AOR Ortho-Sleep Sale | Extra Discounts 5-10%

GABA, L-Theanine,Suntheanine, L-5-Hydroxytryptophan, Melatonin. AOR Ortho Sleep was formulated to be the most comprehensively powerful natural sleep-aid available. AOR Ortho Sleep ingredients have been clinically proven to reduce the latency and increase the quality of sleep.

AOR Ortho Sleep 60 Vegi-Caps AOR04186

AOR Ortho Sleep SUPPLEMENT FACTS:
Serving Size: 2 Capsules

GABA (Gamma Aminobutyric Acid)	100mg
L-Theanine (Suntheanine^TM)*	200mg
L-5-Hydroxytryptophan (Griffonia Seed)	100mg
Melatonin	3mg
Valerian Root (0.8% Valerenic acid)	150mg
Passionflower (3.5% Vitexin)	32mg
CYRACOS^TM (lemon balm extract)	300mg

Non-medicinal ingredients: Capsule; hypromellose, sorbitol, silicon dioxide, water
* Suntheanine is a registered trademark of Taiyo International, Inc.
CYRACOS is a registered trademark of Naturex, Inc.

AOR guarantees that no ingredients not listed on the label have been added to AOR Ortho Sleep. Contains no wheat, gluten, corn, nuts, soy, eggs, dairy, fish or shellfish.

AOR Ortho Sleep Suggested Use
Take 1-2 capsules before bedtime or as directed by a qualified health care practitioner.

Main Applications of AOR Ortho Sleep

Insomnia
Promotes Sleep and Relaxation

Source of AOR Ortho Sleep
Multi-Source

AOR Ortho Sleep During Pregnancy / Nursing
Do not use Ortho Sleep if pregnant or nursing.

Cautions
Do not use AOR Ortho Sleep if taking immuno suppressive drugs. Do not drive or use machinery for 5 hours after taking OrthoSleep.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Sleep - Essential but Neglected
Rest is just as important as work. No one can achieve their full potential at work or school if the resources upon which that potential relies cannot replenish themselves. Even the benefits of a healthy diet and exercise are severely compromised (and the latter can even become detrimental) without the re-charging of the biological batteries that only quality sleep can provide. However, insomnia - as a symptom of modern stress - plagues about one in seven people at any given time, and most people will endure at least a temporary bout of some type of sleep disorder at least once in their lifetime. In addition to impaired cognitive and physical performance, insomnia can also lead to depression, increased accident risk and even heart disease.

Sleep is regulated by the body's internal clock, which keeps track of light levels, the time of day and other important cues for sleep and awakening. There are two primary types of sleep; REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, which is dreaming sleep, and Non-REM sleep, which consists of four stages of progressively deeper sleep, all of which precede REM sleep. While all sleep stages are important, stages III and IV of deep sleep and REM sleep are especially vital.

Many people have trouble sleeping or have disrupted sleep patterns. People suffering from insomnia spend less time in deeper levels of sleep, wake up more often, and experience a reduction in REM sleep. In addition to stress, insomnia can be caused by a variety of other factors, including anxiety, poor diet, or a disruption of the body's internal clock - such as jet lag, all-night study sessions, or changing work hours.

Neurotransmitters
Neurotransmitters are the key to sleep regulation. These chemicals are like tiny messengers in the brain, transmitting signals from one neuron to another and modulating a huge number of functions in the human body, including sleep. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (or GABA) is the most important inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain. GABA acts like a "brake" during times of stress or anxiety, regulating brain excitability and inducing relaxation. GABA receptors are highly concentrated in the hypothalamus; the region of the brain associated with sleep. GABA is effective against insomnia, and has been shown to affect the brain directly, increasing α-brain waves (those associated with relaxation) and reducing β-brain waves (those associated with anxiety and stress). In a small, unpublished study, GABA supplementation reduced sleep latency (transition time from wakefulness to stage I of Non-REM sleep) by 20%, and increased the time spent in late-stage deep sleep by another 20%.

Serotonin and melatonin are also key neurotransmitters. Melatonin is produced by the pineal gland in the brain, and it controls the body's internal clock. Melatonin has been shown to increase sleep time and reduce the time it takes to fall asleep. It can also help to reset the body's sleep-wake cycle, a benefit to those suffering from jet lag or a similar disruption. Supplemental melatonin's effects on sleep are extensive and well documented. One study with delayed sleep-phase insomniacs reduced sleep latency times by an average of 115 minutes. Supplemental melatonin is particularly well-researched with respect to dealing with disruptions in the body's internal clock, such as jet lag and shift work, with no fewer than 10 clinical studies demonstrating it's ability to resynchronize the body's altered circadian rhythms governing sleep.

