If you're like most people, you have a lot going on. There may be times you need a little help relaxing– but you don't want to become so relaxed that you get drowsy. There are plenty of remedies out there that claim they can help you de-stress, but you need to be careful because they may literally put you to sleep.
When choosing a supplement to support normal relaxation, you may want to look for one that contains L-Theanine, an amino acid commonly found in tea, particularly green tea. In fact, L-Theanine makes up 50% of the total free amino acids in the green tea plant (Camellia sinensis) and is believed to the main constituent that gives green tea its taste.
L-Theanine helps promote a relaxed state because it helps support serotonin, dopamine and GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) levels in the brain. However, unlike most amino acids and anti-stress herbs, L-Theanine can be taken with or without food. Because it does not make you sleepy, it can also be taken at any time of day.
Dr. Josephs, I see in today's tip you have said that Zocor can interfere with sound sleep. Are there other cholesterol-lowering drugs just as effective? Which one? And what ingredient in Zocor should I avoid if I have trouble sleeping soundly? Thanks for your daily tips.
Posted by: vbrannan | November 08, 2007 at 08:42 PM
Dr. Josephs, I see that you recommend Melatonin for better sleep. I have been taking it for about 3 months and have been sleeping very well--no longer waking up at 2 o 3 and feeling wakeful and restless for a couple of hours, as I often did before. But someone recently told me I should go without taking it one week out of 6 so I will not build up a tolerance and need higher doses to sleep soundly. Is this true?
Posted by: vbrannan | November 08, 2007 at 08:40 PM