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Performance Lab has crafted Sleep, a potent blend brimming with elements like L-tryptophan, magnesium, and melatonin, all with the intent of guiding the sleep-deprived into a realm of peaceful slumber.
But can Performance Lab’s claims be proven through scientific evidence or is it all just smoke and mirrors? Furthermore, what was my experience with Sleep, and what do other real users have to say about Sleep?
This article aims to provide a thorough analysis of the ingredients in Sleep by answering various questions. It will delve into the relevant medical research to offer an honest assessment of the formula’s effectiveness. Additionally, I will share my personal experiences to determine if the supplement had any impact on my sleep.
Main Takeaways
- Performance Lab’s sleep formula incorporates several ingredients like magnesium, whole Montmorency tart cherry, and L-tryptophan, which have noteworthy evidence behind them.
- From my experience over a two-week period, Sleep played a supportive role in gradually adjusting my bedtime routine, making it easier to retire for the night a bit earlier than usual.
- This supplement will set you back $44.00 USD for each bottle, which means the cost per day can range from $1.47 to $2.93 (depending on your personal dosage).
Ingredient Analysis
Performance Lab’s sleep formula is a straightforward one that features a few research-backed ingredients, including:
- Magnesium
- Whole Montmorency Tart Cherry
- L-Tryptophan
- Organic Sea Buckthorn.
But how effective are these ingredients at promoting sleep quality? Is there sufficient evidence to prove that they actually work?
Let’s break down each one to get the answers we seek.
Magnesium
Look at magnesium as an ingredient that could potentially help you fall asleep.
It works like a switch in your brain, turning down the busy signals and turning up the quiet ones, helping to control your sleep and wakefulness.
In fact, there is research suggesting that if you don’t have enough magnesium, you might have trouble sleeping.
This systematic review & meta-analysis shows that older folks struggling with insomnia who take extra magnesium could get to sleep about 17 minutes faster. This, however, does not mean you can sleep longer or have better quality sleep.
Interestingly, if you’re someone with restless leg syndrome and can’t help but move your legs during sleep, there’s also research suggesting that taking extra magnesium may help reduce these symptoms, leading to fewer wake-ups and more efficient sleep.
Whole Montmorency Tart Cherry
Tart cherry is best known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory content, but it’s also a relatively rich source of melatonin, and also plays a role in increasing the availability of tryptophan, which is used to synthesize melatonin in the body.
As you might already be aware, melatonin is a hormone that your body makes when it’s getting ready for sleep. You can think of it as your body’s “bedtime” signal that is generated by a small pea-sized part of your brain called the pineal gland.
When it starts getting dark outside, your eyes send a message to your brain saying, “Hey, it’s getting dark out,” and your brain then tells the pineal gland to start making melatonin. This increase in melatonin makes you start to feel sleepy.
So, melatonin plays a big role in controlling your sleep-wake cycle – which is your body’s built-in 24-hour ‘clock’ that tells you when it’s time to sleep and when it’s time to wake up. During the day, your melatonin levels are low because your body doesn’t need to sleep. As it gets darker, the levels increase, helping you fall asleep at night.
Some studies have shown that consuming tart cherry might help you sleep better since because it has a lot of melatonin, the “sleep hormone”. For instance, both older people with insomnia and younger people who sleep fine have experienced its benefits.
L-Tryptophan
L-tryptophan helps our bodies make serotonin, a very important chemical that helps regulate mood and also sleep. It’s a messenger that helps different parts of our brain communicate about how we’re feeling and when we should sleep or wake up.
Sleep science isn’t so simple that you can just consume more L-tryptophan to sleep better because other factors can affect how much serotonin your body produces and how well you sleep, but getting enough L-tryptophan in your diet can help.
In fact, this systematic review of 18 studies where participants took L-tryptophan before bedtime for an average of about a week.
The study’s main interest was in seeing if L-tryptophan affected the time people spent awake after initially falling asleep (WASO), how efficiently they slept, how much REM sleep they got, and how long it took them to fall asleep.
Out of the 18 studies, only 4 made it into the final part of the review. In these 4 studies, they found that L-tryptophan did reduce the amount of time participants spent awake after falling asleep, and the more L-tryptophan they took, the less time they spent awake.
However, L-tryptophan didn’t seem to affect the other aspects of sleep they were looking at, such as how efficiently participants slept, how much REM sleep they got, or how long it took them to fall asleep.
Organic Sea Buckthorn
Sea buckthorn is a type of plant that grows in many parts of the world, including Europe and Asia. You might recognize it for its bright orange berries.
These berries, along with the leaves and seeds of the plant, have been used in traditional medicine for a long time.
Performance Lab suggests that among the different bioactive compounds it contains, serotonin is among them, which might facilitate sleep.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find much evidence to prove sea buckthorn’s sleep benefits, aside from a study in which researchers gave rats a single dose of sea buckthorn extract and watched to see how they reacted.
What they found was that the extract seemed to help the rats deal with the stress of the test better. But again, while stress impacts sleep quality, it might not necessarily mean that taking sea buckthorn will improve it.
