The study produced another quite interesting finding that was not published but provided more evidence about the multiple benefits of Earthing. Eight of our participants had an increase in melatonin ranging from 2 to 16 percent. Three subjects had no change in their melatonin level, and one experienced a decrease of 6 percent. The finding was exciting because melatonin is an important hormone that helps regulate sleep and other biological rhythms and is also a powerful antioxidant agent with anticancer properties.
Right from the start of my experimenting with Earthing-and by right from the start I mean my own initial experience-the positive impact on sleep has been very noticeable. This is a big deal. We all need good rest to allow our bodies to repair and recover from each day’s activities. That’s the way Nature set things up: Cycles of rest and activity.
After I saw how grounding was helping people sleep, I started to research the sleep problem. I found a 2002 Newsweek article entitled “In Search of Sleep” that said there ware an estimated 70million problem sleepers in the United STATES alone. “I Can’t Sleep” was the title of a Businessweek cover story in 2004. From those, and many other sleep-rated articles from all over the world, in it became quite clear to me that quality sleep improves overall health and that poor sleep does just the opposite.
I also learned that back in the early 1970s researchers identified several behaviors that were positively linked to length of life. Sleep headed the list, followed by exercise, eating breakfast, and avoiding snacks. Weight, smocking, and moderating alcohol intake also made the list. Later on, researchers found that sleep deprivation may enable bacterial growth and that sufficient sleep may slow down bacterial growth. More recently, sleep deprivation- even a modest reduction-was found to promote inflammation in the body. Loss of sleep, even for a few short hours during the night, apparently prompts the immune system to turn against healthy tissue and organs. Other new studies suggest that sleep loss may also contribute to recurrent depression.