Give me sleep, sweet sleep....

This has got to be the number one thing that pops up in the clinic regardless of what they come in for. I rarely get someone say 'I sleep really well! Solid 8hrs every night- wake feeling great!'. It's an elusive dream for most. I can't give you a miracle cure but I can share a tip that I recently came across. Gelatin. Hang in there! Let me explain.
​Gelatin contains lots of amino acids that make up proteins. Some our bodies can make, some it can't. Glycine is made by our bodies but that doesn't mean we can't give it a boost when times are tough. Amongst a host of uses, glycine increases seratonin which is one of those lovely hormones that regulates sleep and mood.  

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Like all the whacky stuff I suggest to clients, I trial it on myself. Some works, some...let's just say I don't pass on everything I try! But so far this one is a keeper! Not only is it relatively cheap and  ridiculously easy, there are a host of other reasons to eat gelatin. It's great for the gut! It soothes inflammation and seals the gut. It's a great source of protein and all those amino acids can go toward repairing muscle, tendon, ligament and cartilage damage. There's research to show it helps build lean muscle and supports the liver. You can't loose! 

Here's the detail.  The research uses 3g of glycine which is roughly 15g of gelatin. Try and source an organic, grass fed gelatin to avoid anything extra that may leach out of the bones or cartilage during the making of the gelatin. 

The down side is...it's rather a lot of gelatin you need to consume before bed. About one hour before bed stir about 1.5-2 tablespoons of gelatin into hot tea. That gives you approximately the 3g of glycine you need. A nice sleepy time or chamomile tea is lovely. It does have a slight earthy flavour be warned! And don't let it go cold or you'll be eating sleepy jelly. 

Other than that....Eat, drink, sleep...Good night! 

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1440-1819.2010.02181.x
https://aminoacidsguide.com/
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1479-8425.2007.00262.x
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