One of the most frequent health complaints physicians encounter is disturbed sleep. It is said that more than one-half of adults in the United States have at least intermittent sleep disturbances. It is said that most adults sleep 7 to 8 hours per night. There are two principal systems which govern the sleep-wake cycle: one actively generates sleep and sleep related process and another regulates sleep within the 24 hour day. Sleep or circadian rhythm disorders may either result from abnormalities in those symptoms or other factors such as the environment, drugs or illness.

Early studies which dwelt on the raphe nuclei of the brainstem pointed to serotonin as the neurotransmitter responsible for sleep promotion, while catecholamines promote wakefulness. Some substances which also promote sleep are prostaglandin D2, delta sleep inducing peptide, muranyl dipeptide, interleukin 1, fatty acid primary amides and melatonin. These substances have a hypnotic effect in that they affect non-rapid eye movement (NREM) or slow wave sleep.

Normal sleep in adults is highly organized. After sleep onset, sleep progresses through NREM stages 1 to 4 within 45 to 60 minutes. Slow wave sleep (NREM stages 3 and 4) predominates in the first third of the night the first rapid eye movement sleep (REM) occurs in the 2nd hour of sleep. Overall, NREM sleep comprises 50-60% which REM sleep constitutes 20-25%.

In sleep disturbances a supplement is needed to enhance quality of sleep and restore its normal night to night cycle. Plant stem cells Nutrition, based on its numerous studies done, has formulated sleep alpha complex, a daily complex used for occasional insomnia as well as enhancing the quality of sleep. In the US and Canada, sleep alpha complex is exclusively distributed by PSC distribution LLC through their website http://plantstemcells.net.

Sleep alpha complex is made up of Tilia Tomentosa (Linden Tree) and Ficus Carica (Fig) buds. Their synergistic action improves NREM sleep by promoting nervous system regulation of the sleep wake cycle by potentiating the effects of the hypnotic substances.

A study done by Aguirre-Hernandez (2006) showed that Tilia species have anxiolytic and sedative effects.

Fig contains Tryptophan, which aids in sleep. Many people found tryptophan to be a safe and reasonably effective sleep aid, probably due to its ability to increase brain levels of serotonin (a calming neurotransmitter when present in moderate levels) and/or melatonin (a sleep-inducing hormone secreted by the pineal gland in response to darkness or low light levels). Clinical research has shown mixed results with respect to tryptophan's effectiveness as a sleep aid, especially in normal patients and for a growing variety of other conditions typically associated with low serotonin levels or activity in the brain such as premenstrual dysphoric disorder and seasonal affective disorder. In particular, tryptophan has been showing considerable promise as an antidepressant alone, and as an "augmenter" of antidepressant drugs.

The new Sleep Alpha complex contains Eschscholzia californica ( California poppy) which, like all poppies are, contain a variety of alkaloids. Crude herb extracts of the various poppy species have been shown to be less addictive and less potent in their activities than the purified alkaloids, with fewer side-effects In experimental studies, an aqueous extract of Eschscholzia californica was shown to demonstrate sedative and anxiolytic properties in mice challenged with a variety of behavioural tests. Doses of more than 25 mg/kg demonstrated anxiolytic effects, whereas higher dosages of up to 200 mg/kg promoted sedation. The extract was found to be nontoxic with intraperitoneal injection (Rolland et al 1991). Kleber et al demonstrated that an aqueous-alcoholic extract of Eschscholzia californica inhibits the enzymatic degradation of catecholamines, including dopamine beta-hydroxylase and monoamine oxidase (MAO-B), as well as the synthesis of adrenaline (1995). In a more recent study an aqueous alcohol extract of Eschscholzia californica was found to possess sedative and anxiolytic effect in mice. Researchers determined an affinity for the benzodiazepine receptor, demonstrated by concurrent administration of flumazenil, a benzodiazepine antagonist, which suppressed the sedative and anxiolytic effects of the extract (Rolland et al 2001).

References:

1. Loscalzo, Joseph; Fauci, Anthony S.; Braunwald, Eugene; Dennis L. Kasper; Hauser, Stephen L; Longo, Dan L. (2008). Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 17th Edition, McGraw-Hill Professional

2. Wurtman RJ, Hefti F, Melamed E (1980). "Precursor control of neurotransmitter synthesis". Pharmacol. Rev. 32 (4): 315–35.