SLEEP-GREAT SLEEP FORMULA

Melatonin

• Enhances the body’s natural melatonin production to assist with falling asleep and achieving a deep, restful sleep state⁴.
• Helps trigger the body’s sleep wake-cycle to assist with jetlag⁴.

L-Theanine

• Assists with falling asleep and reducing sleep disturbance⁵.
• Reduces stress-related symptoms, improves low mood and anxiety, and improves cognitive function by targeting glutamate receptors in the brain, which stimulates the release of GABA, serotonin and dopamine in the brain⁵.

L-Tryptophan

• Assists with falling asleep and staying asleep without causing morning grogginess⁶.
• Increases serotonin production in the brain, which reduces anxiety, improves mood and triggers sleep⁶.

GABA (Gamma Aminobutyric Acid)

• A primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain, meaning it promotes feelings of calm and relaxation by taking us out of “fight or flight” and putting us into a “rest and digest” nervous system state⁷.
• Improves the ability to fall sleep through its calming action and improves quality of sleep by regulating both NREM and REM deep-sleep states⁷.

5-HTP

• Crosses the blood brain barrier and readily converts to serotonin in the brain, which improves mood, reduces anxiety and regulates sleep⁸.

Loquat fruit Erijobotrya japonica15:1 Extract, 25% Ursolic Acid

• Activates GABA receptors to enhance sleep duration, helping us to stay asleep longer⁹.

Valerian Root 4:1 Extract 0.05% Valerenic Acids

• Improves sleep quality through increasing GABA in the brain, which promotes relaxation as we fall asleep and regulates NREM and REM cycles to facilitate a deep sleep state¹⁰.

Skullcap Herb Top 4:1 Extract

• Reduces stress and anxiety through stimulating GABA receptors in the brain to promote relaxation¹¹.

Passionflower Herb Top 10:1 Extract

• Gentle sedative effect that significantly improves nervousness and anxiety through boosting GABA levels in the brain¹².

Schisandra Fruit 10:1 Extract

• Acts as an adaptogen in the body by supporting our ability to cope with stress and promoting relaxation through acting on the serotonin pathway¹³.

Each Capsule Contains

Non-Medicinal Ingredients: Vegetable Capsule Shell (Hypromellose), Oryza sativa (Rice) hull powder

Priority Allergens: None

Healthology does not use genetically modified ingredients. All ingredients are NON GMO / GMO FREE.

1. Set a bedtime: What is your ideal number of hours of sleep per night? Your ideal number should be between six and eight hours. What time do you need to wake up to start your day? Use these parameters to set a bedtime and stick to it whenever possible.
2. Develop a bedtime routine: Turn off all electronics and screens for 30 minutes before your bedtime. Instead find a quiet bedtime routine: get ready for bed, spend time with family, meditate, journal, or read a book. Light from our screens significantly inhibit melatonin production¹⁴, so I suggest giving your body a 30-minute head-start where you engage in calming, screen-free activities before you get into bed.
3. Protect your relationship with your mattress: When you tuck yourself into bed, your body should know, “this is where we sleep”. If you watch tv, work, or even read in bed, your relationship with the mattress can become broken, and that signal to sleep in that space is lost. Keep other activities outside the bedroom, even reading before bed should be done on or near bed, not in bed, to help re-connect your body with the idea that “this is where we sleep”.
4. Sleep in a dark room: Even a small amount of light inhibits our natural melatonin production¹⁴. I suggest using a sleep mask nightly to block out ambient light. It takes a few weeks to get used to but stick with it! A mask will also help to re-program your relationship with your mattress, as mentioned above.
5. Balance blood sugar: Eating sweet snacks or simple carbs before bed can spike our blood sugar, making it difficult to fall asleep, and causing us to wake up when our blood sugar crashes during the night. Limit snacking after dinner, but if you do reach for a snack, focus on high protein and low sugar snacks such as nuts or unsweetened nut butters.
6. Limit caffeine, nicotine and alcohol: Avoid caffeine, even lightly caffeinated beverages like green tea, after 3:00pm if you experience insomnia. Nicotine dependence causes waking about four hours after your last exposure, so smoking and vaping cessation helps us to sleep through the night. Alcohol may help us fall asleep but prevents us from achieving a deep sleep, so avoiding alcohol is important for waking up feeling well-rested.
7. No napping: Napping is for babies, toddlers, pregnancy, breastfeeding, and the elderly. Napping might help you feel energized to get through your day, but it undermines getting a deep, restful sleep at night.
8. Additional screening: Insomnia and fatigue may be indications that another health concern should be addressed. Start with blood work to assess thyroid health and anemia, a sleep study to look for sleep apnea and other sleep disorders, and address underlying concerns like anxiety, depression, frequent urination, and chronic pain.