Serotonin is essential for sleep modulation in its own right, and can also be converted by the body into melatonin. 5-HTP is (L)5-hyrdoxytryptophan, a metabolite of the amino acid tryptophan and a precursor to serotonin and melatonin. 5-HTP boosts serotonin levels, and can also increase REM and deep sleep phases, making sleep more restful. Supplemental 5-HTP has been successfully studied for the treatment of a number of conditions, including mood balance, chronic fatigue, and migraines. Studies examining its positive effects on sleep go back to the early 1970's, and a recent study revealed that 5-HTP supplementation was able to reduce the number of sleep-terror episodes in children by nearly 84%.

Other Natural Sleep Aids:

L-Theanine
L-Theanine is a non-essential amino acid found in green tea, and is responsible for the attribute known as ‘relaxed alertness' that is associated with this famous eastern beverage. It can act directly on the brain, influencing brain wave patterns in a similar fashion to GABA, and also indirectly by stimulating GABA production. Supplemental L-theanine is also known to reduce anxiety by increasing α-brain waves, which the brain produces in significant quantities only in states of effortless and relaxed alertness. This is precisely the kind of state that precedes stage I sleep.

Valerian
Valerian root (from the genus Valeriana with sub-species located worldwide) has been used for millennia in the traditional folk remedies of a wide range of cultures (from ancient China to ancient Greece) to promote calmness, relaxation and sleep. Valerian root contains essential oils which provide most of its sedative effect, while fractions known as valepotriates add a regulatory inhibiting effect on the central nervous system. There are about 150 other constituents of GABA, a great many of which act synergistically to account for Valerian's overall efficacy, which includes the stimulation of GABA. There are several placebo-controlled human studies attesting to Valerian's effectiveness against insomnia, particularly via the reduction of sleep latency and the improvement in sleep quality. These studies were also fairly large and spanned a wide range of age groups from both genders, with one study conducted among 128 test subjects where the greatest benefit was for self-described "poor sleepers".

Passionflower
Passionflower, or Passiflora incarnate L., is officially listed as a sleep aid in the monographs of the European Medicines Agency (an EU organization) as well as the National Heath Products Directorate (a division within Health Canada). Curiously, this is in spite of the fact that clinical studies with this product pertain mainly to anxiety and only in combination with other substances. Its ability to achieve such prominent recognition in spite of this is testament to the strength of passionflower's reputation in traditional medicine and preventative health circles. In one non-randomized clinical trial, 20 patients with psychosomatic disorders were administered with either a passionflower/valerian root combination or the neuroleptic drug Propaphenin®. While the latter required six weeks to reduce cranial hyperactivity (using EEG brain mapping), the passionflower/valerian root extract combination did so in two. This led the scientists to conclude that "the combination product containing P. incarnata was more efficient than Propaphenin®" and "has a remarkable position as an ‘herbal sedative' in the OTC market." These observations can easily be carried over to have a clear effect on reducing sleep latency and to a lesser extent on improving sleep quality.

Lemon Balm

Melissa officinalis L, commonly known as lemon balm, is classified as a sleep aid in the monographs of the British, European (EU) and German Commission E Pharmacopeias as well as in the compendium of the Natural Health Products Directorate of Health Canada. With roots originating in the folk medicine traditions of southern Europe, lemon balm - like passionflower - has demonstrated its greatest efficacy when used with other herbal extracts. At least half a dozen human studies, mainly in combination with valerian root, have examined lemon balm's effects on various sleep disorders - with consistently positive results. In one multicentre, double-blind, placebo-controlled study among 98 healthy volunteers with minor sleep disorders, 33.3% of the study group reported an improvement in sleep quality vs. 9.4% of the placebo group. In another multicentre trial (this one being open), 225 patients with difficulties falling asleep, staying asleep, and experiencing states of nervous agitation participated. After taking the lemon balm-containing combination for 2 weeks, 89% saw improvements in falling asleep, 80% saw improvements in staying asleep, and 82% experienced ameliorations in nervous agitation.

