Linda is our resident health and wellness editor. As a long time health and nutrition enthusiast, she spends her time researching scientific studies and keeping up with the latest health and wellness trends to provide top nutrition tips.
Are you plagued with exhaustion day in and day out? You might be one of the several million Britons suffering from sleep deprivation. Although sleep deprivation is common, many people who suffer from it don’t realise that sleep deprivation is a serious health concern that can have dire impacts on our health. In this article, we will discuss some of the tell-tale signs of sleep deprivation, which natural ingredients can help and which supplements are worth investing in to improve the quality of your sleep.
There are many reasons why people struggle to get a good night's sleep, including lifestyle factors like work and family obligations, stress, illness, age, and more. The main symptoms of sleep deprivation are feeling very tired during the hours you’re awake, struggling to focus, fluctuating mood, headaches and more.
While many people experience poor sleep at some point in their lives, chronic sleep deprivation can lead to dangerous health complications. When left untreated, sleep deprivation can increase the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, stroke and heart failure.
Those that struggle with chronic sleep deprivation often turn to over the counter or prescription drugs to mend their sleeplessness. However, these can be dangerous when taken long term and some prescription drugs can be addictive. This is why many people are opting to try natural treatments to remedy their sleep deprivation in a safe and healthy manner.
Which ingredients help to improve sleep?
- 5-HTP
5-HTP helps to boost serotonin levels in the brain, which in turn is converted into melatonin. Melatonin is the hormone in our body that is responsible for regulating our sleep cycle. 5-HTP has become one of the most popular supplements to help relieve sleeplessness, pain, stress and anxiety, and more.
- B Vitamins
Studies have found that B Vitamins, particularly Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12 and Vitamin B9, can significantly help to improve sleep quality. These B vitamins aid in regulating tryptophan, which helps to produce melatonin.
- Hops
Research has shown that hops can increase the activity of GABA (a neurotransmitter) and it can help to decrease sleep latency and anxiety.
- Montmorency Cherry
Montmorency Cherry provides a natural source of melatonin, helping to promote a more restful sleep.
- Zinc
Zinc has been shown to increase the quality of sleep, while also promoting calmness.
- Chamomile
Chamomile supports better sleep by promoting relaxation. It contains compounds that bind to GABA, which makes us feel more sleepy.
At Trustworthy Reviews, we've analyzed some of the top-selling sleep supplements on the market to help guide you in the right direction. We'll show you what to look for and what to avoid in a high-quality supplement, plus, we share our top 5 picks of the year.
What should I look for in my supplement?
Look for a supplement with 5-HTP & Montmorency Cherry
5-HTP is one of the best ingredients that you can find in sleep supplements. This is because it is a precursor to melatonin - it turns into melatonin, which then induces sleep. Studies have found that taking 100mg of high quality 5-HTP per day can help to improve sleep. Montmorency Cherry is also an extremely safe source of natural melatonin. This is far safer than buying a pure melatonin supplement (which are now illegal in the UK and prescription only due to safety concerns.)
Choose a supplement with multiple ‘sleep inducing’ ingredients
Many sleep supplements only contain 1 or 2 ingredients in their formulas (for example, many only contain 5-HTP). However, there are numerous ingredients that help to promote restful sleep and they function differently. Some ingredients help by stimulating the activity of GABA while others turn into melatonin. Finding a supplement that delivers several ingredients that provide different benefits will likely yield better results. Some other great ingredients to look out for include lemon balm, magnesium & hops extract.
Money-back guarantee.
Look for a product that offers a money-back guarantee on all purchases. Offering a money-back guarantee is a sign that a company is confident in the quality of the products they are providing.
What should I avoid?
Pure Melatonin Supplements
5-HTP is a much safer alternative to melatonin and delivers excellent results. There are many risks and unpleasant side effects associated with taking melatonin directly, which is why it’s banned from being sold in the UK and several other countries in the world now.
Anywhere currently directly selling melatonin supplements in the UK without a prescription is doing so illegally (and therefore the product quality should be doubted). The most common side effects include headaches, dizziness, drowsiness and nausea. Some less common symptoms include changes in mood (some people experience anxiety and depression), low blood pressure, tremors, disorientation, abdominal discomfort, and more.
Low potency products
When choosing a quality sleep supplement, it’s important to choose a potent formula. Make sure that the supplement you choose contains adequate dosages for the ingredients in their product. Many brands pack their formulas with a great lineup of ingredients, but they don’t put the recommended dosage. Thus, if your supplement is not potent enough, you will likely not see the results you are hoping to see.
Beware of online reviews (especially on Amazon).
Before purchasing any product, one of the first things we do when researching it is check its online reviews. Unfortunately, these are not always a trustworthy way to measure the quality and effectiveness of a product. Companies often pay for reviews on popular online retailers, like Amazon, to try and trick their way to a five star rating. While you should definitely consult these reviews before purchasing, do your own research as well.
How we evaluated the top 5
Over the last several years, scientists and researchers have discovered that numerous natural ingredients can have a positive effect on the quality of our sleep. More and more, people are beginning to turn to natural supplements to improve their sleep patterns, which has led to sleep supplements becoming one of the most in-demand products on the supplement market today, with lots of options to choose from. While this means you have many options to consider when choosing your supplement, it can also be difficult to narrow down which ones will deliver the best results.
We researched the top rated sleep supplements on the internet to find the best ones available on the market and evaluated them based on product quality, customer service, and pricing.
Here are our top 5 Sleep supplement picks for 2022.
