400mg Valerian - Valerian, derived from the Valeriana officinalis plant, has been used for centuries as a natural relaxant. It contains valerenic acid, which studies have shown helps calm the mind and promote relaxation. By reducing tension and anxiety, valerian can help in supporting a good night's sleep. This is actually a good ingredient with high dosage, most studies show it can be effective from 2-300mg, but 400 is within the clinically tested range. So a great start for insomnitol. [1]
Passion Flower 150mg - Passion flower contains flavonoids, which have been shown to reduce anxiety and in some studies to improve sleep quality, however, Passion flower has a range of side effects, needs to be dosed higher and is one of the less consistent sleep aid ingredients when studied. Not the best inclusion for a premium tier sleep aid. [2]
Lemon Balm 150mg - Lemon balm contains rosmarinic acid, which helps reduce stress and promote relaxation, it's OK, there's a reasonable amount of backing to suggest that the dosage in Insomnitol is adequate. And all in all it's an OK ingredient. [3]
German Chamomile 150mg - Chamomile is one of those ingredients we see in a lot of sleep supplements, but it isn't actually effective despite conventional wisdom. The problem is that it has been shown to work in a tea form, but it seems that it's partially a societical placebo effect, much like oysters for "other issues". That and the practice of simply having a warm drink before bed tends to help sleep. When tested in herbal supplement chamomile has been shown to have mixed efficacy, and the studies that showed it to be effective had substantially more than 150mg. [4]
GABA 100mg - Insomnitol features PharmaGABAâ„¢, a proprietary form of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). PharmaGABA is a naturally manufactured form of GABA, which claims to be more effective than synthetic forms. There isn't really a whole lot to that claim, but it is about 10-15% more bioavailable. 100mg is within the effective dosage range, but it is at the bottom end. GABA is your bodies precursor to producing melatonin (the sleep hormone) generally it's good to mix with melatonin, which is also in insomnitol, as it kicks in a little later, helping you stay asleep. So it's not bad at all as an inclusion, but other sleep aids at this price point offer 3 times both the GABA and melatonin dose which we'll come onto shortly. [5]
L-Theanine 100mg - Once again we're at the very bottom of the effective range, this really needs to be 200mg for most people. L-Theanine is an amino acid found in green tea. It has been clinically proven to reduce stress and improve the quality of sleep. L-Theanine enhances the production of calming neurotransmitters, such as GABA and serotonin, promoting a relaxed state of mind and facilitating restful sleep. But, again, other sleep aids at this price point offer the full 200mg along with the rest of the ingredients we've covered. [6]
Melatonin 3mg - Melatonin is a hormone naturally produced by the body that helps regulate sleep-wake cycles. Its production peaks at night and signals to the body that it's time to sleep. However, melatonin production can decline with age, leading to sleep difficulties. Insomnitol includes melatonin to support healthy sleep patterns and improve overall sleep quality. Melatonin is a good ingredeint, but again, 3mg is on the low side of a dosage, and we've seen better. It won't be effective for people who are used to taking melatonin and possibly even larger adults in general. [7]
5-HTP 100mg - This is a good dosage, it's not perfect, but 150mg is good. 5-HTP is a precursor to serotonin, a neurotransmitter that plays a vital role in regulating mood and sleep. By increasing serotonin levels, 5-HTP supports the production of melatonin, further enhancing sleep quality and duration. [8]
Pyridoxal-5-Phosphate (B6) - Insomnitol contains pyridoxal-5-phosphate, the fancy way of saying vitamin B6. This essential nutrient is involved in the conversion of 5-HTP to serotonin. And your body doesn't store it so you do need to get enough of it every day, this is a pretty standard inclusion for good sleep aids. [9]
All in all Insomnitol isn't bad, but if we compare it to the number 1 rated sleep aid RestAgain which costs the same as Insomnitol, but has the correct doses of the ingredients we highlighted as well as half a dozen more there isn't really much competition.
References
1 - https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/valerian
2 - https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/passionflower
3 - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4245564/
4 - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2995283/
5 - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7527439/
6 - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6836118/
7 - https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/melatonin-what-you-need-to-know
8 - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7796270/
9 - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29665762/