- Valerian root
Valerian root is an herb that has been used since ancient times to provide feelings of tranquility and improve sleep. This classic sleep-promoting herb has been shown to reduce the time it takes to fall asleep. By inhibiting the breakdown of GABA, valerian decreases feelings of anxiety, calms you down, and makes it easier for you to doze off into restful sleep.
- Chamomile
One of the things you often hear when suffering from sleep problems is to ‘drink some chamomile tea’, and not without good reason. You see, chamomile contains very high levels of apigenin, a bioflavonoid that has potent anti-anxiety and calming effects and even helps protect against cancer. A meta-analysis of 12 different randomized control trials consistently showed a significant improvement in sleep quality after taking chamomile. If you have any doubts left about the effectiveness of chamomile, scientists obviously don’t.
- Dong Quai (angelica sinensis)
Angelica sinensis, also called Dong Quai, is a cornerstone of traditional Chinese medicine. It’s commonly called ‘lady’s ginseng’ because it’s mainly used for improving women’s health. Nevertheless, Dong Quai is also an amazing sleep aid. Research has shown that Dong Quai causes a marked alleviation of sleep disturbances and fatigue. By using this powerful remedy, you’ll have a clear mind and lots of energy during the daytime, and slumber effortlessly at night.
- Holy Basil (Ocimum sanctum)
As a so-called adaptogenic herb, Holy Basil traces its roots back to traditional Ayurvedic medicine. If you’re suffering from stress-induced sleep problems, Holy Basil might be your best bet. By inhibiting the release of cortisol, a stress hormone, Holy Basil allows you to enter a state of calmness, making restful sleep a given.
- Hops
You probably know hops from the world’s most popular alcoholic drink - beer, to which it provides its bitter flavor. For the purposes of sleep, the plant also has potent anxiolytic effects. Hops calm you down by enhancing levels of the neurotransmitter GABA in the brain. Studies show that using hops lowers the amount of time it takes you to fall asleep, and even people who drink non-alcoholic beer consistently report better sleep. What’s more, hops are a particularly powerful sleep aid when used in conjunction with valerian root, which we’ve also included in inergySLEEP. Both contain a substance that binds to adenosine receptors, which decreases wakefulness and induces feelings of sleepiness, and hops and valerian taken together elicit a stronger effect on adenosine than if taken separately.
- Lemon Balm
Lemon Balm is an herb that is a member of the mint family and is used for both cooking and herbal medicine. Lemon Balm contains eugenol, which reduces anxiety and induces a state of calmness. As proof, a study from 2011 found that an extract of Lemon Balm was able to reduce insomnia by no less than 42 %, and manifestations of anxiety by about 18 %. In short, Lemon Balm relieves you of your worries and lets you catch some zzz’s.
- Passion Flower
This plant comes from Central and South America and has a wide range of medicinal uses. It’s commonly used to reduce anxiety and improve sleep. Passionflower decreases feelings of wakefulness and significantly increases the amount of time you spend in slow-wave sleep, which is when your body regenerates and rebuilds itself.
- Iron
As an essential mineral, iron is indispensable for our bodies to function properly. Its most important use is giving our blood the ability to carry oxygen to our cells. Being deficient in iron has been shown to cause feelings of anxiety, insomnia, and restless leg syndrome, which makes a proper night’s sleep nearly impossible. To cover any possible deficiency you might have, we’ve included this essential mineral in inergySLEEP.
- GABA
GABA is an amino acid that serves as an inhibitory neurotransmitter, a molecule that helps our brain cells communicate. When taken as a supplement, GABA has a very potent calming effect. Imagine you hit the sack at 10 PM each night, yet it takes you at least half an hour to fall asleep, while you’re also waking up a few times during the night. In that case, your so-called sleep efficiency is low. Sleep efficiency is measured as the percentage of time that you spent in bed that you were actually asleep. Well, research shows that taking GABA reduces the time it takes to fall asleep by an average of 5.3 minutes and increases total sleep efficiency by a significant amount. So no more lying awake and staring at the ceiling. Just close your eyes for instant sweet dreams.
- Magnesium
Magnesium is a mineral that has many different uses in our body. Being deficient can cause you to feel anxious and interfere with your sleep, and unfortunately, magnesium deficiency is a widespread phenomenon. In people who are deficient, supplementing with magnesium decreases the time it takes to fall asleep and increases sleep efficiency as well as total sleep time. But while most magnesium supplements are of very poor quality, inergySLEEP contains magnesium citrate, which has the highest bioavailability (90 %). Because of this, the magnesium in inergySLEEP is almost completely absorbed by your body.
- Black Cohosh
Traditionally used by Native Americans for medicinal purposes, Black Cohosh was later introduced to the European colonists. While usually taken to enhance women’s health, black cohosh also has sleep-promoting properties. To illustrate, a study from 2015 concluded that Black Cohosh was able to increase sleep efficiency and reduce wake after sleep onset by an average of 15.8%. This means that not only will you fall asleep faster...you’re not going to find yourself waking up four times in the middle of the night.
- L-theanine
If you’re someone who likes to drink green tea, you’ll already be ingesting a decent amount of theanine, which is responsible for the calming effect of the drink. Theanine is an essential part of any sleep stack, because it reduces anxiety and stress, promotes relaxation, and improves sleep quality. Specifically, theanine has been shown to counter the sleep-disrupting effects of caffeine. If you’re looking to sleep better but aren’t willing to give up your coffee habit, theanine is the solution. When you take theanine, you want to make sure to add some GABA too. A study showed that a GABA/l-theanine mixture caused a much stronger decrease in sleep latency and an increase in sleep duration when compared to taking GABA or theanine by itself. And if you’re looking to have intense dreams: a combination of the two was also able to nearly double the amount of time spent in REM sleep. Obviously, we included both in inergySLEEP.
- Melatonin
Melatonin is a molecule that is used by our body to regulate our circadian clock. Melatonin is released by our pineal gland and is commonly known as a ‘sleep signaling molecule’. So how does melatonin help you sleep better? Specifically, theanine has been shown to counter the sleep-disrupting effects of caffeine. If you’re looking to sleep better but aren’t willing to give up your coffee habit, theanine is the solution. It works like this: if your internal biological clock is out of sync, taking some melatonin in the evening will reset it. This allows your brain to know it’s bedtime. By synchronizing circadian rhythm, melatonin decreases the time it takes you to fall asleep, while also increasing sleep quality and daytime wakefulness. And if you’re looking to have intense dreams: a combination of the two was also able to nearly double the amount of time spent in REM sleep. Especially if you’re a shift worker or someone who travels a lot, using melatonin will counter the jet lag that comes with a frequently disrupted circadian rhythm.
Store in a cool, dry place. No refrigeration is needed.