DreamZzz Science

Chamomile is a classic calming herb, often used in teas. Many of chamomile’s effects are due to the bioflavonoid, apigenin.
 Helps physically calm the body
 Reduces and controls stress
 Assists the neurotransmitter, GABA, in promoting sleepiness

Also known as Gamma-Aminobutryric Acid, GABA is a “downer” neurotransmitter that helps slow bodily processes in preparation for rest.
 May reduce the time required to fall asleep
 Promotes relaxation
 Participates in regenerative processes

L-Theanine is a rare amino acid found in green tea. It is synergistic with caffeine because it helps reduce the jitteriness associated with caffeine.
 Caffeine works by interacting with adenosine and other receptors in the body. Theanine bumps caffeine off of these receptors, reducing caffeine’s “anti-tired” effects.
 May help control anxiety, particularly anxiety brought on by overstimulation.
 Research has supported theanine’s effects on improving sleep quality.

Hops are one of the main ingredients of one of the worlds most popular drinks – beer. Boosts sleep quality
 Hops can help extend the duration of sleep
 It’s not the alcohol. Non-alcoholic beer made from hops was observed in one study to improve the time to fall asleep and restfulness (Franco et al., 2012)

Lemon balm is commonly used as a tea to promote cognition and calmness.

 Lemon balm has been facultative to memory improvements
 Users have reported feeling calmer than prior to taking lemon balm
 Enhances mood and reduces fatigue

Passionflower is a potent sleep aid, helping not only with sleep, but with next-day abilities.
 Administration of passionflower extract has been confirmed to induce sleep
 In addition, passionflower supplementation may improve neurocognitive abilities, such as improve memory (Kim et al., 2019)
 One of the reasons why passionflower works is its vitexin content, which induces GABA and promotes sedation.

Ziziphus jujube, jujube, or Korean date is a fruit-bearing plant used in traditional Chinese medicine for a variety of health benefits.
 Jujube may reduce anxiety
 In traditional medicine, jujube is given to those with insomnia
 Works synergistically with other sleep ingredients, like 5-HTP, for enhanced total sleep effects.

5-hydroxytryptophan is compound that is converted to serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is a “happy” hormone that helps with sleep.
 Combinations of GABA and 5-HTP reduce sleep latency (time to fall asleep)
 Supplementation also improves sleep quality and duration
 May also promote satiety, making it less likely for midnight snacking to disrupt sleeping patterns

Magnesium bisglycinate serves as a source of relaxing magnesium bonded to two glycine amino acids.
 Magnesium is a mineral used in hundreds of reactions within the human body
 One of magnesium’s many functions is relaxation of muscle tissue, decreasing tension.
 Magnesium may also mitigate the chemical stress hormone, cortisol, during sleep, promoting more restful and recuperative sleep.

Zinc is another mineral believed to work well in conjunction with magnesium for sleep and physical fortitude.
 Improves sleep efficiency
 Accelerates sleep onset
 With magnesium, may enhance testosterone and GH in men

Vitamin B6 is essential for metabolism and proper neurotransmission
 Though commonly thought of as an “energy” B vitamin, B6 is non-stimulatory and will not arouse.
 B6 is associated with normal serotonin function, maintaining serotonin receptor activity.
 The vitamin also helps convert the amino acid, tryptophan, to serotonin, which may contribute to its promotion of dreaming.

Often called velvet bean, mucuna is a plant native to Africa and Asia typically used in ancient medicine.
 Mucuna seed pods contain serotonin and the beans contain L-DOPA, which increase dopamine levels
 Supplementing with mucuna has been noted to improve sleep quality.
 Men using mucuna may also experience improved libido and testosterone.

Melatonin is another compound along the serotonin pathway. It is released by the pineal gland to regulate sleep.
 Melatonin is released during environmental darkness and suppressed by light exposure.
 Melatonin supplementation is very effective for increasing blood levels of melatonin
 Taking melatonin has been observed to alleviate sleep difficulties and restore normal sleep patterns.