Sleep, Essential to Combatting Alzheimers
Improve your sleep with Lion’s Mane
1-2 minute read
Topics: sleep, brain health, Alzheimers disease
SLEEEEEP!
“Routinely sleeping less than six or seven hours a night demolishes your immune system, more than doubling your risk of cancer. Insufficient sleep is a key lifestyle factor determining whether or not you will develop Alzheimer’s disease.”
Matthew Walker, author of Why We Sleep [1]
This sleep advice is echoed by Rudy Tanzi, an expert in Alzheimers research. He advises ’S.H.I.E.L.D.' where ’S’ stands for sleep and 7-8 hours is recommended [2].
(H is for Handling stress. I is for Interaction with people. E for Exercise and L for Learning new things. D is no surprise - a healthy Diet.
Sleep better with Lions Mane
One natural way to help improve sleep is with Lion’s Mane mushrooms. Lion’s Mane, Hericium Erinaceus, is an interesting-looking edible mushroom which naturally grows in North America, Europe and Asia on hardwoods.
Lions Mane has a long list of health benefits [3] and is probably best known for its positive effect on the brain. Research is starting to show its benefit for dementia by growing brain neurons.
It turns out that Lion’s Mane mushroom may help with dementia in another way: it helps to improve sleep. Lion’s Mane is thought to offer improvements in Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome and has been shown to advance the sleep phase in tests on mice [4].
There is further encouraging news from other studies where Lion’s Mane showed beneficial effects on sleep disorders [5] and sleep quality [6] too.
There are many benefits to Lion’s Mane, not least good sleep. You can read further in the sources below or on other Moksha blog posts.
Consider it bedtime reading for a good night sleep.
This is it
Moksha
Safety: Functional mushrooms like Lion's Mane are considered to be very safe, even in high quantities. However, if you have a mushroom allergy or auto-immune problems then you should seek advice from a medical practitioner.
Not all mushroom extracts are equal: Always look for high quality products. Consider Lion's Mane made with fruiting body, Beta-glucan polysaccharides of 20-30% and mycelium-rich compounds. Beware high levels of fillers, starches and grains. While not harmful, they are less beneficial.
Dosage: Generally, the recommended dosage is a minimum of 1g per day. A qualified practitioner will be able to advise on dosage for your circumstances. Everyday use is suggested as benefits are shown to correlate with regular consumption.
Disclaimer: The findings here are for your information but aren’t intended to diagnose, cure or prevent any disease. Always consult a qualified medical practitioner for advice. Please remember: do not eat mushrooms unless you know they are safe to consume.
Sources
Walker M. 2017. Why We Sleep: The New Science of Sleep and Dreams.
Tanzi R, Knutson T. 2019. Healthy Living Can Delay Alzheimer's. Letting Seniors Work Longer Saves Medical Costs, Senate Told.
Julson E. 2018. Healthline: 9 Health Benefits of Lion's Mane Mushroom (Plus Side Effects)
Furuta S, Kuwahara R, Hiraki E, Ohnuki K, Yasuo S and Shimizu K. 2016. Hericium erinaceus extracts alter behavioral rhythm in mice. Biomedical Research (Tokyo, Japan).
Vigna L, Morelli F, Agnelli GM, Napolitano F, Ratto D, Occhinegro A, Di Iorio C, Savino E, Girometta C, Brandalise F and Rossi P. 2019. Hericium erinaceus Improves Mood and Sleep Disorders in Patients Affected by Overweight or Obesity: Could Circulating Pro-BDNF and BDNF Be Potential Biomarkers? Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
Okamura H, Anno N, Tsuda A, Inokuchi T, Uchimura N and Inanaga K. 2015. The effects of Hericium erinaceus (Amyloban®3399) on sleep quality and subjective well-being among female undergraduate students: A pilot study. Elsevier.