Sleep On It!

by Lisa Schofield | June 3, 2024

The need for relaxation and sound slumber has never been greater. Here’s how to put your customers to sleep.

The phrase “sleep on it,” means to let your subconscious work out a problem or sway toward a more definitive decision. However, millions of people worldwide endure nights of broken sleep, tossing and turning, which ignites frustration. Poor sleep is responsible for reduced cognitive acuity the next day.

The ability to physically calm and relax is a twin issue to inability to sleep soundly. So, it is a sure bet that those customers seeking sleep-onset support will also benefit from a product that helps them release tension and calm the mind, and vice versa.

Retailer Ramona Billingslea of Betsy’s Health (Texas) related that her customers are seeking natural means to relax and sleep better. “In this post-COVID world, when divisions between people seem more impossible than ever, when social media fuels the fire of misinformation and fear, when inflation is almost out of control, stress and sleep issues are affecting our customers of all ages and walks of life. Every day, we help a variety of customers looking to better manage stress, as well as those who are seeking a deeper, more fulfilling sleep.”

“The Snooze Report,” from [the app] Calm finds that the declaration, “I’m tired” has ascended to its highest point on Google Trends in 2023, and this reflects that 91 percent of adults report they do not feel well rested, and 78 percent say their sleep quality directly affects their mental health.

It’s no surprise then that sleep-support supplement sales catapulted in recent years. According to Nutrition Business Journal’s 2023 Condition Specific Report, the sleep-support category long-jumped from approximately $600 million in sales in 2017 to $1.26 billion in 2022.

Anxiousness and the inability to achieve a sense of calm is more widespread than ever. In 2023, one-third of adults experienced symptoms of anxiety and depression, according to a U.S. Census Bureau survey analyzed by KFF. Another survey from the American Psychiatric Association’s Annual Anxiety and Mental Health (2023) showed that 70 percent of Americans reported feeling anxious over personal safety, 6 percent higher than in the previous two years. “Societal stressors are also increasing leading to additional anxiety,” reported Vanessa Pavey, ND, education scientist, Florida-based Life Extension.

“People can be tense, anxious or nervous for a variety of reasons and generally it’s not just one reason but a mixture of concerns that can trigger anxiety or stress,” commented Andrea Burton, technical advisor for Bio-Kult (Florida). These include grief, medications, world events, physical issues, adverse life situations.

In the viewpoint of Chris Lord, CEO, Can-i Wellness (California), there have been social shifts in the past several years that have created more tension and anxiety. Many people are facing increasing economic challenges, family responsibilities, and career pressures.

These elevated threats and/or concerns create a host of issues. Slawomir Gromadzki, MPH, nutritionist, HealthAid (California), said, “It is a well-known fact that people who suffer from depression, anxiety and sleep problems have low levels of serotonin.”

He attributes the causes of serotonin insufficiency to a diet low in tryptophan, B vitamins, zinc, magnesium and complex carbohydrates, as well as lack of sunlight and exercise. A diet high in refined carbohydrates/refined sugars contributes to depression and anxiety because excessive sugar leads to lack of sufficient magnesium, calcium, zinc, chromium and vitamin B complex.

A constant state of tension is rather new in evolutionary biology, explained Omar Cruz, vice president botanical science, quality & innovation with Texas-based Himalaya Wellness. “Evolutionary biology has only prepared us for short-term stress. But most of our stressors now are chronic in nature, so even when we think and act quickly, the problem doesn’t necessarily go away, and we find ourselves stuck on an endless hamster wheel of stress response that makes us continually anxious and unable to sleep, because we don’t see resolution.”

Further, he added, our bodies have to be constantly alert to respond to the continual stress, creating a state of anxiety that exacerbates insomnia, which can impair well-being and even create vulnerability to poor health. Sleep is the foundation for healthy functioning. Modern lifestyles create an impediment to healthy sleep. “We’re always online, never truly resting and not prioritizing sleep hygiene,” observed Julia Craven, vice president of education, Florida-based Enzymedica Inc. “We’re glued to screens, eating too late and exposing ourselves to too much light at the wrong times.”

