Decades of clinical research document that a good night’s rest supports nearly all systems of the body, including skin health and youthful appearance; healthy collagen formation; maintaining insulin and glucose levels, and blood pressure already within normal ranges; healthy body weight; healthy cell division; cardiovascular health and good mood, according to Life Extension® (Ft. Lauderdale, FL).

Unfortunately, it’s an incredibly elusive concept for most of the population. A 2010 study by the National Sleep Foundation revealed that fewer than half— only about four in 10—of Americans say they get a good night’s sleep on most nights.

“A study published in the February 2010 issue of Population Health Magazine revealed that ‘chronic insomnia is more prevalent than heart disease, cancer, diabetes and gastrointestinal problems,’” offered Lester Burks, CMO of Life Line Foods, Inc. (Pikeville, TN), “and that this insomnia caused ‘impaired daily functioning, which in turn has serious implications for overall quality of life and work productivity’ and that ‘both mental health status and emotional dimensions of quality of life were lower among severe and mild insomniacs compared to those with no insomnia.’”

Scientists attribute sleep-related difficulties to the unprecedented levels of stress most of us endure in today’s fast-paced world, added Life Extension. To add to this dilemma, sleep quality and duration decline as we grow older—at a time when we need the health benefits of a good night’s rest more than ever.

“There are approximately 76 million Baby Boomers in total, not including more recent immigrants. About 2.5 million Boomers will turn 65 by the end of 2011,” said Julie Dennis, national science educator with Source Naturals®/Planetary Herbals® (Scotts Valley, CA). “We’re seeing an increase in age-related issues including difficulties falling asleep, and the market for sleep and rest products is bound to continue to grow as a result.”

As the sleepless population continues to grow, the reasons and remedies are becoming as varied as the consumers seeking a good night’s rest.

Growing Market

“I would say that there is a growing awareness that it is not a one-size-fits-all issue. Some people have physical sleep problems. Some have racing minds. Some have problems falling asleep. Others have problems staying asleep. So I think there are more people who recognize that and want an answer for their unique issues,” said Anthony Qaiyum, president and co-owner of Merz Apothecary (Chicago, IL). “In addition, there definitely is an increase in those who have tried Ambien and are unhappy with the long-term effects, and feel that they are in a worse situation now that they are taking it regularly.”

Designed and operated in the tradition of a European apothecary (see Behind the Counter, p. 8), Merz Apothecary has been a Chicago landmark since 1875. It has always carried herbs for sleep and rest; valerian, hops and other herbs have been sold at the store for more than 100 years. But the two-store operation has expanded its product assortment in an effort to accommodate a widening customer base. Of the 13,000 products stocked at its flagship location, about 80 to 100 directly address sleep and rest.

“What has changed is that we have added homeopathic sleep products as well as flower essences and aromatherapy, so there is a much wider range of products available that address the problems in different ways,” said Qaiyum. “Also, the supplements themselves have become more targeted and complex. While it used to just be valerian or a small combination of herbs, now there are more complex herbal combinations, and products such as melatonin, etc., that move beyond basic herbal formulas.”

It’s a similar situation for Bobbi Elliott, owner of single store Healthy By Nature in Lees burg, VA. While she, too, has observed the consumer base for the sleep category widening, she said she has also seen an increase in shoppers who have discovered prescription medication is not a solution to their sleep problems. “If we’ve done our job right in encouraging our customers to practice good nutritional habits, then sleep is not a big issue—maybe one percent of my customers have sleep issues,” she said. “But what I’m noticing more now is that mainstream shoppers, those who haven’t taken care of their nutritional needs, are seeking out my store because of the problems they’re having sleeping. And it’s safe to say that nine out of 10 of them are on some sort of prescription medication.”

What Elliott and Qaiyum have in common is that they both provide the personal attention that sleep-deprived consumers are looking for.

“What we try to do is have people dissect their problem for us (how often, nature of the issue, etc.),” said Qaiyum, “then show some options to them, with a focus on starting with the most gentle options first, if possible.”

