The Midnight Olympics. Where Do I Fit?

Dr. Owen Wiseman, ND
Medical Advisor / Conseiller Médical

Sleep advice is everywhere, and chances are you've tried... well... just about everything. One swipe through social media and someone is telling you to "just drink chamomile tea." The next promises the perfect bedtime routine in 30 seconds. While I'm always happy to enjoy a good cup of tea before bed, it's hard to believe there's a one-size-fits-all solution for nearly 8.3 billion people, let alone the almost 92,000 who call Victoria home.

The Burnt-Out Brain

Modern lifestyles keep our nervous system switched on. Work deadlines, family responsibilities, finances, grocery prices, and endless notifications drawing on our attention reserves1,2. Our brains are permanently stuck in “go mode,” despite the body providing very clear signals that it might be time to put your feet up. 

When burnout is the main culprit, it’s worth turning towards Avenaforce which acts like a gentle hug for your overworked nervous system. Fresh flowering oat has traditionally been used for folks who feel mentally “fried” after prolonged periods of stress. Rather than making you feel sleep, it helps to calm the background noise of a constantly switched on mind, even helping to improve cognition3,4.

Sometimes, the stress is all-consuming and digs into a restorative sleep. Maybe you’re going through some turbulent family troubles, or you’ve started to notice your once-energetic furry friend slowing down. Whatever the reason, it’s impacting your ability to turn off. This is when you reach for something stronger, like California Poppy. Compounds in the plant interact with multiple receptors in the brain to calm both body and mind and bring you a restful slumber.5 And yes, if California Poppy sounds familiar, you may remember The Wizard of Oz, where Dorothy and her friends wander into a field of poppies and suddenly become overwhelmingly sleepy. Thankfully, the real plant doesn't work quite that dramatically OR need flying monkeys…but perhaps the writers knew something about its calming reputation after all.

Do you Ever Stop Talking?

We’ve all experienced a chattery brain and scientists even have a term for it! Meet your pre-sleep cognitive arousal.6 It’s a state where the brain remains engaged and active even though the body is ready to sleep. As external distractors disappear, the mind naturally turns inward to review the day’s memories and solve problems that came up. Not to mention planning for tomorrow. This is where calming tinctures like Passion Flower may help. It supports the activity of GABA which is the brains primary ‘shhhhhh’ neurotransmitter.7 Taking this as part of your evening routine can help combat that pre-sleep cognitive arousal, while taking it during the morning or daytime can help you better manage your reaction to stressors. 

Carrying around a bottle of herbal tincture everywhere you go isn’t the easiest way to take this stressbuster with you. That’s why Relax Spray is also an option. The same calming Passion Flower is available in a quick, portable spray that fits easily into your pocket, purse, carry-on, backpack, you name it! Perfect for those moments when life suddenly becomes a little overwhelming.

For a More Comprehensive Approach

Sometimes your mind is relatively calm, but you can’t make the jump from awake to asleep. For these nights, GoodNight! supports your body’s own sleep chemistry. It combines a relatively novel ingredient in Canada – lettuce extract – with lemon balm, magnesium, and L-tryptophan, an amino acid your body converts into serotonin and eventually, melatonin.8 This intentionally formulated combo helps to regulate your sleep-wake cycle at every stage. Best of all, it comes in convenient sachets. Just tear one open, pour the granules directly into your mouth. No water required, and let the bedtime routine begin.

If You Need Something Stronger

Finally, you can look towards Deep Sleep which combines fresh hops and valerian, two botanicals used to promote some zzz’s. If hops sound familiar, it’s because they’re one of the foundational ingredients in beer. Ever notice how you can feel sleepy after a pint or three? While alcohol itself can shatter sleep architecture, hops helps calm the system without the downside of the nightcap. 

Combined with valerian, you end up with a pairing that is better together. In the most recent review of the research, the researchers conclude that, “…valerian could be a safe and useful herb alone and also in combination in treating sleep problems…”9

Finding the Right One

Whether it's chronic stress, an overactive mind, difficulty falling asleep, or simply needing a little extra support through a busy season of life, matching the solution to the reason you're awake is the key to it all.

And here in Victoria, we're fortunate to have one of nature's best sleep prescriptions right outside our front door. A sunset walk along Dallas Road or an evening stroll through Beacon Hill Park can help reinforce your body's natural circadian rhythm. Pair healthy sleep habits with the right herbal support, and you might just discover that the best night's sleep you've had in years was waiting for you all along.

References:
1. Satani, Abhijeet, et al. "Modern Day High: The Neurocognitive Impact of Social Media Usage." Cureus 17.7 (2025).
2. Mattson, Mark P. "Lifelong brain health is a lifelong challenge: from evolutionary principles to empirical evidence." Ageing Research Reviews 20 (2015): 37-45.
3. Jibril, Aliyu Tijani, et al. "Effect of Avena sativa (Oats) on cognitive function: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials." Clinical Nutrition ESPEN 53 (2023): 144-150.
4. Kennedy, David O., et al. "Acute and chronic effects of green oat (Avena sativa) extract on cognitive function and mood during a laboratory stressor in healthy adults: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in healthy humans." Nutrients 12.6 (2020): 1598.
5. Becker, Annette, Yasuyuki Yamada, and Fumihiko Sato. "California poppy (Eschscholzia californica), the Papaveraceae golden girl model organism for evodevo and specialized metabolism." Frontiers in Plant Science 14 (2023): 1084358.
6. Lemyre, Alexandre, et al. "Pre-sleep cognitive activity in adults: A systematic review." Sleep Medicine Reviews 50 (2020): 101253.
7. Harit, Mahesh Kumar, et al. "Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical study of Passiflora incarnata in participants with stress and sleep problems." Cureus 16.3 (2024): e56530.
8. Höglund, Erik, Øyvind Øverli, and Svante Winberg. "Tryptophan metabolic pathways and brain serotonergic activity: a comparative review." Frontiers in Endocrinology 10 (2019): 435368.
9. Shinjyo, Noriko, Guy Waddell, and Julia Green. "Valerian root in treating sleep problems and associated disorders—a systematic review and meta-analysis." Journal of Evidence Based Integrative Medicine 25 (2020): 2515690X20967323.