Get the rest you deserve: glycine can help you enjoy deeper, healthier sleep

Some people wake up feeling refreshed and energetic. Others still feel tired after many hours of sleep. Why is that? The truth is, how well you sleep is just as important as how long you sleep.

During the night, you cycle through stages of light sleep and deep sleep. The deepest is called slow-wave sleep. During this stage, the body secretes growth hormones to heal itself. But various factors, including stress and irregular sleep schedules, can get in the way of healthy sleep cycles.

Deep sleep is vital because your metabolism slows down, letting the brain and body get some needed rest. When you’re enjoying good-quality sleep, the temperature of your hands and feet goes up. By radiating heat, they help lower your core body temperature and metabolism.

Research by the Ajinomoto Group has shown that the amino acid glycine, taken before bedtime, helps the body reach deep sleep more quickly. It also helps raise the surface temperature of the feet and reduce the temperature of the core body. People wake up feeling refreshed, without the drowsiness some sleep remedies can cause.

Glycine is produced naturally by the body and present in many healthy foods, including fish, meat, and beans. But getting an adequate amount isn’t easy. That’s why Ajinomoto Group has developed a glycine supplement to help people enjoy better sleep.

Further study is required to better understand the relationship between amino acids and sleep. Ajinomoto Group will tirelessly pursue this challenge to help you get the rest you deserve. When you lie down at the end of a long day, the last thing you need is cold feet!