AOR Ortho-Sleep was specifically formulated to be the most comprehensively powerful natural sleep aid available. It's potency is designed to effectively address short-term sleep disorders due to anxiety, stress, and/or a disruption of the body's internal clock due to such factors as shift work and/or jetlag. Due to it's unprecedented potency, AOR Ortho-Sleep must only be used as directed.

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), Monograph
Altern Med Rev. 2007 Sep;12(3):274-9.

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA ) is a major neurotransmitter widely distributed throughout the central nervous system (CNS). Because too much excitation can lead to irritability, restlessness, insomnia, seizures, and movement disorders, it must be balanced with inhibition. GABA - the most important inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain - provides this inhibition, acting like a brake during times of runaway stress. Medications for anxiety, such as benzodiazepines, stimulate GABA receptors and induce relaxation. Either low GABA levels or decreased GABA function in the brain is associated with several psychiatric and neurological disorders, including anxiety, depression, insomnia, and epilepsy. Studies indicate GABA can improve relaxation and enhance sleep. Both synthetic and natural GABA are available as dietary supplements in the United States. Natural GABA is produced via a fermentation process that utilizes Lactobacillus hilgardii - the bacteria used to ferment vegetables in the preparation of the traditional Korean dish known as kimchi.
Sleep-inducing effects of low doses of melatonin ingested in the evening
Clin Pharmacol Ther. 1995 May;57(5):552-8.
Zhdanova IV, Wurtman RJ, Lynch HJ, Ives JR, Dollins AB, Morabito C, Matheson JK, Schomer DL

We previously observed that low oral doses of melatonin given at noon increase blood melatonin concentrations to those normally occurring nocturnally and facilitate sleep onset, as assessed using and involuntary muscle relaxation test. In this study we examined the induction of polysomnographically recorded sleep by similar doses given later in the evening, close to the times of endogenous melatonin release and habitual sleep onset. Volunteers received the hormone (oral doses of 0.3 or 1.0 mg) or placebo at 6, 8, or 9 PM. Latencies to sleep onset, to stage 2 sleep, and to rapid eye movement (REM) sleep were measured polysomnographically. Either dose given at any of the three time points decreased sleep onset latency and latency to stage 2 sleep. Melatonin did not suppress REM sleep or delay its onset. Most volunteers could clearly distinguish between the effects of melatonin and those of placebo when the hormone was tested at 6 or 8 PM. Neither melatonin dose induced "hangover" effects, as assessed with mood and performance tests administered on the morning after treatment. These data provide new evidence that nocturnal melatonin secretion may be involved in physiologic sleep onset and that exogenous melatonin may be useful in treating insomnia.

Effects of L-theanine on the release of alpha-brain waves in human volunteers
Nippon Nogeikagaku Kaishi 1998;72:153-157
Ito K, Nagato Y, Aoi N, et al

L-Theanine is an amino acid found in green tea leaf and in its infusion, and is known to control excitement caused by caffeine. It is also known that the oral administration of L-theanine to rats results in a decrease of serotonin and increase of catecholamines in their brain. L-Theanine has been confirmed to be safe in animal experiments. We found recently that oral intake of L-theanine caused a feeling of relaxation among the human volunteers examined. These observations led us to do experiments on the effects of administration of L-theanine on the brain electric waves. Eight female university students were selected as volunteers. Four of them were ranked to be Grade I (the highest anxiety) and the remaining four, Grade V (the lowest anxiety) in an investigation done by the manifest anxiety scale method. A dose of oral administration of 200 mg of L-theanine dissolved in 100 ml of water resulted in the generation of alpha-electric waves in the occipital and parietal regions of the brains of the subjects. The emission intensity of alpha-brain waves (integrated s a function of investigation times and area) was significantly greater inthe group of Grade I than that of Grade V. These results indicate the possibility for L-theanine to be applied to foods and beverages as a new type of functional food ingredient for its relaxation effect.

