Sleeping disorders are becoming a new norm in America. With the changing times and the changing living standards, people are encountering with stress and other disorders which may not be healthy for a human to function adequately.
A healthy brain needs proper sleep to keep functioning efficiently for which regular maintenance is the need of the hour. Various neurotransmitters like glutamate amino acid, serotonin and glycine are needed for the human brain to send and receive signals effectively and maintaining mental health.
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Why Is It Hard to Sleep?
Sleeping is natural need of body. With a proper sound sleep you are able to fulfil one of the most important needs of your body. You feel healthy fresh and activated with a good sleep. But not everyone is lucky enough to get a good sleep. Those people who are not able to get a better sleep go under a lot of stress, are inactive in their daily functions, and are not able to perform skillfully or properly.
There are many reasons for such condition to develop in human beings. Chronic pain due to arthritis, headaches or body aches, fibromyalgia, frequent urination are some of the physical causes of a person not getting proper sleep.
Medical conditions like asthma, or any other such respiratory or allergic disorders may hinder the sleep of a person. Another mental or psychological disorders like depression, obstructive sleep apnea, anxiety, insomnia, and such other serious issues are the forms of sleep disorders that may affect a person sleep in a bad way. In the case of obstructive sleep apnea, one may need a medical device such as a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine to alleviate breathing problems and get uninterrupted sleep.
Some other not so important but definitely effective reasons like someone snoring around you or improper bed, or some official stress, bedroom not compatible with proper sleeping conditions, any disturbing noises, hectic schedules, strained relationships and so on.
Whatever be the reasons sleep disorders are not at all healthy and may cause much more serious issues for you. When the above-mentioned issues start occurring on a daily basis they start interfering with your daily life and sleep timing, thus disturbing your daily routine. Depending on the type of sleep disorder, people may find it difficult falling asleep and may feel extremely tired throughout the day. The lack of sleep can have a negative impact on energy, activities, mood, memory, work performance, concentration, and overall health.
It’s important to receive a diagnosis and treatment as soon as you start encountering or suspecting inability to sleep on time. When left untreated, the negative effects of sleep disorders can lead to further health consequences.
What Are Neurotransmitters?
Neurotransmitters are the chemical substances that are released at the end of a nerve fiber, where there is a gap which is called as synapse, due to a nerve impulse that is generated by diffusion. In simple terms they are the chemical messengers that help nerve cells transmit a message across the synapse to a target cell. The target here may be another nerve or muscle or gland cell. The nerve cells create these chemicals in order to transmit the messages.
Neurotransmitters are produced inside the neuron itself. The process starts with a cell getting activated and the neurochemicals getting released into the synapse from a particular kind of folder assembled near the cell membrane called synaptic vesicles. The transmission and reception of the neurotransmitters are the important reason for your body and mind function effectively.
The neurotransmitters that are released by the different cell types contribute their impacts on behavior of humans, even the way they feel or the way they think.
Role of Glycine in Curing Sleep Disorders
Glycine is a non-essential amino acid produced by the body naturally. It is one of the 20 amino acids in the human body that synthesize proteins, and hence plays a key role in the creation of several other important compounds and proteins. The chemical structure of glycine represents a side chain with H atom, making it the only one that makes way into the three-stranded helix. It is used in protein synthesis. It is also essential for a healthy development of muscles, tissues and skeleton. Glycine is classified as a non-essential amino acid, as it can be synthesized from serine.
Glycine works as a neurotransmitter. It both stimulates and inhibits cells in the brain and central nervous system, that affects your cognition, stabilizes your mood, improves appetite, improves digestion, maintains proper immune functions, normalizes your pain perception, and thus your sleep activity. Glycine for sleep should be considered one of the most effective options to cure sleep disorders.
Taking glycine before bedtime will help you improve your sleep quality and help people with poor sleep. It might also reduce feelings of tiredness, fatigue, and other stressful worries.
Glycine effectively decreases your body temperature, that improves the quality of your sleep. Glycine activates N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors present in the suprachiasmatic nucleus, SCN, that leads into a better thermoregulation and circadian rhythm. But the exact mechanism is still under research, and is updating with time.
Glycine helps in elevating serotonin levels, thus reducing the symptoms for insomnia, further improving your quality of sleep. Serotonin is a monoamine neurotransmitter, that is responsible for regulating your moods, sleep quality, pain sensations and calming your mind.
Glycine is beneficial in carrying out several functions as a transmitter in the nervous system. While working as a neurotransmitter, it helps in motor and sensory signals, that permits movement, to process. This participating action of glycine is moderated by a glycine receptor, that is strychnine-sensitive. This activation produces inhibitory post-synaptic potentials. Glycine also releases with GABA which is also an amino acid neurotransmitter.
Glycine also regulates excitatory neurotransmission by boosting the glutamate action, at NMDA, N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors.
Takeaway
Even though glycine is known as the simplest amino acid, it has a complex formation of functions and effects on the body. While it can hinder certain neurotransmitters that are able to improve certain psychological conditions, it can also excite neurotransmitters that cause muscular convulsions and potentially fatal brain hyperexcitability.
It is safe to consume as a dietary supplement in appropriate doses, both for short and long term health benefits, however, the body will usually receive the right amount of glycine from a healthy diet. It is extremely beneficial for the bones, tissues, muscles, and central nervous system, and as such is one of the most important non-essential amino acids in the body.
