There are so many amazing functional mushrooms out there that it can be challenging to know which one is right for you. If you have difficulty sleeping, you'll need to know all about the best mushroom supplements for sleep!

The reishi mushroom has been used extensively for centuries to encourage a restful sleep cycle and non-REM sleep. This guide will discuss why your sleep quality is so vital and how the reishi mushroom might be the answer to your prayers!

The Biology Of Sleep

To understand the components of a good night's sleep, let's dive in and explore the biology of sleep and how your sleep cycle works!

Sleep Cycle

The sleep cycle is generally thought of as having four stages. During these stages, you will weave in and out of rapid eye movement (REM) and non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep time. 

REM sleep plays a vital role in consolidating our memory function, dreams, emotional processing, and brain development.

NREM sleep, on the other hand, is when the body adapts to illness and provides a time for physical recovery. It is also beneficial in helping us to heal from stress and resolve problems.

A healthy sleep cycle is made up of four stages, and these stages can be repeated up to five times per night:

• NREM Stage 1 - The transition period between wakefulness and sleep - the nodding-off stage usually lasts between 5 and 10 minutes. During this stage, your sleep is light, your muscles might twitch, and you could be disturbed easily. 
• NREM Stage 2 - This is when your body temperature drops, your muscles relax, and your heart rate slows. The second stage usually lasts for 20 minutes per cycle. This stage is where most people spend 50% of their sleep time.
• NREM Stage 3 - During this stage of sleep, your body becomes even more relaxed. During this time, you are difficult to wake, and this stage contributes to creativity, insightful thinking, and memory. The 3rd stage usually lasts between 20 and 40 minutes and is when the deepest sleep occurs.
• REM Stage 4 - This important stage begins about 90 minutes after you fall asleep. During this stage, your brain wakes while your body remains asleep and immobilized. Your eyes move rapidly, and your dream. This is also an important phase for the storing of emotions and emotional memories. REM sleep usually lasts between 10 and 60 minutes.

Why Is It Crucial To Sleep Well?

Sleep quality has a powerful impact on our well-being and ability to handle the stresses of daily life. And prolonged periods of insomnia or insufficient sleep can lead to health complications, both physical and mental.

Impacts Of Poor Sleep On Health

Here are some of the impacts of irregular sleep patterns and poor sleep quality for extended periods. If you're suffering from poor sleep health, you could face some of these issues down the line.

Diabetes

If you aren't getting seven hours of sleep daily, this could significantly impact your diabetes. Your body will need extra energy, and you might feel hungrier the next day or less full after meals. Your insulin resistance may rise, making your diabetes more difficult to manage.

Decreased Immune System Function

You could be more vulnerable to viruses and illnesses if you're not getting enough restful sleep. Your body repairs itself during deep sleep cycles (NREM Stage 3 and REM Stage 4) and gives you the ability to fight off infection and illness.

Decreased Mental Resilience

Our brains process huge amounts of information throughout each day. When we sleep, our brains shut off, and we aren't taking in any new information, but we are working hard to process what has already happened. If you're not sleeping, you are more likely to experience anxiety, depression, and burnout. Your brain is less resilient to the stress hormones our body produces in response to life’s challenges. Without giving your brain enough downtime, you will feel exhausted and unable to handle your daily responsibilities.

Poor Heart Health

When we sleep, our cardiovascular system slows, our heart rates slow, and our breathing slows. Without giving your cardiovascular system time to rest, your blood pressure can rise, and you might be more vulnerable to cardiovascular diseases.

Obesity

Not getting enough sleep can lead to increased appetite and increased insulin resistance, which leads to increased blood sugar. Many studies have drawn links between poor sleep health and obesity, which is a primary cause of diabetes.

What Are Reishi Mushrooms?

Reishi mushrooms are a type of functional mushroom. Functional mushrooms have been an essential part of Chinese herbalist practices for centuries, providing value for the body beyond their nutritional value. Reishi mushrooms are especially well known to promote a healthy night’s sleep.

You can recognize the reishi mushroom by its kidney-shaped flat cap, a brown varnished color, sometimes with an orange tinge.

The reishi mushroom can be found all over the world, and mostly grows on dead or dying trees in forested areas.

Benefits Of Reishi Mushroom For Sleep

The reishi mushroom has many beneficial compounds for your overall health, and here are some of the health benefits of these compounds.

Reishi Mushrooms May Help Balance Mood

The reishi mushroom is an adaptogenic mushroom that helps support occasional stress management in the body and balance the mood. Many monks used the reishi mushroom to help promote mental calm for their meditation practices.

Due To Their High Content Of 1,3 1,6 Beta-Glucans, They May Support Your Immune System

Beta-glucans stimulate innate immune cells, which support your overall immune system function. The reishi mushroom has a high content of 1,3 1,6 beta-glucans, which makes it an excellent supplement for those looking to support their body's immune function.

Since Reishi Mushrooms Have Ergothioneine, They May Help Support Your Body's Response To Occasional Stress

Ergothioneine has a powerful impact on occasionally elevated stress hormones and how occasional stress interacts with your sleep. Ergothioneine may alleviate the effects of occasional stress on the circadian rhythm, shortening sleep onset latency. This compound in the reishi mushroom makes it an excellent addition to your occasional stress management toolkit.

