For improving one’s disturbed sleep and also for treating disorders like insomnia, tryptophan has been found to be very effective. Sleep is one thing which is very important for the overall normal and affective functioning of the body. When you get a good sleep, the body gets the enough much needed rest and is capable of function affectively for the further task. A tired mind and body will lead you to nowhere. It is best to keep a track of good sleep for good health.
MECHANISM OF TRYPTOPHAN
Sleep is once crucial and very valuable activity which keeps the body and mind fit. It provides a break from the continuous stressful life and also replenishes the lost energy by providing the body a good period of rest. But unfortunately many people lack this valuable gift. There over stressed life and busy mind keeps them away from enjoying a good sleep. When it is time to sleep, some people become over active and an array of thoughts and actions keeps running in their mind depriving of them from sleep. This leads to biochemical imbalances further leading to sleeplessness. Also the deficiency of serotonin is also responsible for people facing sleep problems. Taking supplements becomes a must for such groups. It also promotes higher melatonin levels for curing insomnia.
MECHANISM
Tryptophan when consumed from food sources gets converted to a few valuable compounds. First of all it gets converted to 5 htp by the liver. This is capable of crossing the blood brain barrier and hence gets converted to serotonin. Serotonin is the major compound which regulates the moods and is also responsible for sleep patterns and calmness of emotions. This further reduces the stressors which lead to insomnia. Another by product which aids in sleep is the melatonin.
Melatonin is released when the body gets tired due to physical activity thus signaling the body to take rest and sleep. Also it is released in relation to darkness.
DOSAGE
Doses as low as 500mg per day have quite a good affect to get good results and ample sleep. But the recommended dose would be 2g per day and divided into 2-3 times. It should be taken half an hour before you go to bed. Larger doses are generally avoided as they may cause sedation. Also it has been seen that higher doses will have the opposite effect in some people. So sticking to the recommended dose of 2g is a good idea.
SIDE EFFECTS
Larger doses can cause serious serotonin syndrome causing neurological disorders, circulatory and respiratory problems. Sometimes these side effects can prove to be fatal also. Always check with your doctor before deciding on any medication for sleep. The best dose should wake you up fresh the next day and avoid any kinds of restlessness and sluggishness for the following day.
The supplements are known to have a calm and peaceful effect on the mood of the users and make the daily stress easy to mange. These pills are a simple and effective way of improving sleep and rest.