My experience with Reishi

It's a funny thing, looking back on the time before I had begun building Headstrong, when I was at the stage of testing the products on myself. I was as skeptical about the genuine effects as anyone would be when trying out a natural alternative for the first time. But, if there's one moment that stuck out to me more than anything else in that journey of discovery, it's the first time I began taking Reishi.

I’d always been, what I would describe as a ‘surface level’ sleeper. I could lie next to my partner and see them fall asleep before their head hit the pillow, and know that I had at least another 50 minutes of ceiling watching before I’d reach that point. Always feeling as if i was teetering on the edge of consciousness, never really feeling as if I’d had a genuinely restful sleep, and my watch supported those claims. So naturally, when I started taking Reishi for the first time, I already had reservations around how, or if, it could even help me.

After a few days, I was convinced that my reservations were correct, and I was ready to throw in the towel, but something inside convinced me to carry on. And then, just like magic, I had my first Reishi sleep.

I remember it well, as I even wrote it down in my notebook when I woke in the morning. Assimilating the feeling of waking up with, and I quote, ‘being pulled out of a black hole’. Not only that, but for the first time in years, I had slept for 8 hours without waking up once.

Since then, I have taken Reishi every single day without fail, it has become a true non-negotiable in my life. And if there is one, email, message, DM that I receive from my customers more than any other, it's them declaring their new found love for Reishi. I mean, sleep is absolutely the most important aspect of muscular and cognitive regeneration and development that we can support, and If the quality of our sleep is slacking, then so are we.

So, how does this special mushroom actually do it?

Cortisol is the hormone released around the body when we feel stressed and anxious. The more stress we feel, the higher the level of cortisol present in the bloodstream. Reishi contains very potent levels of beta-d-glucans and triterpenes, and these naturally occurring compounds hold the unique ability to actually regulate cortisol levels. These adaptogenic properties alter the bodies reaction to stress, ultimately promoting an increased sedative state. In this respect, Reishi acts as a natural relaxant, reducing stress levels, the transition time between the conscious and the sleep state, and increasing the overall quality of our rest.

However, It is not only through stress-reduction that Reishi improves the quality of your sleep. The compounds found in Reishi have a direct impact on the activity of our white blood cells, the cells most important for fighting viruses and protecting the body from illnesses. Sleep and the immune system have a bidirectional relationship, with immune response, such as those caused by viral infections, having a detrimental effect on our sleep. The increase in production of white blood cells as a result of Reishi consumption, further boosting and supporting the immune system, can have a direct impact on reducing the impact of free-radical damage and promoting a healthier and more restful sleep cycle overall.