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The 3 Best Mushrooms Supplements for Sleep

Mushrooms for sleep
Written by Real Mushrooms

Do you struggle to get consistent, high-quality sleep? With 50 million Americans suffering from at least one of the 80 different types of sleep disorders, novel and non-addictive solutions are required to combat this chronic issue.1 Medicinal mushrooms supplements can be an effective and safe alternative to sedatives or sleeping pills at night, and these same mushrooms have various other benefits for health as a bonus.

With busy lifestyles and never-ending to-do lists, it’s harder than ever to fully recharge your batteries. Even with the best bed-time intentions, you might find yourself staying up later than you intended. Or worse, you find yourself lying there wide-eyed and unable to fall asleep even though you’re exhausted. Once asleep, it can be a struggle to stay asleep, or to sink into the deeply restful slumber we need for our brains and bodies to work optimally.

We’ve all been there before. But what does this mean for your health? And how can mushrooms supplements help?

You know sleep is incredibly important, so let’s dive into how mushrooms supplements can help you get those sweet dreams you desire. There are even certain kinds of mushroom extracts you can take in the morning, to help your mind ease into wakefulness and focus. We’ll also show you how an easy-to-follow mushroom protocol can restore your natural circadian rhythm.

The Biology of Sleep: Circadian Rhythm & Hormones

Your circadian rhythm is your body’s natural sleep and wake cycle. Essentially, it’s an internal clock that runs in the background – telling you when to go to sleep and when to wake up.

The problem is many people ignore their body’s sleep signs, which causes disrupted biorhythms. Eventually, this leads to an inability to fall or stay asleep and results in groggy, sluggish mornings.

Why do those groggy mornings happen?

Because your hormones get thrown out of whack. Your hormones are chemical messengers that allow your body systems to communicate with each other, and signal internal processes that keep you healthy. As you sleep, your body goes through various sleep cycles. In each cycle, you produce key hormones such as growth hormone (that helps you heal) and prolactin. As that’s happening other hormones, like cortisol and thyroid-stimulating hormone, are inhibited.2 So, sleep is crucial for regulating hormone levels and keeping you balanced (a biological state called homeostasis).

The Hormones At Play

Take melatonin for example. Melatonin is a unique hormone because it’s secreted when it’s dark. Melatonin has a big job to do since it’s the hormone responsible for sleep. But that’s not all, it’s also a powerful neuroprotectant promoting mitochondrial health plus healthy physical and mental aging.3

Sleep Cycle Hormones
Irregular sleep patterns disrupt the balance of various hormones.

Then you have cortisol that peaks in production in the morning and is intricately linked with your circadian rhythm. Cortisol levels that are too high or too low can cause an array of sleep problems.4 As you probably know, stress plays a big role in cortisol production, which is why those who experience chronic stress are likely to have an irregular sleep pattern.

Our body’s hormonal system responds to perceived and actual threats in the same way – releasing stress hormones like cortisol, norepinephrine, and epinephrine. When irregular sleep patterns become a regular occurrence in your life, stress hormones can build up and may contribute to disease. Over time the constant release of these stress hormones can deplete your body’s resilience.

A 2019 study on sleep deprivation plainly summarizes that the disruption in biorhythms and hormones from lack of sleep has “profound negative consequences on metabolism, the immune response, memory, and survival.”5

Poor Sleep Has Serious Consequences

It’s no secret your body needs quality sleep each night to function properly.

But many don’t realize how over time a lack of sleep or disrupted circadian rhythm can make you really sick. Even jet lag can take a toll on you.6 It makes a ton of sense when you think about it, we’ve evolved with the rhythms of the sun.

Now, you might not be surprised to learn that poor sleep has been associated with:7

  • Diabetes
  • Decreased immune system function
  • Alzheimer’s
  • Decreased stress resilience
  • Cognitive and mental decline
  • Decreased testosterone levels in men
  • Obesity
  • Poor heart health

Since sleep and hormone regulation are so intertwined, it makes sense as to why a chronic lack of sleep, and the ensuing disruption of the biological processes that support homeostasis, may play a role in such a variety of health conditions.

So important is sleep to bio-regulation, that just one night of sleep deprivation increases the accumulation of proteins (β-amyloid) in the brain that are associated with Alzheimer's disease risk. So, it is easy to see how the accumulated burden on the body from chronic sleep deprivation has the potential to lead to illness.8

The good news is there is a natural and safe way to support your body’s healthy sleep and wake cycle.

