SleepCycle Sample

Background

SleepCycle is an advanced, all-natural supplement offering a comprehensive approach to maintaining healthy sleep patterns.* SleepCycle achieves this by combining traditional herbal extracts with state-of-the-art modern nutrients for a unique, safe and effective natural sleep formula to aid in controlling restlessness and occasional sleeplessness.*

Age-Related Sleep Problems

One of the biggest problems facing adults is the inability to achieve a deep, restful sleep, and by age 64 about half of all adults report some form of sleeping issue. (1) Age-related sleep issues have been linked to biochemical changes in the body’s internal clock that alter the normal response to external light cues (i.e. sunset, sunrise). This results in older people going to sleep earlier in the evening and waking up earlier in the morning. Older sleepers also tend to wake up more frequently during the night, resulting in fragmented sleep.

SleepCycle for a Deeper Night’s Sleep

Though people frequently tend to focus on falling asleep quickly, a far better indicator of sleep quality is the ability to wake up feeling refreshed, energized and restored the following day. Consequently, SleepCycle is not intended to act like a fast-acting sleeping pill that knocks people out quickly. Instead, SleepCycle works by gently promoting a state of calm as it initiates the natural process of falling asleep. Over time, SleepCycle conditions and maintains the overall quality of sleep by gradually extending the duration of deep, Slow Wave Sleep (SWS) and shortening the length of time it takes to fall into a restful slumber.

SleepCycle achieves this by combining traditional herbal extracts with state-of-the-art modern nutrients to deliver a unique, safe and highly effective natural sleep aid.

SleepCycle Ingredients

SleepCycle begins with two nutritional compounds, melatonin and 5-HTP, that have been shown to support resynchronization of the body’s biological clock to promote healthier sleep rhythms. SleepCycle also contains L-Theanine, an amino acid derived from green tea prized for its ability to maintain calm and relax the mind.

L-Theanine
L-Theanine has been shown to regulate psychological and physiological stress responses, support cognitive performance, and relax the mind without inducing drowsiness. In research, L-Theanine intake resulted in a reduction in heart rate (HR) and salivary immunoglobulin A (s-IgA) responses to an acute stress task, which, say study authors, was attributable to an attenuation of sympathetic nervous activation. Thus, it was suggested that the oral intake of L-Theanine could cause such beneficial effects via inhibition of cortical neuron excitation. (2,3)

Melatonin
Melatonin, the hormone produced nocturnally by the pineal gland, serves as a circadian time cue and sleep-anticipating signal in humans. With age, melatonin production declines as the prevalence of sleep issues increases. In one study melatonin was shown to exert significant and clinically meaningful improvements in sleep quality, morning alertness, sleep onset latency and quality of life in patients aged 55 years and over. (4)

5-HTP (5-Hydroxytryptophan)
An extract of the seed of the griffonia plant, 5-HTP is a necessary component for making serotonin in the body. Low levels of 5-HTP are associated with occasional sleeplessness and anxiety. In rats, 5-HTP was shown to alter sleep and brain temperature. (5)

Proprietary Herbal Blend with Wulinshen
(Xylaria Nigripes)

SleepCycle contains a well-known combination of natural plant extracts that have been used for centuries to maintain deep, restful sleep, including Hops, Lemon Balm, Passionflower, Valerian root, Angelica sinensis, Jujube, and Polygala. These healing plants are traditionally endowed with relaxation and sleep-supporting properties.

Tang-Kuei root (Dong Quai, Radix Angelicae Sinensis)
Traditionally used as a sleep aid, Tang-Kuei has been used safely for centuries in traditional Chinese healing.

Hops (Humulus Lupulus)
Hops has been used traditionally as a herbal remedy for sleep issues. Its effects in studies can be attributed to three categories of constituents of lipophilic hops extracts. Though the alpha-bitter acids proved to be the most active constituents, the beta-bitter acids and the hop oil clearly contributed to the activity of lipophilic Humulus extracts. (6)

Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)
A novel pharmacological mechanism of action for the anxiety-modulating botanical Melissa officinalis L. (lemon balm) has been reported, and identified as a potent in vitro inhibitor of rat brain GABA transaminase (GABA-T). (7)

Passionflower (Passiflora incarnate)
Passiflora incarnata has been used in sleep-support formulas for many centuries, and administration of oral Passiflora incarnata has been shown to aid in modulating anxiety. (8)

Polygala (Radix Polygalae Tenuifoliae)
Polygala tenuifolia, an herbal ingredient found in traditional Asian sleep formulas, possesses several components, including 4,5-trimethoxycinnamic acid.(9) Study results indicate that the effects of Polygala in stressed animals might relate to its modulating effects on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. (10)

Valerian (Valeriana officinalis)
Valerian has an adenosine-like action and supports the readiness to fall asleep. Its action is closely related to endogenous melatonin secretion.(11) In studies, extracts of valerian demonstrate positive effects on sleep structure and sleep perception. (12)

Jujube (Suan Zao Ren, Ziziphus jujuba var. spinosa)
Semen Ziziphus jujube (SZJ), the seeds of Ziziphus jujuba Mill. var. spinosa, is widely used in Chinese traditional culture for sleep and relaxation, with studies showing that it exerts an inhibitory effect on glutamate (Glu) mediated excitatory signal pathways in the hippocampus. (13)

Wulinshen (Xylaria Nigripes)
Wulinshen contains significant amounts of glutamic acid, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate decarboxylase. GABA’s main function is to inhibit excitatory neuro-activities by exerting a sleep-promoting effect on the central nervous system. Glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) supports the synthesis of GABA, while glutamic acid assists the uptake of GABA to specific brain cell receptors.