Generational Differences

As supplement regimen-design consultants, retailers may want to delve a little deeper to understand what the key buttons are differentiating what keeps customers of different age groups up at night and worrying 24/7.

Overall, said Craven, “We must keep in mind that sometimes the ability to relax and sleep depends on a person’s stage of life. Once we reach middle age, many adults may be juggling more career demands while also caring for children and aging parents.”

Boomers comprise a substantial portion of our society, and likely deal with age-related insomnia. According to the Sleep Foundation, several studies have suggested that beginning in middle age, people lose an average of 27 minutes of sleep per night each decade he/she ages. This is largely due to the gradual loss of circadian signal processing insufficiency, or as the Foundation described, “our sleep architecture changes as we age.”

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Craven noted, Generation Z is going to bed earlier than both Millennials and Gen X. “They’re putting down their phones and resisting reverse bedtime procrastination.” An Axios article published in February by Sabeen Habeshian noted that Gen Z “is the old soul generation,” that “embraces the early-bird lifestyle.”

However, a different finding comes from “The Snooze Report,” which finds that Gen Z was 21 percent more likely than Millennials to experience insomnia worrying about current world events. Further, Gen Z is also 26 percent more likely to be kept up by prolonged use of their devices. “Gen Z has it the worst because they have the greatest availability to technology and a constant feed of information,” said Cruz. Being immersed in social media and the internet, where news has become entertainment, they’re “trapped in the drama of catastrophe.” This of course, adds to their stress.

Kimberly Griffith, MSc, CNS, head of science with California-based Ombre Lab, commented, “While there are arguments that GenZ has a harder time sleeping due to the dependency and increased time devoted to electronic media use, and Baby Boomers may have a harder time staying asleep due to physiological bodily changes, in general, the daily stressors experienced by Gen Xers can strongly disrupt their ability to relax and sleep.”

Stress and anxiety, a root cause of poor sleep, seem to be increasing in the younger generation, Pavey observed. According to 2023 U.S. Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey data analyzed by KFF, 50 percent of Gen Z reported anxiety and depression symptoms. Of respondents aged 25-49, 38 percent reported anxiety and depression symptoms, while 29.3 percent in the age range of 50-64 did so.

“Gen Z and Millennials are more likely to seek out self-help resources for managing stress and supporting sleep, including nutritional options,” she said. “Gen Z and Millennials exhibit the most interest in nutritional support for mental well-being.”

Pavey cited 2023 Mintel data showing that 40 percent of Gen Z and 47 percent of Millennials reported interest in nutritional support for mental health, compared to 24 percent of the Baby Boomers. Millennials also expressed the most interest in seeking nutritional approaches for support for sleep—47 percent of Millennials are looking for nutritional sleep support, compared to 25 percent of Baby Boomers.

Another viewpoint on the generational differences in sleep quality and causes of insomnia comes from Beverly Takeuchi, chief marketing and sales officer, Massachusetts-based BioNatureHealth. Gen Z will choose homework and social activities over sleep, but will typically sleep well and love to sleep when they carve out the time. Gen Z, meanwhile, is focused on the triumvirate of work, kids and aging parents.

“This is the age of hustle,” she described. “Boomers are finally at the stage of life where they can reap their rewards. But biology is against them; many see sleep issues creep back into their lives. They could not easily fall asleep. If they do, they wake up often and stay up awake for hours without even stress in their lives. It’s part of aging, they would say. This short sleep time causes a downward spiral of other health issues.”

Daymares: Slumber Interruptors

“Modern life throws a lot at us, and both our bodies and our habits can make it harder to unwind and get a good night’s sleep,” said Carl Germano, CNS, CDN, vice president of Verdant Nature, consultant for Texas-based Bluebonnet Nutrition, and N.Y. Board Certified Clinical Nutritionist.