Medicinal Mushrooms for Sleep to Support Healthy Biorhythms

Mushrooms supplements have played a critical role in supporting natural sleep cycles for centuries. In fact, medicinal mushrooms have an impressive list of benefits including increased energy, longevity, and increased immune function – to name a few.

Not All Mushrooms Supplements Are Created Equal

Before we touch on this topic, let’s take just a moment to talk about the fact that not all mushrooms supplements are created equal.

While some companies claim their product is made of mushrooms, many are actually made from mycelium – which is the mushroom root structure. Be on the lookout for products that aren’t made from the actual mushroom, or fruiting body, and instead use grains and mycelium.

Mushrooms supplements need to be sourced from the mushroom (fruiting body) for maximum potency and medicinal effects.

Active Compounds in Mushrooms Supplements

Medical mushrooms have many active compounds that assist in sleep and provide a slew of powerful health benefits. Some of these compounds include:

  • Beta-d-glucans (polysaccharides) - Long-chain carbohydrates that are one of the most active compounds in mushrooms that boosts the immune system.
  • Triterpenoids - One of the most beneficial compounds in reishi. Helpful for liver functioning.
  • Polyphenols9 - Antioxidants present in the fruiting body to reduce free radical damage.
  • Ergosterol - Has antioxidant and immunomodulating properties.
  • Ergothioneine - Antioxidant that helps reduce the effects of stress.
  • Glutathione - Antioxidant that reduces oxidative stress.

To reap the benefits of these compounds, be sure you’re purchasing only the highest quality medicinal mushrooms. Mushrooms supplements’ adaptogenic properties make them a sought-after product for anyone who is health-conscious or looking for natural remedies for common ailments.

Adaptogens help to balance your body by promoting homeostasis of both body and mind (specifically, the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal-axis). They also work to relieve stress and support cortisol production. For this reason, studies have found adaptogens act as sleep aids.10

Mushrooms Supplements for Sleep
Mushrooms are adaptogens, which means they help your body adapt to physical and mental stresses. This comes in handy if the stress in your life is impacting your sleep.

The Ultimate Mushroom Supplement Protocol for Better Sleep

As you can see, mushrooms are a true health powerhouse for the human body.

That’s why we’ve made an easy-to-follow mushroom protocol to enhance your overall circadian system and improve sleep. This helps you achieve deeply restorative sleep states and leaves you feeling energized throughout the day. The protocol uses reishi at night with Lion’s Mane and cordyceps in the morning to stabilize and support healthy biorhythms.

What Are Reishi Mushrooms?

Reishi is often called the “mushroom of immortality.” It’s widely known to be a powerful medicinal mushroom for bettering sleep and reducing stress and fatigue.

You might be surprised to learn the reishi mushroom has been around for around 2000 years. The Chinese used them to enhance calmness and were even a favorite remedy of Chinese royalty for increasing longevity. So even after all these years we still recognize the health benefits of consuming pure mushroom extracts.

Organic Reishi Farm
Red reishi growing at our organic farming facility.

How to Use Reishi Mushrooms

It’s best to use reishi mushroom supplements each evening before bed. Because of this mushroom’s beneficial properties for sleep, it’s great for regulating your natural biorhythm. This gets you into a deeper state of rest and leaves you feeling rejuvenated in the morning.

Reishi mushrooms’ immunomodulatory properties also help us deal with external stressors. This, in turn, helps us sleep. Reishi can be used for insomnia, aging, and other various ailments.11 In addition, medicinal mushrooms are considered to have anti-fatigue functions. Reishi itself has rich antioxidant properties which can help to promote the balance of biological systems to reduce fatigue.12

Conveniently, reishi comes in a mushroom supplement form. Our Real Mushrooms Reishi Supplement is made from 100% pure, organic reishi mushrooms and has no added fillers. You simply place some into your favorite smoothie, favorite drink, or add to a recipe. We also have an entire page dedicated to incorporating our Real Mushrooms supplements into many different drinks and foods.

A delicious treat we think pairs nicely with our reishi extract is CBD hot chocolate. This warm drink is comforting and soothing after a long day. The CBD Total Body Care capsules have added curcumin and magnesium to reduce inflammation and promote a feeling of calmness.

Our customers have enthusiastically shared how taking our Reishi mushroom extract has helped them:

“This product was recommended by my doctor to calm anxiety. It really helps! I take it every day before bed.” - Ruth

“I've tried a few other brands and Reishi 415 is by far the best. I take 2 capsules every night before bed and I have the best sleep I’ve had for years. I wake up refreshed with a calm, focused energy that lasts all day. The company’s customer service is also excellent.” - Stephen

“I love this product, it really allows me to fully relax and wind down after a long day of work.” - Jessica

Incorporating reishi mushrooms into your nighttime routine sets the tone for deep, healing sleep. And if you choose to drink reishi, there’s nothing like a warm, calming beverage to relax you before bed.

