Slept a full night but still not refreshed?

Many of us focus on how many hours we sleep, but the quality of that sleep matters just as much.

Even after seven or eight hours in bed, if it takes a long time to fall asleep, you wake often during the night, or you don't feel properly rested when you get up, you may feel drained, find it hard to concentrate, and feel less ready for the day ahead.

Research now links sleep quality to a range of factors, including everyday stress, the balance of the nervous system, oxidative stress, and getting the right nutrients.

When the mind can't switch off, sleep may not do its job

Work pressure, long hours in front of screens and a fast-paced life can keep both body and mind in an alert state, even when it's time to rest.

One nutrient attracting interest for sleep quality is sesamin, a natural lignan found in sesame seeds that is associated with managing oxidative stress in the body.

A study by Takemoto and colleagues (2015) looked at adults who felt tired in daily life and gave them sesame lignans (sesamin and episesamin) together with vitamin E for 8 weeks.

Reference: Takemoto, D., et al. (2015). Nutrients, 7(7), 5451-5473.

Among participants aged 40 and over, those who took sesame lignans with vitamin E consistently tended to see benefits in several areas:

• Better sleep quality
• Better scores for physical appearance related to fatigue
• Better markers of the body's antioxidant status

A relaxed body matters for good sleep, too

Beyond the mind, the nervous system and muscles are another important part of how well we rest.

Magnesium is a mineral that plays a role in nerve and muscle function. Magnesium bisglycinate in particular, a form bound to the amino acid glycine, is popular because it is well absorbed and gentle on the digestive system.

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 155 adults with sleep complaints looked at magnesium bisglycinate providing 250 mg of magnesium a day for 28 days.

Reference: Schuster J, et al. Nat Sci Sleep. 2025;17:2027–2040.

After 28 days of magnesium bisglycinate, scores on the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) fell by an average of 3.9 points, compared with 2.3 points in the placebo group, a statistically significant difference (p = 0.049).

Good sleep starts with caring for both mind and body

• Mind relaxation: helps the body stay balanced against stress and oxidative stress → sesamin
• Body relaxation: supports the normal function of the nervous system and muscles → magnesium bisglycinate

Looking after both sides together, a relaxed mind and a balanced body, may be one way to support sleep quality, so your body gets the rest it needs and you can start each day feeling refreshed.

Good sleep isn't only about the number of hours. It comes from letting both mind and body relax, for quality rest every night.