DAY 14

Person sleeping with an eye mask, text overlay about plant medicine for better sleep.

Key takeaways

Hops Flower Extract: Reduces anxiety and improves sleep quality. Works best with valerian root.

Valerian Root: Promotes relaxation, reduces time to fall asleep, and improves sleep quality.

Today, we’re exploring two powerful herbal ingredients that play a key role in helping you achieve better, more restorative sleep: hops flower extract and valerian root. These time-tested botanicals have been used for centuries in traditional medicine across various cultures to promote relaxation, ease tension, calm the nervous system, and improve overall sleep quality. Modern research continues to support their effectiveness, especially when used together.

In MDsleep, these ingredients are carefully formulated to work synergistically—enhancing each other’s calming properties to help you fall asleep more easily and stay asleep longer, without the grogginess that often comes with conventional sleep medications. As a natural alternative, they offer gentle yet effective support for your sleep cycle, making it easier for your body and mind to wind down at night and wake up feeling refreshed.

Let’s take a closer look at how these plant-based ingredients work, why they’re so effective, and how incorporating them into your routine can help you create a more peaceful, balanced sleep experience.

Person sleeping with eye mask, text overlay about plant medicine for better sleep.

Key takeaways

Hops Flower Extract: Reduces anxiety and improves sleep quality. Works best with valerian root.

Valerian Root: Promotes relaxation, reduces time to fall asleep, and improves sleep quality.

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Hops Flower Extract

Hops (Humulus lupulus) is primarily known for its role in brewing beer, where the female flowers provide flavor and preserve the beer. However, hops has also been used for centuries as a powerful sleep aid. This was first discovered when workers cultivating hops were noticed to fall asleep on the job, despite the work being no more physically demanding than other agricultural tasks.

Recent studies have confirmed hops’ role in improving sleep. When ingested, hops have been shown to reduce anxiety and improve sleep quality. Additionally, hops can lower core body temperature, creating a physiological environment conducive to sleep.

While hops alone may offer mild improvements to sleep, it works even more effectively when combined with valerian root. Together, they provide a potent remedy for insomnia.
Note: Hops should be avoided if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have depression, or are scheduled for surgery, as it may interact with anesthetics.

Valerian Root Extract

Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) is one of the most well-researched herbal sleep aids. It has a strong sedative effect and helps stimulate the production of GABA, a neurotransmitter that promotes relaxation and helps you fall asleep faster.

Studies show that valerian root reduces anxiety, shortens sleep latency (the time it takes to fall asleep), and improves sleep quality. It’s also effective at reducing night-time disturbances, enhancing restfulness, and increasing sleep duration.

Hops and valerian root extracts with dark capsules on a white background.

Doctors Are In: Pharmaceuticals vs. Plant-Based Medicine

Many people seek pharmaceutical sleep aids, but plant-based remedies like hops and valerian offer a natural alternative. Unlike synthetic medications, these herbs work with your body’s natural processes to improve sleep quality without the side effects often associated with prescription sleep drugs.