Reishi mushroom for sleep
Taking reishi before bed can help relax the mind and lead to better quality sleep.

How to Purchase Reishi Mushrooms

It's important to make well-informed decisions when it comes to purchasing mushroom supplements. With misinformation in the marketplace, it’s crucial to know where your mushrooms come from. Check that they are sourced from 100% mushrooms –the fruiting body – and are third party tested. At Real Mushrooms, our reishi mushrooms have higher levels of medicinal compounds than other products on the market.

Real Mushrooms Reishi 415 Bulk Powder passes all these standards. We pride ourselves in offering only the best in mushrooms supplements at a purity level you won’t find elsewhere.

Go ahead and compare our product with competitors’ to see the difference. You might be surprised at how little actual mushroom is inside some mushroom supplements.

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What Are Lion’s Mane Mushrooms?

Lion’s Mane is known as the “mushroom for the mind.” It’s a rich source of neuroprotective and immunomodulatory properties. These properties make it a strong supporter of healthy brain function.

Lion’s Mane may help to improve overall mental function and memory. People of advanced age can take it to help improve recall and thinking skills. Other issues that Lion’s Mane may be beneficial for include cognitive decline, depression, anxiety, and blood sugar regulation. It works by improving the function and development of nerves within your body, and can even stimulate the growth of new brain cells by stimulating the production of nerve growth factor (NGF).13

Lion’s Mane also works by advancing the sleep-wake cycle and decreasing wakefulness during the active phase of sleep (REM). Therefore, Lion’s Mane before bed could be helpful for delayed sleep phase syndrome.14 In addition, Lion’s Mane has further immune-modulating properties that help us deal with external stressors. This, in turn, helps us achieve more restful sleep.

Lion's Mane Mushrooms supplements
Full-grown Lion's Mane mushroom from the Real Mushrooms organic farm.

How to Use Lion’s Mane Mushrooms

Use Lion’s Mane in the morning when you wake up. This helps to restore your biorhythm by keeping you alert and priming your brain for optimal function. Some people are also taking Lion's Mane before bed and say it helps with getting a restful night of sleep.

There are no added fillers in Real Mushrooms’ 100% organic Lion’s Mane mushroom supplement. This ensures you get the full medicinal effects of the product.

To consume, add some to a yummy beverage or treat. Or, you can “stack” your Lion’s Mane extract with CBD Total Body Care capsules to give you an extra, non-stimulant, cognitive boost just when you need it.

Incorporating Lion’s Mane mushrooms in your morning routine ensures you’re ready to take on the day with a clear mind. The added benefit of regular use of Lion’s Mane is its longer-term brain-protecting properties. Whether you add it to a beverage or food, you’re sure to enjoy its potent medicinal benefits.

Real Mushrooms’ customers have experienced substantial energizing and mind-enhancing effects from Lion’s Mane.

Here is a sampling of their impressions:

“I have used the lion’s mane in my matcha latte for the last six months. I do not have brain fog, no afternoon slump and my processing and retention of information is much better. People at work have actually asked me how I do it! I have switched from other suppliers of mushroom supplements to Real Mushrooms and I can feel the difference.” - Michelle

“Real Mushrooms Lion's Mane is amazing. Within 10 minutes of use I feel a positive rush and a boost to my mood. Throughout the day I feel more focused and don’t get that afternoon fog anymore. I would definitely recommend their products to anyone” - Gareth

“So far I have had great success supplementing with these mushrooms. Vitality!!!! And clear energy. Not stimulating, yet feels as if you are reaching into the soil and pulling strength from the earth. Highly recommend” - Parker

“I take 3 capsules a day and my mind feels sharper and I get less brain fog (which has been a big problem when i don't sleep well enough, so most of the time now). I tried 3 different brands so far and this seems to be the most potent of the bunch.” - Olli

How to Purchase Lion’s Mane Mushrooms

As with reishi mushroom, it’s so important to be aware of what you’re purchasing when you get mushroom supplements. Look for extracts derived directly from the mushroom (fruiting body) to ensure they have high levels of medicinal compounds.15

Real Mushrooms Lion’s Mane Extract contains no fillers or additives. You can rest assured that our Lion’s Mane is practitioner approved and third-party tested. When you combine the sleep-enhancing effects of reishi mushrooms with the cognitive enhancing benefits of Lion’s Mane, you can effectively support your biorhythms.

