Lion’s Mane doesn’t affect sleep directly. However, it helps to reduce stress hormones and anxiety symptoms, making you feel more relaxed. As a result, you may find it easier to get to sleep -and stay asleep.
The Indirect Effects of Lion’s Mane Mushroom on Our Sleep
Lion’s Mane is a mushroom that is often used to help with sleep. It has been shown to help with insomnia, chronic pain, and even Alzheimer’s disease. It is called Lion’s Mane because of the appearance of the mushroom – it resembles a mane on a lion. The way it helps insomnia and chronic pain is by acting as an anti-inflammatory.
When you reduce inflammation in your body, you can sleep better and experience less pain. The mushroom also contains compounds like beta-glucans which are known to have antioxidant properties. Antioxidants are important for good health because they can help protect against free radicals which cause damage to cells in the body.
Lion’s Mane has also been shown to improve sleep quality by reducing anxiety and depression levels, improving mood and cognitive function, reducing insomnia symptoms, increasing REM sleep time and reducing cortisol levels in the blood.
The polysaccharides and oligosaccharides in the mushroom help promote nerve growth factor (NGF) which, besides helping calm you down and make you more focused, can be useful for those who suffer from Alzheimer’s disease or Parkinson’s disease.
However, not all compounds in Lion’s Mane affect sleep. The mushroom is comprised of different chemicals that have unique effects on your body. Let’s have a look at some of them:
Active Compounds and Their Effects
Lion’s Mane is known to have the following active compounds:
- Hericenones – these are anti-inflammatory and anti-cancerous compounds that are believed to stimulate nerve growth.
- Erinacines – these are also anti-inflammatory and anti-cancerous compounds, and they are the ones that work together with hericenones to increase NGF.
- Erinacines A, B, C, D – these are all different variations of the erinacine compound and they have different effects on the body, such as reducing oxidative stress.
- Polysaccharides – these make up most of what Lion’s Mane Mushroom consists of and they have a variety of benefits including detoxification, immune boosting properties and antioxidant properties. They also help with digestive issues like constipation or diarrhea as well as allergies and asthma symptoms.
What is the Optimal Lion’s Mane Dosage for Sleep?
The recommended dosage of Lion’s Mane Mushroom is 500-3000mg of a high-quality extract, with the higher doses being more effective. It often takes 2-4 weeks before you notice the full effects of Lion’s Mane. However, you can start feeling the benefits as soon as 2 days into supplementation, as everyone reacts differently to this mushroom.
It’s important to do your research on the types of Lion’s Mane Mushrooms on the market, as there are different types of extracts, and some are better than others.
Lion’s Mane Mushroom can also be taken in capsule or tablet form, which is more convenient for people who find it hard to swallow whole mushroom chunks.
Unfortunately, there are many Lion’s Mane Mushrooms supplements today that don’t work at all as they are of low quality. With Lion’s Mane supplements, the saying “you get what you pay for” really is true.
I don’t seem to derive any energy from this prod. It sure put me to sleep quick enough. I also was taking nootropics. Many diff mushrooms. same thing, sleep. The Lions mane specify 2 a day@1000 mg. I take 1 around noon and counteract w/caffeine tea. I actually thought I would get more energy…nada. I’m 80 now and I have a lot of work around here. I have a big lawn but, now it takes me 2 days instead of 2 & half hrs. What do u suggest. Thank you, Judy D.
Thanks for reaching out Judy.
If you need a quick energy boost, an obvious fix would be caffeine. However, in the context of chronic fatigue, or general fatigue, it’s better to work on cellular energy support as well as adrenal gland support. This way, you will be supporting your long-term energy production without putting pressure on your system with stimulants like caffeine.Caffeine can actually make the fatigue worse in the long run, because it depletes your adrenal glands.
The supplements that could help you with fatigue are D-Ribose, CoQ10, and Pine Bark Extract (don’t take Pine Bark Extract if you’re taking blood thinners, though, as the combination can increase the risk of bleeding). Keep in mind that fatigue can also come from low iron levels, so we would advise to get a blood test. Also, talk to your doctor about what supplements you may want to take, and any lifestyle modifications that could help you.
We’re not offering medical advice here. Remember, you shouldn’t be playing with your health – get checked by a professional doc before trying anything on your own!