We gave primal sleep to two of our testers, and it faired pretty much as we'd have expected based on the ingredients list. Both testers reported that it did not work as well as their usual sleep aids, and when taken as described on the bottle resulted in little to no effect whatsoever the tester who was used to a higher dose of melatonin. As for our second tester, they simply stated that it did not work, and noted slightly more vivid dreams.
For the most part Primal Sleep is safe. As mentioned in the customer review sections there are some known primal sleep side effects which come from melatonin or valerian, most commonly vivid dreams or mild nausea. It is possible for higher doses of melatonin to cause daytime grogginess, but this is unlikely due to the low dose in primal sleep. However, please consult your physician if you're taking any other medications especially if it's related to blood pressure as there are known interactions with melatonin.
Valerian Root 150mg - Even at a 4:1 extract which is pretty standard we'd be looking for a slightly higher amount of valerian root for it to be in it's most effective range of 600mg as these sorts of extracts simply aren't as bioavailable so the 4:1 comes out more like 400mg. Although this should still have an impact for better sleep quality. [3] it's not a bad sleep aid, but the dose in the primal sleep supplement isn't quite as high as we'd like even if it's one of the better ingredients in here. There are enough studies that back it's use in general, and these say it works best after being taken consistently for a week or so. It does also have evidence to suggest it helps with mental health and anxiety reduction. And it is within the effective range for this as a concentrated extract. Good ingredient, but done better in other supplements.
L-Tryptophan 100mg - L Tryptophan is a precursor for serotonin, and it is a good ingredient for a sleep aid in that it's been shown to reduce insomnia in multiple clinical trials, the catch is that the dosing was 1-4grams, 10-40 times the amount in primal sleep supplements meaning once again we have an under dosed and thus ineffective ingredient. [4] Generally speaking 5htp is a better alternative for combined sleep supplements as it is similarly effective, but requires a much lower dose, 150mg meaning it requires less capsule space. The catch is that it's more expensive, meaning that Primal Sleep have likely taken the cheaper option here.
GABA 100mg - This one is OK, it is at the bottom end of the effective dosage for sleep, which is something we seem to be saying a lot in our primal sleep review, but it should still work. GABA is the precursor to our body's natural production of the important sleep hormone melatonin. It's one of the ingredients that we expect to see in any good sleep aid, it will help you fall asleep more quickly and stay asleep. Generally, it works best when taken for at least a week 30 mins to an hour before bed. [1]
Chamomile Extracts 100mg - Chamomile tea has been shown to help people fall asleep in numerous trails, however, this was only in people who did not suffer from insomnia, and it was found to have no effect on people who do suffer with sleep issues. There is less evidence to back that it works at all when taken in pill form. That said the small amount of research that there has been on Chamomile promoting restful sleep had it dosed at 10x the amount in Primal Sleep. [5]
Lemon Balm Extract 100mg - Lemon balm extract simply doesn't work at this low dose either, we're starting to feel like a broken record, the only study to show that lemon balm did do anything for insomnia, was only in patients who's insomnia was rooted in anxiety and the dose was 500mg or 1000mg, not the 100mg that we have in primal sleep. Once again, nice idea, ineffective execution. [6]
Hops Extract 50mg - As we already mentioned in the intro, this is nowhere near enough hops extract to have any benefits from the dietary supplement, in larger doses it has been shown to promote natural sleep and is particularly effective at helping people stay asleep. Although as we've stated you need 20 - 40 times as much as the dose in Primal Sleep. [7]
Lavender extract 50mg - Lavender extract dose absolutely nothing when consumed orally, the evidence to support lavender working as a sleep aid is solely down to it's scent. Which as you'd expect isn't particularly applicable if you're consuming it in pill form. All studies that tested it orally have shown it had no benefit against a placebo. [8]
Melatonin 3mg - This is the bottom end of the effective range for melatonin, although it is the most potent over the counter sleep aid, which is where the only positive comes from in most primal sleep reviews, it will help you get to sleep faster. It even typically works within about 30 mins to an hour as melatonin is the hormone that tells your body it's time to go to sleep. It's a good inclusion, but it's at the bottom end of dosing, if you're a hyper responder, or it's your first time with any sort of sleep aid supplement then it should be reasonably effective, but it's more for helping you get to sleep than maintaining a deep sleep even if it does benefit that a little. [9]
Magnesium Bisglysinate Chalate 100mg - The fact is that magnesium bisglysinate is a good ingredient, but you need at least 200mg of magnesium for it to be effective and the total content in this compound is 14mg. It's highly bioavailable, which is good if you're taking it as a standalone supplement, but the dose in primal sleep will do nothing to help you get a good night's sleep. [10]
Resources:
1 - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7527439/
2 - https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Magnesium-glycinate
3 - https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Valerian-HealthProfessional/
4 - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2908021/
5 - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2995283/
6 - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4245564/
7 - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22849837/
8 - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4505755/
9 - https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/melatonin-what-you-need-to-know
10 - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23853635/