Nine known compounds were isolated and identified in Xylaria nigripes for the first time, and their structures were mainly determined by MS and NMR methods. These include (1) 5-hydroxy-7-methoxy-2-methyl-4-chromanone, (2) 5,7-dihydroxy-2-methyl-4-chromanone, (3) 5-hydroxyl-2-methyl-4-chromanone, (4) 1-(2,6-dihydroxyphenyl)-3-hydroxybutanone, (5) 5alpha,8alpha-epidioxyergosta-6,22-dien-3beta-ol, (6) (22E,24R)-ergost-7,22-dien-3beta, 5alpha,6alpha-triol, (7) euphorbol, (8) beta-sitosterol and (9) 2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-ethanol. (14)

Sleep Loss in Middle Age

In the first study of its kind, sleep researchers at the University of Pittsburgh found that the quality and duration of sleep changed dramatically between the mid-20s and the mid-50s, with subjects going to bed and waking up earlier. The subjects also slept less, woke up more often during the night, and experienced fewer stages of deep sleep. (15)

According to study author, Dr. Julie Carrier, Middle age is a turning point for sleep. Some sleep patterns have already changed significantly by the time an average adult reaches age 30. Dr. Carrier observed that these changes are most likely tied to gradual age-related changes in features of the biological clock.

Research has already shown how disrupted sleep patterns are linked to significant age-related alterations in melatonin, the principal sleep hormone produced by the pineal gland. Melatonin levels are known to drop significantly after childhood and serve as one of the most dramatic markers of biological aging known. By the age of 60, nighttime melatonin production practically ceases, and by age 80, melatonin plasma levels are barely detectable.

Summary

SleepCycle is an advanced, all-natural supplement that offers a comprehensive approach to maintaining healthy sleep patterns. Unlike conventional sleeping aids that are designed to just put people to sleep quickly, SleepCycle targets each phase of human sleep with nutrients and plant compounds that have been shown to gently support the quality and duration of deep, restorative sleep, aiding the body in recovering from daily physical and mental stresses.

References

1. E. J. W. Van Someren., Circadian and sleep disturbances in the elderly, Experimental Gerontology, Vol. 35, Issues 9-10, Dec. 2000, Pages 1229-1237.
2. Kimura K, Ozeki M, Juneja LR, Ohira H. Nagoya., L-Theanine reduces psychological and physiological stress responses, Biol Psychol. 2007 Jan. Pubmed ID: 16930802.
3. Owen GN, Parnell H, De Bruin EA, Rycroft JA. The combined effects of L-theanine and caffeine on cognitive performance and mood, Nutr Neurosci., 2008 Aug. Pubmed ID: 18681988.
4. Wade AG, Ford I, Crawford G, McMahon AD, Nir T, Laudon M, Zisapel N. Efficacy of prolonged release melatonin in patients aged 55-80 years: quality of sleep and next-day alertness outcomes, Curr Med Res Opin. 2007 Oct. Pubmed ID: 17875243.
5. Imeri L, Mancia M, Bianchi S, Opp MR. 5-Hydroxytryptophan, but not L-tryptophan, alters sleep and brain temperature in rats, Neuroscience, 2000. Pubmed ID: 10658624.
6. Schiller H, Forster A, Vonhoff C, Hegger M, Biller A, Winterhoff H., Sedating effects of Humulus lupulus L. extracts, Phytomedicine, 2006 Sept. Pubmed ID: 16860977.
7. Awad R, Muhammad A, Durst T, Trudeau VL, Arnason JT. Bioassay-guided fractionation of lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.) using an in vitro measure of GABA transaminase activity, Phytother Res. 2009 Aug. Pubmed ID: 19165747.
8. Movafegh A, Alizadeh R, Hajimohamadi F, Esfehani F, Nejatfar M., Preoperative oral Passiflora incarnata regulates anxiety in ambulatory surgery patients: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, Anesth Analg. 2008 Jun. Pubmed ID: 18499602.
9. Kawashima K, Miyako D, Ishino Y, Makino T, Saito K, Kano Y., Effects of 3,4,5-trimethoxycinnamic acid, an active constituent of roots of Polygala tenuifolia (Onji), Biol Pharm Bull., 2004 Aug. Pubmed ID: 15305046.
10. Sun Y, Xie TT, Wang DX, Liu P. Effect of Polygala tenuifolia Willd YZ-50 on the mRNA expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and its receptor TrkB in rats, Nan Fang Yi Ke Da Xue Xue Bao., 2009 Jun. Pubmed ID: 19726361.
11. Brattstrom A. Max Zeller Rohne AG, Romanshorn, Scientific evidence for a fixed extract combination (Ze 91019) from valerian and hops traditionally used as a sleep-inducing aid, Wien Med Wochenschr., 2007. Pubmed ID: 17704989.
12. Donath F, Quispe S, Diefenbach K, Maurer A, Fietze I, Roots I. Critical evaluation of the effect of valerian extract on sleep structure and sleep quality, Pharmacopsychiatry, 2000 Mar. Pubmed ID: 10761819.
13. Zhang M, Ning G, Shou C, Lu Y, Hong D, Zheng X. Inhibitory effect of jujuboside A on glutamate-mediated excitatory signal pathway in hippocampus, Planta Med., 2003 Aug. Pubmed ID: 14531016.
14. Gong QF, Zhang YM, Tan NH, Chen ZH. Chemical constituents in fermented mycelium of Xylaria Nigripes, Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. 33(11):1269-72. 2008 June. Pubmed ID: 18831203.
15. University Of Pittsburgh Med. Center. Deterioration Of Sleep During Middle Age Related To Changes In The Biological Clock. Science Daily 25 June 1998.

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