The Use of Supplements to Enhance Sleep

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As we face a global sleep epidemic marked by chronic sleep deficiency, many are searching for healthy and natural ways to improve their sleep health. Supplements show potential as a valuable tool for easing the transition into sleep and supporting healthy restful sleep. There is a wide array of natural supplement ingredients that are believed to provide impressive benefits for sleep, and so it is important to take the time to explore available options and identify which is best suited to supporting your sleep. It is also important to find a supplement company focused on transparency that provides natural products free from fillers, binders, and additives to best support your health.

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Some Supplement Ingredients that Can Support Sleep 

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Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha is a small evergreen plant with yellow flowers, native to India and North Africa. The root of the plant has been suggested to enhance sleep, as well as reduce stress and feelings of anxiety. One study found that following daily supplementation with ashwagandha, individuals with high levels of non-restorative sleep reported a 72% increase in sleep quality compared to a 29% increase seen in the placebo group. Furthering this, another study showed that participants with insomnia who took ashwagandha extract showed greater improvements in sleep quality and sleep onset latency compared with those taking placebo. Notably, evidence indicates that ashwagandha with higher levels of withanolides may be more effective for treating insomnia and improving sleep, and so it is key to look for a supplement with high withanolide content.

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Saffron

Saffron is a small perennial spice that is a member of the lily family and is one of the most expensive spices in the world due to its laborious harvesting methods. It has a rich history of use within ancient medicinal systems, such as in Persian and Chinese practices, in the form of night time tea for its ability to promote relaxation, treat insomnia and reduce anxiety. This historic use of saffron for sleep has been supported through the widespread study of saffron's sleep-enhancing properties. For instance, one study evidenced that saffron extract supplementation led to significant improvements in both insomnia severity and the self-reported sleep quality of adults with moderate insomnia.

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L-Theanine

L-theanine is a powerful amino acid found abundantly within green tea leaves that is widely recognised for its calming effects and ability to support sleep. The powerful sleep and relaxation benefits that l-theanine can provide is reflected in the thousands of years that green tea has been consumed to induce relaxation. A systematic review of research showed that l-theanine can significantly improve subjective sleep onset latency and sleep quality, indicating the potential for supplements containing L-Theanine to alleviate sleep disturbances and difficulty. Some studies have noted that l-theanine may enhance gabaergic activity which may contribute to this amino acid’s ability to promote feelings of calmness and subsequently improve sleep quality.

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Lemon Balm

Lemon balm is a perennial herb native to Europe, North Africa and West Asia, that is from the same family as mint and has a distinct lemon scent. The use of this herb dates back to ancient Greek and Roman times, when it was brewed for teas and steeped into wines as a traditional remedy to reduce stress, anxiety, and promote better sleep quality. Emerging evidence supports the sleep benefits lemon balm is believed to have. For instance, one study found that treatment with lemon balm extract led to reductions in insomnia severity and increased slow wave sleep duration, as well as improvement in reported sleep quality for 87% of the participants. 

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Conclusion

Struggling to achieve restful sleep is a widespread problem, however supplements offer a natural and healthy way to help alleviate sleep difficulties and promote restorative sleep. There are many different available supplements that may support your sleep quality and duration and so it is important to take your time in finding a product that aligns with your health needs and sleep goals.

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Sources

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Ashwagandha-HealthProfessional/ 

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2475299123207192#:~:text=Conclusions:,effective%20in%20increasing%20energy%20levels. 

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1389945720301246 

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590142725000102 

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10357048/ 

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0271531724001684 

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1087079225000292 

https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/16/23/4199 

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12610505/ 

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