Reishi Mushrooms May Encourage Better Sleep Quality

Using the reishi mushroom for sleep may help to reduce the time it takes to fall asleep, increase the length of NREM sleep, and improve the quality of REM sleep. The reishi mushroom may lessen the impact of occasional stress on the circadian rhythm.

How To Use Reishi Mushrooms?

This section will discuss how you can use the reishi mushroom for sleep, including when to take it, how much to use, and the kinds of reishi mushroom supplements you can purchase.

When To Take Reishi To Sleep?

If you're taking reishi mushrooms for sleep, it's best to consume your reishi mushroom tea or supplement in the evening. After dinner is the perfect time to take reishi, as you will give your body enough time to ingest, break down, and absorb the reishi mushroom benefits.

If you're not taking reishi mushroom extract for a better night's sleep, you don't need to incorporate it into your nightly routine, and you may take it at any convenient time.

What Is The Proper Dosage?

The proper dosage of reishi extract for daily use varies based on the type of supplement you’re using and why you’re taking it. It’s always best to follow the directions on your reishi mushroom supplement and be mindful that taking more than the recommended dosage won’t give you any additional benefits. Finding the correct dosage depends on the individual, and you should start with a lower dose, gradually building until you feel the effects.

How Can I Buy Reishi?

Reishi mushrooms come in many forms to support occasional stress management and better sleep regulation. It is important to buy from a trusted source, specifically one that uses 100% of the fruiting bodies of mushrooms (not the mycelium), and also one that is 100% USDA-certified organic.

We at Mushroom Revival are passionate about helping you receive the health benefits of mushrooms, and we offer a money-back guarantee to ensure that you love your products! 

Tincture

A reishi tincture is a liquid in a small bottle with a pipette for application. Tinctures work fastest if you apply a few drops underneath the tongue. The underside of the tongue is covered in tiny blood vessels that quickly absorb the tincture.

If you don't want to apply the tincture underneath your tongue, you can add a few drops to your morning coffee or matcha latte to create a supplement-infused brew! You can do this with your favorite drinks, oatmeal, or recipes to add mushroom goodness.

If you're using functional mushrooms for sleep, you might want to make moon milk or a sleepy tea recipe with your tincture. A reishi mushroom tea is the perfect post-dinner beverage to help you get ready for sleep.

Capsules

Reishi comes in capsule form for those with a busy schedule. The capsule form might suit your morning routine if you constantly rush around without time to enjoy a morning coffee at home. You can keep your mushroom capsules in your car or your handbag to take them as needed.

Gummies

Reishi gummies are an excellent alternative to capsules if you're not a fan of taking tablets or capsules. Gummies come in many flavors with different mushroom blends. If you're seeking a good night's rest, make sure to keep your night stand stocked with mushroom gummies for sleep. A sleep blend contains the compounds to help your body drift into a restful state. If you suffer from occasional stress, a reishi gummy might help you to get some relief and wind down more quickly in the evening.

Alternatives To Reishi: Lion's Mane Mushrooms

If you're looking for a synergistic way to support sleep health with mushroom extracts, you might consider the benefits of lion's mane mushrooms. The Daily 10 blend from Mushroom Revival contains your daily dose of Reishi - and many more functional mushroom extracts.

What Is Lion's Mane?

Lion's mane mushrooms are functional mushrooms that have been used in traditional Chinese herbalist practices for centuries, just like reishi mushrooms and many others. The term lion's mane was coined due to the white tendrils that flourish from the lion's mane mushroom cap, giving the appearance of a lion's mane.

You'll find the lion's mane mushroom in East Asia, North America, and European regions. Lion's mane is an excellent alternative or addition to reishi mushrooms because it is an adaptogenic mushroom, aiding the body's natural defenses in adapting to occasional stress and its impact on sleep health.

What Are Its Benefits?

Lion's mane has numerous benefits, such as equipping the body's systems with support for managing occasional stress. By supporting the body’s ability to stabilize cortisol levels, the lion's mane mushroom extracts may be a powerful ally for occasional stress adaptation and a good night's sleep.

Lion's mane also contains compounds that support the body's natural ability to promote heart health. Lion's mane is a great go-to option for those looking to support the body in minimizing the effects of occasional stress on the body.

How Can You Take Lion's Mane Mushroom?

You can take lion's mane in all the same forms as the reishi mushroom - you can take a powder, tincture, gummy, or capsule daily to support and support sleep quality while balancing the body's sleep cycles and natural functions. If you’d like to have the benefits of 10 powerful functional mushrooms in one formula, then our Daily 10  would give you the benefits of cordyceps, lion’s mane, reishi, turkey tail, chaga, shiitake, tremella, meshima, maitake, and poria cocos in one easy-to-take blend. 

Conclusion

Functional mushrooms are powerful natural tools to help you support your overall health and create more harmony in your circadian rhythm. If you want to add a supplement for sleep health or skin health to your daily routine, you should consider adding reishi mushroom extracts to your health regimen. Additionally, you can also learn here how long it takes for reishi mushroom to work.