For your enjoyment, we have an easy-to-follow recipe video for two different ways to make Vegan Mushroom Golden Milk. Both recipes include either reishi mushrooms or Lion’s Mane which are combined with other adaptogenic ingredients to make a delicious, visually appealing, healthy drink.

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What Are Cordyceps Mushrooms?

Cordyceps can quickly reset biorhythms, particularly when dealing with jet lag. Studies show it helps adjust to time changes to lessen the biological effects of jet lag. Cordyceps is able to cross the blood-brain barrier causing rapid induction of the circadian phase.16

Traditionally, Cordyceps have been used for asthma, lack of energy, in addition to liver, lung, and kidney support. But cordyceps are also beneficial for increased exercise performance, immunomodulation, and for decreasing fatigue.

True Cordyceps sinensis isn’t present in 99% of supplements currently because it’s price tag is so high. It’s the most expensive mushroom in the world ringing in at over $22,000 per kilogram. Therefore, Cordyceps militaris is the species you will commonly find in your supplements. Cordyceps militaris has similar benefits to Cordyceps sinensis without the astronomical price tag due to the ability to cultivate it economically at scale.

Cordyceps mushrooms supplements
Fresh cordyceps mushrooms from the Real Mushrooms organic farm.

How to Use Cordyceps Mushroom

Use Cordyceps by adding it to your favorite beverage or taking it in capsule form. Real Mushrooms produces both forms and our powder is also hot water-soluble which means you can add it to hot tea without the worry of clumps forming.

You can always double-up on the mushroom types you use, to maximize the variety of benefits you get. Taking both Lion’s Mane and Cordyceps together can increase their energizing and bio-regulating effects.

Our Real Mushrooms customers often share their results from using our Cordyceps supplement.

Here is a sampling of their impressions:

“I absolutely love the cordyceps because it has helped me immensely from adrenal fatigue. It has increased my energy 10-fold! I put it in my cold-brew coffee as well as my smoothies, tastes fantastic. Thank you Real Mushrooms!!!” - Ariel

“Stopped drinking coffee and love the natural energy that comes from the mushrooms.” - Gail

“These Cordyceps capsules are how I start every day now. It took about two weeks for the full effects to be realized, but my energy level and recovery time has never been better! "Real Mushrooms, helping people ditch caffeine" - Jay

“I take a capsule of Cordyceps as a pre-workout, or sometimes to fight off fatigue without drinking coffee which can make my anxiety worse. The clean, non-jittery energy it provides is more than I expected from a mushroom supplement. I would suggest to try this if you have problems with focus or fatigue.” - Travis

“Real Mushrooms Cordyceps Extract deducts 20-30 years from my 73 years. Amazing booster for energy & activity level. After witnessing how much it increases my energy & activity levels, my wife & sisters now are now taking R-M Cordyceps Extract. They also reported increased energy… Added to my morning coffee-then it’s like blast-off for the day!” - David

How to Purchase Cordyceps Mushrooms

At Real Mushrooms, we offer Cordyceps-M - 60g Bulk Powder and Cordyceps-M Capsules. Both products are genuine, 100% organic cordyceps militaris mushrooms. They contain more than 25% beta-glucans, meaning what you get is pure, potent mushroom benefits, no fillers.

SHOP CORDYCEPS!

Medicinal Mushrooms for Sleep: Final Thoughts

If you’re not getting the quality, restorative sleep that you need to conquer the day, then medicinal mushrooms may be the right choice for you.

They’re packed with a health-boosting punch to not only reset your natural sleep and wake cycle but to benefit all areas of your health – making it clear why medicinal mushrooms have been used for thousands of years.

Mushroom supplements are extraordinarily safe and rarely produce undesirable side effects. However, it is always important to check with your doctor before taking any new supplement, especially if you are taking prescription medication. Even if mushrooms have few potential drug interactions, Reishi may not play well with anticoagulant or blood pressure medication, for example.17

Giving medicinal mushrooms a try is a good, non-habit-forming solution if you are struggling with regulating your sleep and need to improve your daytime wakefulness. You deserve to experience for yourself the natural, healthful properties of pure mushroom supplements.

If you’re a fellow mushroom lover or have questions about what mushrooms can do for you, comment below and tell us all about it. We love to hear from people just like you who want to experience the healing benefits medicinal mushrooms have to offer.

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Real Mushrooms Capsules
Check out our full lineup of Mushroom Extract Capsules!

