I still remember the first time I heard about collagen. I was at a facial, and my esthetician asked me if I\u2019d like to upgrade my service with a collagen mask that would help firm and plump my skin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
One enthusiastic \u201cYes!\u201d later, and my skin was softer, smoother, and plumper than it had been in years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Collagen has been buzzing around the skincare world for decades. But can it help with sleep too?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As someone who struggles with getting my recommended eight hours of sleep a night<\/a>, I was definitely curious about the connection between collagen and sleep. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I reached out to Ashley Short, a board-certified naturopathic practitioner and the owner of Rooted Holistic Co.<\/a>, to discover whether taking collagen can help you sleep better. Read on to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s start with the basics\u2014what is collagen, anyway? <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou can think of collagen as something that helps hold the body together,\u201d Short explains. <\/p>\n\n\n\n She adds that this structural protein helps support the skin, bones, ligaments, cartilage, joints, and other connective tissues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The body produces collagen naturally by using amino acids from certain foods like bone broth, chicken, or fish. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Sadly, collagen production slows down as people age, which is why you may notice that your skin has less elasticity and firmness than it did when you were in your 20s, for example.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Collagen contains glycine, which is an amino acid that helps calm neural activity in the central nervous system. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGlycine is involved in a few sleep-related functions, like body temperature regulation and nervous system regulation,\u201d says Short. She adds that taking glycine before bed may help with reducing fatigue and improving sleep quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because glycine helps reduce core body temperature, it\u2019s in turn a key trigger for sleep onset. This helps activate NMDA receptors in your brain, and then helps regulate circadian rhythm<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Short cautions that, when it comes to glycine content, not all collagen supplements are the same. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe amount of glycine can vary depending on the product and its amino acid profile, so taking collagen doesn\u2019t guarantee you\u2019re getting a specific amount of glycine,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Instead of a direct connection from collagen to sleep, Short recommends thinking about it this way: \u201cRather than collagen = sleep<\/em>, I would say collagen = glycine = sleep improvement<\/em>,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are two ways collagen\u2014and, in turn, glycine\u2014are connected to sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOur bodies love a schedule,\u201d Short says. \u201cAs nighttime approaches, our body temperature tends to drop to prepare us for sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat is collagen?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The sleep connection: glycine in collagen<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How collagen may help you sleep<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Lowers core body temperature for bedtime<\/h3>\n\n\n\n