Every year, World Sleep Day (Friday 14th March 2025) helps to advocate for the importance of a regular, good night’s sleep and encourage an open conversation to help those who might be struggling. This year’s theme is “Make Sleep Health A Priority” – and Revive Active expert Nutritional Therapist Nicola Sainty couldn’t agree more! Here, Nicola gives the lowdown on the powerhouse ingredients to look out for to support your relaxation and night time routine:
Montmorency Cherry: Also known as prunus cerasus, this plant produces a tart, sour cherry that originates in France and is widely grown throughout Europe, Canada and the US. Containing significant amounts of antioxidants, as well as plant compounds that may have protective effects against oxidative stress, research shows that taking Montmorency extract can boost melatonin levels (a molecule critical in regulating the sleep-wake cycle in humans) and improve sleep quality in just one week.1 It does this by lowering something called the “kynurenine / tryptophan” ratio which promotes better sleep. So, this botanical is especially helpful for people with insomnia and disrupted sleep, improving both sleep duration and quality. Remember the Sleepy Girl Mocktail TiKTok trend from last year – it’s thattart cherry!
Magnesium Bisgycinate: Emerging research suggests that low levels of magnesium may be linked to increased levels of anxiety, heightened stress responses, and disrupted sleep cycles2,3. Moreover, magnesium’s interaction with neurotransmitters such as GABA (a chemical that helps to reduce activity in the brain, so creating a feeling of calm) highlights its importance in promoting restful sleep2. GABA can also be found in fermented foods such as miso, kimchi, sourdough, spinach, brown rice, mushrooms and tomatoes, as well as green tea – and levels can be boosted via regular exercise and practising mediation, mindfulness and yoga.
Lavender: Known for its delicate, herbal scent, this aromatic plant from the mint family is widely used in aromatherapy oils, teas and supplements for relaxation and sleep support. Lavender’s active compounds (linalool and linalyl acetate) have sedative effect and interact with GABA and serotonin helping to reduce anxiety before bed. A systematic review and meta-analysis4 conducted in 2019 synthesized findings from 90 trials, on the effects of lavender on anxiety. Among these, 71 trials reported statistically significant benefits of lavender use, offering compelling evidence for its efficacy in managing anxiety.
Chamomile: One of the most well-know herbs, chamomile contributes to optimal relaxation and helps to maintain a healthy sleep. The calming effects of this flower come from apigenin, a flavonoid that binds to benzodiazepine receptors in the brain, which have a mild sedative effect to aid sleep. One study5 concluded that chamomile was found to improve sleep, especially the number of awakenings after sleep or staying asleep. Research also highlights particular benefits for menopausal women6 and elderly people7.
Lemon Balm: a perennial herbaceous plan in the mint family, lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) has a rich chemical profile containing rosmarinic acid known for its calming effects, enhancing GABA activity to reduce stress and anxiety. A recent review8 (2024), highlights existing research which indicates that lemon balm holds promise as a calming agent exhibiting both anxiolytic and anti-depressant properties and can elicit cognitive and sleep-quality enhancement. Lemon balm’s neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory benefits help to protect the nervous system from stress.
Nutritional therapist and Education & Training Manager at Revive Active adds, “We need to re-evaluate our approach to sleep, integrating nutrition and practical interventions to find a balance in our hectic lives. The interconnected nature of stress and sleep forms a self-perpetuating cycle. Elevated cortisol levels suppress melatonin, the hormone responsible for sleep initiation, leading to difficulty falling and staying asleep. Sleep deprivation, in turn, amplifies the body’s stress response, increasing cortisol levels further. This cycle disrupts vital biological processes such as hormone regulation, cellular repair, and immune function. Over time, the cumulative effects can impact every system in the body, leaving individuals more vulnerable to chronic conditions.
“I’d always recommend taking a food-first approach to a healthy lifestyle to help support good sleep. Getting into a good routine with you diet is important and taking note of both what and when you eat can have a significant effect on your mood and energy throughout the day, as well as your ability to get a good night’s sleep.
“Maintaining energy levels throughout the day with regular, nutritional meals and snacks is important. Focus on slow releasing carbohydrates and proteins for breakfast such as porridge with frozen berries, kefir or Greek yogurt, topped with mixed seeds or simple poached or boiled eggs with avocados on granary toast. Across all meals, try to boost magnesium naturally with leafy green vegetables, such as spinach, legumes, nuts and seeds and whole grains. Adding colour to our diet is also a top tip – throw in ingredients across the rainbow – so add red, green, yellow or orange peppers, courgette, peas, sweet potato and tomato to soups, salads and stews. W e can only get vital phytonutrients from plant sources – each different colour and even each different plant has a unique combination of phytochemicals that work synergistically to support our overall health. Keeping hydrated in the day and minimising caffeine intake (and having a consistent 3pm “cut off”) helps to regulate energy levels and ensures hormonal balance to support the release of key hormones such as melatonin, which is crucial to regulate the sleep-wake cycle.
“Despite our best intentions, busy modern life can often get in the way of our meal planning and prep – that’s where super supplements can come in to give you the reassurance that your body has everything it needs to function optimally”.
Alongside nutritional support, Nicola also recommends that people explore additional practical holistic approaches to promote better sleep, such as:
Nervous System Regulation: Introduce breathwork, mindfulness practices, and tools to support the nervous system and enhance vagal tone (the activity of the vagus nerve, part of the parasympathetic nervous system) which regulates many of the body’s automatic functions e.g. heart rate, breathing and digestion
Addressing Lifestyle Factors: Adopt sustainable routines that prioritise sleep hygiene, balanced nutrition, and movement while minimising “blue light” exposure.
Supporting Gut Health: Make dietary changes and add in probiotics to restore gut microbiota balance and improve resilience to stress.
Reducing Environmental Exposures: limit exposure to toxins through dietary and lifestyle adjustments.
NEW Revive Active Sleep capsules are an expertly orchestrated formula comprising of high potency carefully selected botanicals with core essential vitamins and highly bioavailable magnesium bisglycinate. This super supplement is formulated with specifically selected premium nutrients at scientifically researched dosages providing potency. Ingredients work synergistically together for maximum efficacy, to deliver results in a holistic approach. You can take sleep with other Revive Active products. For example, if you take Revive Active or Zest Active and you feel you need support for a restful night’s sleep, then, our sleep capsules are the perfect addition to your supplement routine. You can also take Revive Active Sleep in combination with NEW Revive Active Calm capsules – with 12 active ingredients to support the nervous system for emotional balance.
References:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22038497/#:~:text=Background%3A%20Tart%20Montmorency%20cherries%20have,sleep%2Dwake%20cycle%20in%20humans.
The Effects of Magnesium Supplementation on Subjective Anxiety and Stress—A Systematic Review
Abbasi B, Kimiagar M, Sadeghniiat K, Shirazi MM, Hedayati M, Rashidkhani B. The effect of magnesium supplementation on primary insomnia in elderly: A double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial. Journal of research in medical sciences : the official journal of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. 2012;17(12):11619.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3703169/
Effects of lavender on anxiety: A systematic review and meta-analysis – PubMed
Effects of chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) on sleep: A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials – ScienceDirect
Microsoft Word – JMPB-Vol.52 2019.docx
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29154054/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11510126/