Ingredients to support your sleep and mood

In today's fast-paced world, many struggle with sleep issues, low mood, and anxiety. Our lives are busier than ever before. We’re juggling careers, family, stretched finances, all which can cause worry and stress. It can be overwhelming to manage ‘to-do’ lists that seem to be ever-growing.

Many are turning to activities like meditation, yoga, CBT and various apps to help cope with stress. For others there are natural solutions that support wellbeing whilst promoting better sleep and a sense of calm.

In this guide, we'll explore the benefits of natural ingredients known for their potential to:

• Improve mood
• Enhance sleep quality
• Ease feelings of anxiety and irritability

The ingredients we'll focus on to support sleep and mood are:

• Lavender
• Magnesium
• Saffron
• Ashwagandha
• Canteloupe Melon Extract

Why is sleep quality important?

Understanding low mood and anxiety

Which supplements help with low mood, anxiety and improve sleep?

What’s the connection between antioxidants and mood?

Is it more effective to combine ingredients in supplements?

What's the connection between sleep and mental health?

Why is sleep quality important?

Sleep is an essential part of our overall health and wellbeing. However, so many of us experience issues such as finding it difficult to fall asleep, or struggling to stay asleep through the night. Chronic sleep issues can lead to symptoms such as irritability, low mood, and increased anxiety levels. Not getting enough sleep can lower your motivation, energy, and make you less interested in activities you enjoy.

Improving sleep quality is essential for restoring mental and physical energy levels. Being well rested can improve your cognitive function, and make you feel more emotionally resilient.

Understanding low mood and anxiety

Low mood and anxiety can have a major impact on a person's quality of life. Feeling sad, worried, or anxious can lead to a cycle of disturbed sleep. This can then make everything seem a lot worse and can affect your mental state. It's a vicious cycle that can feel exhausting and relentless.

The good news is there are many different tools and tactics for you to try. As well as having many benefits for your physical health, exercise is equally beneficial for your mental health. For many people physical activity can help alleviate negative feelings and low mood. It can be as simple as a walk outdoors, a gentle yoga class or a workout in the gym.

Which supplements help with low mood, anxiety and improve sleep?

There are many tried and tested natural remedies which can gently influence sleep and relaxation. A wide range of products, such supplements designed to improve sleep and mood, contain these ingredients.

Here we highlight some well-researched ingredients:

Lavender

Famous for its soothing aroma, lavender is a natural ingredient that can promote relaxation and improve sleep quality ¹ . This plant has been used as a traditional remedy for thousands of years. It’s famous for calming the mind and reducing feelings of anxiety.

Research has shown that the scent of lavender can help lower heart rate and blood pressure ¹ . It does this by signalling the body to unwind and prepare for restful sleep.

The calming effects of lavender can also positively influence mood. This makes it an excellent option for those seeking to find pockets of calm among the stresses of daily life.

Magnesium

Magnesium plays a crucial role in many aspects of health including reducing fatigue and maintaining a healthy metabolism. Magnesium is found in foods such as bananas and nuts, but due to changes in diet and farming practices, many of us are lacking in this important nutrient. It plays an important role in the function of certain neurotransmitters in the brain so, if levels of magnesium become too low some people can feel agitated, irritable, anxious, it can interrupt sleep and can also cause low mood ² .

Saffron

Saffron is a spice derived from the flower of the Crocus sativus plant. It has been traditionally used to uplift mood and reduce anxiety for thousands of years. Known as the "sunshine spice," it boasts a treasure trove of benefits. Its natural compounds, such as crocin and safranal, have been shown to promote relaxation and reduce symptoms of anxiety.

Saffron can enhance mood and alleviate occasional stress ³ due to its ability to modulate neurotransmitters like serotonin, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and neuroplasticity effect through BDNF expression. This makes it a valuable ally in the battle against anxiety and sleeplessness. Additionally, saffron's ability to regulate sleep patterns and encourage deeper, more rejuvenating slumber can help you wake up feeling refreshed and revitalised.

Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha ( Withania somnifera ) is a herb with a long history in traditional Ayurvedic (Indian) medicine. It is widely regarded as an adaptogen, meaning it may help the body to maintain the state of optimal function we call homeostasis. Adaptogens improve your body’s ability to cope with various kinds of environmental stresses by acting as a ‘metabolic regulator’. This means they normalise physiological processes and help the body to adapt to changes, decreasing damage from stressors ⁴ .

