
As a natural supplement (formed from organic compounds), GABA can help us to create the right balance to reduce feelings of anxiety and fear — and relax for better sleep. If we’re experiencing feelings of fear or panic, have inadequate or ineffective sleep, there may very well be a physical reason for it!
I stopped by my local GNC store to see a bottle of it, which they did not have or know very much about. I’m very glad to have found it through SETTLE DOWN.
I did a great deal of reading on GABA, and my favorite article “Is Your Brain Making Enough GABA?” is HERE
Next week I’ll tell you more as there’s plenty to read here between the link at Dr. Axe’s site on SKULLCAP, the video about GABA, and the article about GABA
The other ingredients in SETTLE DOWN are just as interesting, helpful … and safe! I’ll have another report on more of them next week.