GradedHealth

Sleep

Evidence-graded topics and articles tagged Sleep.

Topics

  • Aromatherapy — Inhaling essential oils may modestly improve sleep, anxiety and low mood, and sleep is the most consistent finding.
  • Ashwagandha — Ashwagandha root extracts lower anxiety and stress scores and cortisol levels in meta-analyses of randomized trials, and small trials suggest better sleep.
  • CBD — Small trials suggest CBD can take the edge off anxiety, but a 54-trial review found no clear benefit.
  • Chamomile — Chamomile extract reduced generalised anxiety more than placebo in small trials, and sleep quality improved modestly in meta-analyses.
  • Holy Basil — Holy basil extract may ease perceived stress: two small placebo-controlled trials found lower stress scores than placebo.
  • Hot Bath — A warm bath or shower roughly 1 to 2 hours before bed helps you fall asleep faster in the studies so far, and large studies of older adults link evening bathin…
  • L-theanine — L-theanine, an amino acid from tea leaves, gives small gains in self-rated sleep in reviews of mostly small trials.
  • Lavender — Oral lavender oil capsules (Silexan) reduced anxiety more than placebo in several trials, and sleep improved along with anxiety.
  • Magnesium — Magnesium supplements modestly lower blood pressure, mainly in people with high blood pressure or low magnesium levels, and may slightly improve blood sugar in…
  • Music — Listening to music at bedtime improves how well people with sleep problems rate their sleep, and music also eases stress and anxiety in many trials.
  • Progressive Muscle Relaxation — Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) improves sleep quality and eases anxiety in pooled randomised trials, with a moderate level of evidence.
  • Sleep — Expert panels advise 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night for adults.
  • Valerian — Valerian may make some people feel their sleep is better, and several trials report this, but the evidence is small and mixed.
  • Walking — Walking after a meal lowers the post-meal blood sugar rise: pooled crossover trials found walking soon after eating cut glucose more than sitting or walking be…