A combination of valerian and lemon balm is effective in the treatment of restlessness and dyssomnia in children
Phytomedicine; 13(6):383 - 387
Müller S and Klement S

Efficacy and tolerability of a combined valerian/lemon balm preparation1 were investigated in an open, multicentre study in children less than 12 years suffering from restlessness and nervous dyskoimesis. Patients were dosed individually by the investigators. In total, 918 children were evaluated for therapeutic efficacy and tolerability. A distinct and convincing reduction in severity was found for all symptoms in the investigators' and parents' ratings. The core symptoms dyssomnia and restlessness were reduced from "moderate/severe" to "mild" or "absent" in most of the patients. In total, 80.9% of the patients who suffered from dyssomnia experienced an improvement for this symptom and 70.4% of the patients with restlessness improved clearly. For the other listed symptoms the total improvement was 37.8% on average. Both, parents and investigators assessed efficacy as to be "very good" or "good" (60.5% and 67.7%, respectively). The tolerability of Euvegal® forte was considered as "good" (in 96.7% of the patients it was judged to be "very good" or "good"). No study medication-related adverse events occurred.

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), Monograph
Altern Med Rev. 2007 Sep;12(3):274-9.

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA ) is a major neurotransmitter widely distributed throughout the central nervous system (CNS). Because too much excitation can lead to irritability, restlessness, insomnia, seizures, and movement disorders, it must be balanced with inhibition. GABA - the most important inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain - provides this inhibition, acting like a brake during times of runaway stress. Medications for anxiety, such as benzodiazepines, stimulate GABA receptors and induce relaxation. Either low GABA levels or decreased GABA function in the brain is associated with several psychiatric and neurological disorders, including anxiety, depression, insomnia, and epilepsy. Studies indicate GABA can improve relaxation and enhance sleep. Both synthetic and natural GABA are available as dietary supplements in the United States. Natural GABA is produced via a fermentation process that utilizes Lactobacillus hilgardii - the bacteria used to ferment vegetables in the preparation of the traditional Korean dish known as kimchi.

Sleep-inducing effects of low doses of melatonin ingested in the evening
Clin Pharmacol Ther. 1995 May;57(5):552-8.
Zhdanova IV, Wurtman RJ, Lynch HJ, Ives JR, Dollins AB, Morabito C, Matheson JK, Schomer DL

We previously observed that low oral doses of melatonin given at noon increase blood melatonin concentrations to those normally occurring nocturnally and facilitate sleep onset, as assessed using and involuntary muscle relaxation test. In this study we examined the induction of polysomnographically recorded sleep by similar doses given later in the evening, close to the times of endogenous melatonin release and habitual sleep onset. Volunteers received the hormone (oral doses of 0.3 or 1.0 mg) or placebo at 6, 8, or 9 PM. Latencies to sleep onset, to stage 2 sleep, and to rapid eye movement (REM) sleep were measured polysomnographically. Either dose given at any of the three time points decreased sleep onset latency and latency to stage 2 sleep. Melatonin did not suppress REM sleep or delay its onset. Most volunteers could clearly distinguish between the effects of melatonin and those of placebo when the hormone was tested at 6 or 8 PM. Neither melatonin dose induced "hangover" effects, as assessed with mood and performance tests administered on the morning after treatment. These data provide new evidence that nocturnal melatonin secretion may be involved in physiologic sleep onset and that exogenous melatonin may be useful in treating insomnia.

Effects of L-theanine on the release of alpha-brain waves in human volunteers
Nippon Nogeikagaku Kaishi 1998;72:153-157
Ito K, Nagato Y, Aoi N, et al

L-Theanine is an amino acid found in green tea leaf and in its infusion, and is known to control excitement caused by caffeine. It is also known that the oral administration of L-theanine to rats results in a decrease of serotonin and increase of catecholamines in their brain. L-Theanine has been confirmed to be safe in animal experiments. We found recently that oral intake of L-theanine caused a feeling of relaxation among the human volunteers examined. These observations led us to do experiments on the effects of administration of L-theanine on the brain electric waves. Eight female university students were selected as volunteers. Four of them were ranked to be Grade I (the highest anxiety) and the remaining four, Grade V (the lowest anxiety) in an investigation done by the manifest anxiety scale method. A dose of oral administration of 200 mg of L-theanine dissolved in 100 ml of water resulted in the generation of alpha-electric waves in the occipital and parietal regions of the brains of the subjects. The emission intensity of alpha-brain waves (integrated s a function of investigation times and area) was significantly greater inthe group of Grade I than that of Grade V. These results indicate the possibility for L-theanine to be applied to foods and beverages as a new type of functional food ingredient for its relaxation effect.