“Everybody’s different,” said Elliott. “If they’re experiencing a hormone imbalance, you need to address their hormones and they’ll sleep better. If they’re totally stressed, it’s usually their adrenals. It’s really all about individual cases. Help them get healthy and better sleep will follow.”

Finding the Rhythm

Elliott shared that of her 3,600-square foot store, between energy, adrenals, rest and depression, she has almost 42 products that she considers her sleep category.

“We search for root cause; no Band-Aids here,” she said. “We want to give enough education so they can make small lifelong changes that will provide a long-term solution to their sleep problem, whatever might be causing it.”

When it comes to sleep-specific formulas, Elliott said she tries to carry synergistic formulas, which she finds tend to cover more than one person. “But if you think of the average person who comes in experiencing jet lag—not a chronic situation—and they just need a good night sleep, then we’ll direct them to melatonin,” she said.

Every product Elliott stocks has to meet good manufacturing practices (GMPs) and has to be third-party assayed by independent lab. With those criteria in mind, she only carries three brands of melatonin in varying dosages, and a best seller is the Source Naturals’ line. “It’s a quality line that is as effective as the more expensive melatonins,” she said.

“According to SPINS FDM data*, the market for melatonin is experiencing double-digit growth,” said Dennis, explaining that Source Naturals’ core melatonin product is a neurohormone produced in the pineal gland, which governs the body’s circadian rhythms, helping the body to enjoy a restful sleep. (Jet lag is a physiological condition, which results from alterations to the body’s circadian rhythms; it is classified as one of the circadian rhythm sleep disorders.) “Not all melatonins are alike, if you consider dosage. In order to cater to the consumer, we have 44 SKUs of melatonin by itself in ever-fine tuned gradations of dose from 1-5mg, because what works for one person may not work for another.”

Source Naturals Melatonin Complex™ is a powerful and fast-acting sublingual formula combining melatonin with crucial inhibitory neurotransmitters. It includes GABA, glycine and taurine, as well as Coenzymated™ vitamin B-6. The sublingual form is absorbed directly into the bloodstream, via the blood vessels under the tongue, bypassing the liver and providing a quick delivery.

Liquid Delivery

Life Line Foods is another company that formulated its Sleep Complete specifically with circadian rhythm sleep disorders in mind, but has carefully crafted its delivery in response to consumers’ needs.

“Even in 2005, when we formulated Sleep Complete, we noticed the trend of sleep loss due to busy lifestyles and we decided that a liquid sleep supplement would be a more gentle and more bio available alternative to support the body’s own circadian cycle,” said Life Line’s Burks. “We see how that need is intensified today as the problem of sleep loss grows more widespread.

“Our original Liquid Advantage enables the ingredients in Sleep Complete to be almost instantly bio available and absorbed more completely,” he continued. “This is why our customers report fast results with Sleep Complete.”

Burks explained that his company utilizes traditional sleep herbs such as chamomile, lemon balm, passionflower, catnip and hops. In addition, it includes vitamin B-6 and magnesium “because research continues to highlight their importance for good sleep,” he said. “Some sleep products offer GABA while others offer has only 3mg of melatonin, it has over 400mg of magnesium—which was selected based on a recent study that validated the power of these ingredients in combination with zinc in longterm care facility residents: “The administration of nightly melatonin, magnesium and zinc appears to improve the quality of sleep and the quality of life in long-term care facility residents with primary insomnia,” he said.

For Kerry Kirk, sales and marketing director with AgroLabs Liquid Nutrition (Hillside, NJ), healthy sleep is constituted by being able to achieve maximum REM sleep. “Without achieving the deepest level of REM sleep, the body tends to feel un-rested and, in turn, you will feel like you never really achieve the proper amount of sleep.”

AgroLabs began to focus more on the assisting of healthy sleep in early 2008, when it introduced Peaceful Sleep™ to the market. “People want a great-tasting, effective liquid sleep supplement, and many are looking to alternatives to supplement pills and pharmaceutical products.”

