“What is the use of eating Ganoderma lucidum?” Many people who have not tried Ganoderma lucidum may have such a question. Some people say that they have fewer colds, some people say that their blood pressure has stabilized, and some people say that their mental state is better and their sleep is better…Ganoderma lucidum is important for the overall regulation of the body. People with different physiques will have different obvious feelings. Among them, the improvement of sleep is a significant change that most people can feel.

How can Ganoderma lucidum improve sleep?

The ancient book Shennong Materia Medica records that Ganoderma lucidum calms the nerves, increases wisdom and improves memory. The effect of Ganoderma lucidum to calm the nerves and help sleep has been recognized since ancient times.

Today, a lot of clinical research has been done on the effect of Ganoderma lucidum on calming the nerves and helping sleep.

Professor Yonghe Zhang from the Department of Pharmacology, Peking University School of Basic Medical Sciences, who specializes in the central nervous system, has proved through a chronic stress model in rats that oral administration of water extract of Ganoderma lucidum fruiting body (240 mg/kg per day) can not only shorten the time to fall asleep and prolong sleep time but also strengthen the δ wave amplitude during deep sleep (δ wave is an important indicator of sleep quality) and improve the overall sleep quality.

▲ [Description] Evaluating the effect of oral administration of Ganoderma lucidum fruiting body water extract (240 mg/kg) on sleep in chronically stressed rats at different time points (15 and 22 days) 

Generally speaking, within 1-2 weeks after taking Ganoderma lucidum, there will be obvious curative effects, manifested as improved sleep, increased appetite, weight gain, reduction or disappearance of heart palpitations, headaches and dizziness, refreshed spirit, enhanced memory, enhanced physical strength, and improvement in comorbidities. The curative effect of Ganoderma lucidum preparation is related to the dose and the course of treatment. The higher the dose and the longer the course of treatment, the higher the curative effect.

— The above content is excerpted from p73-74 of Lingzhi From Mystery to Science written by Zhibin Lin.

It is worth mentioning that the effect of Ganoderma lucidum on calming the nerves and promoting sleep is different from that of general sleep aids.

Ganoderma lucidum corrects the regulation disorder of the nervous-endocrine-immune system caused by long-term insomnia of neurasthenia, blocks the resulting vicious circle, and improves sleep.

Among them, adenosine in Ganoderma lucidum plays an important role. Adenosine can promote the pineal gland to secrete melatonin, deepen sleep, and reduce the accumulation of free radicals in the body. 

—The above content is excerpted from p156-159 of Healing with Ganoderma written by Tingyao Wu. 

Perhaps it is precisely the combination of various mechanisms that makes the nerve-calming and sleep-aiding effect of Ganoderma lucidum gentle and long-lasting.