We should aim for six to eight hours of deep, restful sleep per night. Sleeplessness can be improved by developing a consistent bedtime routine where we avoid screens, sleep in a dark room, avoid stimulants, and keep blood sugar balanced. From time to time, we benefit from additional support to re-set our sleep cycle and achieve a deeper sleep.

1. Chaput JP, Wong SL, Michaud I. Duration and quality of sleep among Canadians aged 17-79. Statistics Canada. Sep 20, 2017. Available at: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/82-003-x/2017009/article/54857-eng.htm
2. Purves D, Augustine GJ, Fitzpatrick D, et al., editors. Neuroscience. 2nd edition. Sunderland (MA): Sinauer Associates; 2001. Stages of Sleep.
3. Besedovsky L, Lange T, Born J. Sleep and immune function. Pflugers Arch. 2012;463(1):121–137.
4. Costello RB, Lentino CV, Boyd CC, et al. The effectiveness of melatonin for promoting healthy sleep: a rapid evidence assessment of the literature. Nutr J. 2014;13:106.
5. Hidese S, Ogawa S, Ota M, et al. Effects of L-Theanine Administration on Stress-Related Symptoms and Cognitive Functions in Healthy Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Nutrients. 2019;11(10):2362.
6. Richard DM, Dawes MA, Mathias CW, Acheson A, Hill-Kapturczak N, Dougherty DM. L-Tryptophan: Basic Metabolic Functions, Behavioral Research and Therapeutic Indications. Int J Tryptophan Res. 2009;2:45–60.
7. Byun JI, Shin YY, Chung SE, Shin WC. Safety and Efficacy of Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid from Fermented Rice Germ in Patients with Insomnia Symptoms: A Randomized, Double-Blind Trial. J Clin Neurol. 2018;14(3):291–295.
8. Birdsall TC. 5-Hydroxytryptophan: a clinically-effective serotonin precursor. Altern Med Rev. 1998;3(4):271–280.
9. Jeon SJ, Park HJ, Gao Q, et al. Ursolic acid enhances pentobarbital-induced sleeping behaviors via GABAergic neurotransmission in mice. Eur J Pharmacol. 2015;762:443–448.
10. Bent S, Padula A, Moore D, Patterson M, Mehling W. Valerian for sleep: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Med. 2006;119(12):1005–1012.
11. Awad R, Arnason JT, Trudeau V, et al. Phytochemical and biological analysis of skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora L.): a medicinal plant with anxiolytic properties. Phytomedicine. 2003;10(8):640–649.
12. Kim M, Lim HS, Lee HH, Kim TH. Role Identification of Passiflora Incarnata Linnaeus: A Mini Review. J Menopausal Med. 2017;23(3):156–159.
13. Szopa A, Ekiert R, Ekiert H. Current knowledge of Schisandra chinensis(Turcz.) Baill. (Chinese magnolia vine) as a medicinal plant species: a review on the bioactive components, pharmacological properties, analytical and biotechnological studies. Phytochem Rev. 2017;16(2):195–218.
14. West KE, Jablonski MR, Warfield B, Cecil KS, James M, Ayers MA, et al. Blue light from light-emitting diodes elicits a dose-dependent suppression of melatonin in humans. J Appl Physiol. 2011;110:619–626.