A Natural Sleep Aid for “Sleep-Life” Balance

Sleep-life balance is key to work-life balance, and a natural sleep aid may be necessary to get it. What is sleep-life balance? While technically a made-up term, it refers to the importance of a good night’s sleep for all aspects of life. 

More than 65% of American adults think sleep plays an important role in how well the day goes.¹ However, only 10% make sleep a priority.¹ Instead, we choose the activities of daily life over sleep.¹ In fact, the amount of sleep we get as a society has decreased by 20% in the past century.² 

Many claim they’ve adapted to less sleep. However, that is not the case. While we may get used to less sleep, it has been shown our bodies do not adapt to it.³ By accepting less sleep, we’re accepting not being the best we can be. Indeed, people with the healthiest sleep habits rate themselves more productive compared to poor sleepers.¹ They also report a much higher health-related quality of life.² 

Knowing When a Natural Sleep Aid Might Help

Over 60 million Americans report having sleep issues,³ and it is impacting their health, lives, and society. That is because sleep is critical to a wide variety of life functions. For example, sleep is important for healthy nervous, immune, and GI system function.² It also plays a role in learning, mood, discomfort, and even how well we age.^2,3 Additionally, lack of sleep has been linked to seven of the fifteen leading causes of death in the U.S.⁴  

Indicators of too little sleep may include: 

• Fatigue, lack of energy, or motivation⁵ 
• Problems focusing or remembering⁵ 
• Poor performance at school or work⁵ 
• Moodiness, irritability, anger, and even aggression⁵ 
• Being impulsive rather than thinking things through⁵ 
• Errors you don’t usually make⁵ 

 If you’re experiencing some of these issues, a natural sleep aid may be needed. SomniTR™ may be able to help. 

SomniTR— Natural Sleep Aid

Balance is not only key for life in general, but also within the sleep cycle itself. In order to achieve healthy sleep, there must be a balance in the hormones and chemicals of the nervous system, known as neurotransmitters, that maintain the sleep-wake cycle.  

While some neurotransmitters and hormones promote wake, others promote sleep. To learn more about this balance, read “5 New Ways to Get Better Sleep.” 

If poor sleep is an issue, the chemicals that shut down the wake regions of the brain may be out of balance. SomniTR is a natural sleep aid.* It contains ingredients designed to support the main sleep chemicals in the body—melatonin and GABA.* 

Melatonin 

Melatonin is well known as the sleep hormone. It keeps the natural rhythms of the body, including the sleep-wake cycle, in sync.⁶ In fact, melatonin supplements have been recommended to athletes with altered sleep patterns caused by too much exercise.⁶ Shift workers may also experience altered sleep patterns.⁷ A meta-analysis of melatonin as a natural sleep aid has found it helps three major areas of sleep.  

First, melatonin can help reduce the time it takes to fall asleep.*⁸ That is important for the second area of sleep, the total amount of time asleep.⁸ Finally, melatonin may improve overall sleep quality.*⁸ SomniTR’s unique tablet-coating allows delayed-release of melatonin. 1 mg of melatonin is released initially. Another 1 mg is released three hours later.  

Supporting Melatonin 

Melatonin is ultimately made from serotonin. However, serotonin support may or may not improve sleep. That is because serotonin is involved in both wake and sleep.⁹ This may explain the opposite effects seen in some people taking serotonin support.   

SomniTR does not include serotonin support.* Instead, the ingredients in SomniTR promote the synthesis of melatonin.* Coleus forskolhii, a source of forskolin, increases cAMP.*¹⁰ In order to convert serotonin to melatonin’s precursor, cAMP is required. It also requires an acetyl group. Pantethine, the bioactive form of vitamin B5, is the immediate precursor to acetyl coenzyme A.*

Acetyl CoA and cAMP are required to make the immediate precursor to melatonin. While serotonin support may be stimulating for some, others may need it for sleep. Sanesco’s Communication System Management™ clinical model examined individuals who reported frequent sleep issues. Indeed, it found they benefited from an increase in serotonin levels.¹¹ If serotonin levels are low, the addition of Prolent™ or Tranquilent™ may help. Both products contain 5-HTP, a precursor to serotonin.* 

GABA 

GABA, as mentioned, is the other chemical responsible for sleep. As the main calming chemical in the nervous system, it shuts down the wake regions in the brain.¹² SomniTR includes Lactium® a GABA-A receptor agonist.*¹³ Research has shown Lactium significantly improves sleep quality.*¹⁴ 

If stress and anxiousness are major factors in lack of sleep, additional GABA support may be needed. Lentra™ or Tranquilent may be helpful. Both products contain Suntheanine® standardized to 99% L-theanine. L-theanine promotes relaxation in multiple ways, including support for GABA.*¹⁵ When taken before bed, L-theanine has been shown to produce a calming effect.*¹⁶ A calm mind is necessary for quality sleep.¹⁶ 

Obtain Sleep-Life Balance 

If you are a patient who would like to try the natural sleep aid SomniTR, visit our website to find a provider near you. Log in to your Sanesco account to order or sign up for an account if you are a healthcare provider who would like to offer SomniTR in your practice.

References 

1. National Sleep Foundation. Sleep in America Poll 2018. Accessed 2018 Sept. 16. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/press-release/national-sleep-foundations-2018-sleep-americar-poll-shows-americans-failing
2. Shepard JW Jr, et al. J Clin Sleep Med. 2005 Jan 15;1(1):61-82. 
3. American Sleep Association. What is Sleep? Why is it needed? Accessed 2018 Sept. 16. https://www.sleepassociation.org/about-sleep/what-is-sleep/ 
4. Hafner M, et al. Why sleep matters — the economic costs of insufficient sleep: A cross-country comparative analysis. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2016. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR1791.html. 
5. American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Insomnia- Symptoms and Causes. Accessed 2018 Sept. 16.  http://sleepeducation.org/essentials-in-sleep/insomnia/symptoms-causes 
6. Leonardo-Mendonca RC, et al. Chronobiol Int. 2015;32(8):1125-34. 
7. American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Shift Work- Overview. Accessed 2018 Sept. 16. http://www.sleepeducation.org/essentials-in-sleep/shift-work 
8. Ferracioli-Oda E, et al. PLoS ONE. 2013 May 17;8(5):e63773. 
9. Ursin, R. Sleep Medicine Reviews. 2002;6(1):57-69.  
10. Allen DO and Quesenberry JT. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. 1988;244(3):852-858. 
11. Data on file. Sanesco International, Inc. 2010. 
12. Schwartz JRL and Roth T. Curr Neuropharmacol. 2008 Dec;6(4):367-378. 
13. Miclo L, et al. The FASEB Journal express article. Published online 2001 Jun 8. 
14. de Saint-Hilaire Z, et al. The Open Sleep Journal. 2009;2:26-32. 
15. Mason R. Alternative & Complementary Therapies. 2001 Apr. 
16. Rao TP, et al. J Am Coll Nutr. 2015;34(5):436-47. 

Disclaimer: The information provided is only intended to be general educational information to the public. It does not constitute medical advice. If you have specific questions about any medical matter or if you are suffering from any medical condition, you should consult your doctor or other professional healthcare providers. 

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.  

Suntheanine® is a registered trademark of Taiyo International.

Lactium® is a registered trademark of Ingredia in Arras, France.