He noted that sleep disruption is often caused by physiological and lifestyle factors. Physiological characteristics include age, hormone fluctuations and medical conditions. Lifestyle behaviors include overuse of electronic devices, caffeine, heavy meals consumed later in the evenings, alcohol consumption, lack of exercise and inconsistent sleep schedule.

“The interplay between these factors is what truly creates difficulties with relaxation and sleep,” Germano commented. “For example, someone with a physically demanding job (physiological) who uses screens heavily before bed (lifestyle) may have a particularly hard time winding down. By understanding how these factors can work together, you can identify areas to improve your sleep hygiene and create a more relaxing bedtime routine.”

Burton said the effects of social media involvement are most noticeable in younger people, especially in increasing stress and anxiety levels. Social media is known to ravage fragile self-esteem, and foment fear and confusion, escalating anxiety and tension, which impacts the ability to enjoy a solid night’s slumber. She commented, “This use of technology for communication, socialization and news, especially before and at bedtime, can have a huge impact on sleep.”

And in today’s world, financial stress has zoomed to the top of anxiety causes. “The Snooze Report” showed that financial stress was the top cause (60 percent) of stressors that keep people awake—this was three times the number of people who worried about their children. She also pointed to the use of stimulants as well as alcohol to regulate energy and to take the edge off but have the opposite effects.

Undeniably, the good ole days were a time when much fewer people experienced high stress and low sleep. Said Cruz, “There was an era where we could relax and have true separation from work, but now with so many of us working in different cities and time zones, you might get a call or text at 9 p.m. or on a holiday or vacation, and instantly, constantly, you must be wired in again. The way today’s work world is set up, we’re eroding our ability to have free time to be able to relax and have true separation from our jobs. That essential division just doesn’t exist for most people anymore.”

And while many of Gen X and Boomers have adapted to the demise of 9 to 5 and the separation of work from home life, the on-call status increases cortisol and “chronically high levels from persistent and intense daily stress can result in altered cortisol patterns, like higher-than-normal levels at night which can interfere with restorative sleep,” Pavey described. Restorative sleep is characterized by the number and quality of sleeping hours. Non-restorative sleep is when you wake up feeling logy.

Chill Pills and 40 Winks

There is a wide array of supplements aimed at reducing anxiousness and to induce healthy sleep, from probiotics, to magnesium and unique botanical formulations, there is a product for nearly all your customers who are sleep-deprived and/or gripped in a vice of tension.

When it comes to working with customers seeking to improve sleep, Billingslea and her staff tend to make recommendations that vary based on the individual person. Questions normally asked are: Is stress a component of the individual’s insomnia? Does the person consume stimulants like caffeine and how much? What is the type of diet being consumed? Is the problem falling asleep or waking up in the middle of the night? Is the customer aware of good sleeping habits, like avoiding blue-light exposure an hour or two before bed and making sure one’s bedroom is a relaxing, sleep-worthy environment?

“Besides herbal go-to products like passionflower and valerian, we also like looking at the potential for something as simple as L-theanine and/or magnesium to promote relaxation and help calm the body for sleep,” Billingslea said. “If we are working with a woman in menopause being awakened by night sweats, we will look at adrenal and even blood sugar support since blood sugar swings can contribute to the night sweats. We also consider homeopathic solutions and Rescue Remedy should they be more likely to help a customer based on our conversations with them.”

She added that one of their up-and-coming sleep-support products is a combination of CBD with L-theanine and 5-HTP, “but not everyone can use CBD products.”

There are supplements that fortify the body to improve the ability to reduce tension and ensure better sleep quality. Magnesium, said Craven, is one of those supplements that is known to induce relaxation and because of its multiple benefits for human health, can be taken daily.

“Enzymedica’s ATA Mg is proven to cross the blood brain barrier—with 24 percent faster absorption as it delivers magnesium and taurine in an acetylated form. It’s uniquely lipophilic, so it can combine with or absorb into fats or lipids,” she explained. “Since many cell membranes are made of phospholipids, ATA Mg is better able to penetrate cells—especially those in the central nervous system.”

