Night Sense

L-Tryptophan cannot be made by the body and is therefore known as an essential amino acid. It helps the body make proteins and certain brain-signalling chemicals. Once absorbed by our bodies, it is converted to 5-HTP which in turn is converted to serotonin. Serotonin helps control your mood and sleep by relaying messages from one area of the brain to another. It’s also believed to influence a variety of psychological and other bodily functions including sexual desire, appetite, memory and learning as well as your body’s temperature regulation.

This magnificent plant grows in abundance in the Western and Central regions of Africa. In Africa, the entire shrub is harvested for medicinal purposes, however here in the west, its seeds are mainly used. The reason for this is that the seeds are rich in the active ingredient 5-HTP which is the precursor for serotonin, which helps control mood and sleep. Have a look at the L-Tryptophan section to read a little more about the serotonin and what it does for the body!

The Montmorency cherry is a variety of sour cherry which is grown in Canada but also widely cultivated in the USA. Not only are these beauties packed with antioxidant compounds, they also contain fibre, and more importantly for sleep, a natural source of melatonin. Melatonin is involved in regulating a person's body clock and helping to regulate sleep patterns. Melatonin deficiency can be caused by a lack of sleep which may have been caused by shift work, late nights, caffeine, stress and exposure to light amongst other reasons. In turn, when your body’s melatonin levels are low, you may find it difficult to go to sleep. It’s for this reason that we’ve added this natural source of melatonin to your supplement. ​

These fragrant flowers are of course known to make for a pretty delicious tea. We’ve added some chamomile to our formula because it’s been used for centuries to treat a variety of health conditions and to help induce sleep. These sedative effects may be due to the flavonoid called apigenin (a plant chemical) which binds to benzodiazepine receptors in the brain which are said to play a role in the process of relaxation of the brain and muscles.

L-Taurine (or simply Taurine) is found naturally in your body and if you are in optimal health, your body can produce sufficient L-Taurine. However, there are many factors that can lead to lower levels of L-Taurine. Reduced levels of Taurine have been found in parallel with anxiety, depression and hypertension to name a few. Taurine can be obtained through our diets and is mainly found in fish and meat so people following a vegan or vegetarian diet may not be able to access extra Taurine through food.

You may also know Biotin as vitamin B7 and vitamin H, and it’s often associated with strong hair and healthy skin. Biotin is an essential micronutrient, meaning it’s not naturally produced by your body. You can’t store up Biotin in your body, so intake has to be consistent to ensure healthy levels occur in your body. As with all B-complex vitamins, Biotin plays an important role in energy metabolism and helps to maintain normal cell growth and development. It also assists with the normal function of your nervous system. It has also been established that Biotin contributes to normal psychological function. And we’ve learnt that having low mood, anxiety or depression can really affect your sleep, and in turn, poor sleep can lead to lower levels of mood. It’s a vicious cycle! So topping up those Biotin levels is a great way to help aid a good night’s rest!

You wonder, grape seed? How does this aid sleep? Well, grape seeds are rich in powerful antioxidants. Grape seed extract is said to be very effective in facilitating the transport of antioxidant vitamins across the blood-brain barrier, reversing the effects of oxidative damage and this may, therefore, result in improved sleep.