New studies have found benefits from getting regular, good sleep including increased happiness, calmness, energy, and mental sharpness. A study of 204 college students found improved well-being, health, and composure when transitioning to regular sleep schedules. Additionally, professional baseball players who increased their sleep by one hour for five nights demonstrated faster mental processing and less tension and fatigue. Nutritional supplements like magnesium and calcium have also been shown to increase sleep quality and duration by reducing stress hormones and providing deeper, less interrupted sleep.

1. New Studies on Benefits of Regular Sleep - Happiness, Calmness, Energy
Sleep is such valuable and vital part
of life and health. Almost six out of
ten Americans report having
sleeplessness and insomnia at least
a few nights a week, according to the
National Sleep Foundation.
More and more research is being
done that connects the benefits of
good sleep to greater well-being,
lower disease rates, more happiness,
sharper mental capabilities and less
fatigue.
A newly completed joint study from the Division of Sleep Disorders at Brigham
and Women’s Hospital and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston
has found that 204 college students have been benefited greatly by getting
regular, good sleep. These students, who were between the ages of 18 and 25,
participated in a 30-day study that measured their sleeping times and duration.
When the students made the transition from irregular sleep patterns to regular
sleep during the week, there were measurable, significant improvements in their
levels of evening and morning happiness, a higher level of healthiness and better
calmness and composure during the week. There was even increased well-being
on the day following the week of improved sleep.
The lead author, Akane Sano, PhD, who is a research scientist at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, said that: “Irregular sleep-
wake schedules are common in our modern society. Our results indicate the
importance of sleep regularity, in addition to sleep duration, and that regular sleep
is associated with improved well-being.”
In another interesting study that was published by the American Academy of
Sleep Medicine, professional baseball players increased their hours of sleep over
a five night period and then demonstrated significant improvements in mental
processing speed. In addition, their tension, fatigue and sleepiness during the
day, all decreased by over one-third.
Cheri D. Mah, lead researcher at the University of California San Francisco Human
Performance Center said: “Our study indicates that short-term sleep extension of
one additional hour for five days resulted in demonstrated benefits for the visual
search abilities of athletes, as well as improvement in their quick response.
Fatigue over a season can negatively impact performance and sleep extension
during periods of high training volumes may be a practical recovery strategy.”
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2. For a nutritional approach to insomnia, the minerals calcium and magnesium have
been shown to be effective sleep remedies that can increase the quality of life. In
a study from the University of Medical Sciences in Iran, research was done with 46
adults who were experiencing insomnia. Taking magnesium oxide tablets
resulted in significant increases in sleep time and reduced the cortisol levels in
their bodies, which is a stress hormone that can keep people awake.
In another research study from the Human Nutrition Research Center of the U.S.
Dept. of Agriculture, scientists found that a high magnesium diet is associated
with deeper, less interrupted sleep. Foods high in magnesium include green leafy
vegetables, black beans, pumpkin seeds, almonds, avocados, figs, bananas,
brown rice, and nuts and seeds.
One supplement with highly absorbable forms of magnesium and calcium is Sleep
Minerals II from Nutrition Breakthroughs. These are the most well researched
minerals for insomnia and waking during the night, as well as for heart health,
aches and pains, bone strength and menopause insomnia. Sleep Minerals II
includes vitamin D and zinc and is delivered in a softgel form with healthy carrier
oils, making it more quickly absorbable than tablets or capsules. This provides a
deeper, longer-lasting sleep.
L.R.C. of Massachusetts says: “I had become dependent on sleeping drugs and
couldn’t sleep without them. Now I take the Sleep Minerals before bed and I can
sleep through the night without drugs. I’m also able to easily fall back to sleep if I
do have to get up. Another benefit is it helps alleviate my chronic fatigue and
aches and pains.
The benefits of achieving better sleep are appearing in countless research studies
and the energy invested in obtaining it is well worth the effort. For more
information, visit the Sleep Minerals II page.
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