Speed Sleep from BioNature Health is an herbal blend formulated to help customers fall and stay asleep as well as support jet lag, according to Takeuchi. The supplement, “considers the body as a whole and helps to address not only the symptoms but also the root causes,” she described. “Our formula is not only effective from day one, but also is so mild that it would not cause any drowsiness at all.”

Another multi-ingredient formula comes from Bluebonnet—Targeted Choice Sleep Support, which Germano said promotes relaxation and induces sleep in several ways. It contains all well-researched ingredients—melatonin, magnesium, 5-HTP, L-theanine, valerian root and chamomile.

HealthAid’s RelaxEase is another botanical blend that Gromadzki said is rich in antioxidants and contains hawthorn, St. John’s wort, magnolia, valerian, cramp bark and passionflower natural extracts known for their calming and relaxing properties. HealthAid’s SleepProbio features magnesium, 5-HTP, ashwagandha, theanine, GABA, passionflower, taurine and several probiotic strains.

Himalaya’s Hello ZZZs contains melatonin, GABA, L-theanine and herbs. Cruz explained, “GABA plays an important role in balancing out the over-excitatory aspects of brain chemistry, called the GABA-glutamate response, which can help us calm down an over-excited mind. L-theanine helps achieve a brainwave pattern very similar to meditation, concentration and relaxation. Chamomile, lemon balm and English lavender are just relaxation-promoting botanical contributions to the formulation.”

New in the sleep category from Florida-based Life Extension is Serene Sleep. According to Pavey, Serene Sleep is a melatonin-free, herbal combination for encouraging restorative sleep. Ashwagandha, a featured ingredient, is one of the most sought-after botanicals for stress management. Current research has demonstrated that an ashwagandha standardized to 35 percent withanolide glycosides improves several aspects of healthy sleep, time to sleep onset, hours of sleep and awakening refreshed.

Serene Sleep also contains thymoquinone-rich black cumin seed extract, which new clinical research shows helps support restorative sleep processes, and also exerting a beneficial effect on endogenous melatonin, cortisol and orexin levels when compared to placebo.

Can-i Wellness introduced what Lord described as an “all-new way” to accelerate the onset of sleep and relaxation throughout the day. Can-i Sleep oral spray helps your customers get to sleep faster and stay asleep longer. Can-i Fresh oral spray helps them stay relaxed during stressful situations. Can-i Fresh oral spray is all-natural and contains GABA, niacin, L-theanine and B vitamins helps relax the mind and body in stressful situations. Can-i Sleep oral spray contains GABA, melatonin, 5-HTP, valerian root and a variety of all-natural sleep-inducing ingredients, he described.

Probiotics are gaining a foothold in the sleep category, “Recent studies present evidence that sleep quality can be improved by altering the gut microbiota through consumption of certain probiotics,” Burton said. She pointed to several recent studies emphasizing this link.

A 2020 systematic review assessing 14 studies indicated that probiotic supplementation significantly improved sleep quality based on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). A 2019 study in 38 healthy volunteers taking a multi-strain probiotic containing both lactobacillus and bifidobacterium for six weeks found an improvement in sleep quality and mood and a reduction in depressive mood state, anger and fatigue. And a 2021 study on 20 male students during the university exam period found that while stress and depression scores increased in both the placebo group and the group receiving a bifidobacterium probiotic, overall sleep quality and duration of sleep improved significantly in the probiotic group when compared to placebo.

Ombre’s Mood Enhancer probiotic contains strains that reduce tension, which promotes relaxation, according to Griffith. It works by supporting microbiota balance, contributing to restful sleep. “A healthy and balanced gut microbiome is necessary to provide adequate serotonin levels, which helps increase feelings of relaxation,” she explained. “Serotonin is the precursor to melatonin. About 95 percent of serotonin is found in the gut, and the gastrointestinal tract produces 400 times more melatonin than the pineal gland. When a healthy gut contributes to ample serotonin levels, relaxation and restful sleep can result.”

There are many distractions that can get in our way of chilling out and indulging in sweet dreams. However, there are also numerous supplements that can minimize and reduce the power those distractions have in our lives.VR