Hey, it’s Luke “The Lion” and if you have trouble getting to sleep, staying asleep, or having issues winding down at night, this article is for you.

I used to struggle with insomnia so bad that I’d often have months where I got less than 3 hours of sleep per night. In my early twenties, I was diagnosed with every flavor of anxiety disorder the doctors can come up with… So I KNOW stress.

Yet, today I’m repeatedly told I’m one of the most calm and collected individuals that people meet. Also, I sleep like a baby. Here’s the proof:

When most people try to improve their sleep, they take sleep pills or supplements.

Although, we are going to explain how our reishi mushroom extracts can support your sleep improvement goals, there are many things you can (and should) do before adding the icing on the cake (supplements).

Let’s dive straight into it.

Here’s how you achieve deep, restorative sleep every night:

1. Consistent sleep and wake times
2. Sun exposure at sunrise
3. Eating dinner early (same for drinking liquids)
4. Eating and exercising at the same time every day
5. Avoiding excess stimulation (caffeine, etc)

These 5 sleep tips are the most simple to understand, the hardest to follow, and the most effective—all simultaneously. And if you struggle to follow these tips, first we need to understand why they’re so important.

If you want your sleep quality to be consistent and predictable, YOU have to be consistent and predictable.

Now, that doesn’t mean boring.

You can make your life consistently and predictably fun and fulfilling! In order to sleep well and feel at peace with yourself, all you need to sacrifice is the randomness of your schedule that’s probably already stressing you out to begin with.

Here’s why:

Your circadian rhythm is like an internal clock that runs in the background of your brain and cycles between sleepiness and alertness at regular intervals. It's also known as your sleep/wake cycle.

Your body was intelligently designed to make you naturally sleepy when it's dark and more alert when it's light. See, our skin cells have light receptors called “melanocytes” that signal to our brain that it’s TIME TO WAKE UP when they perceive light.

Now, you might wonder why eating times matter. Your circadian rhythm doesn't just decide when you feel sleepy or awake; it also helps control when you feel hungry and how your body digests food. Eating at consistent times helps your internal clock predict when to expect food and manage your energy levels and hunger hormones accordingly.

Most of us aren’t going to argue that sleeping on a STUFFED stomach will make it harder to fall asleep… Most people can understand that light is a trigger to wake up...

What’s harder to comprehend is why the body thrives on predictability and why it’s worth it to stay regular with sleep and eating times.

When you mess with these times—like sleeping in super late on the weekends or eating late at night—you can throw off your circadian rhythm. It's kind of like jet lag when you travel across time zones.

If you ever notice you feel groggy or out of whack after a late-night snack or a super late weekend sleep-in, that's your circadian rhythm being confused. 

If you’re a curious cat like me, you’re wondering,

“Why would our bodies be so sensitive to minor shifts in our schedules?”

The preference for predictability is deeply rooted in the way our bodies have evolved over thousands of years. To understand why, let's take a step back and look at our ancestors, who lived in a world without the artificial lights and 24-hour schedules we have today.

Back then, humans rose with the sun and slept when it set. This natural cycle was predictable, and our bodies evolved to expect and rely on this regularity. Every system in our body, from our brains to our digestive systems, is tuned to this rhythm.

This tuning is done by the circadian rhythm, which anticipates environmental changes and prepares our body accordingly, optimizing our function and health.

Although we now live in air-conditioned apartments and smart homes, our bodies are still operating with the ancestral human software, awaiting updates. And that’s why we have to honor the rhythms of the earth by aligning with them if we want to feel less stressed and more refreshed.

Here's a deeper dive into why predictability plays a major part in sleep quality and stress reduction:

1. Energy Efficiency 

Just like a smart thermostat that adjusts your home's temperature before you get up or before you come back from work, your body wants to use energy efficiently.

By sticking to a schedule, your body knows when to ramp up the production of enzymes for digestion, when to release hormones to repair tissues during sleep, or when to fire up your metabolism to prepare you for a surge of energy.

2. Survival Mechanism

From an evolutionary standpoint, being predictable helped our ancestors survive. Those who were alert during the day were better hunters and gatherers, and those who rested at night avoided predators. Thus, humans evolved to take cues from the environment, with the circadian rhythm enhancing survival by making behaviors predictable.

3. Reduces Wear and Tear

Without predictability, your body is always on alert, never quite sure when to rest or be active. This can lead to stress, which is essentially wear and tear on the body. Predictable patterns allow the body to prepare and manage resources, which can help reduce the impact of stress.

My biohacking mentor always tells me to practice being “ON” when you need to be “ON”, and “OFF” when you want to be “OFF”. Getting into a rhythm of being fully engaged and then fully disengaged. When you blend the two, you are always half on or half off. Your work sucks, your productivity tanks, and then you’re thinking about work when you’re with your family.

Predictable rhythms and honoring a schedule are the only ways to achieve this balance.

