Everyone is familiar with the benefits of Manuka honey in keeping our skin hydrated, soothing sore throats, treating dry coughs, and healing wounds. But, what most folks are oblivious of is how miraculously it helps you get a sweet, peaceful night’s sleep.
In the past few years, the stress levels have pitched, ultimately increasing sleeping problems. But thankfully, have a spoon of raw and unfiltered honey whenever you struggle to sleep.
As Dave Asprey from bulletproof.com says, “Having a little extra sugar before bed can help your brain function better at night…As long as you don’t combine it with protein…you can get more deep sleep when you take a small amount of raw honey.” Moreover, Dr. Ron Fessenden has also advised taking honey before bedtime while you get cosy in your blanket.
Can honey help you sleep? For sound sleep, honey promotes tryptophan production, slowly releases glycogen, assists the body in releasing melatonin inside brain, and inhibits orexin (the hormone responsible for keeping you alert). Well, these are the most commonly proposed theories.
By improving the quality of your sleep and patterns, Manuka honey plays a crucial role in the following:
- Reducing stress
- Enhancing immunity
- Boosting energy
- Improving cardiac health
- Maintaining mental health
- Supporting body weight management
Summing up all its advantages, “a well-rested body is the best bet for a healthy life.”
Manuka Honey – A Health Aid for Sleepless Nights
To enjoy sound sleep, you must keep your blood sugar levels under check because it is essential in keeping you awake and restless for hours.
For a refreshing nap, you not only need a balanced sugar level during the day but also throughout the night, especially before going to bed, to satiate your appetite (by balance, we mean not too low and not too high with no unusual blood sugar spikes). The best way to preserve your sugar level without increasing the risk of diabetes is to take a spoonful of good quality, organic, and 100% pure Manuka honey with a higher MGO rating as it has a lower glycaemic index and fulfils your hunger.
Does honey affect your sleep? Plenty of scientific papers also claim that this sugary treat activates hormones to suppress your unhealthy night cravings along with delaying the production of ghrelin (hunger hormone).
Michael Breus, clinical psychologist and sleep specialist, says, “a teaspoon of raw honey about 30 minutes before bed can keep you full, thereby enhancing your snooze. It can actually keep blood sugar somewhat stable.”
Apart from keeping you full and raising your blood insulin levels, honey facilitates the production and release of serotonin, a neurotransmitter every person needs to:
- Uplift mood
- Release mental pressure
- Increase energy levels
- Decrease stress
- Combats the side effects of trauma
All the reasons mentioned above are vital in helping you fall asleep and guaranteeing that you wake up well-rested. Moreover, an investigation proved that children suffering from upper respiratory tract infections could sleep better through the night when treated with honey for half an hour before going to bed.
Two General Ways Raw Honey Helps You Snooze
There are various ways honey sleep benefits but two most common pathways of honey remedy for sleep are:
1. Glycogen Storage Tank
Sleep puts you in the fasting state, where your brain starts using glycogen stored in your liver. This glucose storage tank is used as an energy supply for the organs to keep all your vital functions running without hiccups while you are not eating. Depleted glycogen cause wakefulness, leading to increased energy demand.
Honey comprises fructose and glucose, which are essential for replenishing liver glycogen levels. Consequently, the brain gets easy-to-access fuel and doesn’t deplete your storage while you are asleep. It stops hunger pangs as high glycogen levels signal your brain that you have enough energy to continue body processes until you get up.
2. Melatonin
When you eat Manuka honey, insulin levels are spiked, and tryptophan by the pineal gland (inside the brain) is released, which becomes serotonin and then melatonin in the dark at night when your body shuts down. Melatonin is also associated with boosted immunity.
Melatonin, called the “wellness hormone,” is directly responsible for managing a healthy sleep-wake cycle, or we can say initiating sleep and facilitating your whole body to recover from the stress and exertion during sleep. As soon as melatonin is produced, insulin release is inhibited, stabilizing blood sugar levels.
Ways to Consume Manuka Honey for Sleep at Night
Does honey help you sleep? Yes, and even simply taking 1 or 2 tsp. of raw honey sounds good, but if you want to try other ways, you indeed can.
- Make yourself a cup of herbal tea with honey and ginger, which will be equally soothing for sore throat or cough. Where honey induces sleep, it also alleviates cough.
- You can add Manuka honey to your Chamomile teaand sip it before bed. Because chamomile has apigenin, it gives you a mild sedative effect to calm the body.
- Does honey and warm milk help sleep? One of the best and most recommended ways is to mix pure honey in a glass of lukewarm milk. It is regarded as a successful intervention for improving the quality of sleep without leaving adverse effects. You can enhance its functions by adding a dash of cinnamon or saffron. Both spices are effective against insomnia. Milk-honey mixture has bioactive peptides that aid sleep.
- Have an oatmeal or oat porridgefor a long night's sleep, as it is naturally enriched with melatonin. Else, try soaking oats overnight in apple juice, drizzle delicious honey, and enjoy a cold snack at night.
- Take equal portions of organic apple cider vinegar and raw honeyand drink it for a good quality natural sleep. Why does apple cider vinegar and honey make you sleep? Because this combination will give you amino acids packed nutrition.
Manuka Honey – Always a Healthier Choice
Whether you want to relish the sweetness of Manuka honey or enjoy the twin benefits of Manuka honey and black seeds, Nature’s Blends vast collection of raw honey got you covered. We provide Manuka honey in different MGO ratings: 83+, 263+, 514+, and 800+. It is very versatile for adding to food and beverages or applying directly to the skin. This monoflower honey, sourced from the serene forests of New Zealand, is packed with live enzymes, potent bio-actives, and plant-based nutrients.
When it comes to black seed-infused Manuka, we have two varieties: 83+ and 263+. Each is produced using cold extraction to keep the natural goodness of this rare speciality honey. It offers a unique nutrient profile, antioxidant benefits, and powerful antimicrobial properties.