Does Turmeric Help With Sleep

You might have tried all of the sleep supplements out there in the hopes of overcoming your problems. While supplements and sleeping pills work wonderfully for some people, they aren’t suitable for everybody.

Sleeping pills come with a risk of addiction and over time, you can build up a tolerance to them. This means that you need to keep taking more pills and increasing the dosage to feel the sleep-inducing effects.

If you have tried sleeping supplements and they haven’t been as effective as you’d hoped, don’t worry! There are alternatives methods that you can try, many of which are completely natural and drug-free.

One of the most well-known and well-loved natural sleep remedies is turmeric!

What is Turmeric?

Turmeric is a spice from the root of the Curcuma longa plant. It is often used in curries, mustards, cheeses, and butters to add flavour and colour. Due to turmeric’s many health benefits, it’s also commonly used in complementary and alternative medicinal practices.

Indian Saffron (aka turmeric) contains a bright yellow coloured bioactive ingredient called curcumin. This compound can have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-cancer effects.

The benefits of curcumin don’t just stop there. Many people also take curcumin supplements in the UK to help with their sleep.

Can Turmeric Help With Sleep?

Some studies show that turmeric may help some people drift off into a deep sleep. One study showed turmeric may increase non-rapid eye movement sleep, suggesting that it might be beneficial in the treatment of insomnia.

Research points towards curcumin’s for improving underlying causes of poor sleep, such as stress, inflammation, and pain.

Curcumin and Inflammation

Turmeric’s bioactive component, curcumin, can lower the levels of inflammation in your body and brain, something that could otherwise impact your ability to sleep. Taking turmeric before bed can lower the levels of inflammatory markers in your body so that you can get a better night’s sleep.

The anti-inflammatory effects of turmeric will also benefit you in a multitude of other ways. For example, if you suffer from a type of arthritis, curcumin may reduce pain and swelling in your joints.

Curcumin and Stress

The antioxidants effects of curcumin can reduce oxidative stress in your brain, which protects your cells and neurons, and encourages a deeper slumber. But it’s not just cellular oxidative stress that turmeric can help to fight against. It’s also psychological stress.

When your mind is racing and you’re feeling anxious about work or other responsibilities, you might find it much harder to get to sleep. You might also wake up much more frequently during the night. This psychological stress and anxiety can increase the levels of inflammation in your body.

Curcumin and Mood

Curcumin can increase the production of serotonin and dopamine, both of which are regulators of sleep and mood.

When the levels of serotonin and dopamine are high in your brain, your mood elevates. This can lower depression, anxiety, and stress, which can make it much easier for you to get to sleep at night.

Curcumin and Sleep Apnoea

Turmeric may help to reduce the severity of sleep apnoea, which is a common sleep disorder that can seriously impact the quality of life and affects millions of people worldwide.

Sleep apnoea is closely linked to inflammation. Regularly taking the best turmeric supplement that you can find may help to combat sleep apnoea by lowering this inflammation. Your airways will feel clearer and more open, allowing you to breathe more easily during the night.

How Can You Take Turmeric to Help Your Sleep?

Now we know why and how turmeric can help to boost your sleep, let’s look at how you can start adding it into your routine to obtain its benefits.

Food

Increasing your turmeric intake through your diet is probably the most obvious option for many. Turmeric powder is available in pretty much every grocery store, ready to be stirred into your dishes and sauces.

Be careful not to over-do it with your turmeric powder. It has a bitter taste that can quickly ruin your dishes if you go a little overboard!

You can add turmeric powder to a bunch of different dishes but the most popular dish that contains turmeric powder is curry. If you’re a fan of a creamy Korma, tasty Tikka, or spicy Vindaloo, stir in some extra turmeric powder to boost your sleep.

When you’re searching for ways to add turmeric into your dishes, try to avoid recipes that contain pro-inflammatory foods, such as refined carbohydrates, simple sugars, processed meats, and trans fats.

Drinks

You may have heard of Golden Milk. Also known as a Turmeric Latte, Golden Milk is a popular drink that combines turmeric with a bunch of other ingredients, mainly milk and freshly ground black pepper.

Some of the known health benefits of drinking Golden Milk or other types of Turmeric Lattes and Teas include:

• Reduced inflammation
• Better digestion and reduced digestive disturbances
• More energy
• Better skin health
• Reduced LDL cholesterol

Alongside all of these benefits, a hot cup of golden milk an hour or two before bed will improve your sleep. If you decide to make a Turmeric Latte or Turmeric Tea, make sure to choose decaffeinated products to avoid disrupting the sleep-inducing, anti-inflammatory effects of curcumin.

You can also add turmeric powder to your smoothies and shakes. The bitter flavour of turmeric contrasts the sweetness of berries, bananas, and other fruits when combined into a delicious smoothie.

If you have a favourite smoothie recipe, try adding a tablespoon or two of turmeric into the mix and watch your sleep improve almost instantly!

Supplements

If you prefer the idea of using supplements to increase your curcumin intake, you can take a turmeric tablet or capsule just before bed.

The benefit of buying curcumin supplements in a UK health store is the increased dosage. It’s almost impossible to get a medicinal dosage high enough to decrease inflammation when you’re just stirring turmeric into your curries or smoothies.

Turmeric supplements contain a much higher, more potential dosage of curcumin than turmeric powder. They have a higher bioavailability than the turmeric powder that you add to your food, meaning more of the curcumin gets absorbed into your body.

On average, the best turmeric supplement will contain 500 to 1000 mg of curcumin, which would be almost impossible to ingest through your diet.

Plus, turmeric supplements are usually much more convenient to take. Swallowing a capsule is easy to do and takes just a few seconds. Perfect for when you’re winding down for bed in the evenings!

Turmeric and curcumin supplements also tend to contain piperine, which is an active ingredient in black pepper. Piperine is known to increase the bioavailability of curcumin by up to 2000%, making it even more effective in reducing inflammation and helping you get to sleep.

How Can You Improve Your Sleep in Other Ways?

Alongside your turmeric smoothies and curcumin supplements, there are additional things that you can do to optimise your sleep.

A lot of the time, sleep issues can be the manifestation of an underlying issue. Tackling this issue will ultimately improve your sleep. It’s worth looking into your lifestyle and diet to see if there is anything that might be the cause of your sleep disruption.

Here are some great ways to boost your sleep alongside taking turmeric:

• Go to bed at the same time each night and wake up at the same time every day
• Reduce your stress levels
• Exercise in the mornings or early afternoons and avoid intense workouts within the final few hours of the day
• Avoid napping during the day
• Cut back on sugar, caffeine, and alcohol intake towards the end of the day
• Avoid watching TV or going on your phone late at night
• Don’t work in bed and stop working for at least a few hours before going to sleep

If you are finding that you still can’t get to sleep, you might want to talk to your doctor. Your sleep troubles might be due to an underlying condition that needs medical treatment.
If you are looking for the best turmeric supplement to aid your sleep, we highly recommend the Solgar Turmeric Root Extract Veg Capsules!