4. Improves Brain Function

Predictability can help improve cognitive function. The brain uses less energy when routines are consistent because it knows what to expect and when. This frees up resources to be used elsewhere, such as for problem-solving or learning.

5. Health and Longevity

Our bodies have internal repair processes that are most effective during rest. A regular schedule ensures these processes happen when they should, which can contribute to better health and potentially increase longevity.

In a nutshell, our bodies like predictability because it allows them to function optimally. By minimizing unexpected demands, our body can prepare for what's coming, reducing the stress of sudden changes and allowing it to allocate its resources in the most effective way possible. That's why maintaining a regular routine with consistent sleep and meal times is recommended for optimal health.

So let’s say you’re on a consistent sleep schedule and you still can’t relax… What then?

Most people POUND melatonin or sedatives as their first line of defense against sleep issues. 

If you’ve been on a whacky schedule for several years (or even decades), sometimes you need a little extra support to shift into your natural circadian rhythm.

However, sedatives are not the answer you’re looking for. These are simply bandaids for the problem. More like - bandaids with spikes.

The superior way to support your body’s natural sleep rhythms is by using nature's Adaptogens.

Adaptogens are a unique class of herbal ingredients that support the body’s natural ability to deal with stress. They work by stabilizing physiological processes and promoting homeostasis, thereby enhancing the body’s resistance to physical, chemical, and biological stressors.

In a nutshell, here’s what adaptogens do for you:

Normally, you might hit a point where everything feels overwhelming—that's your stress threshold. It's like having a cup that fills up quickly with water until it overflows; the water is like all the stressful stuff you deal with.

In other words, you have a predetermined capacity for the amount of stress you can handle.

When you use adaptogens, it's like they make your cup (your capacity for stress) bigger.

So now, it takes a lot more water—or a lot more stress—to make it overflow. That means things that used to really stress you out might just feel like a minor annoyance now because you've got a bigger cup to handle. It doesn't stop stressful things from happening, but it changes how much stress you can handle before you start feeling like it's too much.

How do adaptogens work?

Unlike stimulants that create a temporary boost in energy, adaptogens offer a sustained sense of calm by modulating the body's stress response system, particularly the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis.

We won’t go into the science of the HPA axis in this article, but I encourage you to do your own research if you feel so inclined. It’s a fun rabbit hole to dive down!

The Role of Adaptogens in Stress Relief and Sleep

The brilliance of adaptogens lies in their capacity to recalibrate the body’s stress response.

By attenuating cortisol levels and influencing neurotransmitters, adaptogens can alleviate feelings of stress and anxiety. This balancing act is not merely about stress reduction; it also plays a pivotal role in sleep.

Stress and sleep are intricately linked; excess stress can disrupt sleep patterns, while poor sleep can exacerbate stress. Adaptogens help break this cycle, promoting relaxation and supporting the natural circadian rhythms, ultimately leading to improved sleep quality and duration.

What’s the best adaptogen for sleep support and stress relief?

For centuries, Reishi mushroom extracts, AKA, “The Mushrooms of Immortality” have been revered in Eastern traditions for their profound healing properties. Today, science is catching up, revealing that Reishi isn't just an adaptogen; it's a super adaptogen.

This “mushroom of immortality” offers a unique complex of triterpenes and polysaccharides — compounds that elevate the body's ability to balance stress and bolster immunity.

Studies suggest that Reishi's adaptogenic properties aren't just folklore. Its active components have shown promise in helping the body attenuate cortisol levels — your body's stress signal — paving the way for enhanced stress response and better sleep patterns. This isn't just self-care; it's cellular care.+

Recommended dosage for Reishi Mushroom Extracts (Immortal)

Most studies on Reishi mushroom extracts vary in dosage and form, which makes it challenging to provide a one-size-fits-all recommendation.

The appropriate dose can depend on several factors, including age, health status, and the presence of any medical conditions.

That being said, the majority of our most satisfied customers use our ultra-potent reishi extracts once before dinner (to assist with winding down) and/or once about 1 hour before bedtime.

The recommended dosage on our bottles is 2 ml (2 full droppers) in a small 6–8 oz cup of water or tea. You can dose as needed, up to 3 times per day.

Where can I find the most effective reishi mushroom extracts?

You're in the right place :)

We make fast-acting, dual-extracted, liquid mushroom extracts to help support rest, relaxation, and of course--deep, restorative sleep.

For a limited time only, you can get TWO FREE mushroom extracts when you buy 2 through our website. Simply click on the image below, or visit our menu bar at the top of this website to select "stress relief" to view our reishi mushroom product.

Feel free to comment down below if you have any questions about the information in this article. And if you like this type of content, let us know down below.

Mush love

-Luke "The Lion"

REFERENCES:

Noguchi, M., Kakuma, T., Tomiyasu, K., Kurita, Y., Kukihara, H., Konishi, F., ... & Matsuoka, K. (2008). Randomized clinical trial of an ethanol extract of Ganoderma lucidum in men with lower urinary tract symptoms. Asian Journal of Andrology, 10(4), 777-785.