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Ask The Experts: How to get quality sleep to stay youthful and energetic
Get proper shut-eye and recharge your body with tips from Dr Daisuke Takemoto (PhD), a product researcher at Suntory Wellness
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A good night’s sleep will leave you feeling rested and energised upon waking up.
PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
Sleeping is essential to allow our body and mind to rest and recharge, so we can be alert and function well the next day. In fact, In fact, a good night’s sleep can help to energise you and lift your mood.
However, sleep does not come easy to everyone. Dr Daisuke Takemoto, a product researcher at Suntory Wellness, shares how you can get proper shut-eye and recharge your body.
Q: What does it mean to have good quality sleep?
Sleep literature generally points to three determinants of a good night’s sleep: depth, duration and continuity of sleep. The characteristics of quality sleep include falling asleep quickly and easily within 30 minutes; sleeping through the night with minimal disruptions; getting the recommended amount of sleep for your age group; and feeling rested and energised upon waking up.
Q: How do busy schedules, high stress levels and poor eating habits affect your sleep and energy?
Stress can cause your nervous system to be in a heightened state of arousal. This refers to the release of fight-or-flight hormones like adrenaline or cortisol. If your body is in fight-or-flight mode, you may face difficulty falling asleep, as well as disrupted and less restful sleep. Inadequate sleep can further feed stress and poor sleep quality can lead to fatigue in the day. It’s a weary cycle.
An unhealthy or irregular diet can lead to poor sleep quality. Research shows that eating less fibre, more saturated fat and more sugar in the day is linked to lighter, less restorative sleep and more disrupted sleep occurrences. Having a balanced diet with proper nutrients helps your brain build a conducive chemical environment for quality sleep.
Nearly every tissue and organ of your body has circadian rhythms that work like 24-hour biological clocks, influencing eating habits and digestion. The master clock in your brain does not just keep all clocks in sync, but also regulates sleep. So sudden changes to your eating habits or diet can disrupt its balance.
Q: What are some ways to build a better bedtime routine for better quality sleep?Reserve the bed for sleep: Avoid answering work calls and e-mails or watching late-night TV shows from the bed. The bed should be a stimulus for sleep instead of sending you into a state of wakefulness.
Wind down before bedtime: Try listening to soothing music or doing deep breathing exercises.
Refrain from alcohol and caffeine: Avoid beverages with caffeine, which is a stimulant. Similarly, avoid alcohol as it can disrupt sleep cycles.
Avoid eating too late and too much: If you have a late meal, your body may still be digesting food at bedtime, and this increases the risk of acid reflux. Being too full can keep you awake too. If you must, have big meals at least three hours before bedtime.
Q: Can having quality sleep restore one’s youthful glow?
Your body restores and repairs itself at a cellular level while you sleep. It increases production of proteins that promote cell growth and repair, including collagen that is important for youthful-looking skin.
Research shows that sleep deprivation can lead others to perceive you as looking less healthy and less attractive. Beauty sleep is real.
Q: What is sesamin and why is it an ideal key ingredient to support health and wellness?
Found in sesame seeds, sesamin extract has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that help fight free radicals. Free radicals cause oxidative stress and damage to your body’s cells and are linked to various diseases and symptoms of ageing, such as wrinkles.
Sesamin is readily absorbed by the small intestines to reach the liver, where its antioxidant effects are activated. This rare ingredient makes up less than one per cent of a tiny sesame seed.
Q: How does regular consumption of Suntory Sesamin EX help promote good health?
Imported by BRAND’S from Suntory Wellness in Japan, Suntory Sesamin EX is a supplement that contains sesamin extract, vitamin E and super vitamin tocotrienol, formulated by scientists and researchers.
In fact, Suntory spent 30 years perfecting a proprietary technology to extract the goodness of sesamin from sesame seeds and won an Achievement in Technological Research award from the Japan Society for Bioscience, Biotechnology and Agrochemistry (JSBBA) that recognises sesamin’s practical application as a health food.
Not only does the supplement support improved sleep quality and reduce fatigue, it may also help to restore a youthful glow, boost liver function and lower blood cholesterol level.
Suntory Sesamin EX by the numbers
8 weeks of daily consumption of 3 Sesamin EX softgels for better sleep quality and reduced fatigue*.
30 years of research and development behind Suntory’s sesamin extraction technology.
82% of consumers felt at least five years younger after taking it regularly**.
44 research papers and 98 academic conference presentations were focused on sesamin.***
Over 2 million fans of Sesame EX in Japan since its launch in 2003.
* 299 participants aged 40 years and above who felt exhausted daily were surveyed in this study.
** 7,310 participants in their 50s to 70s took part in the survey after taking the supplement regularly for more than a year.
*** All research papers and presentations were done by Suntory and external parties such as selected universities.
BRAND’S is an official distributor of Suntory Sesamin EX in Singapore. Shop at store.brandsworld.com.sg today!
