So, this one was sitting around the office for a while, as whilst we do have one or two team members who have had issues with insomnia over the years, we had to wait for someone to have the issue again to give it a go. This meant it was Jean who ended up doing the test. Now, typically speaking his normal go to when he's having sleep issues is to take Melatonin, Gaba and diphenhydramine, which is a drowsy over the counter antihistamine like ZZZquil). Alternatively he goes for RestAagain and ​diphenhydramine when he's got access to the combined supplement. We can say that the test didn't last very long, as after 3 nights of Dr Teals Sleep Spray having no effect at all Jean was insufferable and we all agreed it was best if he went back to his normal sleep aid. In short, Dr Teals didn't achieve very much. He did say his pillow smelled nice, which he liked, but that was about it.
It is available from Amazon, Walmart or the Dr Teal Website.
About the only benefit to Dr Teals Sleep Spray is that there is functionally no risk of side effects.
Melatonin
Melatonin is a sleep hormone naturally produced by the pineal gland in the brain of all human beings, which is vital for the effective maintenance of healthy sleep wake cycles.
Keeping the melatonin level in your body at a sufficient level will make it much easier to fall asleep quick at night, enhance your sleep quality, and ensure you stay asleep longer and then wake up feeling bright and refreshed each and every morning.
Unfortunately, many people will develop low melatonin levels over time, as the body's natural production of melatonin can be impaired by a variety of different things.
For example, even simple mistakes in your sleep routine like trying to fall asleep somewhere that is too bright can severely hinder both your sleep quality and ability to fall asleep.
In fact, melatonin deficiencies are among the most frequent problems found in studies done on people suffering from insomnia and a variety of other similar sleep disorders (1).
This would normally make taking melatonin supplements one of the best and most popular ways for people suffering from these sorts of issues to try and achieve a relaxing night's sleep.
There are a number of issues with Teal's Sleep Spray With Melatonin & Essential Oils that mean it is highly unlikely to produce these effects though.
Firstly, for melatonin supplements to work, they need to contain at least 5 mg of melatonin in each dose.
While Dr Teals Sleep Spray does not mention the quantities of any of the ingredients that it includes (which is always a red flag), the fact that melatonin is listed quite some way down on the ingredients list makes it highly unlikely it will contain enough to be of any use.
Then there is the fact that this is a room spray, rather than something you ingest. This means that your body will only actually be absorbing a small amount of the melatonin that is present anyway.
Put all of this together and, despite melatonin being a great supplement to help you get to sleep land, the way it is used in Dr Teals Sleep Spray With Melatonin & Essential Oils is unlikely to offer any real sleep support or treat, cure, or prevent any sleep disorders.
Epsom Salts
Epsom salts are a compound made from a mixture of magnesium, sulphur, and oxygen, which must usually consist of at least 10% magnesium. They are beginning to be put in some topical sleep supplements, such as several sprays and ointments, due to claims it helps regulate sleep.
There are studies which show that epsom salts can reduce stress and anxiety, help you to feel relaxed, and make falling asleep easier, all of which will lead to a better night's sleep.
Beyond their direct effect on sleep, epsom salts can also enhance muscle healing and recovery, soothe aching bones, joints, and muscles, heal damaged skin, draw foreign particles out of a wound, ease constipation, and boost the functions of the nerves and digestive system.
The problem is, while many of the benefits of epsom salts can be delivered by topical products, such as sprays, the ability to improve sleep or digestion have only ever been proven in oral use.
This means, while its presence in Dr Teal's Sleep Spray With Melatonin & Essential Oils may very well be able to offer some benefits, it is unlikely to achieve its main functions, which are making falling asleep easier and helping to improve sleep quality (2).
Lavender Essential Oils
Lavender essential oils are extracted from the flower of the popular purple, flowering plant in the mint family that is well known for its beautiful scent.
Native to both the Mediterranean and parts of western Asia, lavender essential oils have long been used in traditional medicines due to their supposed aromatherapy and healing properties, and it has started to become a popular ingredient in many cosmetic products.
Lavender essential oils are best known for their relaxation and calming properties, and for having the ability produce a mild sedative effect.
This allows them to boost the restfulness of your sleep, combat mild sleep disturbances, and even reduce tension and soreness in the muscles and joints.
However, while lavender essential oils can be effective at helping you sleep when they are sprayed near your bed, they will only do so if you are improving the other areas of your sleep hygiene as well (3).
This means optimising your sleep schedule, making sure you don't fall asleep in areas that are too bright, and ensuring that you are both comfortable and have not eaten any of the wrong foods too recently before you went to bed.
So, while the lavender essential oils that are present in Dr Teal's Sleep Spray With Melatonin & Essential Oils will benefit your sleep to some degree, it will only have a modest effect and will require you to completely overhaul your usual sleep schedule to produce any notable results.
Chamomile Essential Oils
Chamomile essential oils are extracted directly from the flowers of the yellow and white chamomile flowering plant that is native to dry fields in Europe and the Americas.
Chamomile is known to offer benefits such as helping to soothe sore muscles, making mentally and physically relaxing easier, and reliving spasms and inflammation.
The benefits of chamomile essential oils are produced due to the presence of a chemical known as apigenin, which has been proven to reduce stress and anxiety and help you to experience a calm sensation.
This not only helps regulate sleep by making it easier to both fall asleep and stay asleep, but it also prevents conditions that are proven to stop you from getting restful sleep, such as inflammation and digestion (4).
The issue is, to produce any of these effects, you have to ingest 1.1 to 15 grams of chamomile extract each day, which is likely more than is present in each dose. Worse still is the fact that there is no conclusive proof that using it in a topical form, such as a chamomile sleep spray, works.
This means the presence of chamomile essential oils in Dr Teal's Sleep Spray is unlikely to benefit your sleep quality or duration, and will probably do nothing more than offer a very nice soothing scent.
Patchouli Oil
Patchouli oil is extracted from the dried leaves and stems of the aromatic flowering plant in the mint family of the same name. It is best known for its anti inflammatory, anti fungal, and anti bacterial properties.
These allow patchouli oil to be used to help with a variety of skin conditions, including dry or cracking skin, treat colds, headaches, and stomach aches, relieve pains and injuries, improve digestion and hair and joint quality, and even supress your appetite and promote weight loss.
Patchouli oil will also sometimes be put in sleep supplements, due to claims that it can reduce stress and anxiety, relieve depression, make relaxing easier, and promote a sedative effect, all of which typically guarantees a restful night's sleep and well regulated sleep wake cycles.
Unfortunately, while some of its effects on the skin have been proven, no studies have ever been able to show that patchouli oil actually improves the sleep that you get each night (5).
This means that its inclusion in a product like Dr Teal's Sleep Spray With Melatonin & Essential Oils is almost guaranteed to be of absolutely no use.
Resources:
1. ​https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/melatonin-what-you-need-to-know
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1584988/
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4505755/
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2995283/
5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21287406/