References

  1. <https://www.sleephealth.org/sleep-health/the-state-of-sleephealth-in-america/>
  2. Chapter 1: Normal Sleep, The Physiology of Sleep — The Endocrine System & Sleep.
    <https://sleepdisorders.sleepfoundation.org/chapter-1-normal-sleep/the-physiology-of-sleep-the-endocrine-system-sleep/>
  3. Zisapel N. (2018). New perspectives on the role of melatonin in human sleep, circadian rhythms and their regulation. British journal of pharmacology, 175(16), 3190–3199. <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6057895/>
  4. Thau L, Gandhi J, Sharma S. Physiology, Cortisol. [Updated 2020 May 29]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2020 Jan-.<https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538239/>
  5. Oyola Mario G., Shupe Elizabeth A., Soltis Anthony R., Sukumar Gauthaman, Paez-Pereda Marcelo, Larco Darwin O., Wilkerson Matthew D., Rothwell Stephen, Dalgard Clifton L., Wu T. John. Sleep Deprivation Alters the Pituitary Stress Transcriptome in Male and Female Mice. “Frontiers in Endocrinology.” <https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fendo.2019.00676/full>
  6. The 2017 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. <https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/2017/press-release/>
  7. Consequences of Insufficient Sleep. “Division of Sleep Services at Harvard Medical School.” <http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/matters/consequences>
  8. Ehsan Shokri-Kojori, Gene-Jack Wang, Corinde E. Wiers, Sukru B. Demiral, Min Guo, Sung Won Kim, Elsa Lindgren, Veronica Ramirez, Amna Zehra, Clara Freeman, Gregg Miller, Peter Manza, Tansha Srivastava, Susan De Santi, Dardo Tomasi, Helene Benveniste, Nora D. Volkow. β-Amyloid accumulation in the human brain after one night of sleep deprivation. “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Apr 2018, 115 (17) 4483-4488
    <https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1721694115>
  9. Robaszkiewicz, A., Bartosz, G., Lawrynowicz, M., & Soszyński, M. (2010). The Role of Polyphenols, β-Carotene, and Lycopene in the Antioxidative Action of the Extracts of Dried, Edible Mushrooms. Journal of nutrition and metabolism, 2010, 173274. <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3017951/>
  10. Liao, L. Y., He, Y. F., Li, L., Meng, H., Dong, Y. M., Yi, F., & Xiao, P. G. (2018). A preliminary review of studies on adaptogens: comparison of their bioactivity in TCM with that of ginseng-like herbs used worldwide. Chinese medicine, 13, 57. <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6240259/>
  11. Reishi Mushrooms. WebMD. <https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-905/reishi-mushroom>
  12. Geng, Ping. Sui, Ka-Chai. Wang, Zhaomei. Wu, Jian-Yong. Antifatigue Functions and Mechanisms of Edible and Medicinal Mushrooms. <https://www.hindawi.com/journals/bmri/2017/9648496/>
  13. Hericum Erinaceus. WebMD. <https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-1536/hericium-erinaceus>
  14. Furuta, S., Kuwahara, R., Hiraki, E., Ohnuki, K., Yasuo, S., & Shimizu, K. (2016). Hericium erinaceus extracts alter behavioral rhythm in mice. Biomedical research (Tokyo, Japan), 37(4), 227–232.<https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27544998>
  15. Chaturvedi, V. K., Agarwal, S., Gupta, K. K., Ramteke, P. W., & Singh, M. P. (2018). Medicinal mushroom: boon for therapeutic applications. 3 Biotech, 8(8), 334. <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6056353/>
  16. Compound Found in Medicinal Fungus Can “Rapidly” Reset The Body Clock. <https://www.inverse.com/mind-body/cure-for-jetlag-fungus-compound>
  17. Reishi Mushroom: Continued. WebMD. <https://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/reishi-mushroom-uses-and-risks#2>
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Real Mushrooms is the premier provider of organic mushroom extracts, verified for the beneficial medicinal compounds like beta-glucans and free from starchy fillers like grains. With over 40 years of mushroom growing experience, Real Mushrooms prides itself on providing a transparent source of functional mushrooms that you can trust. All the information provided on our blog has been reviewed by our science and medical team.

Disclaimer: The information or products mentioned in this article are provided as information resources only, and are not to be used or relied on to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This information does not create any patient-doctor relationship, and should not be used as a substitute for professional diagnosis and treatment. The information is intended for health care professionals only. The statements made in this article have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Any products mentioned are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The information in this article is intended for educational purposes. The information is not intended to replace medical advice offered by licensed medical physicians. Please consult your doctor or health practitioner for any medical advice.

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