Kirk explained that the company’s Peaceful Sleep is a superior sleep and rest supplement because of its aseptic packaging. “Our process minimizes the heat exposure during pasteurization and products are rapidly chilled within seconds,” said Kirk. “Bottles are sanitized prior to fill, eliminating the need for prolonged heating, which allows for cold fill of a preservative, chemical free product. Aseptic processing maximizes the nutritional integrity, flavor and safety.”

Peaceful Sleep utilizes GABA and 5HTP ingredients, which “help you feel renewed and refreshed in the morning. Our formula makes you feel rejuvenated and ready to take on the day.”

Another company offering a liquid sleep supplement is I AM Products (Newtown, PA). According to Andy Jacobson, co-founder, his product stands out as it answers the consumer’s need to have a portable option for their sleep concerns.

“Sleep is about recovery and recharging. The most important part of sleep is getting restful sleep, being able to relax and drift off into a deep sleep,” he said. “I AM SLEEPY helps promote healthy and proper sleep, aids in falling and staying asleep, and is ideal for traveling (often another stress factor resulting in poor sleep).”

Packaged in single-dose bottles, I AM SLEEPY features the company’s Sleepy Blend of natural herbs and vitamins (including chamomile flower, hops flower, passion flower, lemon balm, L-tryptophan, L-theanine, GABA, magnesium citrate and vitamin B3) activated by melatonin. Gluten- and sugar-free, the product launched in January and is quickly building distribution among natural retailers.

Retailer Support

Elliott said she credits most of her suppliers for being extremely supportive in staff education, but feels there can always be more.

“The more you talk to a rep, the more you know about product line, the more intelligent you are when talking to customer and that helps us to be a more confident resource,” said Elliott. “I would like vendors to nurture us like a plant. If they give us the right care and attention, at the end of the growing season, we’ll be more bountiful.”

“To stay ahead of the curve, retailers, especially the independents who are competing with the big-box retailers, should make the extra effort to keep staff trained, enthusiastic and engaged with the customers,” said Source Naturals’ Dennis, adding that her company has a dedicated education team which meets with retailers across the U.S. “If they can do this, they’ll see their category sales grow and they’ll sleep well at night!” VR

* Source: SPINSscan Conventional Channel, Total US, $ Sales, 52wks Ending 12/25/2010

De-Stressedand Refreshed

From the economy to world affairs, consumers are experiencing unprecedented levels of stress, and this is an agreed upon culprit robbing the population of a good night’s rest.

“Whether the stress is mental, emotional, physical or environmental, it does not matter. All stress robs the body of magnesium and this is the key mineral required for relaxation at the center of every cell in the body,” said Joan Schrader, MH, CNC, CHS, president of Health and Wisdom, Inc. (Arcola, MO). “When this mineral is lacking, a plethora of symptoms appear including insomnia, anger, migraines, aches and pains. When insomnia persists, these symptoms can rapidly become more severe including heart attacks, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, high blood pressure and more.”

Schrader explained that magnesium supplementation has been known and used for years to relax the body and induce restful sleep, but noted that the best delivery method for the mineral is through the feet as all the nerves of the body end in the feet “and this pathway delivers magnesium to the cells faster than other methods,” she said. To that end, Health and Wisdom offers Magnesium Oil, Magnesium Gel and Magnesium Bath Crystals. “People apply the oil or gel topically, soak their feet in the oil or use the bath crystals in their bath for total body relaxation. Because we know up to 90 percent of the population is magnesium deficient and many of those people are on fixed or limited incomes, we work very hard to keep the consumer’s cost as low as possible.” In addition, Health and Wisdom’s Magnesium Oil is USP grade.

The company sends “bag stuffer” literature with every order (for free) as well as shelf instructional sheets, but Schrader said that nothing beats its testers for in-store demos as a key selling point for such a hands- (or feet-) on product.

“If a customer comes into the store with an ache or pain, rub some Magnesium Oil or Gel on the sore area and ask them to walk around the store. Generally, within a few minutes, they notice relief,” Schrader said. “Of course, they will not be napping in the aisle, but when they can experience relief from pain in a short amount, they’ll be willing to buy some to rub on their feet to sleep better.”