A combination of valerian and lemon balm is effective in the treatment of restlessness and dyssomnia in children
Phytomedicine; 13(6):383 - 387
Müller S and Klement S

Efficacy and tolerability of a combined valerian/lemon balm preparation1 were investigated in an open, multicentre study in children less than 12 years suffering from restlessness and nervous dyskoimesis. Patients were dosed individually by the investigators. In total, 918 children were evaluated for therapeutic efficacy and tolerability. A distinct and convincing reduction in severity was found for all symptoms in the investigators' and parents' ratings. The core symptoms dyssomnia and restlessness were reduced from "moderate/severe" to "mild" or "absent" in most of the patients. In total, 80.9% of the patients who suffered from dyssomnia experienced an improvement for this symptom and 70.4% of the patients with restlessness improved clearly. For the other listed symptoms the total improvement was 37.8% on average. Both, parents and investigators assessed efficacy as to be "very good" or "good" (60.5% and 67.7%, respectively). The tolerability of Euvegal® forte was considered as "good" (in 96.7% of the patients it was judged to be "very good" or "good"). No study medication-related adverse events occurred.

Le sommeil est l’etat de repos naturel du corps. Il est essentiel au maintien des fonctionsmotrice et cognitive, de meme qu’à la vigilance et au bien-etre general. De nombreusespersonnes ont de la difficulte à dormir ou souffrent d’un sommeil perturbe. Lesinsomniaques passent moins de temps en sommeil profond, y compris dans cette trèsimportante phase qu’est le sommeil paradoxal, que les personnes dont le sommeil estnormal et se reveillent d’ailleurs plus souvent qu’elles. L’insomnie chronique peutentraîner une somnolence excessive durant la journee, de la confusion, de l’irritabilite etun risque accru de blessure. Elle peut egalement deregler les fonctions cognitive etmotrice et amoindrir la qualite de vie. Divers facteurs peuvent causer l'insomnie : stress,anxiete, alimentation ou encore perturbation de l’horloge interne du corps (decalagehoraire).

Les neurotransmetteurs sont la cle de la regulation du sommeil. Ces agents chimiquesjouent le rôle de messagers à l'interieur du cerveau en transmettant les signaux d'unneurone à un autre et en regulant une foule de fonctions dans l'organisme, y compris lesommeil. L’acide gamma-aminobutyrique (GABA) est le principal neuromediateurinhibiteur du cerveau. Il agit comme un frein pendant les periodes de stress ou d'anxieteen modifiant le degre d'excitabilite du cerveau pour provoquer la relaxation. Sesrecepteurs sont fortement concentres dans l’hypothalamus, region du cerveau associeeau sommeil. Ce neurotransmetteur se revèle efficace contre l’insomnie. Par ailleurs, sonaction directe sur le cerveau a ete demontree : il augmente les ondes cerebrales alpha(associees à la relaxation) et reduit les ondes cerebrales beta (associees à l’anxiete et austress).

La serotonine et la melatonine sont, elles aussi, essentielles à un sommeil paisible.Produite par la glande pineale qui est situee dans le cerveau, la melatonine règlel’horloge interne du corps. On a demontre qu’elle reduit le delai d’endormissement etprolonge la duree du sommeil. Elle contribuerait egalement à retablir le cycle veillesommeil de l'organisme, effet salutaire pour ceux qui subissent un decalage horaire. Laserotonine se revèle, elle aussi, essentielle à la regulation du sommeil et peut en outreetre convertie en melatonine par l’organisme. Le L-5-HTP, metabolite issu de l’acideamine tryptophane, est un precurseur de la serotonine dont il fait augmenter le taux. Ilpeut prolonger les phases de sommeil profond et de sommeil paradoxal, favorisant ainsiun sommeil reparateur.

On a demontre que l’action de la theanine, de la racine de valeriane et de l’extrait depassiflore sur la qualite du sommeil est prometteuse. La theanine, acide amine extrait duthe vert, est reconnue pour ses proprietes relaxantes et anxiolitiques. Elle agit directementsur le cerveau en modulant les ondes cerebrales de façon semblable au GABA et,indirectement, en stimulant la production de cet acide. L’action sedative de la racine devaleriane et de l'extrait de passiflore, qui contribuent à calmer l'agitation et l’anxiete, est reconnue depuis longtemps. On a demontre que des composes à base d’extraits de cesdeux plantes peuvent stimuler la liberation de GABA ou en activer les recepteurs, tout eninhibant les enzymes qui degradent les neurotransmetteurs comme le GABA et laserotonine.