Sleep is more vital than you might think. We all need quality sleep. Insomnia and sleep disorders are significant health concerns affecting individuals around the world which can result in fatigue, attention deficits, mood instability, anxiety, and depression. A reduction in the hippocampal volume, daytime cortical gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels, and recruitment of the caudate nucleus are all associated with insomnia. This causes overactivity of the arousal, emotion regulating, and cognitive systems which could lead to insomnia
There are many conventional medications used for sleep/ These include clonezepam, ambien, lunesta, trazadone and gabapentum. There are many herbal treatments for sleep as CBD, valerian, california poppy, skullcap, and much more. Recently an article was published by the American Botanical Council HerbalGram on Saffron (Crocus sativus, Iridaceae)
The study showed positive or beneficial results on sleep. “ The authors conclude that saffron extract supplementation led to an improvement in sleep quality after six weeks. Since the study only included individuals with mild to moderate chronic primary sleep disorder with a specific dosage of saffron, they state that it would be beneficial to perform more studies on different dosages of saffron to better understand its mechanism”
To review the whole article either use the information below. It is best to join the American Botanical Council. I believe every ND should join the ABC.
Pachikian BD, Copine S, Suchareau M, Deldicque L. Effects of saffron extract on sleep quality: A randomized double-blind controlled clinical trial. Nutrients. April 2021;13(5):1473. doi:10.3390/nu13051473