INSOMNIA RELIEF

What is insomnia?
Insomnia may be defined as a wakefulness or an inability to sleep. Many different factors can contribute to sleeping problems but typical insomnia can be better understood by separation into three different categories:

	Sleep Latency Insomnia		trouble falling asleep initially
	Sleep Interruption Insomnia		repeatedly waking up in the night
	Terminal Insomnia		awakening too early and not able to fall back to sleep

Zenbev works best with lifestyle insomnia. While everyone experiences trouble sleeping at one time or another, lifestyle insomnia exists when the pace of contemporary life and the increase in demands and resultant stressors inhibit the body’s ability to wind down at the end of the day over protracted periods of time. Over time, anxiety generated by worries about getting a good night’s sleep often sets in, further compounding the problem.

Conditions in which there are underlying physiological conditions causing wakefulness are different. You can help identify whether you should visit your physician to discuss a referral to a sleep laboratory if you (or your bed-partner) can identify any of the following signs or symptoms:

	Restless Leg Syndrome		excessive leg movement, ‘kicking’ your bed partner, bed sheets in disarray in the morning; cramping or aching feelings in the calves.
	Periodic Limb Movement Disorder		excessive leg movement, leg twitches or jerks during the night; leg cramps in the morning.
	Sleep Apnea		complaints of snoring, others describe that you stop breathing while you are asleep; waking ‘short of breath’ or choking; waking with morning headaches, chest pain, dry mouth; history of high blood pressure.
	Narcolepsy		sleep attacks, sleep paralysis.

These are signs and symptoms that should be evaluated by a physician. Fortunately, most serious sleep disorders are treatable.

What can you do about insomnia?
When we go to sleep, our brains progress through five stages of sleep:

	Stages 1 and 2		light sleep begins the process of slowing brain waves; the mind is in a light sleep, easily roused.
	Stages 3 and 4		are known as slow wave sleep [SWS] or deep sleep; rousing is more difficult and people report feeling disoriented if awakened.
	Stage 5		or rapid eye movement [REM] predominates in the last third of the night; the brain activity is similar to that when awake but the body remains in full muscle paralysis except for respiratory and cardiac function. This allows the mind to experience a full dream without the consequential bodily movement.

The preservation of this natural brain rhythm of sleep or ‘sleep architecture’ is every bit as important as the overall sleep time. We need to experience all 5-stages of sleep in order to wake rested. These stages are not necessarily experienced in chronological order but cycle throughout the night.

To obtain a good night’s sleep, it is very important to avoid factors that disrupt sleep architecture. Our sleep environment, the medication we take, our diet and our thought patterns can directly impede sleep patterns. The good news is that these factors are eminently within our control to change and the preservation of constructive sleep architecture will result in better sleep.

How does Zenbev help insomnia?
Zenbev provides the body with a natural food source of tryptophan, which is more readily assimilated by the body than synthetic sources. The tryptophan required by our bodies is provided in a way the brain recognizes. Combined with the proper ingredients, Zenbev’s unique formula facilitates optimal efficiency for treating insomnia. The tryptophan in the protein source metabolizes into serotonin, which then metabolizes into melatonin at night, serving to activate the brain’s sleep mechanism. As the brain produces the exact amount that it requires, Zenbev helps you achieve a deep, uninterrupted sleep and wake up feeling rested and refreshed.

	In following Dr. Hudson’s advice and taking the prescribed amount of Zenbev, I am happy to return to a pattern of being able to function normally throughout the day as the result of a restful night of natural sleep. Thank you for your good advice. Larry C., Welland, Ont.

Case Study