Enhance Restorative Sleep

Stress often stands in the way of a good night’s sleep.

That’s because stress triggers the body to release cortisol and adrenaline, stimulating hormones that can interfere with sleep quality.¹

A 2024 Gallup poll found that 63% of sleep-deprived Americans deal with frequent stress. Well-rested individuals were half as likely to report persistent stress.²

Many people turn to prescription sleeping medication at night, which comes with side effects and almost invariable tolerance, meaning they stop working with continuous use.

There’s a safer alternative. In clinical trials:

• Black cumin seed extract boosted sleep by 75% while easing stress.³
• Ashwagandha extract reduced perceived stress by 62% while improving sleep.⁴

Together, these two extracts may help decrease stress and promote quality, restful sleep.

Dangers of Poor Sleep

Sleeping seven to eight hours a night is closely linked to optimal health.^5,6

Since 2001, the proportion of people sleeping five hours or less has increased to 20%.²

Compared to those who slept seven to eight hours nightly, adults who routinely slept less than five to six hours a night had a higher risk of obesity, high blood pressure, type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and all-cause mortality.⁷ For every one-hour reduction in sleep per night, there’s about a 6% increase in risk of death from any cause.⁸

With good sleep, the body is able to perform restorative functions that are crucial for health and well-being.⁹

Sleep Quality and Stress

Sleep quality has been described as being comprised of:¹⁰

• Sleep efficiency, the total time asleep compared to time spent in bed,
• Sleep latency, how long it initially takes to fall asleep,
• Sleep duration, the amount of time spent sleeping per night, and
• Early awakening.

Stress can negatively impact all of these areas.¹

Fortunately, there are plant-based options to address sleep challenges, without risk of side effects like next-day grogginess that can come with common sleep aids.

Black Cumin Promotes Better Sleep

Black cumin seed has been safely used for a wide range of medical purposes in traditional healing systems.¹¹

Thymoquinone is a primary active ingredient associated with the seed’s health properties.^11,12

Scientists developed a black cumin extract standard-ized to 5% thymoquinone, which has been shown in clinical studies to improve sleep quality and help with stress and anxiety.

A 200 mg nightly dose of the extract was first tested in a 28-day pilot study of 15 healthy adults with chronic insomnia.¹²

All participants wore an actigraphy wristwatch sensor that monitors rest/activity, a validated objective evaluation of sleep quality and duration.

Sleep quality index, anxiety and stress were also measured using the validated questionnaires, along with the measurements of cortisol and safety parameters. A polysomnogram (brainwave assessment) showed the extract improved sleep quality and duration, and relieved stress and anxiety. In addition to this, there was a significant reduction in blood cortisol levels.¹²

Two randomized controlled trials confirmed these benefits.

In one study, 72 healthy adults aged 18–50 years with self-reported sleep issues took either 200 mg of standardized black cumin extract or a placebo 20-30 minutes before bed for 90 days. All participants refrained from caffeine, alcohol, and tobacco.¹³

Participants were assessed for sleep and stress using a validated self-reported questionnaire. Salivary cortisol levels were also collected.

After just one dose, 62% of those taking the extract noted sleep benefits. By day 14, a remarkable 79% reported sleep improvements, and this number continued to increase until the end of the study. They reported better and longer sleep duration as well as improved daytime functioning.

These improvements in sleep parameters were reported as compared to the placebo:

• 76% in sleep efficiency (time asleep out of total time in bed),
• 58% in sleep latency (time needed to fall asleep after going to bed),
• 49% in sleep quality,
• 51% in daytime function,
• 29% in sleep disturbance, and
• 22% in sleep duration.

Compared to the placebo, those taking black cumin extract also had a significant reduction in cortisol levels. Participants also reported a 44% reduction in perceived stress.

In another clinical trial, 70 healthy participants with poor sleep took either a placebo or 200 mg of standardized black cumin extract 30 minutes before bedtime for one week.³

By the end of the week, the treatment group reported a 75% improvement in restorative sleep compared to the start of the study.

An actigraphy sensor confirmed 8% to 35% improvements in sleep quality measures in those taking black cumin seed, including wake-after-sleep-onset and sleep duration, efficiency, and latency.³

Ashwagandha Eases Stress

Ashwagandha, an evergreen shrub that grows in Asia and Africa, is frequently used in traditional Indian Ayurvedic medicine to relieve anxiety and insomnia, among other health concerns.^14,15

Many of its benefits are attributed to compounds called withanolides, found in the plant’s leaves and roots.^15,16

These compounds help regulate the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which is involved in the body’s stress response and cortisol production.¹⁷

A systematic review of 10 clinical studies found a benefit with ashwagandha usage at doses up to 1,250 mg daily.¹⁸ However, studies have also found that standardizing the withanolide glycosides allows lower doses to be used effectively.^18-20

In a randomized controlled trial, adults with higher stress and anxiety took either 60 mg or 120 mg ashwagandha extract standardized to withanolides, or placebo. The participants were evaluated for their symptoms after 15, 30, 45, and 60 days.

After 60 days those who took 120 mg of the standardized ashwagandha extract daily had a:⁴

• 59% reduction in anxiety,
• 62% reduction in perceived stress, and
• 67% reduction in morning cortisol.

The standardized ashwagandha extract was tested in another randomized controlled trial of 150 adults with non-restorative sleep.²⁰

Those taking 120 mg of the extract nightly had a 72% improvement in restorative sleep after six weeks, as measured by a questionnaire. Data from an actigraphy monitor showed the treatment group had improved:

• 27% in sleep latency,
• 15% in time spent awake after sleep onset, and
• 5% in total sleep time and efficiency.

What’s important to understand is that these plant extracts do not function as sleeping pills. They usually require a week or more to yield noticeable results, though one study of black cumin seed demonstrated results after a single dose.

Summary

Standardized extracts from black cumin seed and ashwagandha are well-tolerated and effective for sleep support.

When tested individually, the extracts improved restorative sleep by 72% to 75% and relieved sleep-disruptive stress by 44% to 62%.

A combination of ashwagandha and black cumin seed extracts may reduce stress and facilitate deep, restorative sleep.

If you have any questions on the scientific content of this article, please call a Life Extension Wellness Specialist at 1-866-864-3027.

References

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