Due to its adaptogenic effect, ashwagandha is frequently used to help with anxiety and stress ⁵ . As a result it can also be used to help influence sleep quality, too.

Women going through the menopausal transition might find that ashwagandha can help them to cope with stress and anxiety, as well as helping with sleep.

Concentrated melon juice extract

Melon might not be the first ingredient you might associate with improving mood. But in 1989, scientists found a type of French cantaloupe melon that lasted longer than regular melons when stored, due to its higher levels of SOD (Superoxide Dismutase). SOD is a natural powerful antioxidant, and it’s considered the first line of defence against free radicals. Researchers ⁶ are discovering that antioxidants can be helpful when treating conditions such as depression.

What’s the connection between antioxidants and mood?

Oxidative stress happens when the body produces harmful free radicals and not enough antioxidants to stabilise them. This has an impact on many areas of our health and wellbeing but it has emerged as a significant factor in influencing mood. The connection between oxidative stress and mood lies in its impact on brain health. When excessive free radicals accumulate in the brain, they can damage essential molecules like lipids, proteins, and DNA.

This damage can lead to inflammation and impair the functioning of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine, which play pivotal roles in regulating mood. Furthermore, oxidative stress may contribute to the development of neurodegenerative diseases like depression and anxiety disorders by undermining the structural integrity of brain cells and disrupting the intricate networks responsible for emotional regulation.

20 years of research has shown this extract to be an effective and fast acting remedy for stress and sleep troubles.

Is it more effective to combine ingredients in supplements?

While each supplement can offer individual benefits, their effects can be even more powerful when combined. For instance, taking magnesium and saffron together may help address both sleep issues and low mood at once.

What's the connection between sleep and mental health?

Sleep and mental health go hand in hand. Chronic sleep issues can exacerbate symptoms of anxiety and low mood, and then it can become a vicious cycle. Addressing sleep problems can have a positive impact on your mental wellbeing.

Tips for better sleep

1. Have a consistent sleep schedule. Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day, even on weekends.
2. Create a relaxing bedtime routine. Try calming activities before bed, such as reading, taking a warm bath, lighting a lavender scented candle, or practising meditation.
3. Optimise your sleep environment. Make sure your bedroom is quiet, dark, and at a comfortable temperature to promote better sleep quality.

Improving sleep quality, addressing any sleep issues and supporting your mental wellbeing are crucial for leading a healthy and fulfilling life. When thinking about supplements to help with sleep and mood, choose those that contain ingredients such as saffron, magnesium, and melon extract as these ingredients have been shown to help influence relaxation, sleep and wellbeing.

Take a holistic approach when it comes to your health and wellbeing. To give yourself the best chances of success combine taking high quality supplements with eating healthy, exercising regularly, and making sure you get enough sleep.

References

1. Chen TY, Hiyama A, Muramatsu M, Hinotsu A The Effect of Lavender on Sleep Quality in Individuals Without Insomnia: A Systematic Review. Holist Nurs Pract. 2022 Jul-Aug;36(4):223-231.

2. Botturi A, Ciappolino V, Delvecchio G, Boscutti A, Viscardi B, Brambilla P The Role and the Effect of Magnesium in Mental Disorders: A Systematic Review. Nutrients. 2020 Jun 3;12(6):1661. .

3. Renata Matraszek-Gawron R.M, Chwil M, Terlecki K, Skoczylas M.M Current Knowledge of the Antidepressant Activity of Chemical Compounds from Crocus sativus L. Pharmaceuticals (Basel)2022 Dec 30;16(1):58.

4. Panossian A. Understanding adaptogenic activity: specificity of the pharmacological action of adaptogens and other phytochemicals. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2017 Aug;1401(1):49-64..

5. Morgan A Pratte M.A, Nanavati K.B, Young V, Morley C.P An alternative treatment for anxiety: a systematic review of human trial results reported for the Ayurvedic herb ashwagandha (Withania somnifera). J Altern Complement Med. 2014 Dec;20(12):901-8.

6. María Eugenia Riveros M.E, Ávila A, Schruers K, Ezquer F Antioxidant Biomolecules and Their Potential for the Treatment of Difficult-to-Treat Depression and Conventional Treatment-Resistant Depression. Antioxidants (Basel). 2022 Mar 11;11(3):540.