Abstract
AbstractSleep disorders are associated with an elevated risk of developing various diseases. Herbal supplementation has been shown to alleviate sleep disorders such as insomnia. Here, the effect on sleep quality of an herbal supplement was evaluated subjectively. The supplement primarily contained lavender essential oil, as well as L-theanine and extracts of lemon balm, passion flower, and chamomile. Fifty-one healthy adults with self-reported symptoms of insomnia, divided into placebo and treatment groups, completed a 6-week crossover study (1-week washout, 2-week intervention, 1-week washout, and 2-week intervention, sequentially). Participants were asked to fill out the Leeds Sleep Evaluation Questionnaire (LSEQ) survey weekly and keep a sleep diary daily, which were used to assess their sleep quality. Compared to the placebo group, the active group (participants who received the supplement) showed significant improvements in overall LSEQ scores (p < 0.01) and several individual LSEQ measures. No signi...
Highlights
Nutrition, exercise, and sleep are considered the three pillars of health
The average increase in scores over time demonstrated familiarity with the Leeds Sleep Evaluation Questionnaire (LSEQ), though the results were consistent with a significant improvement in several measures
The LSEQ was originally designed to assess subjective change in sleep parameters, including quality of sleep, getting to sleep, awakening events, and behavior following waking, in participants following a single night of treatment; it has been used extensively for assessing drug activity in studies ranging from one day to 24 weeks (Zisapel & Laudon, 2003)
Summary
Exercise, and sleep are considered the three pillars of health. Sleep disorders resulting in a lack of sleep is associated with an elevated risk of developing various diseases, a reduced quality of life, and negative socioeconomic consequences (Rao, Ozeki, & Juneja, 2015). Lack of sleep may result in individuals turning to prescription drugs or other over-the-counter (OTC) sleep aids for relief. Intake of these types of sleep aids is often accompanied by side effects. New effective complex herbal products for improving sleep quality are in demand, as many consumers prefer natural alternatives where the origin of the product is more apparent. These products need to be validated for their safety and efficacy before use
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