So, in my honest opinion, this is probably the least effective ingredient in the supplement, though positively, it’s a good source of antioxidants.
What Was My Experience Like?
My schedule over the last few years has skewed late into the night – a bad habit that I’ve been looking to break. While I don’t struggle with sleep quality, my late nights often result in a morning haze that I’d rather avoid.
Hoping it could help me reset my offbeat routine, I committed to a two-week experiment, incorporating Sleep (by Performance Lab) into my nightly routine about half an hour before the bedtime I was striving for.
Initially, I didn’t perceive any drastic changes. This was expected; supplements aren’t magic potions that yield instant results. So, I kept going.
As the two weeks went on, I observed a soft but steady nudge toward an earlier bedtime. I wasn’t suddenly sleeping at a radically earlier hour, but there was a subtle ease in switching off the lights a bit sooner than usual.
In all honesty, Sleep didn’t bring a sweeping change to my nocturnal tendencies but it did serve as a supportive tool in my efforts to improve my sleep routine, so it might be worth it for those looking at their night habits.
However, I can’t say how it would work for someone with sleep problems because I personally don’t suffer from them.
What Do Real Customers Have To Say?
If you’re interested in learning about other people’s experiences, here’s a review from the creator Sleepolis:
There’s also another interesting review from Your Inception, a channel on nootropics:
I’ve also looked at customers’ reviews, and as you would expect from any supplement, not all of the experiences are strikingly positive.
Here are some of the reviews:
“This works really well for me. If I take it as instructed, 30 minutes before I want to go to sleep, I fall asleep pretty quickly.” – Julie W.
“I recommend this product and the company. I have restless legs and have had interrupted sleep and I find this product to be the best help. I am in NZ and the ease to purchase has been effortless. I really appreciate a top product and top service. Thanks” – Katie D.
“I have a sleep problem, it takes me often long time to get in to sleep and sometime I stay awake whole nights if I am anxious. This medicine works very well most nights. It makes me sleepy, and I get in to sleep sooner and sleep better. But does not work if I am very worried or anxious about something.” – Anonymous.
“I get a deep sleep pattern from this product. It is so great it only took three days to work. No drowsiness in the morning. I have tried many different things. This combination really works. The quality is awesome. The feeling you get from this product is sleepy after just 30 minutes.” – Trudy L.
“Helped at first, but it stopped working.” – Armando A.
How Much Does It Cost?
Let’s chat about the price. Performance Lab Sleep will set you back $44.00 USD for each bottle. But what does this mean, really?
The recommended dosage is 2-4 capsules 30 minutes before bedtime. This means that a single bottle can last anywhere from 15 to 30 days, depending on your personal dosage.
When broken down, the cost per day can range from $1.47 to $2.93, which may be a small price to pay for a good night’s sleep.
Also, it’s worth mentioning that Performance Lab offers a 30-day performance promise.
If you don’t see results within 30 days, they promise to refund your money. This guarantee provides a safety net for your investment, allowing you to try the product risk-free. It’s not bad, right?
Frequently Asked Questions
This sleep supplement is for anyone who needs help getting a good night’s sleep. It’s especially useful if you’re dealing with sleep problems due to stress, muscle tension, or mood swings. Plus, if you’re an active person, it can help your body recover while you sleep.
It’s pretty simple – just take 2 to 4 capsules half an hour before you go to bed. And remember, consistency is key. So, make sure you take it every day for the best results.
Absolutely! Like all Performance Lab® supplements, this sleep aid is designed to be safe for daily use.
It’s made with pure, potent ingredients and doesn’t contain any GMOs, gluten, soy, colorants, preservatives, or other additives.
NutriGenesis is a Performance Lab nutrition technology innovation: Vitamins, minerals, and amino acids grown in live cultures at their state-of-the-art lab.
Its nutrients offer significant advantages over standard nutrient forms and are bioengineered to be safe, active, and highly effective for overall health and performance.
Yes, as you can see from the brand’s official website, Sleep is suitable for vegans. Its capsules are plant-based, made from pullulan (fermented tapioca), and its core ingredients are also vegan-friendly.
Don’t worry, Performance Lab® has a 30-day performance promise. If you don’t see any results within 30 days, they’ll give you your money back. This applies to one container of any of their products, up to a maximum of three products per order. Just remember to return any unused boxes.
Is Performance Lab’s Sleep Worth It?
Following an in-depth look at the ingredient list and a personal trial run, I can say Sleep does offer some degree of sleep enhancement.
It wasn’t a game-changer for my late-night tendencies, but it did provide support as I tried to improve my sleep routine.
If you’re on the lookout for a tool to help modify poor sleep patterns, this could be worth considering. However, do bear in mind that everyone is different and your journey with this product may not mirror mine.
And this could likely apply to every sleep aid formula you might come across.
Editor’s note: The content on this website is meant to be informative, but it should not be taken as medical advice. The content of our articles is not intended for use in the diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. It’s always best to speak with your doctor or a certified medical professional before making any changes to your lifestyle, diet, exercise routine, or trying a new supplement.
